Skrapper About Skrapper Inc. What is a Skrapper? Training Boxing Fitness & Performance Shop Apparel Blog Menu 100 N Hermitage Ave Chicago, IL, 60612 Phone Number Your Custom Text Here Skrapper About Skrapper Inc. What is a Skrapper? Training Boxing Fitness & Performance Shop Apparel Blog Find Your _sKrap_ October 11, 2017 mark allen The term "scrap" is defined a few ways by Merriam-Webster. You and I are smart enough to search and confirm the definition, you're not an idiot. The difference between you and I is probably our interpretation and the meaning behind them. Here's some stuff I found on the internet... scrap (noun) 1. fragments of discarded or leftover food 2 manufactured articles or parts rejected or discarded and useful only as material for reprocessing; especially: waste and discarded metal 3. the least bit <not a scrap of evidence> 4. quarrel, fight scrap (verb) 1. to convert into scrap 2 to abandon or get rid of as no longer of enough worth or effectiveness to retain <scrap outworn methods> The use of the word scrapper is twofold: A fighter, or someone eager for a fight. Also, ascrapper is someone who "removes or does away with scraps." Let's go back to this idea of "what is leftover" or what is "unused." Scrap is discarded, treated as junk, waste or garbage...basically what's no longer needed. Now think about scrap yards, or scrap collectors. Those people and places DO have a use for what others regard as junk, don't they. They build, create, even sell scrap for their own purpose, or even re-purpose. They see some value in the scrap. Don't waste your scrap! Remember, there is a hidden, potential value there., you just might not see it in the moment. Before you toss the next few reps and minutes up for a loss, or decide to "live to fight another day" find out what you're made of. Take a look at your own leftovers. Are they meant to be discarded? Or can you reuse them, maybe in a different way?? I've gone through it in my own training and personal life. I've had injuries that have taken me out of fights. They've taken me out of training the way I am used to . When that happened I would have brief thoughts on giving up. Eventually a combination of a new job, marriage and other life events forced me into retirement. Retiring from competition was one of the hardest things I've done. I was a guy used to training two, sometimes three times per day. I was always in "fighting shape" ready to compete and take a fight should it come my way. When I retired and stopped taking on the role of a pro, it was hard to stay motivated. As a pro, I was always conditioned and ready for a war. Now I had no reason to be. Finding the motivation to train every day was becoming a challenge, and there were days when I didn't have the drive to even show up at the gym. This phase lasted about one month, before something clicked. I had to find out what else was left inside of me, in order to continue training....because I knew that no matter what, I wanted to. Before, my reason for training was all about events, competition and to be prepared. When that was removed, I really had to dive deep into the my reasons for training. Thinking about what "fighting" meant to me was what did it. I used to think of it just as a combination of punching, kicking and wrestling in front of an audience. Now I thought of the word "fight" as a fight for who I was as a person. Never one to give up, quit and always seek an answer, win or lose, I always gave my full effort . I said to myself, "There are more options, Mark" And that was just it. At the beginning of retirement, that was my reason for training. I would train, in order to find a reason to continue. No, I'm not talking about fat loss, improving my sprint times, or getting ready for a competition. Instead, I would show up at the gym, and purposefully ask myself, "Why am I here?" The answer I kept coming up with was, "I don't know, but I am here to find out." It almost seems circular in logic, doesn't it?! Like I said, never going half ass, I realized my reason to train was just that...finding a reason. So I just trained. After showing up at the gym, and asking myself that question, I found that I would go all out with anything I picked to do that day. Squats, deadlifts, hitting the heavy bags, jiujitsu. It didn't matter. A funny thing happened as I continued to train without a dedicated purpose. I found these things called "goals." What's great about goals? You've just set your target, and for me, that gave me the motivation to plan. Before, the goal was to fight, and the strategy was to be technically and physically conditioned, ready to fight and win. There were no other goals. When I started showing up to the gym, all of these new goals started popping up out of nowhere. When that happened, this guy, the guy who had no direction after a short lived fighting career, finally had some direction. There were new goals. Increasing the amount of my deadlift and squat was one of them, for example. Another one that came up was achieving a brown belt in jiujitsu. One of my current goals these days is to hit every heavy bag in the gym...twice, in a single workout. There are 8 bags in my gym today. That's 16 rounds on the bag, plus 3 rounds of shadowboxing, and 3 rounds of jumping rope...for a total of 22 rounds. All of the sudden, I had a new 99 minute workout. After that, the goal became creating more intense workouts just like that one. The point I'm trying to make is this. Hen it feels like you've got nothing left, you've always got something left. I felt there was nothing after fighting, but in spite of that, I just kept showing up to the gym, and suddenly goals were presenting themselves to me. Here's what to tell yourself when you get these thoughts I had: No! I can't lift that much weight!" "I don't have another round after that." "One more lap? But I can't breathe right now." At those moments remind yourself there is always some "sKrap" left, deeper, down inside of you. Most times is is easier to quit, give up, or rationalize an easier way in workouts/training. It's my belief that we do this because we know in those next few laps, reps, or rounds you're about to tackle, there's going to be some pain and discomfort. It's a lot easier to think about what you DON'T have instead of what you actually DO. That's where we come in. It's our job to remind you that you have more than you think. Find the bits and pieces of ssKrap you have...that you can use for sake of the next few minutes. If you don't believe in it, we're here to help. Everybody's got a little sKrap in 'em. You just have to be good at listening for it.. Comment A traveling man is an evolving gym February 27, 2017 mark allen It’s when I’m travelling that I’m forced to find new or creative ways to train or get a workout in. T Read More Comment Voices February 27, 2017 mark allen I HEAR VOICES! (why doesn’t this surprise me…) Read More Comment Risk - Reward February 27, 2017 mark allen Why are we doing what we do? This post is not so much about that. Read More Comment Tougher than you thought... February 16, 2017 mark allen You are tougher than you think. Read More Comment sKrapper iNc . 2016 . All rights Reserved HOME CONTACT FAQ TERMS