First of all, I need to give a shout-out to Amanda May, Crossfit Owner, Personal Trainer, and named in Frederick Magazine's Best of 2012!!! Even though I whole-heartedly disagree with her second-place status, I'm thrilled for her and proud to be one of her peeps! She, along with Dave and the other trainers, have made my gym THE PLACE TO BE PUSHED OFF YOUR A** and whipped into shape! I love that girl, and I am SOOOO happy for her! That being said, she's still gonna kick my butt today. Brownie points absolutely do not work with her.
What are you doing to make yourself stronger? I'm curious, and would love to hear what works for you. Crossfit Frederick? Tell me how it's changed your fitness. Another gym? Running or Triathlons? Home workouts? Team sports? What has it given you, and what do you continue to get from it? What motivates you? I wanna hear your comments!
I've seen people not only change physically, but grow a set. Getting into shape and becoming strong builds self-confidence, so that you can stand up straight and look your boss, spouse, annoying neighbor or bitchy co-worker in the eye and say, "Nope, not taking that from you." It increases your endorphins, giving you a natural mood elevation that stays with you all day. It gives you friends with a common interest, and common lifestyle.
3 years ago, if I had walked into any health club, I would have watched people lift. I might have done a class, in the back row of the room. I definately would not have had the confidence to join people on the weights. Last fall, in Miami's South Beach, Chris and I worked out in a park by the beach with a group of guys. These guys were BEAST, and they were working out hard. After about 3 minutes with them, I realized they all had done some time at one point or another. Outer Angela had game face on. Inner Angela needed a diaper. No joke, these guys were complete with their pitbull who didn't move.
I'm happy that I've found what works for me. Have you found what works for you? If not, ask for help. Get out there, talk to your friends, and try something new. There are tons of choices around - if there's a reason you think something "isn't for me," ask yourself why. Are you sure? Each decade makes us work harder and harder for less results. At 20, if I lifted the beer bottle to my mouth I lost weight. At 30, if I ate smart for a week I lost weight. At 40, I was running 10 miles at a clip and feeling thick. STOP - I'm not 50 yet. At 43, I'm not in my ideal shape, but I'm working on it.
If it works, keep at it. If it ain't working, why are you still doing it? Insanity is repeating the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If I hit snooze the 3rd time, I believe that I am still going to be able leave for work on time and get to work on time. But every time I decide to sleep 9 more minutes, I leave 5-10 minutes late, traffic's heavier, I travel slower, and walk in the hospital 10 minutes after I wanted to be there. That's insanity. So please, let me know what's worked for you, what's not insane, and how you keep at it. I'd love to hear.
Well thanks for asking. I have been at Crossfit Frederick with you for 2 years now. I like to work out around noon each day depending on my schedule. I pack my lunch and snacks everyday.
ReplyDeleteFor years I would work out either running or biking or both every single day!! Sometimes I would run at lunch and then again in the evening. Some days I would bike 30-40 miles at lunch... I always looked the same plus or minus 10 lbs.
What I learned from the PALEO Zone challenge is that the difference maker is how I fuel my body.
Winning!
P.S. I really was kind of scared of those dudes in South Beach!!
I'm with you Chris. I've been doing Crossfit since April and although I've seen some gains and have been feeling better and better each month, I didn't figure out the missing piece until the Paleo Challenge. Proper nutrition is just as important, if not more important, than a hard workout regimen.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing I realized is that yes, you do want to push yourself and keep upping the load on your lifts and complete your WODs faster, but not at the expense of proper form. If you listen to the coaches and perfect your form, the strength and speed will develop.
Also, I keep careful track of my WOD performance in both written form and an app. Prior to each WOD, I look up my previous load, time, or reps and plan what I am going to do at the Box that day. My goal is to always improve upon previous iterations of that WOD.
I'm looking forward to what I can accomplish now that I have a solid nutrition plan in place.