I sat in a cheap motel room in Salt Lake City with my friend Dan. It was June of 2009. I’d been up for a few days smoking crack and shooting heroin. I had isolated myself from my friends and family, and abandoned the support system I had used in recovery. I had lied to my therapists, my AA sponsor, everyone. In spite of my best efforts, I had once again let myself slip into a dangerously depressive state. The shame was a sharp edge, cutting unbearably deeper every day. I figured if I did enough drugs I could forget about it momentarily, or at least dull the pain.

Maybe you’ve heard something along the lines of, “bodybuilders try to look good, while weightlifters try to do good.” Perhaps you’ve heard weightlifters refer to the powerlifts as “half lifts.” Meanwhile, the power lifters refer to the Olympic lifts as the “trick lifts.” Have you heard the snatch referred to as “gymnastics with a barbell”?

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Watch this video to hear our tips for Crossfit Open workout 15.4