WHAT A CROSSFIT COMMUNITY IS ALL ABOUT?

The Power of the CrossFit Community

The sense of community at CrossFit is unique; everyone knows one another, there is always someone to help with technique, you compare WOD results, discuss competitions etc. This doesn’t happen in regular gyms, no one speaks to one another except to occasional ask “are you using this?” At CrossFit, you know names, life stories … you know the people, they know you. But why is this community so important?

Social Support

The community at CrossFit always provides support. How often have you encouraged others that haven’t finished the WOD yet or even been cheered on yourself? Often people stay behind after they have finished their workout just to provide moral and verbal support to another CrossFitter who is completing a qualifier for competitions.

The importance of social support is that it provides motivation. When we’re tired and are struggling to complete a workout we begin to doubt our ability to finish, having people encourage us gives us the belief that we can do it! CrossFitters always come together when facing tough workouts, we push each other to perform better and faster than ever before.

The support of the CrossFit community even affects us physiologically, changing the hormones in our bodies. Research at Oxford University found that working out in a group resulted in a greater release of endorphins than when working out alone, even when the same amount of work was done. Endorphins are chemicals in the brain that create a sense of excitement, exhilaration and happiness. The release of endorphins is what causes that high you feel when you finish a workout; sometimes known as a “runners high”.

Social Liberation

The CrossFit community is also special because it is full of like-minded people who think it is acceptable to give an all-out effort and train as hard as you want. In a traditional gym, if you carry out a 2k row with 20 air squats EMOM, you would get a lot of funny looks as you jump on and off the rower. Especially when you collapse to the floor afterwards trying to gulp in air for 5 minutes after you complete your workout! At CrossFit, the community welcomes and encourages you to really test your ability to go all out! We can scream and grunt as we lift heavy weights, we can fall to the floor in a sweaty heap, we can cry with frustration, even laugh at disasters. This is a special environment filled with incredible people who think it’s ok to do what you want and will even try and help you achieve your goals.

The sense of community, sometimes known as a ‘cult’ outside of the box, is one of the special features of CrossFit. Working out within our CrossFit community makes us feel good and encourages us to push ourselves to new limits that we didn’t think were possible. It is a special thing that we can develop further by welcoming new members and making them feel that they accepted as part of that international family.

Forget Diamonds – Why Crossfit Should be Every Girl’s Best Friend

The truth about women and “bulk”, how Crossfit will make you much healthier, and why it will make you look and feel even sexier.

Being fit without being bulky, manly or losing femininity is a major concern for many women new to CrossFit. They ask for ‘tone’ or ‘leanness’ which are the code words for the socially acceptable forms of muscularity in women. We want to encourage women that strength isn’t something to be afraid of – your body will change but it won’t turn into a man’s body. That’s an irrational fear fed by those out there with small minds and big mouths who would only allow women to aspire to one form of attractiveness and would restrict us from the range of ‘femininities’ we can identify with – including ones that include a bit of muscle!

HERE’S A FACT: NO MAN OR WOMAN BECOMES A BODYBUILDER BY ACCIDENT

The truth is that if women can get past the largely irrational fears about bulk and focus on getting stronger, they develop better body image and a healthier relationship with their bodies.

The concerns evaporate and are replaced by pride in what a woman’s body can do! We women who lift know that we are women, and we are happier with our bodies than the average population. We don’t shun femininity. Actually, we ooze it!

But it’s a different brand of femininity than your average pink Barbie doll fluff. It’s femininity that doesn’t break under pressure. It’s not about waiting for doors to opened for you or being shielded from the grit and grind of life. It may not be the femininity that every woman aspires to, but it is the sexiest kind there is. It’s like the difference in sexy between Cinderella and Elektra. Both arguably beautiful, but which would you rather be?

1. FUNCTIONALITY – KNOWING WHAT IT’S FOR AND HOW TO USE IT

Lets cut to the nitty-gritty. Lifting requires greater knowledge and deeper respect for the body. You learn your limits and you fight to break through them. Along the way you discover how to move better, think more confidently and take pride in what your body can do. And to lift, you learn how to tap into a raw, primal more passionate self.

These characteristics don’t get left in the box – they follow you home! I don’t think I need to draw you a picture to explain how these qualities increase your attractiveness, appeal and even ability in the bedroom. Outside the bedroom, a functional, strong female body usually houses a pretty awesome personality. Double bonus, not just for your significant other, but also for friends, family and children. Ladies who lift just have more energy for everything.

2. LIFTING LADIES BE LIKE, “SCREW FASHION, LET’S HAVE FUN!”

Is there anything more tedious than the fashion-obsessed? I can think of scarce things less sexy than someone more worried about what they wear than what they do. That’s not to say that lifting women leave their homes in the morning without some preening. It’s just less of an obsessional worry. Lifting women love to express their personalities in their lifting gear and gym clothes. Bright colours or plain black, they rock it! But the focus is totally different. It’s about what fits, what’s functional and what’s fun.

Doubtlessly, there are brand name junkies in the fitness wear arena, too. But you wouldn’t catch a self-respecting CrossFit woman more worried about messing up her gear than messing up her workout. Besides, the better the body is underneath, the less the outer cover really matters!

3. LIFTING AND LONGEVITY. SEXY FOR THE LONG HAUL

One of the physical changes that defines the problems experienced in old age is the decline in muscle tissue. Forget for a moment, what this means for appearance. Just consider how sexy you can feel when you need help up and down from the toilet! You need a good foundation of muscle to keep you moving and independent for longer. The older we get, the harder it becomes to build muscle, so there’s no sense in waiting until there’s a problem to start. In case you are still worried about how you’d look with more muscle, be advised that more muscular, leaner bodies look younger through the years, too. Get lifting or look like a granny, basically.

4. SHELLAC AND CHALK! WE LOOK GOOD UNDER PRESSURE

Dedicated female lifters and Crossfitters have a great style. It’s reflected in their workouts with styles that will hold up under sweat and hard graft. Outside the box, this looks like real beauty. The kind that isn’t overly concerned with keeping our makeup pristine. Just because a woman can be gritty and strong doesn’t mean you should underestimate her power to wow. Maybe not in ways that you’d read about in Vogue, but with simple, sexy ways that can’t be easily imitated.

Lifting women are queens of the sporty yet hot up-do and even short-nailed, chalked up hands are often celebrated with a coat of shellac. In the effort to lift, we learn to work with what we’ve got – making the most of our good bits and working on making the rest better. Translation: lifting women might not be caught up in cultural ideals of femininity, but they also won’t scare you when they have no makeup on and can rock their flannel pj's just as well as their party frocks.