fit rx [ performance ]
are you stuck in a fat man’s body?
The 10 things that happen when you begin CrossFit
By Joshua M. Brown
T
his week marks three months since I began the most intense workout regimen of my entire life, CrossFit. What led to me beginning CrossFit was a realization that, if left to my own devices, I would never push myself hard enough to truly make the changes I needed to in order to get in shape. Occasional jogs and going through the chestand-biceps motions of a traditional gym simply weren’t going to get it done. I also knew that there was no shot that I’d be able to stick to a diet if it didn’t coincide with something more offensive, like physical training of some sort that demanded I take in more nutrients and less garbage. And so, at 258 pounds and sick of seeing my giant moon-face on TV everyday, I walked into the CrossFit Lighthouse in Wantagh, Long Island and submitted to a long-overdue comeuppance. I marched my Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man-frame into a firefight I wasn’t truly prepared for. It’s 90 days later and I still have a long way to go to get back to the old me. But I’m happy to report that for the first time in years I feel like I’m back in control and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Every day I get closer. For those who are thinking about trying CrossFit and rewriting their own futures, below are the first ten things that will happen. 1. You will find out how truly out of shape you are. It is likely that your first few sessions at a CrossFit gym will consist of stretching and basic instruction. You will likely sweat like a pig and require numerous breaks to catch your breath even during this relatively easy phase. This is because you are engaging and stretching muscles that have been dormant for years. You will also be sucking at the air for every molecule of oxygen you can get. It will be a week or two before your lungs are really open, prepare to gasp like a newborn taking its very first breath. 2. You will realize how fat you and other regular people are compared to real athletes. This is because your certified instructors will have the physiques of comic book superheroes. You will weigh 40% more than them but they will be somewhere between 50 and 150% stronger than you. It will make no sense that such “little” guys and girls are that much more powerful than you; it’ll be rather disorienting, especially if you’re a big guy like me who thought he was “strong” walking in. The idea is to be able to lift heavy weights but in as efficient a manner as possible, and then to be able to run a mile. And you, big guy, are not strong. You are fat and incidentally may be able to lift some weig ?BW???Rv????V&?&?WB&V?7G&V?wF?fW'?6????2???Rv???&Vv???V&???rF?R??v??BW6??r?Bv?F??WBfVV??r??RF?&?? r(
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