Crossfit #1, 2010

Ok, so I started Crossfit.

Crossfit, if you don't know, is yet another cult-like way to get in shape. The people who do Crossfit, similar to those who do Bikram, believe it is the way. My girlfriend, Jill, and my sister, Julie, do Crossfit (abbreviated as xfit). They go 5 times or so a week, and Jill is almost at her 1 year anniversary.

The premise is to be fit and healthy by doing all the types of movements you would need if you were stranded on a desert island. Push, pull, jump, grab, lift, run...lateral strength, core strength, upper and lower body strength, agility... This is done primarily though a lot of classic exercise movements - push-up, pull-ups, squats, lunges - and much of it with body weight only, but also with weights.

The new xfit gym that I'm going to, The Lab, A Crossfit Gym on Eastlake, is awesome because it has two separate rooms. One for the big kids (like Julie and Jill) and one for those of us who are a bit more...remedial. The Elements room, as it's called, requires you to be able to accomplish a lengthy list of exercises with perfect form, skill and strength before graduating to the big kids room. I plan to stay there for a long time, if not forever. And that is fine with me!

Today was my first day. I went to 7 a.m. (it felt luxurious to sleep until 6:30 a.m. before working out, unlike yoga which requires a 5:30 alarm). The gym is quite new, so I was the only one - so I effectively got a personal training session from Paul, who is a super sweet (and quite cute) guy who plays Rugby and is very fit. And very supportive.

There are three components to each visit:
1) Warm-Up
2) Skill Building
3) The WOD (workout of the day)

The warm up is a series of 6 exercises you do 8 reps of 8 times through with a little bit of weight in your hands. Up down, side to side, diagonal to diagonal, hip opener, and abs. Take about 5-10 minutes.

The skill segment focuses on learning a particular "xfit move" without the pressure of time or reps, but rather with a spotlight on form. Today was Turkish Get-Ups...a process of going from laying down to standing through a series of three movements. The first movement I did 10 times, then the second one 5 times (combined with the first) and then the whole movement 3 times, combining all three segments into one movement. This was another 10-15 minutes.

Finally the WOD.

WOD's can be scary, but today's looks accessible to me and I was happy about that! It was:

200m Run
10 Kettlebell Swings (with a mere 18 lbs)
100 jump ropes

5 times through. Yep. 5.

I finished that part in about 22 minutes. I had to walk a little because I was so winded from the jump roping that I couldn't quite catch my breath... but I did it! And, oddly, liked it!

So I'm committing to 6 months, right here, right now, on the big bad internet.