Tag Archives: exercise

fitgurl1

The other week I drove up north and visited Alexa. Although Alexa hasn’t mentioned on the blog (she is on a mini hiatus from writing while she gets some things in order) but she has been taken up CrossFit. She has been very devoted to it, taking hour long classes 3 to 5 times a week! She is now working out more than me! As person who works out at home, I thought it would be fun to take a class, and to see why CrossFit has such a cult like status.

Pro: Guy and Girls

There is something empowering about being a class full of girls and guys, as if, as a female, you are doing just as much work as a male. I know I had gym class with boys and girls, so when I take a class and it is filled with all women, it seems like I am taking an easier modified workout. I think this is a similar reason why I like running, I can talk about running with someone regardless of their sex. But if I try to talk about barre workouts or yoga? There are some males, but not many.

Con: Price

I know this point can be said about almost any type of certified fitness class. I first started with taking fitness classes with the YMCA. I can’t remember the actual price, but in my mind it was something like $10 a class. With some research, many local yoga studios are $17 for a drop in class. The location we went to is $25 for a single class. I know this is a “warped” view since most CrossFit offer a free first class and want you to pay monthly passes. So for Alexa, who pays for a monthly fee, she is probably more commonly averaging $6-8 a class.

Pro: Socialization

As mentioned, I do most working out on my own. I do a lot of videos, light weight training, and running before heading into work. It fits my budget and I don’t have to add on travel time. What I wasn’t prepared for was how friendly everyone was in the class. Previous classes I’ve taken were half filled with sociable people, and half with people who kept to themselves. It was nice hearing everyone help each other out, and praise each other.

Con: I can see where common criticism comes from

There are two common criticism I read about CrossFit- people are prone to overexertion and that people are taught poor form. I can kind-of see how some people can come to that conclusion from my one class. Let me state that I don’t lift often, so I can’t say I was taught “the wrong way” to lift a barbell in class. But having so many people in a class, I can see how bad habits can form. That being said, unless you have a personal trainer, it would be worse to self teach yourself how to lift at a gym. That leaves only you to research and self correct.

I’ve read a few articles about CrossFiter getting injured badly from overexertion. My class wasn’t being “over pushed,” no one got “yelled at” for not doing something, or forced to something over again until completed in full. But I can see where people overexert themselves, if they have an incredibly competitive spirit. No, stats are being compared in class, but if you find yourself outdoing others with out being prompted, then you might ignore signs from your body in order to break records. But I don’t think this is an issue for like 99.9% of the population

Pro: Feedback

This might only apply to the fact that I work mostly alone, but it was nice having a person come up to me and say I was doing a good job. It was also nice to get direct feedback, as most classes the instructor gives vague instructions on how to correct form, as to not single anyone out. So it was nice to get a little extra attention about how to lift. At the end of the class the instructor gave a “good job summery” making note of some of the achievements for the class for the day. I liked that.

Pro & Con: Commitment

I mentioned before that the best way to get your “moneys worth” is to do a monthly membership. And that might not be a possibility for everyone. I find it hard to fit in working out, but I do it because it makes me feel happier and healthier. So trying to fit in my schedule an three different hour long workouts during the week, that would probably need an extra 30-40 minutes for travel and prep time would be hard. Which is why I like the idea of studios with open classes, that have cheaper individual classes so I can maybe take one a week, or less. I find this problematic as well since I like doing lots of different things, some days I like the major burn of a barre workout, some days I just want cardio, sometimes I want to lift. CrossFit seems to only have room for CrossFit.

BUT this can be a pro. Because of this, I think some beginners are much more committed than they would be. If you sign up and can’t make it to many classes, you might feel more motivated to get your moneys worth and go to more classes. You start working out a schedule and you will be taking classes with the same people, you make friends, and you have even more motivation to go. 

Overall View: CrossFit is Good

Putting all the pieces together, I can see why CrossFit has such devoted members. It does a great balance of cardio and weight training and builds a great community to surround yourself with. It can be great for a beginner to get just get the ball rolling. The biggest downside for me, is that it is easy to get stuck only doing CrossFit. 

