CrossFit

It wasn’t until August, the beginning of this school year, that I began doing CrossFit training. I had inadvertently heard of it through Ryan B a year or two prior, but it didn’t stick until I met Mitchell O, my other half. Throughout the semester, he and I ventured together to the SRC almost daily, where he explained and demonstrated the fundamentals of CrossFit . I was immediately entranced by the idea of it.

I had only started seriously going to the gym during the previous summer, but in those few months, I learned much about the proper forms and lifting techniques. My fervor was so great that I actually went to the gym twice a day, 7 days a week. At one point, I was wearing 5 lb. leg weights on each leg everywhere I went, even to class. Yes, I got strange looks, but the weights really were effective. It helped to give me more control over my stride and improved my physicality overall. It was not long after that I discovered CrossFit . It helped to funnel the scattered idea of what it was I wanted from the physical aspect of my life.

Few people know this, mostly because the topic rarely comes up during conversation, but my entire life’s philosophy is based on self-improvement. This applies to all aspects of my life: academics, music, physical fitness, gaming, programming, martial arts, etc. No matter what I do or how I do, I strive to do better. It’s what keeps me going in life; my reason to live. CrossFit aids me in the category of fitness, because no matter how hard I work, I can always push myself harder. This is because each workout is timed. You’re not trying to beat other people, but of course, you can make that your goal, but I don’t believe it’s the right one. Your goal should be trying to push yourself to the point of collapse; to train your mind to be able to truly take the pain, because I guarantee that your body is only half of what stops you during the workout. Anyone in CrossFit will attest to that.

To give a brief idea of what CrossFit is like, imagine your typical cardio workout, more specifically, imagine that you’ve done so much cardio that you don’t want to/can’t stand anymore. Now take this feeling, multiply it by 5, and that’s what you’ll feel like during a CrossFit workout. It is hell. Most people would not last doing this for a week, let alone even a few days. It’s really no wonder why Navy Seals, law enforcement, and the Spartans from 300 use this for training.

I don’t believe it’s a masochistic thing either. Well, maybe it is for me, but it actually works. Within a couple weeks, you’ll probably feel stronger and healthier than you’ve ever felt in your life. For the people that know me, they understand that I don’t give praise like this lightly. I urge everyone to at least try it. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover that you enjoy pain as much as I do.