There are a few things you should know before you read the rest of this post.
- I don’t workout everyday anymore.
- I have about 5 minutes to think about what I am going to do at the gym.
- I lose interest in exercise about 30 minutes into it.
- I modify everything to suit ME.
Okay. Sound like you? Need a no-think, fast, result yielding workout that is FREE & you don’t have to think about? I have an option you might like.
I got back to the gym 6 months postpartum. I couldn’t any sooner due to a broken tailbone which still limits everything I can do. We were in prime “stranger anxiety” mode when I began leaving my girl at the gym daycare, so I knew I needed something fast, because she wasn’t going to last all that long. Nor was I, after 6 months of inactivity. I started running & discovered yet another side effect from childbirth. Not only did my coccyx ache with every step, but I now have a very weak bladder. AWESOME! I moved on to lifting & had problems rolling up & down on the weight benches. I tried yoga, but I cannot sit on the floor. It seemed like I was running out of options & I was getting frustrated. So my hubby encouraged me to start doing his Crossfit workouts.
I am a strong believer in pushing & pulling your own body weight. The fittest I have ever been was when I was doing Maximum Fitness & lifting nothing more than myself. I have done them all three times over, so I needed something new, that kept my attention. I found it.
WHAT
Crossfit is a cult following around the country. There are Crossfit gyms & even huge competitions called the Crossfit Games. The stuff that Crossfitters can do is AMAZING. You can read everything you need to know at Crossfit.com. It can look intimidating at first, because it looks like they are speaking a foreign language. However, once you get comfortable with the lingo, it is very easy to understand. There is a WOD or workout of the day posted to the website every day, along with the “winner’s” time. The competition part is incredible. It is amazing how fit some of the people who post their times are & that is the spirit of Crossfit–do the workout as fast as you possibly can. You can log on, check it out & watch any of the zillion example videos of the day’s moves. It’s high energy. It’s simple. It’s different every day. It’s super challenging. It’s fun. Really fun.
HOW
Ok, so I am probably the weakest Crossfitter out there. I can’t do half of the stuff, so I modify. Here’s how I make it work for me.
- I can reliably workout at the gym about three times a week. I typically work behind a week on the Crossfit schedule. I look at all 7 WODs from the last week & pick the three that I think I can do.
- I prepare for the workout by reviewing the exercises involved & watching videos or looking at the progression pictures if it is something I have never done. If there is something I still don’t understand, I go to youtube & type crossfit + the name of the exercise & it is always there. Sometimes I even run the move by my husband to make sure I am doing it right. We’re talking maybe 5 minutes on the internet learning.
- I always have the WOD with me at the gym. I use either the iPhone app or simply take a picture (with my iPhone) of the WOD on my computer screen before I leave home. My iPhone is my iPod when I work out, so I have it right there if I need it. I also have the videos/exercise pictures to help coach me if I really need them mid workout.
- Lose your ego, because you look like a moron doing a lot of the stuff. I am sure that the people who watched me jump up and down 50 times in a row on Sunday thought I was crazy. But I don’t care!
- Most of the exercises can be done at home, but I cannot do a pull up on my own so I need the machine assist to complete the workouts. That is why I go to the gym to workout. Well, that & the fact that this blog would not exist without nap-time, so using that for exercise is just not gonna happen. I typically hit the empty group exercise room for most of the exercises. I usually need no other equipment other than the pull up assist & what is in the room.
- I try not to let the workouts intimidate me & just accept my limitations. I cannot do everything. Maybe someday I will be able to, but for now, I am happy that I am doing something to stay in shape. Each day I get stronger.
INSPIRATION
My BFF just did a profile on a CrossfitMOM, who posted pictures of her doing the exercises very pregnant. I had never heard of the website crossfitMOM.com, but it is awesome! A wonderful place to start if the real Crossfit is just a bit over your head. (You don’t have to be a mom.)
Oh, and that was me at the gym yesterday. No makeup. All sweaty & gross. I had just finished doing the WOD…which was 400 meters of walking lunges. It took me 21 minutes on the treadmill at a pace of .7 mph. I can hardly walk up the stairs today. (Actually, walking down is much harder.) Add my 23 pounder to my hip & I’ll call it another workout! HA!
& just in case you missed it before, click for my postpartum fitness story.