What is CrossFit and Reflections on my one year CrossFit Birthday!

It’s been a year since I first stepped foot in CrossFit Lynchburg! If you follow me on twitter, Facebook or instagram you may know a little bit about CrossFit. If you don’t, let me tell you a little bit about it via a project that I did this semester!

So, there in a nutshell is what CrossFit is. My first four months I was able to work out between three and four times a week. It was very, very rough at first. What do I mean by rough? Soreness, soreness that in all my years of athletics, I never experienced! Tiredness, at least 45 minutes to fully recover from the workouts. Sweat, dirt, and spandex workout pants. So, yes, at first it was rough. There were a lot of things I couldn’t do before I started CrossFit.

I couldn’t do a pull up on the pull up bar, I had to use the rings.

I couldn’t do a proper push-up

I couldn’t squat below paralell (think getting your butt lower than your knees in a squat position)

I couldn’t do more than one double under (jumprope goes under you twice as you jump)

I couldn’t lift anything more than the barbell over my head

I couldn’t do the prescribed weight/interval/time for any of the workouts

I couldn’t swing a 25 lb kettle bell in a workout

I couldn’t do wall balls with more than 7 lb ball

I couldn’t run a mile in under 11 minutes

These are all pretty foundational CrossFit things. So why didn’t I give up with such a list ofthings I couldn’t do? Well, that’s the beauty of CrossFit. I found myself continually exceeding my own expectations! I worked really hard at all the modified/scaled things that I couldn’t do. I took (and still take) longer than most of the athletes at my box but they all know that I am working the whole time! The harder I worked, the more improvement I saw. In CrossFit we don’t do the same things over and over, each workout is different, using different skills. So I wasn’t continually confronted with all things that I wasn’t good at, they were mixed in with things that I could do decently! Just enough to keep me wanting more!

I also love the team atmosphere, we have a trainer in each class who acts like a coach helping us with form, knowing when to scale, and pushing us to keep moving when we feel like giving up (in all the workouts I’ve done, I’ve never once just completely given up! Even when I wanted to! Even when it made me cry) The trainers at our box are knowledgable, friendly, encouraging and hard working! Below is a picture of me with my friend and primary trainer – Amanda, taken today just after our workout!

I work out with some crazy fit people but none of them ever make me feel like I’m less of an athlete than they are. We all share the CrossFit enthusiasm and everyone works as hard as they can regardless of what level they are at. So for me, the way the system is perfect! Encouragement mixed with motivational competition (all doing the same work out at the same time).  I’ve found that I can keep pushing when I want to give up if I see the person next to me is still moving. I’ve found that I can dig in and get more reps in if my time is running out than I could if I was just doing it to reach a number. I’ve found that my body is strong and teachable!

So, over the past year (disclaimer that from mid august until May I could only go once a week due to job constraints), how have I seen improvement?

I couldn’t do a pull up on the pull up bar, I had to use the rings. I have graduated to the  pull up bar with big gray band, the blue band, the green band (each band gets smaller so that it’s providing less assistance with the pull up! My goal is to get a real pull up before my 2nd CrossFit birthday.

I couldn’t do a proper push-up I can now do 10 with full range of motion (hand release at the bottom) without needing to lay in a pile on the floor!

I couldn’t squat well, couldn’t even get paralell (think getting your butt lower than your knees in a squat position)  I have improved a lot, I can get to parallel (even with 150 lbs on my back) and sometimes below parallel!

I couldn’t do more than one double under (jumprope goes under you twice as you jump)  In a recent training day I did 8 in a row!

I couldn’t lift anything more than the barbell over my head  Both my snatch and my clean personal records are over 70 lbs!

I couldn’t do the prescribed weight/interval/time for any of the workouts  I have done the prescribed weights/intervals  in about 25% of my last 10 workouts!

I couldn’t swing a 25 lb kettle bell in a workout I can do 20 reps unbroken with a 35lb kettle bell!

I couldn’t do wall balls with more than 7 lb ball  I’ve used a 16 lb ball in a workout!

I couldn’t run a mile in under 11 minutes I recently ran one in 9 minutes with 150 movements between halves!

What have I really gained in all of this? Confidence. I am confident that my body can handle stress, pressure, heat, fatigue, and its own limitations. I am confident that I am strong and that makes me feel beautiful regardless of what I’m wearing, where I am or who is around me.

I have also gained the company of fellow CrossFitters who I sincerely appreciate and admire!

So, thank you CrossFit Lynchburg for one great year. Thank you for believing in me when I certainly didn’t have the ability to believe in myself! Enjoy some other random CrossFit photos from my instagram stream below!