Hungry Dog Barbell Podcast
Lauren Ruhl
Licensed professional counselor and sports psychology clinician Lauren Rule joins us to share her journey and expertise in guiding athletesthrough performance anxiety, managing perfectionism, and recovering from injuries. We explore her role at YSC Academy, her summer injury recovery programs, and her favorite CrossFit movements, all while drawing from her own experiences in gymnastics and basketball.
Lauren takes us through her deeply personal journey of overcoming eating disorders and rediscovering athleticism through art and CrossFit. After being advised to quit basketball, she found solace and community in unexpected places. Lauren’s candor about the paradox of being praised for an unhealthy lifestyle and the importance of vulnerability and community support offers listeners valuable insights into achieving wellness.
Lauren@greenepsych.com @lruhl_sportpsych
https://greenepsych.com/
Licensed professional counselor and sports psychology clinician Lauren Rule joins us to share her journey and expertise in guiding athletesthrough performance anxiety, managing perfectionism, and recovering from injuries. We explore her role at YSC Academy, her summer injury recovery programs, and her favorite CrossFit movements, all while drawing from her own experiences in gymnastics and basketball.
Lauren takes us through her deeply personal journey of overcoming eating disorders and rediscovering athleticism through art and CrossFit. After being advised to quit basketball, she found solace and community in unexpected places. Lauren’s candor about the paradox of being praised for an unhealthy lifestyle and the importance of vulnerability and community support offers listeners valuable insights into achieving wellness.
Lauren@greenepsych.com @lruhl_sportpsych
https://greenepsych.com/
What's up, dogs? Welcome back to another episode of the Hungry Dog Barbell Podcast. This week I'm joined by Lauren Rule. Lauren is a licensed professional counselor and sports psychology clinician. She provides individual counseling and small group mental skills training and workshops for athletes, sports parents, teams coaches and sports medicine professionals. This is a great conversation where we dive into how Lauren helps athletes overcome performance anxiety, chasing perfectionism, the mental battle of the loss of a sports season due to injury. Tune in to hear how she got into this role and also to get the tools to help you always win the battle between your ears.
Speaker 2:Those are the ones when I tend to slow down.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what's your favorite movement in all of CrossFit? Give me anything Barbell gymnastics, ones when I tend to slow down. Yeah, what's your favorite movement in all of crossfit?
Speaker 2:give you anything barbell gymnastics um, I would actually probably have to say kettlebell swings I like kettlebell swings, um. I mean I I really want to get good at them, but I've been actually loving now that I feel like I'm finally getting the movement down.
Speaker 1:My I really enjoy cleans, um, and my snatches are my enemy I feel like that's so the answer for so many people in crossfit. You know, like they fully love or they fully hate them. I'm watching jimmy apparently about to do a 400 meter sled push right now outside. Have fun, jimmy have fun all right.
Speaker 2:I wonder if that's anyone's favorite movement to do, like I love a good sled push, but like out in this heat right now it's just too much oh, and I did it the wrong way this morning, like I did the thousand meter run and then I did the sled push the last oh and the lap for that one hill right on coming out like my, I felt like my hamstrings were gonna cr, so that was really great.
Speaker 1:15 seconds of regretting everything that you decided to do to bring you right there. That's terrible. All right, so let's dive into like a little bit more professional now here, like tell us what do you do for a job, what's your title, and then we'll start talking about like what's your days and weeks of schedule looks like from there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so my job title technically I'm a therapist and sports psychology clinician, but basically I work with athletes from fifth grade all the way up to collegiate Olympic level around the mental side of performance sports, whatever sport you name it, or any type of performance that is. It could be even dance musicians, those type of things as well. So I work at a private practice called Green Sight Clinical and Sports Psychology located in Haverford, and yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:So like what does your schedule look like? Like? What's the rest of your Wednesday? What was the beginning of your day looking like for you? And what's your week look like?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so another thing that I do during this um the actual school year is I'm also the mental health and performance counselor at YSC Academy, which is a breed or a feeder school. It's an elite soccer Academy that is affiliated and partnered with the Philadelphia unionadelphia union, so this is an ad that's the philly soccer team.
Speaker 1:For people out there that don't know yes, philly soccer team.
