So how did I do in the Foundation Courses at CrossFit Verve? (missed Vol. 1? Click Here)
I think the coaches and I would agree that it was a strong mixed effort. Being a gym rat for over a decade, many of the movements came naturally to me. Movements and variations like presses, deadlifts, and back squats were all very normal and I demonstrated basic competency at these movements. Alternatively, Olympic movements like snatches and clean and jerks, overhead squats, double-unders (performing a jump rope with two rotations before landing), gymnastics movements, and climbing ropes made me realize I was far from reaching the level of Rich Froning (2011-2013 CrossFit Games Champion). I tried to stay positive through the process because I knew this was something that was fairly foreign to me. That being said, there were many moments when I was frustrated during the classes because of lack of mobility from years of not stretching or from purely not understanding how my body progressed during movements.
Now, this is the point that every person starting CrossFit will encounter. You start to question yourself. Is this workout theory for me? Am I physically fit enough to do this? Am I ready to work out hard and commit to this process?
This is natural. Trust me; I had the same things go through my head after finishing the introductory Foundations Course at CrossFit Verve. Everyone will have a different answer to those questions, but here were mine:
- This workout theory was right for me. I enjoy competition, the ability to challenge myself, and to tackle weaknesses in my abilities.
- I am physically fit enough. Disclaimer: I personally witnessed a large array of abilities in group classes at CrossFit Verve, with personalized attention and coaching for everyone. CrossFit Verve makes it so anyone can do CrossFit. Every movement, from the hardest to the easiest, can be modified or scaled to an individual’s ability, intensity and mobility.
- I was committed to work out hard and trust the process. CrossFit boxes “program” the WODs (workout of the day) for you and they generally do not present those to you until late the night before the WOD. This was a major factor that I had to concede because for years I did all my own workouts or I had a program that was laid out for weeks or months.
Additionally, during the Foundations Course at CrossFit Verve, they will want to know a little more about you. They will conduct assessments in order to understand you, your personal goals, current health, and concerns. Once they have some understanding of your needs, they can help you achieve your goals.
So what’s next? At CrossFit Verve, you have many options, including jumping into the daily WOD, taking a CrossFit “Skillz” class (additional help on CrossFit Movements), or specialty classes like rowing, running, or barbell club. The offerings at different CrossFit boxes can vary because of space, staff, and experience of the coaches.
For myself, I felt confident enough to jump into my first WOD. Luckily for me, the WOD consisted of rowing and push-ups (two movements I had proficiency in). Rowing is a popular cardio component in CrossFit because it can be done indoors all year round and it has two measurable components (calories burned and meters rowed). Our particular WOD was every even minute on the minute (EMOM in CrossFit jargon) of max calories rowed and odd minutes of 20 push-ups for 20 total minutes. Maybe it was just me, but this workout looked “easy” on paper. What I quickly figured out in CrossFit, these WODs are a trap and are usually some of the most taxing to your body. After the workout, I felt great mentally and physically exhausted, but the best moment of all was a few fellow CrossFitters came over to congratulate me on my first WOD.
Stay tuned for the next article, where I will highlight my introduction to the CrossFit “community” and my experience at the CrossFit Games South West Regional in Utah…