Any CrossFitters reading? What makes you love CrossFit?


werkitcat

One thing I hear often from people when I mention exercise is that they aren’t the “work out” type. But let me say that I don’t think anyone is really the “work out” type.

I certainly wasn’t. My husband was shocked when I told him that I was the laziest person in my house growing up. My sisters were on different athletic teams, and pretty passionate about it. They might not have been the best at their respective sports, but they poured a lot of time and energy into it. I, on the other hand, was a big bum. Most of my hobbies involved sitting: sewing, embroidery, web design, jpop, movies, etc. I did one year of swim team, because my Mom expressed concern for my health. However, I quit soon after, and the next closest thing I got to exercise was marching band. Otherwise I lived a sedentary lifestyle. I was quite a pudgy girl who would eat a whole box of macaroni and cheese for lunch.

That said, I was good at walking. I went to college in Philadelphia and walked everywhere. I had the reversal freshmen fifteen, losing 15 to 20 pounds. I walked up several flights of stairs everyday (How many people actually walk up 15 flights of stairs to go to class on time?) I wasn’t necessarily trying to better my body, just doing what I felt had to be done. There were several elevators, but only 2 of them worked. If there was a line out the door for the elevator, I had to use the stairs (my classes were usually on the top floors). If I wanted to see a movie sometimes that just meant walking 2 miles to the closest theater (because taxis are dangerous* and expensive).

I didn’t start “working out” until I graduated and went back to the suburban world. I noticed I was gaining weight and felt restless. I figured it was probably because I stopped walking everywhere. Instead of walking 15 minute to a grocery store and carrying all of my groceries by hand on the way back, I hopped in my car and drove 15 minutes to the grocery store. To counter this, I started using Wii Active. This was the first time I made the conscious decision actively to work up a sweat for the sake of health.

I didn’t necessarily enjoy it.

Nope, I don’t think I really start to love the sweat until two years ago. I forced myself to workout and slowly started to see benefits. I found that I had more energy, could breathe easier, and had a toned body. The more I kept going, the more I noticed things I liked. It was a great way to relieve stress, which was a life saver for my wedding. The better I felt after working out, the more I ramped up the workouts.

If I had told myself 8 years earlier that I would be training to run a half marathon I would laugh. I would simply think my body wasn’t cut out for it. I would have just assumed that people are split into 2 types: those who are naturally athletic and those who are not. I was made for crafts, cooking, and reading, not running.

Not to say that people are lazy, but starting is the hardest part.  Just think of Newton’s laws of motion. An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted on by an external force. By nature our bodies want to rest and conserve energy. But your mind can be that external force. Give yourself that kinetic push. We’re all capable of it. And the more you do it, the easier it becomes. In the end, you’ll thank yourself.

* Note taxis are mostly dangerous because of, you know, hitting people. Heck, I’ve been hit by a taxi. And by hit I mean lightly tapped. I don’t want to be in a taxi when it hits someone else.


dsc01205

I haven’t posted anything in awhile. The past week has been crazy at my two different jobs. At Animo we had two girls on vacation, so that meant if people wanted time off, it probably meant I had to work. After working six days in a row, three of them ten hour day, I was pooped. I am actually surprised I have the time to write this post even!

Well, my two friends at Animo and I decided that we should do half marathon. I know that is pretty long but I am always amazed at how much I can push my body. I want to see if I can run 13 miles straight. I started to run last Saturday when the weather was nice and warm. I only did two miles, but I have to start somewhere right?

The particular marathon that I am doing is the ODDyssey Half Marathon. My friend Chrissy found it by a search for top runs ranked by runners. This one apparently has live music, free photos, costumes, and most importantly free beer at the end. I am sold on that alone. And it is a brewery that is love- Sly Fox. In fact I want to head out and get their Pikeland Pils right now.

Wish me luck, and I will keep everyone posted about my running journey.