Rest!
Which is worse, Murph or Kelly? Better yet, which is your least favorite named WOD?
Since Sunday is our rest day, we might as well follow the mian page...
Workout
"Kelly"
For time:
5 Rounds of
400M Run or 500M Row
30 - 24 Inch Box jump
30 - 20 Lbs Wall Ball Shots
Compare to:
TITANFIT: Wednesday 080903
Yesterday we discussed the exercises that we hated most. I threw them all together into 1 workout so we can share the hate! JB calls these goat moves. I argue that GOAT means Greats of All Time, but I digress. Now and going forward, I present to you:
"GOAT"
Workout
It is a "FGB" style (3 rounds of 5-1 minute of exercises) workout
53 lbs M/ 26 lbs F KB Swings
Burpees (Yea Burpees!)
Box Jumps
Push Ups
65 lbs SDHP M / 35 lbs SDHP F (YES with a barbell)
Workout
Thruster
Find a 1RM - 5, 3, 1, 1, 1
Weighted Pull-ups
Find a 1RM - 5, 3, 1, 1, 1
Compare to:
TITANFIT: Wednesday 090128
CrossFit is not tough enough for Girls from the South Side! I see more Burpees (yea Burpees) in upcoming WODS!
Workout
Dead Lift
90% of your 1 RM x2 x5
AFTER
"Mini MetCon"
Tabata Row!
Compare to:
TITANFIT: Saturday 090314
Warm-up
Band shoulder work is a MUST before this workout!
Workout
For time:
400M Run
20 - 1-Arm DB Snatch* (10 each arm)
2:00 Rest
500M Row
20 - 1-Arm DB Snatch
2:00 Rest
400M Run
20 - WallBall Shots
2:00 Rest
500M Row
20 - WallBall Shots
*Newbies: 10%-15% of Body Weight
*Middle of the road crowd: 15%-20% of Body Weight
*Advanced: 20%-25% of Body Weight
Happy Birthday Kelin!
Workout:
"Murph"
In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run
Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you've got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it. For those that are new to CrossFit, scale the workout (e.g. run 800M and or 25% - 50% or the required reps).
Compare to:
TITANFIT: Friday 080502
Happy Birthday Jacques!
Dr. Rick is on his way to Bolivia for 1 week. There, he will provide vital medical care to the folks of that region. His efforts and those of others, help to make this world a better place. We wish him safe travels.
Let us all try to be better citizens of the world...share, give.
Team WOD!
Yesterday we had the pleasure of sharing CrossFit and fitness with our new friends at Midwest Ambulance Service. I hope they enjoyed the passionate speech on fitness and they see discover the benefits of functional movements.
Don't you love when HQ programs BP!
Workout
For time:
Row 500 meters
Body weight Bench press*, 30 reps
Row 1000 meters
Body weight Bench press, 20 reps
Row 2000 meters
Body weight Bench press, 10 reps
* Of course we want you to scale if necessary. If you do not have access to or cannot perform BWT BP, add 40% CTD standard push-ups to the total number of reps (meaning perform 42, 28 and 14) or 60% more to the total if your push-ups are from your knees (meaning 58, 32, 16).
Or use 60% of your BP 1RM for all 50 reps. This is your workout, remember...
Here's an interesting read...
Hmmm…Weigh yourself. Easier to get back on track, but risk the tears and your day being blown before it even starts.
Not weigh yourself…fall off track and gain more. But, save yourself the heartache of knowing that dreadful number.
You may have pondered this question wondering what you should do.
Scales are one way of measuring progress. However, because there are so many reflections of results, they don’t always measure our true success.
I used to be one of those people who weighed myself daily. I would track weight, body fat, water content, bone mass. You name it; I measured it - and sometimes multiple times a day.
Yes, you read that right, multiple times a day. It was my way of constantly judging myself to make sure I was on track.
But, on track for what?
You have to ask yourself, why are you even exercising?
