It’s been just over two years since I walked into a gym for my very first WOD, and if you’re anything like I was in the weeks and months leading up to that day, you may have some conflicting feelings toward the functional fitness movement.
One of these might be curiosity – you aren’t getting the results you’d like from your current fitness efforts, you’ve read our CF Primer, and you’ve seen what the sport has done for friends, so why not you too?
On the other hand, hesitation – it’s a “cult,” or so claims your opinionated (but not-that-fit) colleague whenever the subject comes up over lunch. I’m often told that functional fitness is great for some but “not for me,” and while Athletes would argue that our needs differ not by kind but by degree, obviously the best fitness program in the world is useless if you don’t stick with it.
So how might you think about whether a functional fitness program is great for you?
Drop In Like a Boss
Fitness is a big part of my life, but I’m not Rich Froning – I don’t spend my days at a box crushing WODs and eating almond butter from a tub. I’m a CPA with a job in Corporate Finance, which means I sit in a cushy Aero chair looking at spreadsheets instead. I try to hit a WOD at lunch to break up all that excitement, then I settle back into my Aero for the rest of the afternoon.
And I travel. Between our offices in other cities, vacations, and the odd conference, I take 30-40 trips a year. Most are just for a day or two, but if you’re an Athlete spending time on the road, you’ll recognize this familiar choice:
- Hit the hotel bar (or order room service) and forget your fitness routine altogether
- Brave the streets on foot, dodging traffic to get a few miles under your belt
- Attempt a “travel WOD,” in your room or the (likely sub-par) hotel fitness center
- Tackle the logistical and various other issues and drop-in at a local box
I almost always choose to visit an area affiliate if I can make it work. From NYC to Paris to Cape Town, Vegas, Cancun, and lots of places in between, I’ve gotten in some great WODs, met some amazing people, and even learned a thing or two.
CrossFit Primer: The ‘Sport of Fitness’
CrossFit, it’s all over the place these days.
Every neighborhood and surrounding suburb seems to have at least one gym, or “box” as they’re called – if not, plans are probably in the works as you read this article. And everyone has an opinion. People who CrossFit won’t stop talking about it. People who don’t, well, won’t stop talking about people who won’t stop talking about it.
So what exactly is it anyway?