Speaker 2:Sorry, yeah, for the mls um. So yes, these boys are going to this school to literally hopefully go pro um, and it's almost like if they are told that they aren't going pro, it's almost seen as like a failure. So there's just so much pressure within that. So I'm there three days a week during the school year, but for the summer I'm, you know, daily. I have virtual or in-person sessions. Specifically, the summer is a little bit slower, but also one thing that I specialize in is injury and returning from injury and coming back stronger. But also one thing that I specialize in is injury and returning from injury and coming back stronger, feeling more confident, um. So I'm actually putting together a eight week training on um for anyone that, like just wants to work on managing their recovery on their own Um, but they'll receive weekly videos actually uh, actually from me on specific topics or skills or tools that I think could be super helpful for them to get through their rehab and everything.
Speaker 1:Oh man, that's great. Like I'm sure, like just in your work and what you come to do for fun, like at the gym, you see people struggle with that so much. Coach. I've been a coach full time now for five I think, going on six years. I can't tell you the amount of people that have like I can feel the depression coming from them and set it in after they are injured, right Like they don't know, they feel like a part of their identity is taken away so they take a huge hit mentally, you know. So to have people to equip people with the mental tools to deal with that right, come back and be better and understand that there's like this is not the end of their journey jimmy's just now coming back around to give people the tools to know that there is a way to come back right, like this is the the end of things you know like your no-transcript.
Speaker 1:First sport, first sport you ever played. What was the first sport you ever loved like? Tell us about all that.
Speaker 2:You know I did a lot of different stuff growing up. I also, um, I did. I was really good at gymnastics. I don't know why I didn't choose gymnastics because I'm only 5'3 and my body type is much more gymnastics, um, but I I played soccer too. I did all that good stuff. I tried softball but hated it, hated the pants, hated because I didn't like the pants, but also because it was just too slow pace for me, um, but yeah, I started basketball in kindergarten and that was that was it for me, um, and then that was it. And then, once I hit fifth grade, I started a you um, and I had a team that was so good. We had like six, seven girls that ended up going D one, a couple who went to, went overseas. One almost made it to the WNBA. So I got to experience a lot of incredible cool things. I got to play in front of Pat's Summit and all these amazing things, and it was a great experience. Wait a little.
Speaker 1:Where are?
Speaker 2:you from Where'd?
Speaker 1:you grow up.
Speaker 2:I grew up in Lansdale. I went to Methacton High School.
Speaker 1:Oh, nice, nice.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not many people know about it, but yeah, I live in that area right now.
Speaker 1:I went to Horsham High School. Oh, yeah, awesome. So yes, well, I know, I know all about Methacton.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we did the Hapro League in the summer, but I did yeah, yeah, you play with, uh, the carol brothers.
Speaker 1:yep, matt and pat carol, yeah, yeah yeah, um high school with their, with their little sister oh, no way, yeah.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, I. And then my, yeah, my sophomore year of high school. We went 20, you know, we went like 31 and 2 that year I also. We went and came in eighth in the country, um, or third in the country. One another year was eighth in the country, yeah, it was just awesome. It was great, um.
Speaker 2:And then I went to Lebanon Valley College, um, and played basketball there, and then my freshman year I blew out my knee, um. But I think you know what, the one amazing and really awesome thing, and that was like the epitome of like that was the peak of my career, for sure, um, I was rookie of the year there at the mac conference and I didn't even finish the season, which I was proud of, um, but yeah. So once I blew out my knee for the first time, I realized, like how impactful the mind was and all that. And then that's actually what led to me going to wanting to become more a sports psychologist yeah. Then I went to University of Denver, got my master's in sport and performance psychology and then during grad school, I blew out my other knee.
Speaker 1:Oh what? How did you do?
Speaker 2:that Playing basketball, playing pickup with the boys, with the guys.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:And then, yeah, did stuff out there, Got more into my career out there and started working at Valeski and Snowboard Academy, which was a Valeski basically like the YSC for soccer, but over there it was for snowboarding and skiing. And then I came back here finally after about seven years out in Colorado, and then during that year of COVID I blew out my knee again.
Speaker 1:You and the knees man not good for you. I'm going to let him in and say that pistols aren't one of your favorite movements.
Speaker 2:I was pumped actually, like when we think about like the things that we I think for me, being an athlete like I, I didn't doing all my recoveries Like the last thing I wanted was you to say I can't do that again. Yeah, so I can do pistols and do that again. Yeah, so I can do pistols and I I'm proud that I can do pistols and my knees don't hurt like I'm actually let's go yeah, so I'm trying really hard to maintain that pistol beats.
Speaker 2:It took me 14 months to finally get after my third knee injury surgery. Took me 14 months to finally get my pistol again. So once I got it I was like pumped. But yeah, so I've done my knees three times and that's kind of why I do what I do.