I thought that as long as I was my perfect weight and my perfect body fat that life would be great. Yes, I do feel great when I’m in shape, but it’s not a certain number that proves it to me. It is how well I’m eating, my exercise and how well I’m taking care of my body. My energy level and drive for life is truly what I am seeking.
I don’t need a scale to show me that.
Often times we think that if we are a certain number then life would be great. But, I can almost guarantee that if you are looking for something outside to make you happy, either you or your circumstances will never be good enough.
I can’t tell you how many times that my clients and I have felt really great about our workouts and eating habits and then stepped on the scale only to be devastated by the number.
All the sudden you go into doubt that this is really working; fear that you can never get the extra weight off; judgment that you just aren’t good enough; and comparison that others can do it, but you can’t.
So, how would you feel if that scale said the ideal number?
You’d be happy, right?
Then, picture that scale saying that ideal number and live from that.
You have 10 million cells that are dying and replacing themselves every minute. Each cell within it carries the vibration and energy of your body. If you are in the vibration that I am fat, your cells actually act to duplicate that. If you are in a “feel good” vibration, your cells work to replicate that.
Does that mean that you can “think yourself thin?”
Well, not really, but you don’t get to where you want to go by judging and criticizing yourself. Think of a small child. If you wanted them to change would you judge and criticize them? No, you’d love and accept them as they are and then have them make gradual changes.
You are no different. You have a small child within you. By loving and accepting yourself the way that you are, you begin to make changes.
My mentor Louise Hay always says that the number one reason people don’t lose weight is because they hold the feeling of not being good enough and they hold on to past pain. That creates a constant fear and stress. The scale only reinforces that.
You don’t need a scale to tell you where you are at. You have an internal scale that knows when you need to pick it up and eat better. The key is to discipline yourself to make the changes.
Remember the small amount of pain you may experience when you exercise is nothing compared to the energy surge and vigor for life you feel when in shape.
Use the scale? Not use the scale?
If you are a person who is able to use a scale for a monitoring tool and don’t take the results to heart, then I encourage you to keep using it.
But, if the scale is an automatic day or week buster if the number doesn’t say what you want, then skip the scale. Otherwise, you will spend your entire life trying to achieve some number and fight what is again and again.
Again, the answer is up to you. But, my encouragement is to really take a look at yourself. If you can use it for a monitor tool that helps you get back on track, great.
But, if you find it ruining your day, then skip the weigh in and focus on a daily workout (at least 15-30 minutes/day), strength training (2 times per week), some light stretching. Plus, remember your body is constantly being re-made by the foods you give it. So, pre-plan and treat yourself with healthy foods and lots of water.
ILL- INI
Workout
Rowing Intervals
750M
500M
250M
1000M
600M
If you are not up for rowing, run those distances instead. Rest/Work 1 to 1.
Yesterday, Kelin Pressed 195 lbs, an new TitanFit record!. He just missed 200 lbs and would have had it had I not told him the weight. Me and my big mouth! He can press more than most can squat.
KP doing Burpees LH rowing and JT RESTING! Go KP and LH!
Workout
for time:
"Cindy"
Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 - Pull-ups
10 - Push-ups
15 - Squats
Compare to:
TITANFIT: Monday 090209
The WODs for this week's Midwest qualifier for the CrossFit Games has been posted. Pick one today and we can compare times to the athletes that hope to represent the Midwest in the Games.
WOD 1:
For Time!
21-15-9 Reps of
Deadlift - Men 275LBS/Women 185LBS
Pullups - Chest to Bar
WOD 2:
7 Double Kettlebell Thrusters - Men (2) 24KG/Women (2) 16KG
11 Burpees
5 Rounds for Time!
WOD 3:
Row 2000M - Damper 3.5 for all competitors
Here's Some News...
