Running a gym, I often get question like this, “If I workout here can I lose 10lbs before I go on vacation next month?” I have to give the honest answer which is “I’m not sure this is the best method for you”. It might sound weird, because we are all abut health and fitness, but the truth is, our goal as coaches is not just to help you look better in a bikini, our goal is to help you move better, feel better, and help you to perform better at the things you enjoy doing in your life. So much emphasis has been put on aesthetics in the fitness world. Everyone has a different “why” and if your “why” is to train to be a bikini model, there is no shame in that! In fact, we have worked with several athletes over the years that had goals like this, and we are in full support of helping anyone reach their goals. However, generally speaking, CrossFit isn’t really about just looking good, but looking better is usually a natural bi-product of staying committed to training and eating better.
We are re-shaping how we view what healthy looks like. When I started CrossFit 6 years ago, I was very lean, and what I considered to be in great shape. I limited calories, avoided carbs, fats, and spent about 15-20 minutes on a piece of cardio equipment and then did some weight training with headphones in my ears and didn’t talk to many people. When my husband convinced me to try a CrossFit class with him, I went in overconfident thinking I was in great shape (because I looked like it) and quickly got my teeth kicked in by people of all ages and of every shape and size. I learned that my idea of what it looked like to be healthy was very different than reality. Over the course of my 6-year CrossFit journey, I have learned that I needed to eat more, and YES, even carbs and fats!
Many women grossly under eat using the old school notion that limiting calories will keep you skinny! I could go an and on about that topic alone, but we will save that for another day! From other athletes and peers, I learned how to choose healthy food options and eat well for “performance” not just aesthetics. It was mind blowing to me how much better I looked and felt by eating more. I have also gained 10lbs, which seems contrary to popular belief that our goal in fitness should be to lose weight NOT gain weight. With an extra 10lbs on my body, I perform better, feel better, look better, and have a lower body fat percentage and higher muscle mass. All of these concepts are backwards from what many of us have engrained in our minds about health and fitness.
I’m so glad I took the headphones out of my ears and joined a CrossFit community 6 years ago. I have created deep relationships with a hugely diverse group of people all there for the same reason, which is to be better at life and get healthy as a result of coming back day after day. I’ve seen people in their 60’s start working out for the 1st time in their life and become the fittest they’ve ever been! I’ve seen women in their late 30’s go from not being able to squat with any weight due to injuries and mobility issues, to competing in Olympic lifting meets and squatting with heavy weight and perfect form! I’ve witnessed teenagers go from being shy, unsure, and move like baby Bambi, to moving like mini-games athletes, building tremendous confidence and self-esteem. We are rehabbing injuries, building mental grit, supporting one another, pushing our physical and mental limitations, and leaving the gym physically able to do the things we love, snowboarding, hiking, playing with our grandkids, running our first race. It’s pretty incredible what happens inside the walls of CrossFit Lacey! Inside these walls we are reshaping what it means to be physically fit. We are throwing out the idea that we have to look a certain way and living out our full potential and becoming better versions of ourselves inside out.
We are re-shaping how we view what healthy looks like. When I started CrossFit 6 years ago, I was very lean, and what I considered to be in great shape. I limited calories, avoided carbs, fats, and spent about 15-20 minutes on a piece of cardio equipment and then did some weight training with headphones in my ears and didn’t talk to many people. When my husband convinced me to try a CrossFit class with him, I went in overconfident thinking I was in great shape (because I looked like it) and quickly got my teeth kicked in by people of all ages and of every shape and size. I learned that my idea of what it looked like to be healthy was very different than reality. Over the course of my 6-year CrossFit journey, I have learned that I needed to eat more, and YES, even carbs and fats!
Many women grossly under eat using the old school notion that limiting calories will keep you skinny! I could go an and on about that topic alone, but we will save that for another day! From other athletes and peers, I learned how to choose healthy food options and eat well for “performance” not just aesthetics. It was mind blowing to me how much better I looked and felt by eating more. I have also gained 10lbs, which seems contrary to popular belief that our goal in fitness should be to lose weight NOT gain weight. With an extra 10lbs on my body, I perform better, feel better, look better, and have a lower body fat percentage and higher muscle mass. All of these concepts are backwards from what many of us have engrained in our minds about health and fitness.
I’m so glad I took the headphones out of my ears and joined a CrossFit community 6 years ago. I have created deep relationships with a hugely diverse group of people all there for the same reason, which is to be better at life and get healthy as a result of coming back day after day. I’ve seen people in their 60’s start working out for the 1st time in their life and become the fittest they’ve ever been! I’ve seen women in their late 30’s go from not being able to squat with any weight due to injuries and mobility issues, to competing in Olympic lifting meets and squatting with heavy weight and perfect form! I’ve witnessed teenagers go from being shy, unsure, and move like baby Bambi, to moving like mini-games athletes, building tremendous confidence and self-esteem. We are rehabbing injuries, building mental grit, supporting one another, pushing our physical and mental limitations, and leaving the gym physically able to do the things we love, snowboarding, hiking, playing with our grandkids, running our first race. It’s pretty incredible what happens inside the walls of CrossFit Lacey! Inside these walls we are reshaping what it means to be physically fit. We are throwing out the idea that we have to look a certain way and living out our full potential and becoming better versions of ourselves inside out.
