Giving CrossFit a Shot

CrossFit... if you've heard of it, there are probably a zillion first impressions.  This photo depicts me after day one.  My first experience included eating some humble pie-- thought I was fit.  I knew after beginning that you check your pride at the door.  Just give it a chance.  

I first really heard of it about three years ago when a fellow trainer and friend was getting certified as a coach. Honestly, I just thought it was a fitness trend that would come and go. Well here we are several years later, and the "trend" hasn't gone away. CrossFit has only become more popular and many are trying it out.

For the new year, I decided I was going to try a new activity that wasn't my norm routine.  I had been feeling complacent, a little bored, unfulfilled, and needing an extra push over the last several months with my own personal workouts.  I'm a certified personal trainer, with a college education in health and fitness.  I can design my own workouts, but everyone, even professionals in the health and fitness field, need a little extra push to challenge themselves- something new and exciting.  I can't expect change if I don't change.  If I become comfortable and routine, I am never going to grow, change, and challenge myself.  I'm ever seeking growth and challenge, so I have been overdue for something different.

Now I'm a fairly stubborn individual and a tough sell.  Once I've made up my mind, I'm usually not changing it. I'm going to be honest, I've avoided CrossFit for over three years because I've had several apprehensions and concerns.  This past week I gave it a shot and already my concerns have been put at ease. Here were three of my reasons for avoiding it:

1. High possibility of injuries- I'm big on injury prevention and form is important to me. There are many high intensity, complex moves in CrossFit that require a high amount of skill and can amount in injury if not properly taught.

In talking with others that have tried CrossFit, the key things I was hearing was "it was great, but my back kept bothering me." "My shoulder really took some damage..." Red flags were going up as I'm not willing to give something a try if I cannot count on fitness professionals to be educated enough to teach proper skills and be able to identify and spot proper technique. 

2. This is for the elite or just plain crazy peeps- After getting a glimpse of the type of activity that CrossFit is (varied, hard core, extreme intensity), I really felt it was best suited for people that were maybe elite fitness, military, law enforcement, or firefighters.  It didn't appear to transfer to the everyday person in everyday, functional activities.  Yeah I like crazy, but this looked a little too extreme.

3. I don't want to look like a She-Beast- I love a hard core, challenging activity, but the few gals I had seen and associated with CrossFit were not a body type I strived for. Yes, as females, body type and image can bug us and consume us.  I mean She-Ra was a favorite cartoon of mine as a kid probably because she was the "Princess of Power," but she was also the twin sister of He-Man and he was a beast! (yes, I just totally dated myself)

I am amazed in just a short period of time of trying out this CrossFit Box, how my concerns have been put at ease.  I have to admit, I was just wrong in my assumptions.  These are the reasons why I am loving this activity:

First, injuries can occur in any fitness activity.  This I know, but I have been pleasantly surprised at the level of expertise, knowledge, and professionalism of the coaches.  Like I said, I am a tough sell.  I believe it is key to do your own research to make sure coaches, trainers, and facilities are certified and educated in whichever fitness arena you choose. Make sure they have professional education in fitness and experience in teaching others. The coaches at CrossFit Loomis are big on form, and breaking down the process/steps to make sure individuals are properly executing the complex moves so we avoid injury.

Second, I run a little crazy! I get easily bored with workouts and like a good challenge. I have to admit though, I WAS a smidge intimidated of CrossFit.  I know, don't be scurred! I don't get intimidated by much, but this is a pride thing and these really do look like crazy peeps! (have you seen the CrossFit games on ESPN2?) I kept coming back to- the same old routine gets old real quick for me.  Right now, if I had to hop on a treadmill again, I may have to poke my eyes out and hack off my feet... The last few months have been driving me a little nutty. Time for a crazy change!

