nablopomo #22
OMG.
Almost done with nablopomo!
Have you ever heard of
It's a "way of life".
They're "forging elite fitness".
What does that mean, exactly?
Well, be prepared to get your butt KICKED.
Like, WHOA.
And I mean that in the sense of what you say to a horse to get them to slow down.
My mom and I went in to a Crossfit near our house to try it out. Most seem to offer a free class or two so you can see what you're getting into before you commit to killing yourself a month of classes.
First the guy talked at us for a while, then he had us do some basic exercises.
Well, what kind of exercises?
Like these:
Except our feet were on the ground (knees bent and planted). 7 of those.
Then 9 pushups--the tough, don't-you-dare-wimp-out kind.
Then 15 good squats.
Okay?
You're breathing hard, right?
Now do it 3 more times.
As fast as you can.
Don't fall over, now!
I did it--but it took a big force of will. And I was close to vomiting at the end.
My mom, of course, was able to do it much quicker than I, but I'll be the first to admit she's in better shape. She regularly exercises and literally has a six-pack and large biceps. She's in excellent condition, especially considering her age.
Me?
Not so much.
All-in-all, Crossfit is a good fit for you if you like killing yourself while exercising (some people are like this). It's also good if you don't have a lot of time (my slow-ass was still done in under 10 minutes).
However, I would say that when they say "elite", they mean it.
If you can run a 5k, you are probably ready to start Crossfitting.
If not--well, prepare to die on the mats!
(I'm not sore, exactly, just extremely wobbly. It's like my joints are locking when they're not supposed to and I have a hard time generating the explosive movement to get up or sit down. I'm reminded of a capoeira class I attempted to take whilst in college--there's this movement you do, called a ginga (here's a video) that will kick your ass into the next day. I did it and literally could not move the next day. Could not. So, yeah, effective.)
I'm not going to go back, largely because their idea of "scaling" the exercises for a newbie was to make me do 4 sets instead of 5.
I'd (ideally) like to start with 1 set.
Then add a second the next week, see how I feel.
Maybe add a third the next week.
And so on.
But starting with 4 was too much.
Sorry, Crossfit, but right now you're too much for me. (And pricey! Whew!)
(I'm seriously contemplating doing 1 set of movements (there's a basic beginner's guide here, available as a pdf) and 20 minutes of sun salutations for a decent work out. My mom is crazy and thinks that exercising daily is ideal. Uh, no, ma, let me start with three days a week and get in that groove, kay?)
Edited to add that my not-quite-asthma is now starting to act up, just like I thought it would. Do the rest of you develop a hacking cough that can't be stopped after strenuous exercise? Can't catch your breath? No? Just me?
Almost done with nablopomo!
Have you ever heard of
It's a "way of life".
They're "forging elite fitness".
What does that mean, exactly?
Well, be prepared to get your butt KICKED.
Like, WHOA.
And I mean that in the sense of what you say to a horse to get them to slow down.
My mom and I went in to a Crossfit near our house to try it out. Most seem to offer a free class or two so you can see what you're getting into before you commit to killing yourself a month of classes.
First the guy talked at us for a while, then he had us do some basic exercises.
Well, what kind of exercises?
Like these:
Click to viewExcept our feet were on the ground (knees bent and planted). 7 of those.
Then 9 pushups--the tough, don't-you-dare-wimp-out kind.
Then 15 good squats.
Okay?
You're breathing hard, right?
Now do it 3 more times.
As fast as you can.
Don't fall over, now!
I did it--but it took a big force of will. And I was close to vomiting at the end.
My mom, of course, was able to do it much quicker than I, but I'll be the first to admit she's in better shape. She regularly exercises and literally has a six-pack and large biceps. She's in excellent condition, especially considering her age.
Me?
Not so much.
All-in-all, Crossfit is a good fit for you if you like killing yourself while exercising (some people are like this). It's also good if you don't have a lot of time (my slow-ass was still done in under 10 minutes).
However, I would say that when they say "elite", they mean it.
If you can run a 5k, you are probably ready to start Crossfitting.
If not--well, prepare to die on the mats!
(I'm not sore, exactly, just extremely wobbly. It's like my joints are locking when they're not supposed to and I have a hard time generating the explosive movement to get up or sit down. I'm reminded of a capoeira class I attempted to take whilst in college--there's this movement you do, called a ginga (here's a video) that will kick your ass into the next day. I did it and literally could not move the next day. Could not. So, yeah, effective.)
I'm not going to go back, largely because their idea of "scaling" the exercises for a newbie was to make me do 4 sets instead of 5.
I'd (ideally) like to start with 1 set.
Then add a second the next week, see how I feel.
Maybe add a third the next week.
And so on.
But starting with 4 was too much.
Sorry, Crossfit, but right now you're too much for me. (And pricey! Whew!)
(I'm seriously contemplating doing 1 set of movements (there's a basic beginner's guide here, available as a pdf) and 20 minutes of sun salutations for a decent work out. My mom is crazy and thinks that exercising daily is ideal. Uh, no, ma, let me start with three days a week and get in that groove, kay?)
Edited to add that my not-quite-asthma is now starting to act up, just like I thought it would. Do the rest of you develop a hacking cough that can't be stopped after strenuous exercise? Can't catch your breath? No? Just me?