It appears the claims that Cheerios' quickly lower your cholesterol might be exaggerated...here's the URL and I have pasted the material.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124216077825612187.html#
Cheerios' Health Claims Break Rules, FDA Says Article
MAY 14, 2009
By JENNIFER CORBETT DOOREN
The Food and Drug Administration slapped General Mills Inc. with a warning over its Cheerios cereal, saying the box's claims about heart benefits contain "serious violations" of federal law.
In a May 5 warning letter sent to the company and posted on the FDA's Web site Tuesday, the agency said statements that the product is "clinically proven to help lower cholesterol" make the product a drug under federal law.
FDA warning letter to General Mills Stephen Sundlof, the director of the FDA's food-safety center, said the agency has noticed a tendency by food companies to cross the line into the drug category by making specific health claims on packaging.
He said the FDA is ready to send out more warning letters if it finds more violators, although it has "no specific campaign" to go after food manufacturers.
General Mills spokesman Tom Forsythe said the Cheerios box's message saying the cereal can "lower your cholesterol 4% in six weeks" has been used for more than two years. The box cites a clinical study involving Cheerios as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Mr. Forsythe said the broader claims on the box about heart health have been permitted by the FDA for 12 years. "The clinical study supporting Cheerios' cholesterol-lowering benefit is very strong," he said.
The FDA said such specific cholesterol-lowering claims can be made only for drugs, and it suggested that if General Mills wants to keep the box labeling as is, it should file a new-drug application for Cheerios.
Mr. Forsythe said the company would work with the agency to reach a "resolution" on the Cheerios labeling.
"We try to make a bright line here between what can be said about a drug and what can be said about a food," said Dr. Sundlof. He said a more general claim about reduction in heart-disease risk from eating whole-grain foods may be permissible as long as specific language is used.
The FDA also took issue with a company-sponsored Web site mentioned on the Cheerios box. The Web site discusses the benefits of eating whole grains, but the FDA said some of the health claims about reducing cancer and heart-disease risk don't comply with agency rules.
The FDA said General Mills must "promptly" correct the violations outlined in the letter or the agency could take enforcement action, such as seizing products.
Dr. Sundlof said the FDA's review of Cheerios was prompted by a September 2008 letter from the National Consumers League that expressed concerns about the labeling on Cheerios.
The FDA isn't the only Washington agency in the Obama administration taking a close look at food makers' health claims. Last month the Federal Trade Commission settled a complaint with Kellogg Co. involving claims that its Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal was clinically shown to improve children's attentiveness by nearly 20%.
FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said the commission would start paying more attention to national advertisers.
The FDA is showing signs of taking a more aggressive stance toward the companies it regulates under acting Commissioner Joshua Sharfstein, who is slated to become principal deputy commissioner once President Barack Obama's nominee for commissioner, Margaret Hamburg, is confirmed.
Dr. Sharfstein wrote a letter to lawmakers released this week saying he wants to review the agency's approval in the final days of the Bush administration of a knee device. The device was cleared over the objections of several scientists and managers at the agency.
Write to Jennifer Corbett Dooren at jennifer.corbett-dooren@dowjones.com
The Indy Channel has posted an article about how CrossFit is now the recommended fitness regime for the Indianapolis Police Department. I have pasted the article and the URL below.
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/19432808/detail.html
New Fitness Regime Aimed At Officer Safety
Current IMPD Recruit Class 1st To Use New Program
POSTED: 6:43 pm EDT May 11, 2009
UPDATED: 7:20 pm EDT May 11, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS -- New recruits with Indianapolis police will experience an innovative fitness regime intended to take them safely all the way through retirement.
The Crossfit program, a high-intensity strength and conditioning plan, was designed to address some of the dangers plaguing police officers.
National statistics show that those in law enforcement live an average of 15 years less than most Americans and that 50 percent die of heart-related disease within five years of retirement, 6News' Jack Rinehart reported.
"This is just as much an officer safety concern as a high-risk traffic stop or armed encounters with armed criminals," said Sgt. Rick Snyder.
