I'm getting a little cranky with the way Crossfit is being vilified in the media these days. As it has grown in popularity, there are two things that I think are really missing in the message.... and those things happen to be why I spend money out of our family budget that could definitely be used elsewhere.... hey, I could pay 1/10 and go to the little purple gym not too far away!
Those two things?
- Coaching
- Community
Coaching is very important to me. In the past, I have paid personal trainers but that is cost prohibitive for us at this point. Crossfit is a total steal in this respect- you can actually get regular personal training for around $100 a month. I go 12 times a month... which means my 'session' with my trainer is roughly $8 for an HOUR. Check out your local gyms- most start at around $45/hour for personal training. Yeah, it's not one-on-one at CrossFit, but in a good box with good coaches, I think it is better than. (Let me repeat: with GOOD COACHES.) Mostly because I don't particularly like having a coach stand over me- I'd rather get some help on form and be pushed a little during a workout than have 100% attention. I meet with my coaches every quarter to set some new goals and to be accountable to someone other than my husband. (We learned very early in our marriage that my asking him to help me with food and fitness was a bad idea.... and very unfair to him! Talk about a lose-lose situation. "Hey honey? You sure you wanna eat that?" Dead man.)
Community is also huge for me. One of the things I love most about rowing is the group dynamic- 8+ in a boat working together towards a common goal. Rowing is expensive in my area, and doesn't fit with my family schedule (hello 4:45a alarm clock!) so I choose to find this kind of community through my Crossfit box. You see all the pithy sayings about how the family who works out together, stays together, etc., but there is real truth there. We get to know people in a very real way- their strengths and weaknesses. We learn who wants a cheerleader and who wants us to just be still. It becomes family.... some weeks I spend more quality time with these folks face to face than just about anyone else in my life. Sad, but true. And they can be part of your fitness support system beyond just the coaches. Everyone who comes in goes through the same torture and is also committed to being there. Instant community.
Where do you find coaching and community?
