5 REASONS WHY I LOVE CROSSFIT
I have been part of an amazing Crossfit gym here in Vancouver for over 10 years now, having completed over 2000 classes. The only other commitment I’ve had this long has been my business MASC, which we’ve had for over 15 years now. Why am I still here? I’ve narrowed it down to five key elements that are the standout reasons for me. Other people’s reasons may differ.
COMMUNITY
First and foremost, the community of members is a big draw for me. I have met so many amazing people and friends over the last decade - and that simply doesn’t happen when you’re working out at the “regular” gym. By regular gym, I mean your typical workout gym with cardio and weight equipment and where no one can get to know each other because everyone has their headphones on and are busy with their own routines. Truth be told, I do go to Anytime Fitness a couple times a week to do my own thing (accessory work, more targeted arms and chest, cardio, etc.) and it has it’s pros. I really enjoy listening to my own music and focussing on my own thing. That being said, I can’t do it every day - or at least, I prefer not to. Personally, I get bored and don’t enjoy coming up with my own programming. I also miss the social aspect. In my own situation, when I’m working at my store, I have very little interaction with people other than customers. So when I got to CrossFit, I see the same people every day and you get to build bonds with these people and encourage each other because you’re all there for the same reason. The community makes it fun, motivating and also provides accountability amongst your peers.
VARIETY
CrossFit workouts involve so many different movements that you can almost never get bored. Especially in my first 3 years, I was learning and continuously improving at so many movements, this in itself was an incredible drive to keep getting better. Some days you have more heavy Olympic lifting, while other days maybe be more skilled gymnastics work or sweaty metabolic conditioning. You’re never bored and you never have to worry about coming up with workouts because it’s already all programmed for you. You just have to show up.
TRACKED PROGRESS
Unless you’re extra diligent in recording your reps, weights, or applicable times for workouts that you may repeat at the gym so that you can work at improving, chances are you don’t have those stats readily available to you. At Crossfit, thanks to apps like ZenPlanner, you’re able to record and save your scores and weights for workouts so you can see how you can improve in the future when you tackle the workout again. It’s also helpful because you can see your peer’s score - this is helpful because you will have people you come to learn have similar abilities as you and you can set a target for yourself to at least aim to do what they did, or more if you’re feeling capable (and/or particularly competitive).
EFFICIENCY
It’s a 1-hour workout. Not shorter, not longer. You just have to show up and be prepared to work hard. It’s especially efficient because more often than not you’re working many parts of your body at once so you’re getting an all around great workout every time.
COACHING
Classes are coached by a trained professional who is always looking out for your safety whilst pushing you to dig deep within yourself when you think you don’t have it in you. Imagine someone walking around a “regular” gym pushing your or giving you tips to improve your workout. That doesn’t happen. You’d need a one on one personal trainer which would be awesome, but it’s not realistic for most people to have a personal trainer for every single workout. Different coaches offer different cues and expertise to help you continue to improve your skills and confidence in the various movements.
