So, what is CrossFit anyway? - part one: culture

Before we get going - a word of warning. Please do not read this title and think you are going to get the 'official definition'. This is my view - I'm just trying to give a newbie's impression for the unindoctrinated. 

I think when I tell most people that I have started going to a gym, they probably just imagine me pounding away on a treadmill or cross-trainer and doing the odd bit of activity on a weights machine. But when I try to tell them about it, I struggle to really put my finger on just one thing that sums up CrossFit. It's hard to know where to start. So, after a long, late-night debate with my husband, we concluded that this is a two-part post. For this first part, I've come up with a list that loosely fit under the definition of 'culture'. That is to say, stuff that (in my opinion) sets CrossFit apart from other gyms:

1. CrossFit is not just for gym-bunnies, sports nuts, athletes and other really fit people. Each exercise can be modified or scaled to allow for fitness level, injury, etc. I am proof of this. And if you need further evidence, look for "killing the fat man" on youtube. Just watching the first few episodes is enough to dispel any fears for the regular person setting foot in a CrossFit gym.

2. You will be welcomed into the CrossFit community. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and supportive. We cheer each other on, count reps for each other, and generally keep each other motivated. If you enjoy social exercise then CrossFit is for you. I may have mentioned before, but Saturday morning workouts are usually followed-up with a morning tea that members take turns in supplying. Now that's my sort of gym!

3. The instruction is really thorough. Here's an example: when I was taught to do a deadlift in a regular gym, the instruction went something like this: "bend down, grab the bar, stand up" (they didn't find out how much I could lift - just gave me a 10kg bar - and never adjusted the weight until I asked for a review after 3 months). This week, with much more thorough and detailed instruction, I dead-lifted more than my own bodyweight (eventually getting up to 72.5kg). I couldn't even believe it myself! Just goes to show that you're far stronger than some gyms would have you believe.

4. You never workout alone. The super-ripped people workout with the likes of me. Everyone is doing same workout, adjusted to their own capability.

5. There is no opportunity to become bored or stale as you rarely do the same workout twice. Even if a workout comes around again, you'll probably end up doing a more advanced version than last time, because you're that much fitter and stronger. I promised myself a couple of weeks ago that next time I see the "Murph", I'm not doing the scaled version, I'm doing the whole punishing workout. You heard it here first.

6. You will feel safe. As well as proper instruction in technique, the trainer constantly watches to make sure people are carrying out each exercise properly and safely. Even during the warm-up, you will be getting the best out of your workout because you will receive instruction and support every step of the way.  

Now try telling me you get all that in your ordinary gym! 

As always, I'm loving your comments, so please keep them coming, and if you have anything else to add, then feel free to share it in the comments. In the second of this two-parter, I'll be telling you all about what we actually do in a training session. 

P.S. the diet changes are going well, except for this weekend. Lets just say hosting a charity morning tea and a broken stove (it actually burst into flames!) threw a spanner in the works. Tomorrow is a new day. 

Are you really what you eat?

So this last week I've been really thinking hard about my diet. I've written, deleted, re-written, and edited this post to death. And I'm fairly certain I'm now back where I started. 

Let me explain. 

My plan was always to get a routine sorted, really get myself on track with my workouts, and then think about my diet later. I don't live on takeaways and ready-meals, I love my vegetables, I love cooking (mostly from scratch), and I have a healthy attitude towards food - I love it! 

But over these last few weeks I've realised that what I'm gaining in strength and confidence, I'm probably negating by what's going in my mouth. I'm really not going to find my body shape changing very much if the intake is still greater than the output - thats just plain and simple maths. 

For those who don't know, CrossFit are advocates of two types of diet. The zone diet and the paleo diet. The zone diet seems perfectly sensible, and I'm sure would be a great resource for someone who has lost sight of what their standard plate of food should look like. I'm not keen on doing it myself, simply because it seems too prescriptive and complex for me, so I've been reading about paleo eating. Mainly because it appeals to me as a culinary challenge! 

I'm really interested in food and what it does to your body, so my research has been more pleasure than chore. What you CAN eat on a paleo diet is really healthy, and the restrictions seem (on the face of it) quite sensible, but I am struggling to find hard evidence. I have found some great articles both pro and against paleo while researching, but I'm not here to prove or disprove a theory. All I want is to be fully informed before I choose to eliminate anything.  I've flip-flopped all over the place but my conclusion is that, while I'm keen to eat well, the full-on paleo thing just doesn't sit right with me. 

