CrossFit has a reputation, one that can be off-putting or intimidating to many people. We see and hear this often:
“I can’t do [rope climbs/weightlifting/pull-ups/insert intimidating exercise here], so I’m not fit enough to join a CrossFit gym.”
“Everyone is so fit, I’ll feel out of place.”
“I don’t want to compete in the CrossFit Games, so CrossFit isn’t for me.”
Those who do venture into a CrossFit gym, like Beyond Walls, and have the courage to give it a try see quickly how wrong they might have been.
I got into CrossFit over 12 years ago at the age of 37. Before that, I struggled to find a fitness routine that felt effective AND fun AND sustainable. In my 20s, I frequented the aerobics classes that were popular in the 90s. For the sake of convenience (and, probably, a lack of imagination), I transitioned to running. I challenged myself with a 10K and eventually a half-marathon. When I did become more adventurous, I learned to surf in Florida and got better at it in California. There, I also got into cycling, which was truly magical as a way of experiencing the gorgeous scenery of the California landscape. I dabbled with triathlons in an attempt to inject more variety. Then, I moved to New York where surfing was not an easy option and the scenery was less exciting on a bike.
What I learned from all this experience was: 1) I’m no endurance athlete, and all the training in the world won’t make me into one, 2) all this activity was leading to moderate results at best and frustration at its worst, which was most of the time, and 3) I lacked strength training but had absolutely no idea where to get started. The prospect of walking into a 24-hour Fitness gym and mixing in with the grunting weightlifters in the corner was not an option. I tried training with a personal trainer thinking I’d learn how to lift on my own, but I ended up feeling more confused than ever.
When I finally stepped into a CrossFit gym (and I say FINALLY because I had been contemplating it for about 3 years before I took action), it was like a revelation and finding home, all at the same time. Over the course of those “contemplation” years, I watched countless videos with these incredible women learning pull-ups. I was sure that would never be me. I spied on the “workouts of the day” on CrossFit’s Main Site, googling the different movements to see if I could try them in my local gym (I could not). I observed the impressively toned arms of a woman in Starbucks sporting a CrossFit t-shirt. I assumed she always had them (I’m sure she did not).
In my very first CrossFit class, which was a free Intro session incorporating a bit of an overview and eventually a very short workout, what I realized was we were all starting at the beginning, no matter our fitness levels. I signed up immediately and proceeded to curse myself for waiting so long to start.
In that first month of my On-ramp classes, I learned how to pick up and hold a barbell. I learned the names of weightlifting movements and proceeded to forget which was which the moment I walked out of the gym. I tried burpees and wallballs and thought—wow, that was easy!—until I did a workout with them in it. I learned about nutrition and for the first time in my life walked away cheering the revelation that I could eat a steak and put some fat back into my diet guilt-free. I got to hang from a bar and felt like a kid again on the monkey bars at a playground.
Four months after starting, I got my first pull-up. Two months after that, I was stopped by someone in a coffee shop asking me how I got my muscles. Two years after that, I won a gold medal in a World Master’s Olympic Weightlifting competition. As it turns out, strength building is my thing, and I have CrossFit to thank for helping me discover that.
Fast-forward to today…I’ve just turned 50, and I’m still loving CrossFit as much as the day I walked in. I recently had a full preventative medical screening, and I’m happy to say that my fitness, muscle mass, and bone density were all at the top percentiles for my age, thanks to CrossFit.
And, this also happens to mark the year we launched Beyond Walls. I could never have imagined opening a CrossFit gym when I first stepped into my first class all those years ago, but I feel incredibly privileged to be the one introducing CrossFit to so many other people in our community.
