I can’t believe we’re into week 2 already. Team Intern is kicking it up a notch. Trish, Marie, Jerri-Lynn and Shirley have all lost some weight this week, with Trish having lost a whopping 8 pounds so far! Congratulations Ladies!!!
So it’s official: Team Intern is already addicted to CrossFit. I saw some other teams posting about competition, not just between teams, but amongst the team members. This is part of the secret to CrossFit’s success as a fitness regime. We all know that motivation is key, but what better motivation and knowing you can “beat” a teammate at a workout. CrossFit is known as the “sport of fitness”, but it is also a community of coaches and athletes who share fitness ideals and benchmark workouts as a means to unify and motivate. CrossFit incorporates traditional cardio, weightlifting, gymnastics and a bunch of other fun stuff, puts it all together in a workout and makes a game or competition out of it. The results of phenomenal. There are thousands of CrossFit gyms all over the world and each is different, but ask any CrossFitter from anywhere in the world: “What’s your Fran time?” or “What’s your Fight Gone Bad score?” and they’ll know exactly what you’re talking about. These are named benchmark workouts we use to measure results in a concrete way. In fact, Team Intern is now quite familiar with the post “Fight Gone Bad” burn, but they want more. In Trish’s words: “That was an awesome workout!”.
If you’re having trouble maintaining intensity during your workouts try treating it like a sport and a science experiment all rolled into one. Try this, we’ll call it “Mini-Cindy-0n-the-floor” (we like to give our workouts names). Set a timer for 5 minutes. Do 5 push-ups, 5 sit-ups and 5 squats. Once you’re done the squats, start the circuit all over again. Keep doing this as many times as you can for 5 minutes. Count the number of circuits you complete in the allotted time and write in in a workout log. Every time you do the workout, try to beat your last score. Once 5 minutes is easy, up it to 10 minutes… See how that science experiment works for you. Post scores to comments and check out the daily WOD (Workout of the Day) and the friendly competition at CrossFit Winnipeg.
Motivation for CrossFit workouts is the easy part though. Motivation for other lifestyle changes can be a bit trickier. If you’re trying to make changes, know that this must be a lifelong commitment. If you want to be healthier and feel better you will have to work your ass off. It’s not easy. No gimmicks, no cleanses, no magic pills, just had work and dedication. And not just hard work at the gym. Anyone can work their ass off while a trainer yells at them. But what happens when it’s a co-worker’s birthday at the office and they start passing around the cake? Who’s going to be there to yell at you? You’re on your own, and if you really want this badly enough, you’ll say “no, thank you.” Being part of a community that understands this is a huge advantage. That’s why our members at CrossFit Winnipeg have had phenomenal results during our Real Food Challenge. They share recipes and tips on our site every day.
“There is a difference between interest and commitment.
When you’re interested in doing something,
you do it only when it’s convenient.
Went you’re committed to something,
you accept no excuses, only results.”
-Ken Blanchard-
Most people have the basic information they need to successfully lose the weight. First, as part of this contest, we have 15 trainers offering free advice to their teams and to the public. Second, as part of a team and a community doing the contest together, you also have the support of a community. You have everything you need, now it’s just a matter of doing it. Yes, life is hard, yes, chocolate chip cookies are yummy and yes, burpees suck, but guess what, if any of these is your excuse, then maybe you just don’t want it badly enough. Think about that for a second… What is more important, a piece of cake or your life?
Tania- you’re an amazing trainer and coach, and you’re right: all of the tools are here at anyones disposal.
One of the most valuable tools for me has been all the encouragement from Crossfit Winnipeg members, my coworkers at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Winnipeg, and my lovies at Voices: Manitoba’s Youth in Care Network, my AWESOME team, and my friends and sisters. I’ve tried to lose weight before, tried so many times, but this time I really feel a commitment to myself, and it helps to have all this encouragement.
So, random reader, if you’re on the brink of deciding whether or not to commit to a healthier you, let me say the sacrifice is worth it. The sweaty, achey, hard-to-breathe killer work outs are worth the immediate endorphin high that returns with your breath and lasts for days. And we believe in you, all of us on Team Intern. As our captain Shirley always says, “if we can do it, so can you!” So do it. Come on. Come sweat with us. You’ll love it.