Speaker 1:So you blew out obviously one of them twice right, like what was it like the second time, like did you what what happened? Like did you know right away, like what were you going through? Did you what what happened? Like did you know right away, like what were you going through.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I mean the first time I did it, I came off a spin move, did ACL MCL meniscus, and I heard a pop, obviously like that. First time I knew exactly I was like no, put me back in, but obviously no. And then that was my right knee and then my left knee. I came down from a rebound and I landed on some dude's foot and like my knee just popped.
Speaker 1:But it's so interesting because all of my injuries didn't really hurt yeah.
Speaker 2:I think it was more just the shock of like shit, like now I know that I'm out. And then my third one I literally came down from a shot, just like a jump shot.
Speaker 1:You landed and landed weird.
Speaker 2:Like pump, fake, take, a couple dribbles shot came down. I thought I rolled my ankle and then I started moving and I'm like, I'm just like, ooh, that was bad. And then I started walking. I was like I don't think that was my ankle, yeah. Yeah, that's tough, but every injury, like the recovery, was different. And you know, I think it's just like the grind that you have to just go through and the loneliness at times too, because you just become a bit more isolated. You're unable to do a lot of things that your friends do. You have to say no to more things and like people actually stop kind of asking you about stuff too, like they just like, okay, you're injured, Cool, not truly realizing, like, yeah, but like now my life is kind of turned upside down for the next nine months. It's hard.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's like real tough, Like I'm sure being an athlete was a big part of your identity, right, like we talked about in the beginning there. So did you discover in the time that the multiple times that you were injured and you had to like take a step back, did you discover like anything else about yourself that like to help fill that void?
Speaker 2:or um like fill the, the being able to play sports with anything else well, I think it's all interesting, right like I think every single injury actually did um bring like there was a silver lining from all. I think, truly my first one. I was originally a physical therapy major, but tearing my first doing my knee the first time made me realize I actually wanted to go more sports like. So if I don't think I would have gotten my knee done my knee like I don't I might be a physical therapist right now, like I don't know, but I think I don't want to sit around rehabbing these people, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So I think that one, and then, um, the second one, um actually made me realize that I wanted to specialize in injury Because I was like I don't want to, I have to go through this again, I don't want people to go through this and something that I do disclose here and there, but like I also was going through an eating disorder at the time, so that plays a whole other animal into that. I think truly that second one made me realize that I wasn't okay and then I actually got help for myself, which was a big game changer and for me that was like the big silver lining of that injury. And then the third one. The third one, I think, really just helped me actually find even more of my passion for art.
Speaker 2:Um, I'm really artsy and I love crafts and I have like a little craft store now and all that stuff. But I love that. It made me realize actually. Also, it made me also come back to find CrossFit as well. Um, because now, instead of playing on the basketball court because I was kind of told that I shouldn't play anymore, I now feel like an athlete in CrossFit. That.
Speaker 2:I still feel like that badass there put it pushes me in a new way that I've never, ever experienced, unless I was on a team with someone and team playing basketball. So like just that camaraderie, the community, the pushing of each other and dying together um yeah, picking one another up. I think it's truly why I now I'm like so committed to especially CrossFit Westchester it's literally probably the best gym I've been to Dude you, you die with someone out on this floor and this heat man, you, you, you get bonded really quick, you know bonds, you go really quick.
Speaker 2:You know it's awesome.
Speaker 1:Uh, what was I just going to say there? Oh, so in the second surgery time, right Like second injury time, I should say you, uh, were you still in college?
Speaker 2:No, that was during grad school.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you still in college. No, that was during grad school. Okay, so you're in grad school at this point. Now the question is a little bit different. Then I've had a number of people come on here and talk about eating disorders of all different varieties, right, and a lot of them being women, and women that were in college at the time were in areas where someone else is supposed to be in in charge of you or like looking over you, like supervising you, and then, like man, I would reach out and I would tell people about these problems that I didn't have any resources to help me combat that, did you? You said that you were able to ask for help on that. Like, did you? Was it easy for you to find the resources you needed to not feel better about yourself but get away from your eating disorder? I guess I should say so.
Speaker 2:I guess something I didn't add is that I also had it during college.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean, obviously, it doesn't usually doesn't just develop overnight, it's usually like a long summary thing for people.
Speaker 2:But the first thing I would say is that I was malnourished by far my first time that I got injured. So that was also another big reason why I got injured. I know it because I was so malnourished I wasn't, I was probably overtraining and my body couldn't handle it, couldn't take it, so that, and then I was actually forced to get help for that one. But it's crazy, though, at that time, like I'm so grateful that my parents were willing to push me and like they got the help that I needed, even though I didn't want to get it. But then I relapsed once I went to college.