Crossfit uses a number of functional core exercises designed to increase cardio-respiratory endurance and stamina, providing key training for officers.
The latest recruit class was the first to use the program and saw no injuries during training, down from an average of 25 percent in past years, officials said.
"If you are a police officer, if you are a firefighter, you are by virtue of that title a professional athlete and you need to train like one," said trainer Lt. Vince Cascella.
Chief Michael Spears said that the program has a payoff for the officer, but also for the taxpayers.
"Certainly it's proven that through better fitness officers lose less time from work, recover from injuries more quickly so they have less lost time from the police department," he said.
All future recruit classes will be trained using the Crossfit program. The department is working on incentives to encourage current officers to join the program as well.
Workout
Back Squats
85%-90% of your 1RM x1, x2, x3 - x3 sets
Weighted Pull-ups
Perform Pull-ups between each round of Squats. Find a max weight.
Compare to:
TITANFIT: Wednesday 090114
Last week, I watched Watson's and Tuttle's first attempts at Handstand Push-ups. We need to program them more often so we all get better.
Skill Work
3x - 5x Handstand Static Holds until failure
Mini Metcon
5x
10 - 95 lbs Snatch
10 - Burpees
Yes I know your shoulders will be fried...Back Squats tomorrow
In my attempts to become better at Oly lifting, I find myself surfing for information almost daily. the following is a pretty good read. hopefully it will help all of us get better.
The Pull: How to break the habit of breaking the arms too soon
http://mightymix.blogspot.com/2009/05/how-to-break-habit-of-breaking-arms-too.html
We all battle our weaknesses, bad habits and flawed thinking in Olympic-style weightlifting. The sport is a lifelong involvement; that is, we lifters can spend our entire lives pursuing perfection in the lifts. Because the lifts involve every basic movement in sports, and because they are whole body exercises which demand equal and peak performance from every muscle group, mastering the lifts requires maximum performance in every aspect, on all levels.
When the arms bend, the pull (POWER) ends.
I am happy that I am advanced enough to know what my weaknesses are. I battle a bad habit of breaking my arms too soon on the pull. It's a common problem, yet finding solutions has not been easy.
But through my good fortune of learning from some of the masters - Mike Conroy, Jim Schmitz, Tom Hirtz - and through my continuing and long education, I have had a Eureka breakthrough toward cracking the code of how to break the habit. I hope by sharing it here, I can help someone else overcome this vexation.
First, understanding the habit. Why do we do it? To get the bar high, to feel the rush of the "explosion", to apply full strength.
Getting the bar high - This is perhaps the strongest psychological reason behind breaking the arms too soon. I can only speak for myself, but I suspect this applies to many others. I FEAR that I will not get the bar high enough to be able to get underneath it. But of course I will, because this is a perfect sequence, with respect to both biomechanics and physics. People have been getting under the bar for many years and not bending their arms nor raising the bar higher than hips/waist. And I'm betting some of them have even been my somatotype (I have proportionally long arms).
To feel the explosion - It's a trick. Because I feel the contraction of my biceps, I mistakenly think that's part of the pull, and not to feel it means I'm not trying hard enough. But in fact, the pull involves the triple extension - ankles, knees and hips - plus the shrug. That's all.
To apply full strength - This is very similar to the trick of feeling the explosion. Since bicep contraction and elbow flexing are intrinsic to so many weight training and strength training activities, I'm hardwired to react under load with elbow flexation.
Okay, so now we understand why we do it. Why shouldn't we do it? Because you will not be able to pull heavier loads this way, and then you won't be trained to get under the bar properly, and you simply won't be to progress.
But simply telling people not to do something in training isn't enough, especially if they fall in the old dog/new tricks alley. You have to train them out of it. So now the good part: how to fix it.
Jim Schmitz advises me, "Do snatch grip and clean grip pulls without bending your arms. Just shrug and get up on your toes. Do them slow or half-speed to really get the feel for keeping your arms straight as long as possible."
