Leaps and Bounds

It's crazy to think I've only been doing Crossfit for a little over 5 months. When you say 5 months, it doesn't seem like very long at all. But my memories of it makes it seem like I've been working at it forever. I think it has to do with how quickly you improve as a beginner. There are still things I can't do. Pull-ups, double unders, and box jumps to name a few. But I can do all the lift movements and I'm always getting stronger and faster.

I can run 400m without stopping to walk now. Vast improvement over the girl that barely made it 100m without falling over. I have no intentions of becoming a runner. I just don't care for it. But something I do like is rowing.

This post from back in April is about a row I did in March. It's what cemented my desire to blog more (if a bit sporadically). It's about my first 2k row. I fought every moment of that row. And while I don't remember my exact time I know it was over 11 minutes. Almost 12, if I remember right. I was terrified before starting but felt awesome when I was finished.

Jump forward to this past Tuesday. The 2k row came up again. This was the first work-out since that day in March that the WOD was just the row. I was very excited to give it another shot! I finished in 9:38.

I beat my previous record by 2 minutes. 2 freaking minutes in 5 months! That's how Crossfit works. It takes years to become a truly exceptional Crossfit athlete, but no time at all to be confident and capable. I can go into a Crossfit gym anywhere in the country and not feel nervous. I might have to scale still, but in just 5 months I've come far enough that I know I can hold my own.

2 freaking minutes off my 2k row!

Can I Crossfit at Home?

I get asked that a lot now that I talk endlessly about Crossfit. In a nutshell, yes. Sure. Whatever. Anyone can do body weight exercises anywhere (think: sit-ups, push-ups, burpees, ect.). You can even go out and buy some weights and a bar. Go a step further and you can buy a rack. And then get at it. I HIGHLY suggest taking a class or two to learn proper lifting form. You can really get hurt if you don't know what you are doing. But that doesn't mean you can't do it at home.

But honestly, all that said, my answer is no. No, you can't do Crossfit at home. As I've said many times the reason Crossfit works is the people. I'm not talking HQ. They can sit in their offices and come up with whatever marketing ideas they like. I'm talking about the people at the gym you'd be going to. And the people at the gym I go to. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be interested. Why? Because Crossfit is hard.

It's not peddling a bike that doesn't move, watching the news with subtitles for 30 minutes to an hour.

It's very "You want me to do what?!".

I'm not the kind of person that has the willpower to do hard stuff at home alone. I suspect most people like me aren't. Otherwise we wouldn't be out of shape in the first place. So if you are out of shape and wondering if you can do Crossfit at home. The answer is no. Find a gym. It's worth the cash. And you'll meet some really awesome people.

It's those people that will push you, even if you never talk to them. If you just go and then leave. You'll discover that you work infinitely harder with someone watching than at home alone. But the best part is when they cheer for you.

Note: Not all Crossfit gyms are the same. If you find yourself at a gym and no one is cheering for you, you are at the wrong gym. Luckily, there are a lot of Crossfit affiliates these days. Even if you have to drive 40 minutes out of your way it's worth it.