Technology and fitness: the weird divide

Photo credit to flikr.com

The idea of fitness training has been around since the Romans trained for their Olympics. Well made things never go out of style, which is why these events and the fitness training leading up to them are still here today. The dedication of the athletes enrapture the audience as they push the boundaries of what is humanly possible.

My point is that it’s unlikely that the Olympics- and Olympic training- will ever not be an icon for fitness.

Over the years we have developed more efficient and better ways to make our fittest fitter and get the regular Joe some access to that same equipment. This is where the commercial gym comes in.

Yet in today’s world of technology, all gadgets point to more efficient and effective workouts. And yet I blame technology for the public’s disenchantment with our beloved commercial gyms.

Because what used to be a staple for common fitness is seeing a troubling trend.

Figures say that 80% of members who signed up for a commercial gym membership in January dropped out in February. Why is there high sign up rates but higher turnover? Do this trend point to the idea that the commercial gym is just another fad?

The commercial gym experience is no longer engaging. Ever since technology has been introduced, machines are more clever. You just put in your weight and target heart rate and bam! A personalized workout is up and ready to go. There’s not a lot of brain work happening there, and if you’re not careful you will become a hamster.

Photo credit to shiawaselfie.com. 

Always using the same machines on the same settings, and getting the same results.

Maybe this is the reason for the high turnover, maybe technology is giving gym goers an excuse not to form relationships, and that impersonal and uncomfortable feeling has more gym goers throwing in the towel.

But there are a few institutions which are thriving today. One is another type of gym which is more personal. This ’boutique’ gym usually enforces relationships between it’s members, causing community and an actual interest and intrinsic dedication to working out there.

One of those institutions is CrossFit, which I have spent a lot of time detailing in my blog.

Another interesting trend that has risen with technology is the idea of the at-home workout. What used to be your mom’s “Richard Simmons: 80’s Blast Off” workout DVD’s are now modernized.

On the internet there are endless follow along workouts you can do just by sliding off your couch. These workouts are designed for little to no equipment, and the internet brings a bottomless supply of them.

Since this blog is about CrossFit, more specifically why would you pay $50-$200 for a membership when there are free WOD’s online?

So why pay for a gym membership of any kind when there are free and easily accessible ones online?

Here’s why I think the gym will never truly fade away;

1. Getting out of your relaxation space (living room or bedroom) puts your mind in a more active place. When you slide off the couch to do a workout there is always a possibility you will slide back on.
2. There is a commitment to attend when you invest money into something. To prove yourself, you will end up going to the gym a few times at least, and a few is better than none.
3. There is no attachment in some gyms, yes, but the internet (unless you have a personal trainer chatting with you) is VERY impersonal. It’s all on you. How hard you push yourself, if you keep going, and if you’re consistent with it.

-MissFit

Workout selfies or “welfies” bad in large doses

The newest (and hottest) craze since social media began is fitness posts.

Anything from complete workouts, move dissection, and fitness tips can be accessed through the internet. Many fitness gurus now reach out through social media, riding fitness trends through the free source of the inter webs.

Unfortunately, these social media sites harbor another use: the post workout selfie.

What is called the “welfie” or “workout selfie” is now all over the internet. People tracking the physical manifestations of all their hard work, usually with little clothing, have taken over social media sites. And for good reason: who wouldn’t want to look at beautiful people post-gym?

While these photos get a lot of attention, for the female fitness population, these welfies are befitting no one.

For whatever reason, females are predisposed to negatively compare themselves to other females.

As a female myself, I know from experience that there are three states of mind I am in when browsing welfies. Here’s a peak into what is goes on inside my head;

 

Stage One: Tough Love

Let’s see, it’s been four days since I started working out. So another week and I’ll have my summer bod?

No, this isn’t a temporary fix, it’s a lifestyle choice!

I will look like these girls. What one woman can do, another can do, right? Time to go to the gym.

Stage Two: I will never be as happy and pretty as she

Listen to the message, you need to start going to the gym now. No, now!

Wow, look at her muscle definition. I wonder if I can get my muscles to do that… nope, not yet.

Yes, listen to the motivation. Now put down the phone. No, don’t keep scrolling! Ooooh…

Stage 3: You fat cow

I’m not going to list my thoughts for this stage, because they are ugly. The heading should give you an idea, though.

This stage happens after I’ve spent far too long looking at people happier and healthier than me. I’ve gone through the stages of motivation and pressure to go work out, and I am spent. I sit on the couch, usually cradling my favorite comfort foods.

What I don’t like about welfies is the negative feelings females tie to fitness when they get to stage three. If this is what trying and fitness is like, why would they want to go back to the gym- back into that toxic environment? Tough love can only go so far.

So welfies can be inspirational, I think, but only in small doses. If you inundate yourself with pictures of model-type fitter females than you, eventually you will get those feelings of hopelessness. And ultimately this leads to negative self-talk and self degradation.

Through social media sites welfies are too abundant and too easy to obsess over. When a female looks at these sites on their cell phone, it can add fuel to the fire, sort of a “look where I could be” feeling. But as it goes with the internet, too much of a stimulus can become overwhelming.

My best advice is to know yourself, and know your stages.

Because the issue is not the welfies, but the state of mind you are in when you look at them.

So go ahead and look at them, but also know when to move on (hopefully to your sneakers).

