Today: CrossFit and humility.
If you’re like me and follow 9,000 CrossFitters on Twitter, Instagram, and just in general, like… around the neighborhood, you’ve possibly heard or seen some of the following:
- Your workout is my warm-up.
- That’s not a real squat.
- (Insert other activity)? B—-, please. I do CrossFit. (And I have a foul mouth.)
- I am better than you because I can lift your Ford Focus over my head with one hand, whilst I eat my paleo breakfast with the other.
Seven months ago, when I finally bit the bullet and joined our neighborhood box after a trial run at Reebok CrossFit ONE and much encouragement from my husband, I ate that nonsense up. I thought I was so tough the first time I lifted at barbell over my head. And then a week later I completely ate shcrap while attempting a slightly higher box jump. And my ego was firmly back in check.
Like anything challenging I have faced, CrossFit has made me stronger, but it has not made me better than anyone else.
I may have thought the whole “your workout is my warm-up” mentality was badass initially, but after some consideration, it’s just plain bad. And poisonous. [For the record: I’ve met very few people who walk around saying things like that. They are, for sure, the minority in the sport.] Our workouts may be brutal, but their value does not lie in being more brutal, more challenging, more whatever than someone else’s workout. And frankly, if you’re doing it right (that is to say, working your tail off and supporting your fellow CrossFitters), you should have neither the time nor energy to minimize anyone else (or how they choose to work out). Someone high five me on that. Please.
For me, CrossFit and humility go hand and hand. Nearly every WOD is an exercise in being painfully aware of my deficiencies and weaknesses. In fighting that little (sometimes medium, often big) voice that says, Maybe you should just sneak out the side door and watch Sunday’s episode of Downton Abbey. In trying desperately to not compare myself to others. I’m not sure about the rest of the Universe, but I know it goes strongly against my inner guidance to repeatedly do things I am not comfortable doing. To share a strength platform with someone who can lift twice as much as me without breaking a sweat. To try new things, and then try more new things. To put at risk the significant orthodontic investment my lovely parents have made by holding a 36 lb. kettle bell directly over my face ( Turkish get ups make me want to American throw up). To willingly do things I am not good at. To attempt something, knowing there’s a high probability I will fail. To fail, over and over.
I have more stories about mortifying things — the many, many times I have missed a lift (I have gotten quite good at safely dropping barbells, to my credit), the time I somehow jumped and fell over a box, the time I got knocked over by a wall ball, the time I hit myself in the chin with a wall ball, the time I hit myself in the nose with a wall ball, the time I pinched my index finger in one of those weight clip things, the time I crumpled like a wet noodle on the last rep of over head squats, the time I got tangled in a jump rope when heading out the door for a 200m sprint, the time I had to go crouch down behind the dumpster after a WOD because I thought I might faint and/or expire — than I do about glorious things that I’ve accomplished while Crossfitting (Not a word? Not sure.).
But I know this: I am more humble than ever. And that can only be a good thing. [I feel like I am channeling Bill Belichick, talking about humble pie. Imagine if he went on Project Runway and just cut the sleeves off a million sweatshirts, and then won? Neither here, nor there. What else is new?]
I know this as well: I wouldn’t keep going back every week if I didn’t feel supported by my community. If I didn’t feel like it was okay to be a total boob and drop things every now and then. If I didn’t feel like it was okay to ask many, many questions. If I didn’t believe that setbacks are necessary for progress. A supportive community, whether its comprised of two people or two hundred people, has an incredible ability to motivate and empower.
I don’t care if you’re a yogi, a kayaker, a football player, a dancer, a runner or a shuffleboard player. We are all at our best when we lift one another up.
Also On Tap for Today:
- Fantastic interview with Richard Blanco, who will be the first Latino inaugural poet
- Making my fourth trip to the USPS this week (is it really only Wednesday?)
- Mary is like the CrossFit video whisperer – here’s another great find
Have you gotten (or given) a boost up lately?
Comments (15)
AngeWoz
January 9, 2013 at 1:20 pm
This is great! Thank you… no matter what the sport, the posters that are degrading or mean to others really annoy me. If someone is being active, support them, even if it’s not your choice of activity! Great post today!!
MegG
January 9, 2013 at 1:53 pm
Yes!! Love this and the sentiment. It’s so important for people to find ways to move that they love! I will give anyone a boost who is doing their thing, enjoying their life and attempting to make healthy choices.
