I am always looking for workouts that keep me motivated to exercise. I am the type of person that needs a goal to work towards otherwise I won’t exercise. I trained for a triathalon, but once I completed the race, I lost interest. I trained for a marathon and same thing, stopped training after it was done. I found myself getting bored easily, doing the same thing over and over. I couldn’t find a program that kept my interest, and it was tough to try to do it on my own.
Then I was introduced to CrossFit and have yet to be bored. I love how everyday is a different workout and I don’t have to try to make up my own… its already done for me. At 31 years old, I am in the best shape of my life! I’ve always had the endurance because of the running backround, but I never had the strength. When I first started 8 months ago I could never do a pullup. I absolutely hated them and never had the strength for them. After 3 months of CrossFit, I was able to do one kipping pullup. I like how this program forces you to work on skills that you dislike or are weak at. This has made me a more rounded athlete.
The group atmosphere is also a major component to why I love CrossFit. Doing a workout in group will definitely make you work harder. I used to prefer working out by myself, but I know I wouldn’t be able to push myself the same way. If I wanted to slow down or not work as hard I only had to answer to myself. I probably would have never even thought of trying to do pull-ups. But in CrossFit, when I do the same workout with a group of people, the trainers and other CrossFitters will push you which makes me drive myself harder to can keep up with them. I always leave the gym feeling like I worked as hard as I could, something I didn’t feel too often from my usual solo workouts.
I think the major reason I’ve stuck with CrossFit is that there is always room for improvement. I think I never get bored because I’m always in competition with myself. I’m always trying to beat my time or lift heavier than I did last time. And it quickly becomes addicting because I do see that improvement. I can now run a mile under 8 minutes; I suddenly love lifting weights; and now I am up to 16 kipping pullups in a row! I still can’t believe it. Besides gaining all these athletic skills, there’s nothing that beats hearing, “hey you’ve lost weight” at my last family party… the most perfect words to any girls ears.