Still, the whole purpose of this blog is to show people what getting into the CrossFit lifestyle is like for a regular person, and paleo eating is an integral part of some CrossFitters lives. So I WILL do it, for you dear readers, I'll become "Paleolithic woman" for a time, so I can share the full experience with you. I need some time to get prepared though, so watch this space. 

Having said all this, the fact remains that I do have some unhealthy habits that wouldn't do me any harm to tackle sooner. So here, in order of problem magnitude are my big four:  

1. Chocolate - it isn't just an occasional treat anymore. At the moment I eat it in some form or other at least once a day. There, I said it. As they say, admitting the problem is halfway to solving it. 

2. Portion size - my husband is a strapping 6'2" guy with a big appetite. And my portions aren't all that different from his. I can eat a pretty giant carb-heavy meal without feeling too overstuffed. This has got to stop. 

3. Starch overload - I love potatoes. I mean, reeeally love potatoes. Mashed are my favourite. Or maybe roasties, or jacket... I can't decide. On top of this, I eat (in smaller quantities) bread, pasta, rice, and all the other things that add stodge to a meal. I'm not giving up potatoes, don't even go there. But the other stuff I can probably live without. 

4. Coca cola - as with chocolate, I began to have it more often than just occasionally. Not every day, but still way too often. People use this stuff to clear drains - that really can't be doing my insides any good at all. 

So, here I am, publicly committing myself to tackling the biggies. Chocolate, I'm going cold turkey until I can control myself enough to eat small bits as a treat now and then. Coke - yup, I can do that too, easy peasy. Portion size... well, I'll just replace the starch with good stuff for now, killing two birds with one stone - sort of.  Except potatoes, I'm allowing myself the guilty pleasure, but maybe I can cut down to a more believable portion. 

Meanwhile, as I said earlier, I do love a culinary challenge, so I'm going to test out some paleo-friendly recipes, including alternatives to my current bad habits (feel free to post recipes in the comments section!). Yesterday I had some delicious paleo treats after our workout, so I already have some good examples of things that I can use to replace the naughty stuff. So maybe it's not such a hardship after all...

Two weeks in...

On Saturday 13th April, CrossFit Hutt Valley opened their doors to the community and I joined up straight away. Two reasons: firstly, I need to get fit, and secondly, my sister, Faye, is one of the owners and I wanted to support her and her partner Donny in their new venture.

So, one week later, I arrived at the gym for my intro ('Fundamentals') course. There were four of us, all with differing backgrounds and fitness goals, but one of the main points of CrossFit is that it is for everyone, so it can help us all achieve our goals. Over the three hours we had a thorough orientation of the gym, its equipment, learned some basic skills, did a baseline workout (which we will use to see our progress later on), and generally made to feel comfortable. I was ready to be let loose in the gym!

In my first two weeks I have built up my confidence, become familiar with the jargon and got to know the other gym members. The lovely thing about CrossFit is the community feel. Everyone is so welcoming, and regardless of how ridiculously athletic and strong some of them are, I haven't felt the least bit intimidated. At all.

So far I have completed five workouts. Today I ache.

Physically, I'm exhausted. And it might sound like a cliche but I have worked muscles I didn't even know I had. I take back any other time in my life that I have used those words - this is the real deal. Muscles that had become weak and largely inactive have been reminded that they exist. And they are complaining. Loudly. I haven't dared to step on the scales yet, as Donny warned us in our intro class that we might even gain weight to start with as our muscles build up. And besides, all this exercise has made me hungry.

Mentally, I have already noticed a change in my goals. Where I simply wanted to 'get fit', I now find myself with a more specific wish list. For example wanting to achieve what I see other members doing, or to do the full version of exercises/workouts rather than the scaled, substitute or modified exercises. Seeing someone knock out full press-ups like it was no problem, or seeing someone sprint to the end of their second one-mile run at the end of a hard workout. I wanna do that! To be fair to myself, I have done more than I thought I could, and am stronger than I gave myself credit for, but there's no harm in wanting to be better is there? After all, that's what I'm here for.

Practically, I need to work out how to manage class and family life. It's all very well being able to go along with Faye and Donny during the day if I miss a class and it's great that they are kind enough to let me tag along, but I'm not getting the benefit of the skills tuition and working out with everyone else. Plus it's not fair to book into a class and not show up. So I guess another personal goal is to figure this out.

Next up, I'm thinking about food (as usual!).