Round 3 - 11/3/10 @ 11:00pm

I started this blog because I wanted to really give people a clearer picture of what Crossfit was. Very few have ever heard of it and everyone always wants to know more. I mean, until Monday I didn't really know exactly what it was either. I want to give you all the information I can. I’m really grateful for everyone who has been reading and commenting up to this point, so thank you for that. :)

So today I went to the gym after work. The exercises were a little bit different and one of them really bothered my wrists, but I still really enjoyed it. Today I really got a broader picture of their clientele (they really do have all levels of fitness there). I also met one of the interns. I saw her working out and she spoke a little to my trainer when I was warming up. As I was leaving she introduced herself to me, which I thought was really cool of her. I’m feeling less like I’ll be totally lost when my training sessions are over. They’re going so fast, even though I’m learning lots.

For our workout we did some technique exercises again to start, (I did the treadmill a bit to warm up). We did a front squat with the bar resting on my shoulders (that killed my wrists, I could only do two sets. Apparently that’ll get better though). We did some thrusters (I think they’re called) where you kind of shoot the barbell up over your head. I liked those and did 37lbs. Lastly, we did some squat thrusters where you basically combine the two previous exercises. Those didn’t hurt my wrists as much either.

And then, the mini-workout. Stopwatch was set for 7 minutes and I had to do 5 squat thrusters and 5 burpees as many times as I could in those seven minutes. I did almost 6 sets, but I was dead. My arms were so tired from before, my legs were tired from today and I was absolutely done in every sense of the word. Tomorrow’s my rest day. (I need it, haha). I’m going back Friday afternoon.

Oh! I also asked a little bit about what kind of nutrition they focus on while we were in between sets. It’s pretty simple. Aim for 100+g of protein per day when you’re training hard, pair a protein with a carb or fat at every meal and have unlimited veggies. Eat as cleanly as possible, (ie: whole foods, organics), and drink water. Lots of water.

So that’s it for today, (yay! I’m getting more concise!). I’ll let you know how I feel in the morning.

- N

Update - 11/3/10 @ 8:00am

I’m working today (I only work part time) so I got up around 7:20 to do that. Holy $#%! I am in pain. My back, my shoulders, my abs, my quads, my glutes. I’m hurting. Some of it’s worse than others (my back is killing, probably from the pull ups and the pushups combined), but my abs were the real surprise. I think they’re sore from kettlebells two days ago (that’s what my trainer said when I told her they were a little stiff yesterday) and from all the sit ups and pushups yesterday. God, I love pushups. They’re such a great exercise. Anyone can do them (to an extent) anywhere and they literally work everything from your shoulders to your hips. Everybody go do some pushups today! Hehe.

I’m going back after work (am I slightly nuts? Probably). I’ll fill you guys in on how it goes.

Also, I was thinking as I do some exercises I could provide some tips on a specific exercise I was shown - stuff the trainer told me or whatever - for you guys. Like doing a pull up, for example. I was totally relying on the wrong muscles to take me through it so I figured other people might be too.

Just a thought :). I’ll post later tonight about my day 3 experiences.

- N

Round 2 - 11/02/10

Today was Day 2, and my first official day as a member of the gym. It was also my first real session with the trainer. The gym was a little busier today and there was a good bit of turnover in the time I was there. My workout wasn't as intense as yesterday, but I really liked it. The focus was more on getting the right techniques so I'll be able to complete the WOD when I'm on my own. One of my favourite things about the gym is still that the trainers will help anyone at anytime with anything... form, spot them, give them a little push. It's a very interactive gym (though I'm still a little intimidated by all the people that obviously know each other when I'm obviously new, hahaha). You never feel alone or isolated.

So today, like I said, we focused mostly on technique. We started with back squats which felt so weird. She only had me squatting 42lbs and it wasn't because my legs were tired, it was that my shoulders just felt weirdly stretched. I kept asking if my technique was right and she helped me a few times, but said my technique was good. Those will take some getting used to. My legs do hurt a fair bit now, but I probably could handle a good bit more weight once I'm more comfortable with the exercise. We did 3 sets of 5.

Next we did some presses. I liked those more. They were also done with the barbell and I ended up doing 27lbs (though I might be able to increase that a little). They were a lot more comfortable and really worked your shoulders. I could've kept going for a while on those. Same thing, 3 sets of 5.

Last we did some deadlifts, which were kind of in between the first two exercises in terms of comfort. It took me a few tries to get the hang of it, but I seemed to manage better than I did the squats. We did 52lbs on those and I felt every one of those 52 pounds. Haha. It was good though, I like working out my back.

And then we did a little mini-workout before I left. First thing we did was try to get me to do a pull up (which I knew I couldn't do). We tried doing it by jumping up into it off a box and that was a little too easy. We tried it with some resistance bands assisting me (these are some thick bands!) and that was a little too hard. In the end I chose to double up on the bands. The box was too easy and I just needed a little more...It was really cool to finally see the top of the bar! Hehe.

I rowed 500m as fast as I could, then 40 (unweighted) squats, 30 full sit ups, 20 pushups, 10 pull ups. I did that in 6:19. Apparently that's a pretty competitive time for a newbie so I was pleased with that. The most exciting thing was definitely the pull up though. My goal for the three months is to be able to do a real, unassisted one.

After my workout the male trainer came up to ask me how my workout was. He was helping one of the other girls with a clean and press but I thought it was cool he made a point to talk to me.

I'm going back tomorrow after work for the same kind of thing. I think I need to buy some more crop pants because the shorts are kind of uncomfortable on the rowers. My legs are stiff, my shoulders are dead and I can feel those dead lifts all in my lower back.

I'm definitely excited to go back though. :)

Also, question, when would you guys like me to post picture updates? I was thinking every month or every two weeks. Thoughts? I could post stats updates every 2 weeks and pictures every month...

