I have had my most recent membership at Planet Fitness for over a year and for Christmas this year, I got a Simply Fit Board. Truth be told, I have likely spent about 20 hours in total at this gym and the fit board is working wonders at collecting the dust bunnies from under my couch.
There have been many memberships in my history, from Planet Fitness to Aspen to Gold's Gym and Champion Fitness, as well as a stint at Crossfit in 2012.
When I talk about all my past efforts at getting fit, I find myself praising Crossfit for being the only place that worked to get me in shape but in the same sentence - saying that I will never...like never - go again because it was too intense for my broken body that has been tainted with breast cancer.
You will never believe what happened this week... You guessed it - I signed back up for Crossfit. With the nudge from my better half who has always been an advocate of this type of workout, we decided that the best gift to give each other on Valentines Day was a good workout at a place that had worked for us in the past, for a healthier lifestyle. Truthfully, what else could I ask for on this day other than for the love of my life to be as healthy as possible for better odds to grow old together.
Things have changed since my first Crossfit membership back in 2012. The workouts were 10 minutes of warmups followed by 20 minutes of a - hardcore, non stop, work as hard as you can until your muscles are in failure and you want to puke - WOD (workout of the day). Today's Crossfit is a warmup, strength train with weights and then a workout - and all of this lasts for 60 minutes. Which for me personally is good and bad. I used to be intimidated by the hardcore 20 minutes back in the day but I loved how quick it was just the same. Time is the one thing that seems to stop many people from adding a workout to their day. I personally am always crunched for time as well, so a full hour will be difficult. It may limit the amount of days I can attend per week.
My first day back wasn't as scary as I imagined. Coach Ryan was just as I remembered him from years ago - patient, kind, helpful, encouraging, and very welcoming. Other coaches and gym goers were just as friendly.
The workout itself was doable. I expected to fail at my efforts miserably but in fact, I exceeded my own expectations and am thrilled to say I actually pushed through 120 situps in one setting, which was only part of the 60 minute session. Had I been home in front of the TV, there's a good guarantee that I would have given up at about 30 or maybe 40 if lucky.
As well as getting fit and shredding a few pounds, my intention at Crossfit it to gain better range of motion in my right arm that has been negatively affected by all the surgeries and treatments for breast cancer. I have to wear a compression sleeve in order to lift any more than 15 lbs - as required by the doctor because of the missing lymph nodes from my armpit. So far, so good. Some days, carrying a laundry basket to the basement is difficult. Today I pressed 35 lbs, 6x. Which may not seem like much but its a great start for me.
It is my opinion that life is truly about the connections made with other people. That being said, Crossfit really fits into my personal life path much more than the typical gym's I had spent time in. They are lonely. I walk in alone. Get on a machine and put in my earbuds. Only to run or stair step - alone. I appreciate the comradery that exists at Crossfit. I am working on a 'whole' well being effort - Mind, Body & Soul - rather than just a weight loss plan. I love the smaller setting of 10-20 people vs a cold atmosphere with 60 people and blank faces.
Weight is not everything but it is an easy way for me to gauge progress. Today I weigh 152.
There have been many memberships in my history, from Planet Fitness to Aspen to Gold's Gym and Champion Fitness, as well as a stint at Crossfit in 2012.
When I talk about all my past efforts at getting fit, I find myself praising Crossfit for being the only place that worked to get me in shape but in the same sentence - saying that I will never...like never - go again because it was too intense for my broken body that has been tainted with breast cancer.
You will never believe what happened this week... You guessed it - I signed back up for Crossfit. With the nudge from my better half who has always been an advocate of this type of workout, we decided that the best gift to give each other on Valentines Day was a good workout at a place that had worked for us in the past, for a healthier lifestyle. Truthfully, what else could I ask for on this day other than for the love of my life to be as healthy as possible for better odds to grow old together.
Things have changed since my first Crossfit membership back in 2012. The workouts were 10 minutes of warmups followed by 20 minutes of a - hardcore, non stop, work as hard as you can until your muscles are in failure and you want to puke - WOD (workout of the day). Today's Crossfit is a warmup, strength train with weights and then a workout - and all of this lasts for 60 minutes. Which for me personally is good and bad. I used to be intimidated by the hardcore 20 minutes back in the day but I loved how quick it was just the same. Time is the one thing that seems to stop many people from adding a workout to their day. I personally am always crunched for time as well, so a full hour will be difficult. It may limit the amount of days I can attend per week.
My first day back wasn't as scary as I imagined. Coach Ryan was just as I remembered him from years ago - patient, kind, helpful, encouraging, and very welcoming. Other coaches and gym goers were just as friendly.
The workout itself was doable. I expected to fail at my efforts miserably but in fact, I exceeded my own expectations and am thrilled to say I actually pushed through 120 situps in one setting, which was only part of the 60 minute session. Had I been home in front of the TV, there's a good guarantee that I would have given up at about 30 or maybe 40 if lucky.
As well as getting fit and shredding a few pounds, my intention at Crossfit it to gain better range of motion in my right arm that has been negatively affected by all the surgeries and treatments for breast cancer. I have to wear a compression sleeve in order to lift any more than 15 lbs - as required by the doctor because of the missing lymph nodes from my armpit. So far, so good. Some days, carrying a laundry basket to the basement is difficult. Today I pressed 35 lbs, 6x. Which may not seem like much but its a great start for me.
It is my opinion that life is truly about the connections made with other people. That being said, Crossfit really fits into my personal life path much more than the typical gym's I had spent time in. They are lonely. I walk in alone. Get on a machine and put in my earbuds. Only to run or stair step - alone. I appreciate the comradery that exists at Crossfit. I am working on a 'whole' well being effort - Mind, Body & Soul - rather than just a weight loss plan. I love the smaller setting of 10-20 people vs a cold atmosphere with 60 people and blank faces.
Weight is not everything but it is an easy way for me to gauge progress. Today I weigh 152.
 | For more information on Crossfit, check them out at http://www.crossfit315.com/ |
*****
Writing is a release for me. I enjoy blogging about my life experiences. If you would like to be part of this conversation, don't be afraid to comment below. I would love to know your experience as well.
Writing is a release for me. I enjoy blogging about my life experiences. If you would like to be part of this conversation, don't be afraid to comment below. I would love to know your experience as well.
RSS Feed
