Why I CrossFit

I saw a post the other day on Instagram from a big-wig CrossFitter about why he does CrossFit and it made me think about all the reasons I love CrossFit and TwinTown specifically. 

I was drawn to CrossFit because Nathaniel decided to give it a go. Over dinner, he would tell me all about the workouts and I’d nod, not understanding a single bit of the acronym-jibberish he just said. You know, the AMRAPs/EMOMs/SDLHPs, Turkish Get-ups... My interest really piqued when he started doing push-ups more regularly, though. I would join him, thinking I could keep up, and quickly realized I couldn’t do one. Not one. Single. Push-up. If you don’t know me, I’m competitive! Having competed at a D1 level, I was convinced I could go rep for rep with him. Well, I was quickly proved wrong and knew I needed to start doing something other than running marathons and doing planks. 

I fell in love with the varied programming; it kept me interested and meant I didn’t have to Google “workouts...for runners/women/bored people...” before going to the gym (ps. That google search doesn’t get you very far in case you were thinking of trying it). I noticed that despite running less frequently, I could still keep the same pace—if not faster—because I was stronger. My knees didn’t hurt anymore because my muscles could actually support the runs I was doing and I began to see a direct relationship between the things we were doing in the gym and movements I was doing outside of the gym. 

The reason I stay doing CrossFit is not just to be in shape and get stronger, but also because I like the feeling over overcoming the challenges it presents, as well as the community it creates. CrossFit always gives you a new challenge to work on. I was that kid that heard “you can’t do _____…” as an open door to prove someone wrong. T-spine too tight to do overhead squats? Mobility. Work on it and you’ll get there. Not strong enough for chest-to-bar pull-ups? Strength. Work on strict reps, and you’ll see progress. Cardio-queen that can’t lift heavy? Well, lift what you can and be happy that you’re working your weakness! My point is, I love the challenge of always having something to work on. If you think you’ve mastered it, make it better, faster, or increase the quantity.

The main reason I stay is because of the community. I love being able to show up to a class with a group of people with alllllll different backgrounds, careers, and families, yet we all are there for the same reason—to get healthy. It says a lot about a place when people can work towards their version of “healthy” next to someone who’s vision of healthy might look completely different, and without any judgment. The connections made amongst people in classes are more than just a “hey, good work.” I hear conversations all the time that start with “how was your trip/ how is your family/ how is your job?” Now, that is what community is about and is the reason I stay doing CrossFit. People aren’t asking what your last PR was or how many muscle-ups you can do, but truly care about you as a human. 

I came to CrossFit looking for a way to be a stronger, healthier version of myself and now stay for the people, community, and connections I’ve made. I would say that’s a win-win all around!