CrossFit appeals to my ultra competitive psyche.  Although I am competitive, I am also looking to be more efficient at workouts so I can spend more time doing daily, functional activities that occur in everyday life!  I am getting older and don't want to spend hours at the gym pounding on my body as I'm not going to be able to maintain that long term as much as I tell myself I could.  My body starts breaking down if I pound too much and doesn't want to cooperate the way my mind tells it ha, ha!  

CrossFit is training for functional movement-- squatting, lifting, reaching, bending, playing with kids... I can see how all the CrossFit exercises, albeit LOOK CRAAAZZZY, carry over from a biomechanical, functional standpoint for everyday activities.

CrossFit works for anyone, any level.  All workouts can be modified to a level that best works for you.  It is always varied; always challenging your body in new ways. I also love that the "work" part of the workout is about 15-20 minutes of just all out intensity.  Go hard for a short period of time and you are WIPED for the day (reference above picture).  You can work at any level of crazy, or not so crazy that you want!

Third, I honestly don't know if I'll look like a beast... Too soon to tell, but I'm hoping I have genetics on my side and hopefully I'll be a lean machine.  The workouts are so amazing and challenging, that I am enjoying the way I feel right now and that is fabulous!

Fourth, the community and people of CrossFit are so positive and encouraging!  There are very few gyms, classes, and fitness groups that I have been a part of that are so supportive of each other.  It really put things in perspective for me as my recent experience lacked encouragement, positive support, and just a push in a way that I needed to be challenged. I'm really independent and don't mind doing my thang' when it comes to fitness, but I could always use positive support or a push from others. It's motivating and encouraging.  That has been such an absent component lately and I didn't realize it until starting CrossFit.

I still am wondering what took me so long to give CrossFit a chance. My stubbornness got in the way and I needed to find the right BOX that would be a good fit for me. CrossFit Loomis has been a great fit and I'm so glad I started at this new location as they grow and build.

PS this is fun, exciting, and scary all at once!  What are you waiting for?

Check out CrossFit Loomis if you are interested in giving it a try at www.CrossFitLoomis.com or find them on Facebook HERE.

Giving you an Edge- Gym in a Bag

Hey everyone!  Many of my family and friends know how much I LOVE the TRX!  This is one piece of equipment that is for ANYONE, at ANY skill level, and uses just your body weight for a full body workout.  You can use at home, in a gym, or even at a park.  It can be used ANYWHERE and you need just one piece of equipment to get an effective workout.  You can always easily change resistance in a few short seconds if it is too difficult or if you are fatigued.  Ultimately the best money spent.

The video here shows a few uses as seen on the Biggest Loser.  It is seriously one of my favorites.  Check it out!

UPDATE: Currently you can purchase the TRX for 15% off and FREE shipping through 1/31/12 Check out this link!

 

Take Time for Rest

It's that time of year again.  It also happens to be my FAVORITE! The day after Thanksgiving, the holiday music playlist is on repeat nonstop, and all the holiday decor gets brought out. It's the weekend where I become one busy elf getting the house all ready for the season, and our infamous Elf on the Shelf, Marvin, makes his return visit (insert nostalgia here)!  I love this season and all that it entails.  I also know how this season can be very overbearing for many of us.  We tend to put way too much on our plates, and have a mile long to-do list that never seems to find its end.  It can also be a stressful and taxing time of year for all areas of health including spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical.  Does this season provide different stressors for you?

I recently was with a group of ladies in a book study, and the chapter for the week was Revealing the Secret of Rest... Hmmm, how appropriate for this time of year and the season upon us? The author made some very revealing "ah-ha" moments that really struck me.  In one passage she used music to show the importance of rest and wrote, "Beats give music its rhythmic pattern. They're also used to count time when playing a piece of music or dancing to it... Rests in a piece of music are the intervals of silence. They're the pauses between beats. Without rests, there is little melody to the sounds.  Without rests, we have but a long continuous noise, not unlike the jarring buzz of an alarm clock."  What a great perspective to truly understand how important periods of rest are in our lives.  Life goes along more smoothly and with less "noise" with regular intervals of rest.

