aha

Since CrossFit Beacon opened a month ago, I have been happily coaching classes and taking new members (aka athletes) through the 1-on-1 Foundations sessions.  Not only do I love meeting new people, but I get truly jazzed about seeing people walk through Beacon's doors excited about their own commitment toward better fitness. 

As would be expected, I find that some of our athletes respond to movement and cues in ways that are natural to them but might be different than someone else.  Because of this, I am learning so much by watching how people tend to position themselves in a particular movement.  The nuance of these ways are usually small, but are ways to do something that I may not have thought of before.  For instance, even something as simple as where a person prefers a box to step up on (back, left or right side) in order to reach the pullup bar can add to a better experience with the pullup.

What I get the most excited about is when I am working with an athlete and, as they begin to execute a movement, I see self-correction occur.  I LOVE that!  To see someone have the body awareness to adjust themselves in a movement they have just learned is probably one of the best things I could see.  To me that translates to further down the road when they are using a heavier weight on the bar or putting more intensity in a METCON they will be able to self-monitor when something is too much for them on that particular day and will take some weight off the bar or change up their intensity so their form doesn't put their body at risk. 

Therein lies my "aha" about CrossFit.
People are always asking what makes CrossFit different than other fitness experiences.
"Well, our workouts are constantly varied functional movements at high intensity."
Okay, but what does that mean?
"Well, we never do the same workout 2 days in a row and the more fit you get, the more intensity you can put into your WODs."
Okay, but functional?
"Sure. Deadlifts translate into picking up groceries.  We all sit down and get up...that's the air squat." yada, yada, yada  We've all heard those comparisons and we've all used them.
But really, CrossFit is a program designed to train your body to move functionally as a whole...the sum of all your parts moving in harmony. 
Will CrossFit help your body become more firm and esthetically attractive? Yes! Is it totally fun to learn how use all the special CrossFit *toys*, learn how to pick up heavy weights, slap chalk on our hands for pullups, and get totally sweaty because of a great workout?  Absolutely.  Afterall, CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program...but to what ultimate goal?  Total body functionality.  That is where it is so different and so effective.   We don't "work on" the arms, then the upper legs, then the calves, then the pecks, etc.  That is a fragmented way to address the needs of a wholly functional body.  Any given CrossFit movement might *bias* a certain area of the body, but to focus on that part, the entire body plays a roll.  I honestly can't think of any movement in CrossFit that isolates only one part of the body.  If there is, let me know. 

What validates the importance of this is what CrossFit coaches will often hear from prospective members:
I am a runner but need to gain upper body strength.
I am a weightlifter but have limited endurance.
I spend two hours at a gym on machines that 'work' various muscle groups but don't feel any stronger.
All of these statements address the instinctual desire to have a balanced body with which to go through life.  This is what they find after just a few weeks into CrossFit.

What CrossFit does is teach its member/athletes about body awareness and in the process, they are getting stronger, more conditioned, and overall able to function in life with much more ease.  Doesn't that make their futures sound awesome?!