Preface: The blank in the title is a teaser! Keep reading (or yes, scrolling) down, and you’ll be able to fill it in. 🙂
I just got in from reading by my mom’s pool, and it is H-O-T-T, HOTT! It’s so hot, in fact, that my iPhone was rendered useless…literally. I tried to send a text, and a startling warning message popped up, replete with a triangular, exclamation point-filled warning sign: “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it.” C’mon, iPhone, it’s Texas, and it’s only May 7th. Sheesh!
I guess it was kind of nice not to be “connected” to myriad “Words with Friends” games and the frivolity of Facebook updates and humorous emails. (The latest such email, I must admit, was quite amusing. It contained a brief YouTube video of two twin babies engaged in a heated conversation using only the words, “Da-da-da-da-da!”)Anyway, I actually read for a full thirty minutes! Then I began to sympathize with my dear cellular device and escaped the merciless sun. I’m presently enjoying a tall glass of iced tea while iPhone recovers on his charger, poor thing.
I’ve got to say that this week has been tough, physically speaking. My shoulders have been sore since Monday. Only yesterday did my glutes and inner thighs finally easy up and feel normal again (and man, they were funky-sore. And by that I mean they were tight and tender in deep-down muscles I didn’t even know existed in my anatomy!) I could go on, but far be it for me to whine, ha! 😉 So here’s why I’m so “beat up,” in the best of ways:
A couple weeks ago I decided to give my fitness routine a jolt. Sure, I could have added a set of box jumps to my leg routine, changed up the tempo of my bench presses, squats, and push-ups, or doubled my gym time to include more muscle groups and ample rest periods instead of my current routine of thirty-minute circuits targeting one body part per workout.
Yeah, I could have done that, but instead I gave into the enthusiasm surrounding a…fitness “fad,” shall we say? But “fad” may be an offensive term to describe it; I think it has some serious staying power, and I know its powerful proponents would agree. It’s called CrossFit. Heard of it?
Wikipedia describes CrossFit as a “strength and condition brand” that combines “weightlifting, sprinting, and gymnastics.” On its website, CrossFit.com, CrossFit describes itself as “the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide.”
Okay, it doesn’t take an exercise physiologist to see that the CrossFit program means business; “police academies,” “tactical operations teams,” “military…” “martial artists…” and “professional athletes” are not words that can be thrown around lightly! (In fact, nothing in CrossFit is thrown around lightly – there’s no such thing as “light!”)
Among some of the pieces of equipment are:
- Kettlebells (responsible for my sore, but now stronger shoulders!)
- Barbells (doing Olympic weightlifting moves with these is the culprit for my funky-sore legs)
- Gymnastics rings (haven’t used these yet, but I can’t wait to!)
- Pull-up bars
- Medicine balls
The funny thing is, I haven’t even started CrossFit classes yet! I merely completed my introductory sessions called, “Elements,” at my gym.
My first “Elements” workout, comprised of a 500-meter row, 30 squats, 25 push-presses, 20 push-ups, 15 sit-ups, 10 pull-ups, and 5 deadlifts, took me just over ten minutes to complete (CrossFitters out there may find that time laughable, but I was pretty dang proud, lol).
It wasn’t easy. It burned. I wanted water. And a break. I sweated more in ten minutes than I do in an hour-long routine.
But I loved it. I pushed my body to a new limit and was definitely humbled in the process as I was reminded that fitness is a journey that never ends; there is always, always room for growth and improvement.
After just two weeks of simply getting acquainted with CrossFit, I can’t say whether or not I’m hooked for life, but it’s an adventure I’m certainly excited to pursue. I’ll let you know where it leads me! Maybe the police department or the Navy SEALs (yeah, right).
I encourage you to try something new, whether it be a fitness class that scares you (in my case, Zumba!), a runner’s group, or even an unfamiliar exercise you read about in Oxygen. You may surprise yourself by how much you enjoy the “new!”
Stay fit, stay faithful ~<3 Di
PS: Below are some photos taken during my gym’s CrossFit classes and competitions. Here’s a link to learn more and see awesome pics!: Premier CrossFit