Lea@RunningForDummies
January 9, 2013 at 2:40 pm
I love this so much! I agree that everyone should find their own path to fitness. I went to a regular gym (LA Fitness) and the sales trainer tried to convince me running, Crossfit and Insanity were all BAD. What a jerk! To each his own, we should all do what we love! and I agree with all your thoughts on Crossfit being humbling, you said how I feel so well and it is so hard not to compare yourself to others 🙂 – Lea
Halley
January 9, 2013 at 3:04 pm
This is awesome! I’m so glad you didn’t expire behind a dumpster.
Michelle
January 9, 2013 at 5:36 pm
High five, girl! Crossfitters, runners, Zumbaers… they all know they’re part of an awesome club but look crazy to everyone else for being so jazzed about it. All these different forms of exercise exist because we are all different and enjoy and benefit from different kinds of movement. And how boring (and scary) would it be if we all did the same thing, anyway?
Erin
January 9, 2013 at 7:19 pm
I literally LOL-ed on my couch at the “American throw up” line. Hilarious. I’m not medically able to do Crossfit (I wish I could try it but my cardiologist might actually kill me before my body would) and reading tweets and blogs and Instagram photos over the last year+ has made me feel a little self conscious about that. This post is such a great reminder that you just have to do you & figure out what works best for your own body/life/ability – and try realllyyy hard not to compare one another!
kris10take1
January 9, 2013 at 7:35 pm
I just recently started crossfit again, one of my favorite things about crossfit is that the workouts are scaled for whatever level you are at. There have been multiple times where I’ve done less weight than is suggested for the beginner level. No one has ever said anything to me and to be honest I rarely ever notice what weight others are using. If I finish a workout before anyone else I always questioned whether or not I counted correctly or missed an exercise. I’m completely out of my comfort zone and I love it. That being said, the thought of doing zumba scares me. I would rather do 100 wall balls (my least favorite exercise) than watch my sober self dance in front of a mirror or a class.
Enid Reggie
January 9, 2013 at 9:39 pm
Love this post and its message! (For the record, sister, my workout is probably sometimes just a quarter of your warmup. But I ate more eggs than you did for breakfast.)
Monica
January 9, 2013 at 9:49 pm
Love this post! I go to a gym similar to crossfit and you are right that every workout is a new challenge. I have pulled cars, flipped tires and lifted some serious weight. The support at this gym is amazing. However I also love Zumba and the energy from those classes are also amazing. There’s no reason you can’t have multiple fitness communities!
Laura
January 9, 2013 at 11:38 pm
Thank you! I love this post. I’ve stopped following people constantly pinning the “I’m tougher and better cause I crossift” messages. The whole community sense seems great. If I had the money, I’d love to try it. Each of us needs to workout for ourselves and do what works for us. We can support each other to a healthy lifestyle however we may find it.
It’s kind of silly isn’t it
January 10, 2013 at 8:15 am
My coach has those cocky signs and tshirts yet I never hear him run his mouth or act that way. I work hard at the gym and I’m proud of how hard I work out but I am a bit embarrassed by the signs and cocky sayings. Like “your workout is our warmup” and “you will pass out before you die”. It just goes against my beliefs. I’m more the quiet guy that just tries as hard as he can and I like to help others.
Bridget
January 10, 2013 at 12:48 pm
Hey lady! Miss you!!
Oh I so agree with this. My box has a private FB page, which is great for support and just staying in touch with each other…etc, but once in a while someone will post one of those picutres with those sayings and its just annoying. NOne of them have that attitude in person but its like all bets are off on FB.
Talk about humbling, most of the time it doesnt bother me, but its been hard to watch everyone PR and get faster/stronger while I have to scale back right now. Look forward to some post-pregnancy PR’s 😉
Janet
January 10, 2013 at 12:49 pm
i literally have a post in my drafts called “Crossfit is Humbling” – love this post all so true
Stephanie
January 12, 2013 at 10:10 pm
I’m taking a class that seems to be modeled after CrossFit (but they’re calling it something different). I definitely don’t think I’m the strongest/fastest/fittest person in the class. The coach/instructor encourages us, but I also find myself comparing myself to the others. I need to just look at these stronger people as inspiration!
Thanks for the post. I do feel intimidated by all the CrossFitters out there.
mycooldown isyour workout
April 28, 2013 at 5:47 pm
yup you mad lol