How to Kill a Goat

If you haven’t heard of the goat, it is what CrossFitter’s call something they avoid doing, suck at, or both. I’m not sure where the term came from, but I do know that everyone has one! It is that movement that churns your stomach whenever you see it posted in the WOD.

You may have several goats. My goat is the overhead squat…I just don’t like it. Whenever it comes up in the workout, I try to make an excuse to substitute or lower the weight…but, I know the only way to get better at a goat is to attack it head on.

Step 1. Do it daily
One of the best wrestlers of all time, Dan Gable, had a quote saying that if it’s worth doing, do it daily. This is the most important! YOU CANNOT AVOID YOUR GOAT AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS. I’m sorry, but it just don’t work like that. You have to make the commitment to make the improvement…

“Everyone must choose one of two pains: The pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” - Jim Rohn

Step 2: Ask a coach
Holy crap, it blows my mind how many people fail to ask for help. It’s one thing if you workout in your garage and don’t have face to face time with a CrossFit coach, but if you are coming to a CrossFit gym on a weekly basis, you have no excuse to not ask a coach for help. A coach can help you review the technique, understand the strength/skill/flexibility requirement for the movement, and give you a plan to attack the goat. But, you must understand that it’s not always as easy as a 5-minute conversation with a coach. It may take several conversations over several months of working before you see improvement, it’s really up to you!

Step 3: Commit to killing your goat
Tying in what I already stated above, you have to stay committed - plan for the worst and hope for the best. Do your goat daily, 5-10 reps after each workout will make a huge improvement over time. Your coaches at MBS are here to help, so use them! Happy hunting!