Speaker 2:And it's interesting because at the end of the day, you know how, like they say, like you can't help someone unless they want to help themselves. And it was almost as if like that second injury was what themselves. And it was almost as if like that second injury was what made me realize, like, lauren, it's time. It's time for you to get the help that you want and you need, because you don't like this, this isn't right, this isn't good. And they want an incredible thing actually out in Colorado and in the West they do it a bit more holistically and different that they actually had some eating disorder. Like centers that had also outpatient, but they also had athlete tracks, so like athletes would actually go and to these specific places and then they would eventually like train you to go back into your sport as well.
Speaker 1:Right, so you know, like after size, you feel like there's like other people that are like you. You know, this isn't such a crazy weird thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but the hard thing was is because of my degree, there were classmates of mine that were working there, so I had to actually call them and say hey, so I can't come in and I didn't want to. I actually kind of hit it like no one really in my class and everything like knew that I was experiencing this. I mean, maybe they could tell based on my but I so I asked and I said, hey, who would you refer me to to get the support? And I seeked out my own therapist and my own dietitian and they were incredible.
Speaker 1:It's awesome. That's like a really vulnerable place to put yourself in. You know to have to go to your peers about this problem that you're having, cause I mean they could be experiencing it too, but from the outside looking at it, you always think that, like this person is perfect and I'm the only one that's struggling you know no.
Speaker 2:And it's wild because I did have like a couple of teammates, a couple of classmates, yeah, that were experiencing it too, and once I finally said something, they're like oh my God, I've been doing that too and I'm like wait, really. So I built a couple really awesome bonds there. But it is wild because, you know, I think, think, so many people. It's interesting how so many people like, even when I was like the tiniest, I was, um, I'm more like I guess I just looked like a bodybuilder, like I looked just more ripped than anything, um, during my grad school days, but everyone was like, oh my gosh, what are you doing? Like you look incredible and it's like, thanks. In reality, though, I'm not healthy.
Speaker 2:um yeah it's just so interesting it's tough, right, you get it like addicted, maybe even subconsciously, to the praise, but then you're like, also, I'm doing this to myself and it's such a crazy, like teeter-totter to have to deal you know, and I think now, cause now I'm healthy, now I'm exactly where I should be and I'm actually trying to gain weight in the sense of gaining muscle and mass Right and so like, for me, I'm proud of that because it's transitioning away from what my my previous goal used to be in my brain. But also, like CrossFit, everyone is so different body types, like we are, so there's no mirrors, everyone's just picking them up, wait, doing their thing. And for me, that's what I love so much about it too, is there's not like I don't feel like there's body image focus, like when you go to a I don't know, just a normal fitness gym. Um, that's why I also really passionately like, enjoy CrossFit so much.
Speaker 1:It's all about you're going to get what, like you're going to get a by-product of the work you put in. You know, like that's what it's really just all about. And CrossFit, Uh. So I wanted to do this earlier, but we just got into such a great conversation there. Let's like take it back to like do you consider yourself a, uh, competitive person?
Speaker 1:oh yes, so I feel like most people that they come on here are going to say yes, um, do you have like an earliest first memory of the competitiveness coming out, or a time that, like you could think of?
Speaker 2:you're like, oh wow, that's what a young lauren being really competitive oh, um, you know, I think one, I, you, I was used to be the biggest tomboy, um, which I consider myself. I guess I am still a tomboy in a way. Um, but like, my mom had to force me also to like wear because she didn't force me, but she's like, lauren, you have to wear nice clothes for like once, once a week. And I was the one really that played with girls. I was always the one playing like flag football or playing basketball or kickball, like I was never doing, I don't know. Girl things like I was always with the girl things, yeah, things Like I was always with the boy, yeah, girl things Like I was always with the boys trying to beat them up.
Speaker 2:Um, I think the other thing, like, growing up, I, there was one, I, um, I, I like chipped my, I chipped bone and tore a ligament in my finger. Um, when was that? That was? I think that was around seventh grade, um, and I played pickup, like a pickup league with boys and this happened like my finger, someone like threw me the ball and I like jammed it, um, and it was just like hanging and like I could like, yeah, like couldn't straighten it, um, but I went and like went into the bathroom and then one of the dad came and was like, hey, are you good? And I'm like, yeah, I'm fine. And so I went out and I played the rest of the game and the game, so the boys didn't think that I was hurt with my finger hanging with my finger just hanging, dangling um.
