There's a saying in the CrossFit community that 'CrossFit is for everyone but not everyone is for CrossFit'. We constanty reinforce the principles of CrossFit; turn up, stay humble, work hard and enjoy the journey. Simple as it sounds but If you can do this then you are for CrossFit.
If you've not trained in the morning or made the team WOD on Saturday then you've probably not yet met Mel, she's only been a member 3 months but her progress is nothing short of remarkable.
Here's Mel's story so far...
"My running days were over due to a foot injury and I had managed to whack a good 2 or 3 stone on eating and drinking more than I was burning off.
There came a tipping point when the dress I had bought to wear at a wedding wouldn’t zip up, and, I saw an advert for a ‘boost’ programme at a gym. It promised to be the quick fix. Which started me thinking, rather than traipsing to Sheffield for my ‘quick fix’ maybe Worksop had the answer.
So, spoke to Glynn, signed up for a month at Crossfit Worksop. 1 month only. I was not coming for any longer than a month.
I attended my first session on a Thursday night called a ModWod. I didn’t dare say the word MODWOD as I felt I had no permission to be that familiar with something so alien to me. Turned up, to the ‘box’ full of young folk (I’m 43) chucking weightlifting bars about and stood terrified at the doors pulling my oversized T-shirt down to cover me up. The noise was incredible, but what was more incredible was the members cheering on the ‘last woman standing’. Then my ModWod started. The Burpee was a revelation, so you lie down on your belly and then get back up again….2 footed? The instruction (by the lovely Llara) was spot on, detailed, funny and I was encouraged throughout. 1 hour later and I thought I might throw up. 10 minutes after that I felt great.
Friday morning. I slid down the toilet cubicle walls to squat for a wee - my legs hurt that much. Weirdly it felt good.
Saturday morning. Team WOD; Sat in my car in the car park for about 2 minutes doing breathing exercises to calm down, anxiety level 8-9.
3 deep breaths. Got out of the car.
3 deep breaths. Got to the front door.
3 deep breaths. Opened it.
Anxiety level 7.
Lots of faces, me in a blind and deaf panic, smiling faces of Llara and Glynn appeared. Anxiety level 6.
The WOD was read out. Burpees. Pull ups. Running. Box Jump. (eh?)
I managed the team WOD with the help of brilliant, encouraging team mate who I had never met before. Throughout the session was told what to do when to do it and put right when I was going wrong. I got high fived by 3 strangers when I had finished. I felt 10 feet tall.
What followed was around another 2 weeks of the breathing, rating the anxiety level and trying to get through the ‘WOD’. I still couldn’t say ‘WOD’ out loud. And then there was this ‘RX’ thing?. I lost the ability to count past 4 in a WOD – lack of oxygen to my brain I reckoned.
I did my prep sessions, got to lift a bar. Again, the trainers were personable, tailored the sessions to my ability, made me laugh, and I could feel I was getting better. I managed a burpee. One. The box jump was, well, comical. I couldn’t jump. My brain would not let my feet move in an upward way. At all. This wasn’t a problem. I was encouraged to jump to incrementally higher levels.
Then came my first WOD, on my own. Scary, but fantastic. The next day I couldn’t dry my hair as my arms were in pieces and was still sliding down the toilet cubicle walls to squat for a wee.
By the end of week 3 I was totally hooked. My body shape had changed already. I had muscles where I had never had muscles. I changed my diet because I wanted to get more from my work out (just bear in mind at this stage I have not been in a gym since I was in my early 20’s and am a greedy bugger). I lost almost a stone in 4 weeks. I actually said ‘WOD’ out loud.
The anxiety was still there but was less so and actually was good to feel it, I knew I was going to have to work hard, but so was everyone else. It didn’t matter if I wasn’t finishing first, or doing as much as others, my rate of progress was astounding. I was even knocking box jumps and burpees out!! I would sit in the car googling the moves for each WOD so I had half an idea.
(Worth pointing out here, the 3 most challenging things about Crossfit.
1. The terminology, it’s like learning a new language.
2. Counting how many reps you’ve done, really!!
3. Getting the clips on and off the bar. )
3 months (almost to the day) from that first day at the MODWOD I did a team WOD and got on the podium (3rd - fab team mate). I was beside myself, told anyone that would listen. I’ve lost almost 2 ½ stone, I’m happy, energised and physically mentally fitter than ever.
People I hardly know at work are commenting on me ‘toning up’ ‘losing weight’. They get a barrage of ‘its all because of Crossfit’ I love it. The weight lifting is AMAZING.’ No-one ever thought I’d say that, least of all me. I can’t ever wait to get to my next session. I think about the techniques in bed (sad, yes). I can’t wait to learn something new, or master a new technique (double-unders and pull ups next on the list). The trainers (and other members) are constantly helping you improve, motivating, and also take part – spectacularly practising what they preach.
It’s a cliché but it is life changing. The people who go are amazing and everyone is trying to reach their own ‘next goal’. I’m not the oldest there, there are a real mixture of people, and it doesn’t matter, it makes it better. It’s a proper community. I’m sold.