When I started CrossFit about 2 years ago I had no idea what I was getting myself into, all I had heard about CrossFit was that it was “hard”. I had no clue what Olympic lifting was, or a WOD, for that matter. And I had no idea that CrossFit was about to have such a large impact on my life. To this day I still remember my first WOD. Before CrossFit I would spend time in the gym on the treadmill, running a mile or two, and using the weight machines the gym had scattered around. I would absolutely dread going to the gym because it was so boring. Fast forward 2 years later and now working out is my favorite part of the day.
There’s no question about it, CrossFit has, in a way, changed my life. I think almost everyone I know from my box would agree. CrossFit makes you feel like you are a part of something, it gives you both long and short term goals that you can accomplish, and it gives you a coach to help you achieve those goals and push you through the most difficult of work outs.
I have found four major ways that both my physical health and mental health have changed and improved since joining CrossFit.
- Going to the gym is no longer a chore
Like I said above, before I started CrossFit and just went to my school’s Rec Center, working out was almost unbearable. Running a mile or two on the treadmill staring at a wall, then walking around in a circle going from weight machine to weight machine just wasn’t cutting it for me anymore. Now the first thing I do almost every morning is grab my phone and check my Wodify app to see what the strength of the day is and what WOD will be kicking my butt later (or maybe the other way around if it’s a good day). What I love about CrossFit is that it is different every day. You know you aren’t going to go to the gym and do the same old boring routine because your coaches put in the time to program different work outs every day that benefit your body and different muscle groups in different ways.
- Instead of working out to be able to eat more, I now eat to work out
I used to be a calorie counter, a “go do 15 more minutes on the elliptical to be able to go get a drink with friends tonight without going over my calorie limit” type of person. To say I am glad those days are over with, is an understatement. Through CrossFit I have learned that food is fuel. With the help of my coaches and the CrossFit community I now understand that instead of working out to be able to eat whatever I want, I should be fueling my body with real, healthy food to be able to give my best performance during a workout. I have learned how to meal prep and all about the zone diet, things that have helped me transform my diet into being performance based (with a casual cheat day on the side, of course). Obviously my diet is nowhere near perfect, but every day, through CrossFit, I find resources or motivation to make it better.
- Getting stronger is now more important than having the ideal body
I had one goal and one motive to work out before starting CrossFit. I wanted to look like a model in a magazine. I didn’t care about getting faster or stronger, I just wanted the looks. Now my list of goals is endless. I want to be able to back squat 300 pounds; I want my Fran time to be under 7 minutes. There isn’t a day I go into the box without a goal in mind to be accomplished during my time there. It might be to just get through the WOD or PR a lift by 15 pounds. My goals are what keep me going back to the box day after day. I don’t want one goal to go unaccomplished. Through CrossFit I have learned how much fun it is to get strong. I am consistently amazed by what my body can do after putting in a bit of work. The feeling of satisfaction after accomplishing a goal is so much more rewarding than seeing the number on the scale go down by one digit. Even though I don’t look like the girls in the magazines, I am happy and proud of my body because I know it can do amazing things. I no longer spend hours worrying about what I look like because through CrossFit I have learned there are so many more important aspects to leading a healthy and fit lifestyle.
- I am a part of a fitness community
When they say CrossFit is a community, they truly mean it. Through CrossFit I have built so many friendships with all different kinds of people. I have competed in fitness competitions, which is something I never thought of myself doing during my pre-CrossFit days. When you go to the box for your daily workout, you get to see friends that you have real conversations with. Having people around to push you and encourage you during a tough WOD is so much more fun and exciting then having music play through your headphones.
I could go on and on about the positive impact CrossFit has had on my life. Not only have I noticed these changes, but my family members have told me they have noticed my confidence level (something that used to be very low) sky rocket since starting CrossFit. If you want a real lifestyle change that will benefit you in so many more ways than just getting a workout in for the day, do yourself a favor and go check out your local CrossFit box.
CrossFit Oshkosh will be hosting a free workout on the 18th of July at 12 pm. Come in and see how CrossFit can change your life as well! Email info@crossfitoshkosh.com or call 920-385-0315 and speak to a coach.
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