Speaker 2:And then when my mom came pick me up I was like, take me to the yard, it's broken. I would say for me, like I didn't want I had to be the boys, like that's just, that was my goal. So, yeah, that's probably like my first one. I remember and can recall, but playing wiffleball outside all the time, like that's just how old were you when that, when the finger story happened? Seventh grade, so it was at like 12th yeah, somewhere around there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's funny. Yeah, man, I've I've definitely jacked my fingers off from playing football and they're not right now. You know, they're all over the place and then the barbell like hook, grip and stuff doesn't help at all, you know I have no.
Speaker 2:I mean like my middle fingers are like literally crooked. They go this. I'm being jammed so much so it's just normal.
Speaker 1:That's how my pinky is man and I remember it from like ninth grade playing a handball in gym class, man, you know used to go down in gym class try to dodge a throw and just freak it. Or try to block a throw, Just whack the edge of my hand. It's been jacked up ever since then. You know, you just live with it.
Speaker 2:So you.
Speaker 1:So you talked about like being in college and working out, like already and like looking ripped in post-grad. So when did you like hit the weight room? Like when did that become a part of your sports and athleticism?
Speaker 2:You know, I'd say I probably started that like around ninth or 10th grade Cause then I actually started going to like speed and agility, like class and everything to work on all that Um and then through that I like developed and understood more of um, training and lifting Um, but honestly, like that's the one thing I we didn't really have that in D three. That's what like really pissed me off too. Like we didn't really have that in D3. That's what like really pissed me off. To like have a program like I didn't learn how to clean until three years ago, I guess now like not maybe not three like truly like learning more and more of the technique, but I've probably known how to do it for a while. Because actually something I didn't say is I also have my strength and conditioning certification and I was a trainer for about four years out in Colorado too, and I did more like athletes to like strength and power, going from back squats into squat jumps or into box jumps, into different things like that and explosive movements.
Speaker 1:But right, because there's more than just just doing a clean to develop, you know, speed agility for all the crossfitters out there. We love you, but there's so many other different things to do so many, yeah, um.
Speaker 2:But then I would say, after I graduated from college and I didn't know even like what to do, because I was like all I've done is train for basketball, like how the hell am I supposed to move now? Or train to like for life, now, what am I supposed to do?
Speaker 1:I do in the gym every day for the next 60 years. You know, 80 years.
Speaker 2:Like I'm still going to keep shooting. I guess I don't know what to do, but I actually ended up hiring like a trainer of just being like what help instead of I don't know know, doing so many explosive movements and things like that.
Speaker 1:So um, were you always going to do something in like the, the wellness and movement realm coming out of high school like, was that always where you wanted to go? Because you said at first you were on like the physical therapist track. Was that always like your goals?
Speaker 2:honestly, yeah, because I, I think, still like sports is such a large identity of me and truly, I like to say too, like my, my focus is that I'm still an athlete, I just don't wear a jersey. Yeah, and you know, I think it's important to work on redefining what an athlete means to you and what an athlete looks like, what an athlete feels like, um, and what an athlete looks like, what an athlete feels like and that's what I work with, actually a lot of my athletes too Like when you're injured, how do you now redefine that statement? It's not that we can't get you back there, but how do you now own who you are in a different form or a different way? So, yeah, I've always wanted to. It's probably just that competitive nature of me, um, but also my parents are both physical therapists by trade, so it's probably just kind of ingrained into me of like being around sports and physic, like physiology and all that type of stuff I love that.
Speaker 1:Who was being from like a similar area to uh where I grew up? Who was your favorite athlete growing up? If you have different phases or changes, you could tell us that too.
Speaker 2:AI.
Speaker 1:Always AI, there we go.
Speaker 2:I was three for a reason. I was three growing up three always. Ai was my man, Yep.
Speaker 1:I just saw they put Vince Carter on the Hall of Fame edition of the new 2K video game and everyone's like come on, man, AI was right there right there, yeah come on.
Speaker 1:It definitely had him um uh him and ai, both their um I don't know posters on my walls growing up then the poster days, when that was a thing, man, people don't do that anymore but like and I feel like vince carter just got out the league, like he just like two years ago or something like that AI's been gone for a minute. It's wild.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but any basketball Tracy McGrady, floyd Howard what used to be my boy too and then Kyle Korver, and I think more because of the three. I was a big three shooter so, like Kyle Korver, I just ate up. Kyle, I was a big three shooter so like Kyle Korver, I just ate up. Oh, yeah, for sure, but anything Sixers, a hundred percent always.