Schmitz also has an excellent combination to train out of this - Pull/Pull/Pull-Drop
Starting from a hang position, perform an eccentric slide (draw your rear-end back and slide the bar down your thighs nearly to the knee). That trains you to get your hips back.
Begin the first pull; explode into the second, faster pull once the bar reaches the tops of your thighs; triple extension/shrug
Do this three times. On the third time, freeze at the top of the pull for just an instant, then DROP under the bar as fast as you can, into a squat clean position (later, use a squat snatch).
That's it. It's brilliant; you can see it work within your first tries. Do it in front of a mirror.
Now, to build on this, let's look at why it works. I think it works in part because it fatigues the muscles you need to activate in order to bend your arms, so your body has no choice but to perform the pull correctly (all other things being equal - you know how to and can perform the slide and pulls correctly, and you know what you're trying to achieve). This combo also trains you to be stronger and more explosive in the pull, which will give you what you need to get the bar suspended so you can get under it.
Fatiguing the biceps is a big one for me. I find that if I use a lighter weight, I can perform this combo successfully from the start, but as I add weight to the bar, I start to fall back into bad habits very quickly. My habit is deeply ingrained, so I have to use drastic measures. So here's my new trick.
Perform the Pull/Pull/Pull-Drop combo to Suicidal Tendencies Institutionalized ("Sometimes I try to do things but it just doesn't work out the way I want it to."). Once you get into the heavier loads and start bending your arms, stop pulling. Go do some chest presses, then bicep curls. I prefer dumbbells. In between bicep curl sets, right when your biceps are ready to recover, go do a pull from the hang and drop underneath it (step three in Jim's combo). I'm thrilled to find this works on even stubborn me: the biceps can't fire enough to pop up a heavily loaded bar, so if I just concentrate on pulling high and getting under it fast, I can do them correctly.
This is also satisfying in general, because I feel like I neglect my bicep training in Oly weightlifting, and I miss the look.
So there you have it. I'd love to hear from anyone who gives these techniques a try, and also if you find there are any other reasons you bend your arms too soon besides the ones I've discovered for myself. The better we understand the issue, the better we can strategize to fix it.
Good luck in your training. The next big step will be carrying this over to my performance in meets. Perfect practice makes for perfect performance.
Congrat to Sara. She is the first female TitanFit'er to post a 200 lbs+ DL!
Workout
for time:
500M row or 400M run
50 Air squats
500M row or 400M run
40 Air squats
500M row or 400M run
30 Air squats
500M row or 400M run
20 Air squats
Yet another Palindrome day! As tomorrow is MOM'S day is submit MOM as my palindrome...it is better than spit - tips. What is your favorite? Don't use last month's. Post to comments...Get ready for next month's!
Saturday afternoon at TitanFit!
Workout:
Pull-up ladder!
Do 1 pull-up the first minute, 2, the second, 3 the third. Continue until you can not complete the required number of pull-ups for the given minute.
Example: I did 10 pull-ups during the 10th minute but could not make 11 during the 11th minute.
Upon failure, rest 3 minutes.
Then Push-up ladder. Very same concept. Doesn't that sound fun?
Compare to:
TITANFIT: Thursday 090219
Workout
for time
"Grace"
30 - 135 pound Clean and Jerks (overhead anyhow)
Use 95 pounds, 65 pounds or PVC as needed. If you are sub 4:00 for "Grace" move to 155 lbs or 170 lbs. GET SOME!
Workout
for time:
800M run
Then
21-15-9 of
DL - BWT or 60% of 1RM
Wall Ball Shots (M 20 lbs/F 12 lbs) or Thrusters (M 45 lbs/F 30 lbs)
Cinco de Mayo!
TitanFit welcomes Chris. The first day is always the hardest...ok the second day isn't that easy either.