Ok, so you may be thinking, "DUH!  Of course we need rest!"  But ask yourself, especially this time of year, do you really take time out for rest mentally, spiritually, and physically?  Can you step away from the to-do list and break it up manageably?  Do you need to fit in all those holiday parties, or is it ok to say no? Can you come back from travelling a day or two early, just so you have time to regroup the brain?  Can you take "rest" without feeling guilty?  Can you slow down just a smidge, so you avoid overdrive?  What would it take to make sure you have regular intervals of rest?  I'm not saying this requires a complete halt for you (although some may need this), but rest is required!

The other key theme I learned from this book chapter was completely eye opening.  It was the concept of rest for preparation, instead of rest for recovery. Wow!  What a completely different perspective than what we are used to.  Think about that for a moment.  Do you usually go-go-go and then at the end of the day just feel wiped?  Do you feel the need to kick the feet up and get a solid night of sleep?  That is the typical mindset.  We tend to rest for recovery, instead of resting to prepare our mind, body, and soul for our day.  Our cycle should start with rest so that we can peacefully prepare and manage life's daily tasks and duties.

So as we gear up for the peak of the holiday season, do not forget to take time for rest! Your mind, body, and soul will thank you.

Fall Tunes to Inspire

Fall is upon us! Although in the new office location, it's still pretty nice and warm weather here. You can tell a change is on its way though.  Fall for me, means the holiday season is right around the corner.  It is time to clean up the diet, buckle down and get serious with those workouts so that I can enjoy all the lovely holiday food in reason, and not pack on the hibernation insulation.  Translation: icksnay the holiday extra lbs!

If you need some new inspiration for those workouts, Dynamic Edge put together the latest playlist to keep you motivated and sweating away.  I know I needed some new tunes!

Happy sweating!

Healthy Bodies Lead To Healthy Minds

Some of you are familiar with my philosophy- healthy bodies lead to healthy minds! None other does this philosophy ring true and clear than as of recently.  

To give you the brief background, the office has up and moved back to California. (Sorry for the recent quietness and departure... we've been here, just a little occupied with other things.) On a personal note, this is the 8th move in 11 years. No not military family, we just apparently enjoy being nomadic. Although I now claim professional mover status proudly, there are also the crazy stresses and down falls of moving so much.  It's plain tiring!!!  I'm exhausted and feeling a little bit on empty.  As you can imagine, moving is quite the work, but also add on business owner, mom, wife responsibilities that also included start of a new school year, extracurricular activities, and you have a full on ZOO going on here! This move really got me good and took it's toll.  I was starting to be aware of the noticeable toll the stress was taking on me.  I was having mild insomnia (BEWARE! No one wants to be around me with lack of sleep), going to bed exhausted and waking up exhausted, mild depression, lack of appetite, decreased strength gains in workouts, apathy in general, and I just looked like crap!  All of these being just out of the ordinary for me, and as a female and mom, you tend to chalk them all up to life being busy! I truly needed some self evaluation to reflect on what were the real causes here.

Now some people would choose to turn to other vices for coping, but I always know that sticking to my guns and keeping my workout appointments (yes, it is an appointment that's non-negotiable) and eating well, will always help keep the head clear and the body functioning through most stress. Through the moving process, I veered off path and regular routine, and needed self evaluation to make sure I got back on the right road. Ahhh! As soon as I went back to what I KNOW works and focus on what works for my total health- physical, mental, emotional, & spiritual, all those out-of-ordinary symptoms magically went away.

Many need to throughly evaluate what HEALTH means to them.  What does it look like in your eyes to be healthy?  Many miss the importance of all of what health entails and that includes, spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical aspects.  I am typically good at managing my stress levels. I thoroughly enjoy being busy at all times, but also know that I have to take down time. It's a requirement.  I cannot neglect one area of health, otherwise the others falter.  They are all interconnected and related, with the mind-body connection being truly amazing.  Healthy bodies DO lead to healthy minds!  What does health mean to you?