Speaker 1:That's funny, my girlfriend like she doesn't really watch basketball but she'll watch it like a little bit with me and with the Lakers being all the news lately like there's been more clips of like Dwight Howard going around. So Julia only knows Dwight Howard with the braids on the Lakers and I'm like, well, he used to be really, really good, like he was the defensive player of the year like three years running. She's like this guy.
Speaker 2:I'm like I know he's goofy but he was really good man and the good old days of basketball and I'd say probably Dwayne Wade too, especially after the first knee and stuff and like coming back like I give him so much props of just yeah, handling it all, and then doing it again like yeah yeah, people have never been through an injury before like man coming back, is it's something so super different.
Speaker 1:Like having to like put yourself in those shoes of someone that just ended their season on a good note, right, like they have. However long that off season is going to be let's call it three months to like decompress and get ready for the next season, right, but like you can get stronger over that time period. You're coming off of what's 100 for you. Now put yourself in that off season where you are going to be like I, I, I. I can't do my usual things to get stronger. I can't be out there with everyone running. You know, like I can't be chasing what I want to chase right now. I have to do it in this kind of way. That's like a hard mindset to shift into, have to change everything that you normally do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and a lot of athletes don't know how to right Because, also, like you know, going to the gym, doing this, is what helps relieve their stress, relieve like whatever their anger, frustration is.
Speaker 2:And now I don't know what else I enjoy, what I like, what I what makes me happy. I think it's. It can be exhausting, it can be. You know, I'm just like thinking of all the different athletes I have and I think they just don't recognize that they actually have the skills to like, withhold it and also, like I like to say, for a lot of athletes, you know, like you're made up of a pie, basically, and one or two slices is being on the court, being on the field, being in the training room. What are those other slices? And developing and understanding, how can you actually figure out what those are and how can you fuel those so that, when you are clear to play, you can finally focus on those two slivers that you haven't been touching for a little while, so that you actually, by the time that you get back to your sport, you get back to the training, you actually, by the time that you get back to your sport.
Speaker 1:You get back to the training, you actually feel more whole because now you've actually developed more of you, and that's what I do daily. Yeah, that's what people need. How do you, how would? How do you approach people and get them to approach, I guess, finding the other parts of themselves? Like, what do they explore? How do they start that process?
Speaker 2:Well, I think one of the biggest things we have to recognize is we, as people are, need connection, we need emotion, we need support. So a lot of it is also figuring out like where, who is your support system? Where are your supports? Who can you turn to when you're pissed? Who can you turn to when you're sad? Who can you turn to when you need to just vent? And then I think it's also like okay if you can't lift legs, okay, but can you lift arms? Can you lift core? Can you do certain things also outside of that that you usually like?
Speaker 2:If you were playing, you wouldn't have the ability to actually focus on your arm strength or maybe your shoulder mobility. But I also like to work on them, seeing as if, like their physical therapy or their rehab, is their training that they're showing up to their practice that day, whether it's just doing quad sets or like extensions, like you got to own that, as if you were going into practice trying to give 100%. And then I also you know, I think it's just figuring out too what are other things that make them feel sad or happy and relaxed and fulfilled. So, whether that's cooking, whether that's going more for walks and I don't know, exploring new, trying new things, like what's a new documentary that you haven't watched?
Speaker 2:Or maybe you, you know, I have one athlete that right now that, um, he just realized he really likes video editing, so he's been getting into that a bit more now because he actually has a lot of time, um, but I think a lot of times what I also help them with is like starting to recognize, like, what pisses them off and what triggers them most, so that when that type of situation happens, or like when you got to sit on the sideline and watch your guys out on the court or out on the field and you just got to be there, like how do you deal? Because that that's one of the hardest things, right, see your friends potentially getting better than you right now and you just have to just own being a teammate right now on the sideline. So, learning how to just cope with that, because if they can learn how to feel the emotion and let it go, like once they're back and playing, they're able to actually handle more emotions, because they've been able to. They've been handling it for the past six months.
Speaker 1:Right. Working on the emotional side of just sports and athletics is huge, huge for all of your gains, and being a good teammate like is something that that goes by the wayside a lot, so it's really awesome that you just touched on that part, you know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and truly it's more like okay, what, what would you want if you were on the sideline, you know? Or if you were playing and your friend was on the sideline, like how would you want to be treated or what would you want them to do? And like how can you be that you know and how do you own that role so that, when you're in time to show up and be the other role, you finally can focus on that and everyone else is there to probably support you because you were being that person that you'd want. I think it's huge. And also learning how to advocate for yourself. And talking to your coaches or teammates like how can I help, what can I do? And just kind of feel still like you're in it, even though you are on the outside.