Take care,

-MissFit

7 days of CrossFit WODs

Seven days of CrossFit WODs (a.k.a. Workouts Of the Day)

I’m surprised that besides the workouts the main CrossFit site posts daily, not too many blogs have posted a point-blank list of what a week of CrossFit workouts look like.

I think especially for people looking to join CrossFit, this seven day list gives a peek into the variety and style of movements typical to CrossFit.

A few disclaimers for understanding the WODs:

• If you don’t know what an exercise is, click on it for step-by-step instructions
• Weights are specific for me, so feel free to scale the weight up or down to meet your preferred level of difficulty.

And here they are!

DAY 1- Killin’ it                                                   

	Exercise	# of Repetitions	Weight (lbs)
Warm Up:	500 m row 100 m Inch worms 100 m walking lunge with overhead reach Hang cleans	30	: Bar (35 lbs)
WOD (3 rounds):	jumping rope kettle bell swings box jumps	150 single jumps 30	25 lbs

DAY 2- “Chelsea”                 

	Exercise	# of Repetitions	Weight (lbs)
Warm Up:	500 m row PVC pipe stretches body weight squats	20
WOD (30 rounds- yes, I typed that right! 30 min, start on the minute.):	pull ups (easier is jumping pull ups) push ups body weight squats	5 5-10                            10-15

DAY 3- Calm and Focused      

	Exercise	# of Repetitions	Weight (lbs)
Warm Up:	5 min. jumping rope
WOD (1 min. on, 1 min rest per exercise):	kettle bell swings push-ups box jumps burpees sit-ups		20 lbs

DAY 4- This is how we do it  

	Exercise	# of Repetitions	Weight (lbs)
Warm Up:	800 m. jog 100 m. Inch worms 100m extended lunges (a.k.a. “the perfect stretch”)
WOD (Rest 2-3 min. between sets): *Then 3 rounds of the following:	Deadlifts Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Set 6 500 m row push ups kettle bell swings	10                               10                                6                                6                                4                                2 15                              25	75 lbs-55% of max 95 lbs-65% of max 105 lbs-75% of max 115 lbs- 80% ofmax  120 lbs-85% ofmax  125 lbs-90% of max 20 lbs

DAY 5- Give me everything      

	Exercise	# of Repetitions	Weight (lbs)
Warm Up:	5 min. jump rope
WOD(each round is 4 min.): Bonus! Abs:	Round 1:  600 m. run push ups               Round 2:  box jumps ring pulls Round 3: burpees kettle bell swings Round 4: jump rope toes to bar  3 min. plank (each time you fall out of it, 10 sit ups)	AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible)      10                              10 5                                5 90 single jumps          10	20 lbs.

DAY 6- Steady as she goes

	Exercise	# of Repetitions	Weight (lbs)
Warm Up:	1000 m. row PVC pipe stretches snatches	10-15	35-45 lbs (weight of bar)
WOD [AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) in 10 min]:	burpee pull-up kettle bell swings wall balls	10                              10                              10	20 lbs.                        15 lbs.

DAY 7- FOCUS                

	Exercise	# of Repetitions	Weight (lbs)
Warm Up:	500 m. row 100 m. walking lunges
WOD:	3 Rounds not for time: kipping pull-ups box jumps double unders (jumping rope) 4 Rounds of: Barbell Complexes           (1 Complex=  hang cleans alternate reverse stepping lunges 400 m. run	10-15                          10-15                          30-40 4 3                                2 (One per leg)

I would love to respond to questions; please leave a comment below!

<3,

-MissFit

Time management: CrossFit

The CrossFit membership works a little differently than a gym membership.

When I was first looking for at CrossFit, besides feeling intimidated walking into what is called a “box”, I was shocked that there was no check-in. You know, the little key cards you get when you enter a gym that check you in to tell the front desk you are a member? Yeah, there were none of those.

At first I thought I could slip in and join for free without anyone noticing. I was wrong, and here’s why:

A CrossFit workout is a team event. Even if you have one burly guy dead lifting 150 lbs and you are only able to lift the bar, it doesn’t matter. You will both do the same exercise with the same amount of reps, just scaled differently.

So a real team atmosphere forms this way, because it is equally difficult for you as it is for the person on your right.

CrossFit also uses the method of timed workouts, and although your scores are reported individually, there is a real team effort of cheering for the first and last person to finish.

These people become your buddies. The reason why any Joe from the street can’t walk in and pickup a CrossFit workout is not only because of the difficulty. It’s because there is such a relationship that forms between CrossFit goers that they know when someone new is introduced.

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As a college student, I was worried about how I would find time for an hour long CrossFit workout. And the workouts are not every hour on the hour. Each gym has their different schedules, and unless it’s designated open gym time, if you show up to your box at any other time no one will be there.

So it sucks, but during the school week I wake up at 5 a.m. to eat some breakfast and jog to my box for a 6 a.m. workout.

This may sound horrible. Waking up that early may seem impossible, but my point is that even though I hold down two jobs and have 15 credits, I make time for an hour workout + cardio every day (almost).

Here are the benefits of the CrossFit schedule:

• If you go to the same classes, usually the same people will be working out alongside of you. This means major bonding, which will make you want to go to your workout even more.
• There are a lot of times to choose from, so even if your alarm doesn’t go off, you still have another chance to go later in the day.

And the biggest bonus for me was…

• Consistency. Unlike the gym, people care if you don’t show up, and there is no leaving early. You have a schedule to stick to, and for me that is invaluable.

-MissFit