How I found CrossFit and why I have stayed for almost a year...

[Katrina Fox]

So, about a year ago, I was starting back into a master's program. An email was sent out via the college list-serv that was looking for participants for a fitness study in the dept of kinesiology. They wanted overweight/obese people who do little to no exercise. Having quit a 5K training program a few months before after 2 rounds of bronchitis, I fit that description. There would be 2 study groups- a CrossFit group and a traditional weight machine/treadmill group. Silly me had no idea what CrossFit was, and I assumed it was some sort of aerobic program like Zumba or something... Went through the initial testing (DEXA, blood glucose curve, VO2 max, etc) and got put into the CrossFit group.

The schedule allowed for the typical intro course to take place over 2 wks, meeting 3 days/wk. First day was hell. We learned how to do squats (which I couldn't do- wasn't even close to parallel, let alone below!) and did a short WOD of some wallballs (with a 4lb ball...). Went home to look up what sort of torture I had gotten myself into- handstands? Olympic weight lifting? Squats? But, being in research myself, I knew how important it was to continue, despite not being able to walk normally the day after that first class...

Over the course of the training program, I developed a great relationship with my trainer. He yelled at me for being negative and saying I didn't think I could do the workout or movement. He scaled things until I could be successful. He (and the other CrossFitters who were helping with the study) cheered me on every day. And he never let me quit. He often teased me, saying I could do just one more round and skip the last one, or stop after another 5 minutes... but when that time point came, he told me I could do it and made me finish. I had some pretty long times and low round numbers, but I never had a DNF.

At the end of the study, we were given a month of free classes as compensation for our participation. By this point I was addicted. I had made so many improvements that I didn't want to stop. I wanted to keep getting better. At almost a year later, only myself and one other person from our study group has continued and I guarantee if you asked my trainer the first day who would keep coming back he would not have said me.

Now, almost one year later, I'm still at it. Granted, I haven't made huge leaps and bounds as far as my weight, but I'm getting there. I still scale nearly every workout, but my goal is to suck a little less with each class and so far I have met it. I can do real pushups, I can do pullups with bands, I can squat properly and with weight! Every work out has a PR of some sort for me and I have noted improvements in my every day fitness level.

Aside from the physical changes, CrossFit has given me something that I never found in my life. I played team sports in junior high/high school and was always at the bottom of the roster. I'm not athletically inclined and despite my best efforts, I never did well at any sport I tried. Because of this, the coaches would gravitate towards those who were good and help them improve while brushing me off to the side. When I couldn't do pull ups in PE, it was OK for me to just hang from the bar for a set amount of time. In CrossFit, I got the individual attention I needed. Coach has been able to scale everything so I can be successful. He doesn't let me give up and he celebrates the little milestones with me. After 31 years I am finally an athlete. I am a CrossFitter.

[Sara Ochsner]

Great story Katrina Thanks for sharing. I don't know about you but I plan on having the best body of my life when I hit 40. Best wishes.

[Brad Allen Jones]

Awesome!

I think that is so cool your college studied CrossFit, I wish more schools would do that. Keep up the hard work and it will give you everything you need!

[William J Mallon]

so random, but I heard about this research going on at a university in Kansas when I was using google scholar to find publications and research related to crossfit training.

Small world, congrats on your achievements!