Speaker 1:Yeah, learning how to advocate for yourself will teach you not only how, but when to you know. So that's really awesome. And for everyone out there listening, notice that she said that your physical therapy, your rehab, your prehab, is just as important as your training. Right, bring the same intensity to that that you do, to all the sexy things that you do playing the sport, like doing a squat snatch, you know, like doing a heavy back squat uh, then you will get, you will reap the benefits of it, you know, thousand great reward, great, great reward and it's only gonna probably make you stronger in general, because you're finally putting in the work that you probably were putting off for some time because you wanted to do the sexy stuff versus the grind stuff that isn't as appealing.
Speaker 1:So, speaking of that, like we talk about you being competitive, but like what motivates you, like what motivates you to work hard. In the gym or life in general, in the gym, when you have, when you have a big project you're putting together to present to somebody. What do you feel motivates you?
Speaker 2:I think, well, I guess, when it comes to being in the gym, what motivates me is like I truly just want to feel like I got better and I want to feel like I progressed. I want to feel like I did improve something. For me, I think the gym also was my Zen. It's the area and the place that I can truly just be me. Um, but I think when it comes to CrossFit because it's so humbling and having to learn how to snatch and like clean and like just getting the mechanics down, it's it's really actually right now honing on those aspects as well, and for me too, I actually I do try to write down like what things do I want to really focus on this month versus last month or the following month, so that I actually feel like I have guidelines so I can like focus. This is my like. I really want to focus more on my lat strength or endurance. I want to focus on my like snatch, my hang snatch or whatever, so that I feel like I have at least a guide.
Speaker 1:Micro goals are super important.
Speaker 2:Oh, a hundred percent. And I think if you don't know where to put your focus and have a focus for that day or that week, it's really hard for you to be successful and progress the way that you're looking for. Sure, I guess, for myself. I think at the end of the day, I just want to help people be better. So you know how do I do that, how do I make sure, like being on this, I think hopefully this hits home for certain people. But also, you know, my, if I can make a difference in someone's people, don't know, then that means that my, my knowledge is getting out there that people then can take potentially pass on to other people. And that's, yeah, that's what motivates me.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Like all the knowledge we have is meant to be shared, right, that's why we acquire it to share it with other people.
Speaker 1:Like it's not meant to die with us or it would be useless, you know oh yeah what was I just gonna say for people that like uh, that lose motivation and injury, like um, and they, they find it hard to bring the same kind of intensity and purpose to like their rehab and all the other work that we're talking about doing, like, what are some ways you go about? Like helping them get, get motivated again?
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I think one of the biggest things with that is that when we don't feel as motivated, it's also because we're focusing on what we can't do rather than what we can do. So focusing on oh my God, I can't squat, oh my God I can't deadlift, I can't do this, yeah, but what can you do? And if you can focus on, okay, well, I can do this, I can do that. Let me hone in on those things. We are going to have the voices and thoughts that are saying that, well, the crap, that sucks, but if you grip to that, that's going to continue to keep you down. So my goal one, it's about that and then also developing, um, yeah, those micro goals, like you're saying, um, but also I think it's about understanding that motivation doesn't come or isn't the stepping stone that gets you to do something. We have to just choose to do something and then the motivation comes after it's never the first motivation comes after you feel success.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:So we, you have to commit to doing something for the first time, whether it's a small thing. But then you're like, ooh, that actually felt good. Oh, that wasn't as bad as I thought. Now I can go back again and do it. Okay, well, that was better, okay, cool. And then the motivation starts to come back, like, okay, I get back in the gym now.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, but it has to be like more realistic step than like us thinking, well, I just have to I don't know take a larger leap and it's like well, that's I need the motivation to be successful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, like that's. Yeah, we gotta reverse that. I love that because, like, motivation is correlated with success and the things that we want, but it's not the causation of what we want. You know, like you should. You need to be able to be successful without being motivated to go do the things you need to do. You know like I'll just put you in a really tough place if all of your success and all of your good lies on the other side of the time that you're motivated.
Speaker 2:You know all of your good lies on the other side of the time, that you're motivated, you know, yeah, a thousand percent. And that's why, like half the time, like when you think about, like going to the gym, or like if you're trying to compete in the games, or like you're an athlete and your championship, like the end of your season's coming up, like you're not loving it, your body's sore, it's exhausting, it's tiring, like that's the grind right. Like it's tiring, like right, that's the grind right. Like it's not, like oh sweet, my life is awesome right now. Like no, that's not how it goes. But you got to have that discipline, also understanding where your end goal is, um, and committing to that path, even if it's up, down, up down, yeah for sure.