Workout
for time:
4x
400M Run
15 - 18 Inch Box Jumps
10 - Push-ups
5 - Pull-ups
Workout
Clean and Jerk
Do 1 Clean (from the deck) and 2 Jerks before returning the weight to the starting position. Rest as needed. work up to 85% of your 1RM
REST!
Firefighters F.I.G.H.T. to get in shape
http://www.flyergroup.com/local/local_story_119144913.html
By Ryan Palencer
CLAYTON — The number of firefighter deaths is on the rise nationwide, but people maybe surprised about the cause of those deaths.
“I think many people think that more firefighters die in burning buildings or in fires,” said Corey Bordenkecher, the public information officer for the Fire Department of Liberty Township. “That’s not correct. In fact, by the United States Fire Administration’s numbers last year, only 3 percent of firefighter deaths were as a result of somebody dying because they were burned in a fire. Over half of all firefighter deaths each year is due to a heart attack, stroke, or overexertion. That is on the rise.”
In order to combat this problem, the Fire Department of Liberty Township has begun a six-month “F.I.G.H.T. (Firefighters Intent on Getting Healthy Today) for a Safer Tomorrow.” The program is designed to better personal health and safety habits. It examines the number of miles biked/walked, weight loss, and calories burned.
Due to a heavy adrenaline rush, firefighters make themselves physically vulnerable to health issues. This number is inflated at a volunteer department, such as the Fire Department of Liberty Township.
“When you have somebody coming from home and you hear those bells, you get hyped up,” Bordenkecher said. “If you’re not in good physical condition, you’re prone to have a heart attack or stroke. It’s important for us to not only put an emphasis on safety on the fire ground or at the accident, but actually being safer by getting in here and getting in good shape so that you are prepared to go out there.”
Thus far in 2009, 25 firefighters nationwide have been killed. The annual average is for 100 to 120.
In order to protect themselves against those statistics, Liberty Township is working in teams to motivate each other to get in better physical shape.
“All of our members are on teams,” Bordenkecher said. “Together they can push each other and motivate each other to get in here and get working out so that team can win in six months.”
The program began after firefighters attended a recent convention in which the need to get in better physical shape was stressed. The department is now preparing for a national fit week for fire departments in June.
“You have a lot of firefighters coming to town to learn how to be safe, as well as public education,” Bordenkecher said. “Coupled with that, in June, we have the ‘firefighter stand down for safety week.’ Generally departments all around the country do something with it. They focus on better eating habits or something to keep their firefighters in better condition.”
As a volunteer department, Liberty Township has a more difficult time getting their firefighters in the station to be healthy. This is the major challenge for the department.
“What we wanted to do was get a jump on that ahead of time,” Bordenkecher said. “Our goal is to get our firefighters in better shape out here. Obviously, as a volunteer department, it is more of a challenge to get people in here and working out. A lot of career departments have requirements where people have to do some type of exercise training while on shift. With volunteers, it’s a little bit harder because you have day jobs. We wanted to get a leg up on that.”
Another advantage is that it allows the firefighters to be closer to the station in the event of an emergency.
“The other thing that it does is puts people on station after hours to be able to make runs,” Bordenkecher said. “Instead of coming from home, they are already here.”
Even though it is early in the program, Bordenkecher has already noticed tremendous participation.
“We have individuals here eight to eight and they are already taking time out of their day that they are required to do some sort of training,” Bordenkecher said. “A lot of them will come in here and workout here now that we have the equipment.”
ryan.palencer@flyergroup.com
Workout
TABATA!
Perform the following exercises for 8 rounds of 20 seconds work (in any order), 10 seconds rest:
Rowing*
Air squat
Push-ups
Pull-ups
Sit-ups
After the 8th round of each exercise, rest 1 minute before proceeding to the next. The lowest number of reps achieved in any of the 8 rounds is the score for that particular exercise (calories burned in place of reps are used for rowing). The sum of the scores for all of the exercises gives the score for the entire workout.