- N

Round 1 - 11/1/10

Stats:

Height - 5’7”

Weight - 157lbs

Bust - 39.5”

Waist - 29.5”

Hips - 39.5”

Pant/Dress size - 8/10

Today was my free trial/assessment at the Crossfit gym... It’s not your typical gym (in that you shouldn’t stand at the reception area waiting for someone to come find you...which I did, haha); it’s more of a walk in and introduce yourself and be ready to go. The gym is small. There is a locker room available for the members, but I didn’t see anyone using it. (Thanks to some of my Lulu ladies for giving me a head’s up on wearing my clothes there!) Most people use the cubbies and hooks in the gym itself. It’s just a big, square room that opens out into a back lot in an industrial park. There was lots of different kinds of equipment: barbells, gymnast bars, boxes for plyometric work,resistance bands, oversized (and squishier) medicine ball things, and kettlebells. There were also two rowing machines, one lonely treadmill and a spin bike. Like I said, not your typical gym.

Another thing I noticed immediately - there were 2 trainers and about 6 people in the gym besides me and they were all talking to each other. Trainers would call out people to ask how they were doing, they’d approach them to correct their form, everyone was encouraging each other. It’s like paying for your own personal trainer at regular gym. You were getting attention; there’s no blending into the background in this place!

The trainer that did my assessment was the female owner of the gym. She was really great and explained a few things to me. Everyday they have a different workout, some focus on strength and others on time. On a big white board was the workout and everyone’s name under each day of the week. Beside their name was the time they completed their exercise in, as well as the weight they’d used. It was pretty cool. What was also really cool was the badass rock music playing on the speakers. I loved that.

The trainer had me warm up on the rowing machine (500 metres in about 2.5 minutes) and then took me over to one part of the gym. She wanted to walk me through some exercises and check out my technique. First up, squats. Not a big deal. She had me try squatting to touch one of those squishy ball things with my butt. Next she had me do a few pushups and she said my technique was great. That made me happy and it also made me realize they probably do get a lot of newbies who don’t have proper form or technique and are literally starting from scratch. I found that really encouraging for anyone considering joining Crossfit. They get everyone there, not just the super athletes. You start where you start. In the time I was there I saw women and men, young and old, coming in and out of the gym. That was also really encouraging.

After pushups I did some jumps up onto one of those boxes. The first size she gave me was too easy, so I went to a higher one. It was a challenge, but doable. I was a little tired at this point. Lastly, we tried some kettlebells (which I have never used before). The first one seemed a little heavy since I wasn’t comfortable with the technique, and she had me a try a few to find the right fit.

And then, the workout. 20-second all-out intervals with 10-seconds of recovery, then move onto the next exercise. 20-10, 20-10, 20-10. Four exercises, four repetitions of the circuit. 8-minutes total. My first thought, “how bad can it be?”. 8-minutes of going as hard as you can? I can do that.

And then? Hell. It was Hell. I went hard the first circuit, I busted my ass, I got some solid numbers...and then I had to do it again. And again. And again. By the fourth circuit I swore I was going to puke. (Actually, by the end of the first circuit I swore I could’ve puked.) I have never worked that hard in my life. The trainer was really encouraging the whole way through (in a non-annoying way) and said my numbers were good. She also said in a month I’ll be able to crush them. The first words out of my mouth when I finished the last circuit were “thatwasinsane”. Everything was jelly, my arms were burning and it took me a good minute for my breathing to recover from an 8-minute workout (this coming from someone who ran for 2-hours straight two weeks ago).

We both sat on a ball as I caught my breath. I asked her some general questions about results and what to expect. We talked about the different exercises, warm-ups and how the first few sessions would go (also with one of the trainers). When I wasn’t asking questions and she wasn’t answering them we were quiet. She told me about the package they had for new members (when I asked) and nothing more about getting me to sign up right then and there. There was no pressure at all.

But I wanted to join right then and there. I’m competitive and that workout kicked my ass. It was the most exhausting 8-minutes of my life and I loved it. I signed up and I’m going back tomorrow afternoon for my first official session. I’m signed up for three months (as part of the new member package) so I’m giving it that long. Three months to rock my world, Crossfit. Bring it.

- N

Additional Info:

Ideally you workout at the gym 4-6 days a week. Workouts typically take 20 minutes and a lot of people continue to do some outside form of activity (ie: runners, hockey players, etc.). It's not essential, but it seems to be the norm.

Cost per month is $140 (not including tax). It's expensive, for sure, but I feel like it's going to be worth it. They get three months to wow me and then I'll decide for sure. But considering what you would pay for private sessions with a trainer at a regular gym, they can have three months to impress me.

Welcome!

Hi Everyone! Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog. I'm really excited to document my Crossfit experience from the get-go. Before my hairdresser told me all about Crossfit I knew very little. I knew it was intense (you flip tires, people!) and I knew everyone who did it seemed to have the body I want. I also heard about how great the community of people was and how great the results were. She told me about how motivational it was, how everyone worked together and how fast you see results. She told me about the WOD ("Workout of the Day") and how everyone ends up doing the same thing. She assured me it's not intimidating and that everyone's really supportive. She made it sound amazing! The more research I did, the more I wanted to see what Crossfit was all about.

So I'm giving it a try. I was nervous-excited to get started (since everyone seems to know each other already), but I have to start somewhere. I just ran my first half marathon and my weight loss goals kind of took a backseat to that. I'm ready to get back into it and see some real results again. Today is my "trial" session and I have an appointment with the trainer at 3:30.

I'm planning on taking some pictures (which may or may not be posted on here) and measurements (which I will post). My weight loss journey has been long (I'll post all about that later too) and I really want to see where Crossfit can take me now.

- N