Why I CrossFit

I get asked about CrossFit about 2-3 times per week (especially since the NPR story about it aired in DC...). 
What is it? Why do you do it? What kind of stuff do you do in class? And although I'm not going to answer all of these questions here today, I did want to share the main reasons that I enjoy this crazy, addictive workout, in a list I'd like to call, "The Top 5 Reasons Why I CrossFit." If you, too, are a CrossFitter, then you'll probably be able to relate to these items (and if you're not, you should give it a try!)...


The Top 5 Reasons Why I CrossFit 

1. It's the best workout I've ever gotten. Hands-down.  Where else will you be sweating profusely after the warm up, and then continue to workout for another 1.5 hours? Where else will you do a workout that includes suicides, a partner wall-ball burpee, or box jumps? Where else will your normal hands turn into claws after gripping two 60lb dumbbells for a just a minute (while doing Romanian Deadlifts)? 
After an intense CrossFit workout, I'm spent for the day. My legs are jelly, I'm starving, and all I want to do is sleep. It wears me out physically and makes me sore to the bone--in the most satisfying of ways. I can feel myself getting stronger every time I go to class, and that's a really gratifying, empowering experience. 

Looks a little like yoga, doesn't it?

Yes, my shirt does say "Strong is the New Skinny." I'm obsessed with this slogan ;)

2. We do things like "The Squat Cycle," and "The Smackdown." While being an amazing workout, it's also super fun--we did the CrossFit Open, a local team CrossFit competition (the "Smackdown"), and are now doing a "Squat Cycle" together--all in the name of improvement, fun, and fitness (I know, I sound like a total dork!). These events also give us goals to work towards and ways to track our improvement, which both help to motivate and keep us coming back ;)

Ben squatting (as a part of the Squat Cycle) a few week ago...

My "Smackdown" team.

Ben's "Smackdown" team.

3. Tire flips. Now that I've done them, I'm obsessed with them. What am I talking about? Check out this video of a recent workout that we did at CrossFit DC. To fully understand what I'm talking about when I say that CrossFit is the best workout ever, please note that we did this workout AFTER doing a really long (and exhausting) warm-up, and about 45 minutes of heavy back squats (yes, this means squats with a barbell full of heavy weights on our backs). Needless to say, we were a *bit* tired when we started this team metcon...

4. The community. I've met some of my favorite people in DC through CrossFit. We do partner and team workouts together, we get together for the holidays (NYE, Memorial Day, July 4th...), we go out to eat together, we head to the pool for "recovery days" (aka, sitting in the pool or on a towel talking about CrossFit) together--and the best part? We all like to live healthy lifestyles, so you don't feel bad going home to go to bed early, or passing on drinking, or ordering something healthy to eat, or leaving early to go do yoga... 

5. Because it makes Ben so. darn. happy. I mean, will you look at this guy? 

Have you ever seen someone so happy to be working out?

Ben's first CrossFit ice bath (don't ask why he wanted to wear my malas...).

(And if you haven't already read it, you can learn more about Ben's passion for everything CrossFit in "Ten Ways to Prepare Yourself for Dating/Marrying/Becoming a CrossFitter")

Now don't you want to give it a try? Join me at CrossFit DC (best coaches in town!) on Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Sundays. You can also read more about why I think CrossFit is the perfect (physical) yang to yoga's yin in this post I wrote last April. 

Namaste!
Mary Catherine