Pictures… or it didn’t happen!

Working out at Crossfit gyms will get you use to having your photo taken whether it’s good or bad. In all honesty it’s a good thing because photos will show your progress. I’m a big fan of this image taken at Chalk Monkey Crossfit. Because I have “mad photo editing skills” I chopped off my head because my expression wasn’t pretty but boy am I proud of the bottom half.

Finally, I’m back in the swing of things and it’s paying off. It’s been said, “A picture is worth a thousand words” but I’m going to sum it up with my top 10 benefits of crossfit.

1. BAM! That squat will make your butt look big, in a good kind of way. Don’t be surprised if you get nicknamed “bubble butt” or some other fun name describing your glutes.

2. Your calves are going to look strong and defined too. Every muscle in your body will begin to take form in ways you didn’t even know was possible. Defined is not the same thing as bulk!

3. Working out with the outdoor elements causes you to sweat buckets which means letting go of extra water weight. Awesome!

4. The open wods were challenging and for me 14.5 thrusters and burpees were a beast and if you finished (in the words of Bobby Vasquez) “no one can ever take that away from you!” It took me 46 minutes and change to finish, which is nearly 6 times the amount of time it was done in by the pros (8 minutes and change). It’s true, but the benefit is, I finished.

5. You learn that walking in the door is the hard part. In life it’s helpful to prepare for the unexpected. You must be able to roll with change and problem solve quickly. Crossfit helps you with that aspect and you quickly learn it’s more about showing up, doing what needs to be done and being consistent.

6. The group has the same fight with you at the same time! It’s like going through a life changing event and it takes a while to come out on the other side. You go through that alone. Yes, you might have support from family and friends but they get to go back to their routines. In a class setting, you all go through the same challenge, at the same time. Sure you might be faster or slower but it doesn’t matter you all went through it together. No one leaves you hanging! Even the very last person has that group support until the job is done.

7. You will get rid of that negative self talk. You must get your head right and be your biggest cheerleader just to finish the workout some days. You will become a negative self talk squashing champion. You must tell yourself positive things to make it through a workout. Become your biggest fan, it’s ok!

8. Good form. Form is about standing taller, shoulders back, chin up, head forward and focusing on how your body moves. You will become acutely aware of how your body moves and how to improve your own body mechanics. Human beings were not designed for desk jobs, you will learn good form.

9. You are more aware of your eating habits! Some people are able to adapt right away and for others like me, it will take time. For the most part I have tried clean eating, Paleo, eating several times a day but honestly none of it has stuck. Do I eat better? I sure do but some days, I’m still a cookie. I’m ok with being a single cookie and not the several slices of cookie dough.

10. You become faster! You might not be a track and field star but you could chase after that kid that isn’t listening to you, pick them up and swing them around. They quickly stop running away when they know you can catch them.

There are more benefits that I could list but that will have to wait for another day. Wherever you are on your fitness journey just keep moving forward. Set backs will happen, acknowledge them and keep moving. Standing still is just about the worst thing you can do in life. When you stand still you don’t have any stories to tell. Failure and triumph provide the best material for stories so do something. Become a story teller!

What kind of benefits are you seeing from your workouts? Let me know in the comments.