STRIKE, BEND, LIFT, & FLY

Aaaahhhh, CrossFit!  Of course, the joke about CrossFit is "How do tell that someone does CrossFit?   Because she never stops talking about CrossFit."  I try not to be that person, but its is hard not to share my enthusiasm.  Most of all, CrossFit is just so damned fun, at least in that exhilarating, test-yourself-to-the-limits, panting, muscle-quivering euphoria kind of way.  I jokingly refer to CrossFit as the crack-cocaine of exercise since it can be so addictive, but I also find that for me a little goes a long way so I limit my consumption to three times per week.  More than that would burn me out and limit, rather than enhance, all the other things that I am working on.  That said, I really admire those who can CrossFit every day.  More power to you, as I cheer from the sidelines.

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Why did I begin to CrossFit?  I noticed that I would get out of breath when I did faster, more vigorous  Kung Fu forms.  I didn't like that.  But I also felt that conditioning was my responsibility.  I have the rare privilege of studying with one of the most skilled Kung Fu practitioners in the world (not just my opinion, but rather how he has been ranked by his fellow Chinese martial artists).  Therefore, I want to bring to our class time the best conditioned version of myself in order to maximize what he can teach me.  So when I felt like my conditioning was lacking, I began looking for a routine to address that, and I stumbled upon CrossFit.

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I began by googling "cross-training" and similar terms and quickly began pulling up CrossFit videos showing people doing absolutely amazing things.  I read some of the basic materials on the CrossFit main page and became more intrigued by the training philosophy.  I especially liked the idea that CrossFit referred to participants as "athletes."  Labeling myself as an athlete seemed like an invitation to train harder than I might generally think myself capable of.  At that point, I definitely wanted to give CrossFit a try.  I located what was at the time the nearest CrossFit affiliate (several others near me have sprouted up in the years since), and I signed up for the basic "elements" course.

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Through dumb-luck, I had the great good fortune to sign up at the best goddamned CrossFit gym on the planet, CrossFit Silver Spring, also the home of El Jefe Barbell Club.  I don't have enough superlatives to describe the coaches there, Josh, Marcos, and Katie.  They are very knowledgeable, yet always striving to learn more that they can pass on.  The programming is heavy on fundamentals, and there is an insistence upon getting the basics right before progressing to some of the sexier movements in the CrossFit repertoire.  They care deeply about their athletes, but they are not there to coddle you.  If you are doing something wrong, they let you know, and show you how to fix it.  No wonder that a great group of very hard-working, yet very fun-loving, people have gravitated to the place.  What a joy.

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Despite my research beforehand, I really didn't have a clue what CrossFit is about until I tried it.  At almost 45 years old, I had never handled a dumbbell over 10 lbs., and had never even touched a kettlebell, much less a barbell.  My first taste of weightlifting was completely foreign, and delightful, especially considering the kind of easy gains that a rank beginner experiences.  But even more profound for me, I remember vividly one of the first WODs that we did in the elements class.  It was tabata ball slams, 20 seconds of as many slams as possible, 10 seconds of rest, for 8 rounds.  I was blown away by the intensity of flat-out, give-it-all-you-got effort and the feeling of total exhilaration that it produced.  It felt liberating, laying out there everything that I had in me (not much at the time) in a way that I had not done since early childhood.  It was a true epiphany.  I was hooked.

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And I could go on and on, like anyone who does CrossFit is apt to do, about the many exhilarating, or just quietly satisfying, experiences that I have had since at CFSS.  So much change, so much good stuff (some of which I plan discuss in later blog posts).  But just to circle back where I started, CrossFit has certainly delivered in terms of conditioning for my Kung Fu practice, with increased leg strength, stamina, and the upper body strength to wield large swords.  I think that I could have gotten those gains through more, and more intense, Kung Fu practice alone, but CrossFit has provided a speedier route and the sheer pleasure of variety.  CrossFit also cultivates grit (I know, an over-used word at present), in the sense that you are not going to weeny out on anything even remotely within your range of ability.  That is a skill which serves in nearly every endeavor.

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