Speaker 1:Castro's doing a series where he's interviewing all the games athletes, right, and I was listening to it before I came over. I think he's interviewing all the games athletes, right, and I was listening to it before I came over. I think he's talking to Laura and she's like I'm just in the really unfun part of the season right now where it's just like a lot of grunt work, a lot of just like hurting for the next four weeks, and that's just really really sucks.
Speaker 2:You know, and she didn't like say but she put a period on that sentence, yeah, for sentence yeah, for sure, like laura, you're the best no, and I think it's like yeah, right, like I think so many times you see the like, the athletes, you see everyone on instagram or whatever and you're like wow, they look amazing, they look so happy, they look like they're crushing it all the time and like that's, that's the top of the iceberg, like you have no idea about the shit that they got to do um the hours forget that yeah, for sure.
Speaker 1:Do you watch the uh crossfit games? Do you keep up with stuff throughout the year?
Speaker 2:I do and I don't not enough to like be like, wow, I know every single person and like know, like who's coming in, what all that, but um do you, do you have a favorite athlete?
Speaker 1:um here we go tell the exposed, tell us it's gonna be someone really weird no, um, what's her is it?
Speaker 2:is it? I'm terrible with names too, like I know her name brand, lauren. Is it not Lauren, brandon brand?
Speaker 1:Oh, Danielle Brandon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, danielle Brandon yeah.
Speaker 1:That's good, that's a. That's a. That's a crowd favorite. I love Danielle Brandon.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, I just also love her posts on.
Speaker 1:Instagram and stuff Like she's a speaker of mine kind of person.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and she like also speaks, like if she's struggling, like I'm just a fan of the authenticity and she's just a badass too, like the different color hair.
Speaker 1:You kind of answered this question already, but, lauren, this is the last thing to ask everybody. What are you hungry for right now? Like, what is your biggest motivator? Maybe something you're working on, maybe something you're working on about yourself? Like, tell the people what you're hungry for.
Speaker 2:Hmm, um, well one. What I'm hungry for is, uh, when it comes to the professional stuff, it's that program that I was talking about with, called mind over matter, um, taking control of your injury recovery. So it's going to be launching August 5th and I'm just hoping one that I can reach to a lot of athletes that might be able to benefit from it. But I'm also, then, hoping to get into, like athletic trainers, physical therapists and all that so that they can also help them themselves become even better professionals to help their clients through recovery. That's, this is like just what I freaking love, um, and I think it's like coaching that, training the trainer. Um, I just want to help people get through injury, cause it sucks.
Speaker 1:It sucks so much Um.
Speaker 2:And then I would just say that I'm hungry to just honestly just make strength goals, um and gains, because I feel like I'm kind of at that level where I'm starting to finally get some better technique on certain things. So I just want to start actually feeling and seeing that result as well. Um, because I know I'm getting stronger. Crossfit westchester is doing an incredible job and I'm I. The amount of strength gains that I've seen over the past like six months is wild, so let's go we love to hear it, love it.
Speaker 1:So tell people where they can reach you. I know we talked about a little bit at the beginning, but uh, tell them, like, where to reach you email, practice all that yeah, so, um, you guys can reach me at um, so I'm great.
Speaker 2:I I work at green site clinical and sports psychology Um, it's green psych, green with an E green psych, um. And then you can email me at Lauren at green sitecom. Um, and then my Instagram name is L rule underscore sports psych.
Speaker 1:Underscore. I just learned that which I just figured out, which what that was. So not instagram savvy?
Speaker 2:yeah, but yeah, that's where I'm at and I just appreciate you having me. Um, this was a great conversation. It gets me. This stuff gets me hungry. Like I finished this, I'm gonna be like hell. I'm, I'm ready for the day. I'm just crushing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love. I usually try to train right after I do a podcast call, especially a good one. When it's a boring one, I'm like, oh man, it's gonna be a terrible session, but this is going to be good.
Speaker 2:Well, I hope that I have due up no it was.
Speaker 1:This is great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but no, I appreciate it. I think it's. It's fun to talk fitness, just like, minded for sure.
Speaker 1:And anyone that likes that, any girl especially that likes Allen Iverson. Ai is all right with me, dude, so you definitely got a couple more points in my book today. Sweet, all right dogs. It's been another great conversation. That was Lauren Rule. We get out of here Peace. Look at this.