Crossfit Certified!

Just a quick personal update from me for a change. I attended my Crossfit Level 1 Certification course this past weekend. I had an absolutely amazing 2 days. Coached by the best in the world and got a taste of some Crossfit fun in 41 degree celcius heat.

I achieved my first muscle up on the rings, did a PB for Fran (5:28) with 20kg on thrusters (which will be up to the full 30kg next time I try!). I met a great bunch of people there who I am sure I will cross paths with again soon.

Apart from the qualification as a Crossfit coach, I came away with a much more holistic view on exercise and movement. I learnt that when training, it is cruicial to put every ounce of concentration into every stage of a movement to make it work FOR YOU. I could barely walk after a Tabata interval of squats (8 rounds, 20 seconds on, 10 off) and that was with no weight! I have always been picky on technique but the range of motion and mechanics of the olympic lifts is something else, what a workout! I think a lot of us, trainers included, fall into the trap of getting lazy and just “going through the motions”. I can safely say I had that habit sweated out of me, never to return. In a team environment I was also able to push my intensity level way up and beat through some boundries in terms of pain, heart rate and general discomfort.

It was quite an awakening for me and has cemented my new direction in coaching, exercise and sport. I have a much more technical idea of what “functional” means now, and want to use this boost in knowledge to change lives.

My recent work on studying nutrition seems to be on track with what the Crossfit methodology centres around – a primal based diet (ie fruit, vegies, meat, nuts, no processed food, starchy food). There is a lot of evidence from an athletic perspective that it boosts performance and diets like the Zone have a great success rate amongst Crossfit athletes in particular.

If any of my readers are even remotely interested in Crossfit, I recommend saving up and doing the course. It is worth every cent and is nothing short of an investment in your health and longevity.

Quote of the weekend in reference to Commando Steve (www.commandosteve.com) “The force generated equates to 2/3 Horsepower, therefore Commando Steve is a small tractor”

Memorable weekend, looking forward to integrating my new skills into my coaching, and my own athletic performance.