*Those without access to a rower, do SDHP with a 45 lbs barbell for each 20 second segment.
Compare to:
TITANFIT: Thursday 090305
One of the better post I have read recently. Below is the URL and I have pasted the post below...
http://crossfitallegiance.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/it-can-change-your-life/#comment-200
It CAN Change Your Life.
28 04 2009
This article was written by my sister Ellie Crenshaw. I asked her for her story after one week. I didn’t do it after a month or two months because in 3 sessions of CrossFit she was a different girl. She comes into the 6am classes. She has a glow about her. She is happy and I couldn’t be more proud of her. She is an amazing woman and she is day by day taking hold of that. She has been eating Paleo for 2 weeks as well. She was allergic to wheat but never knew it until CF. Now she feels good everyday, she is not sick or having headaches. She is an INSPIRATION to me daily, she also INSPIRES so many people in the gym. She is touching lives and doesn’t even realize it. She is my best friend and I love her with all my heart….READ ON to hear her story. 
Before Crossfit my life was hard to look at and be optimistic. I was in a deep depression. I would only leave my bed for work and my weekly counseling appointment. My life had been a struggle and I was angry all the time and with everyone.
I had just had a miscarriage and was starting the grieving process. Though I wanted to be happier I really didn’t know how or what else to do. Throughout my life I had also struggled with my weight. Though I was born in a family of athletes I had struggled with overeating and bulimia at different phases in my life.
My sister asked me to take a short road trip with her to a soccer game she had and I was more than willing to get out of town for the day. On the way home we had a conversation that wasn’t very different from ones we’d had in the past. Again, she was telling me she wanted so badly for me to take her up on her training and get in the gym. She kept saying she had a gift for me and I just needed to accept it. Again I was just waiting for the conversation to end. I never liked having that discussion. I knew I was unhealthy but I wanted to just sweep it under the rug instead of confront it. I was having serious health issues after the loss of the baby and was terrified I was going to die soon.
Not long after that conversation with my sister I decided to try one of her classes. Why not? Maybe she’d drop it if I just did it once. The whole way there I was thinking how much I didn’t want to do this. The class started and I felt like there was no way in hell I was going to make it through the warm up let alone the work out. This voice in my head kept saying “you can’t do this.” “You’re too fat.” “They’re all making fun of you”. Through the voice I started to hear someone cheering for me. “Good job Ellie!” “Keep pushing”. The positive voice became louder than the negative. The voices that were cheering me on was actual people in class. They weren’t making fun of me, they were actually quieting the voice. I finished the workout and was so proud of myself I wanted to do it again. Each day the Crossfit family taught me something new about myself.
One day I was on my last 400 meter run of the workout and I had made up my mind that there was no way I was going to be able to run any more. One of the ladies that had been in Crossfit longer than me came running up along side me. She was done with her workout and tired but wasn’t going to let me quit. She ran the whole lap with me telling me that it get’s better and more rewarding the more I come. I walked into that first class feeling like the new kid in school and left feeling like they were all old friends. I WAS HOOKED. From that day on the only thing that came out of my mouth was about Crossfit and how it was changing my life. It was better than any counseling session or any night out with my friends. I had discovered the key to my happiness. It was not letting go of all the things I’d been through but taking all the energy I was putting into me being a victim into FINDING MY POTENTIAL.
I surprised myself because there was more there than I expected to find. In my first week I cured so much heartache and depression that had been growing from so many years of being torn down. I felt at home. Crossfit killed that voice in my head that told me I couldn’t and I wasn’t good enough. I feel that this has truly shown in everyday life, not just in the gym. Crossfit IS a way of life. I’ve come out of my first week a stronger and more confident person. I have my sister to thank. Crossfit saved my life and I only hope someone reads this and decides that they need to better their situation even if that voice is telling them it’s too hard. DECIDE.
