New Year… New Fitness

For about two years now my boyfriend has been attending a CrossFit Gym near where we live. He loves it!!He can get a great workout, socialize with his friends in a group environment and the way that workouts are scheduled even a little competition between his other gym mates (guys love to compete with one another.. well I do a little too).

Ive been complaining a little about my regular workout routine, so my guy got me some passes to his gym just so I could try it out. I went on Monday to the first official class of the year and I think I might be hooked. Every article I read about fitness praises the CrossFit mentality. Because CrossFit keeps your heart rate up throughout the entire training session it effectively burns calories. Because you are continuously working with weight resistance (whether its with your own body weight or with actual weights) it will cause an increase in lean muscle mass, also increasing your resting metabolic rate. Muscle tissue requires calories to maintain function and structure. This means you’ll burn more calories at all times of the day, including while you’re sleeping. :) The classes are always different routines (or WOD’s- Workout of the Day- as they call it) and each movement is designed to acheive maximum results for numerous muscle groups. Its a full body workout everytime you go.

Now, I know what your thinking…

” I don’t want to get buff like Cristiane Cyborg!!”

But I can honestly tell you that you wont.. no “regular” person (and I use the term loosely) trains for a fight 4 hours a day, cardio for at least 2 hours and with a 3000 calorie a day diet. That is how you get big like that.. But I can say that you will see less jiggle, tighter limbs and have a great outlook on life with all the extra endorphinsyou’ll get from taking the classes. I have heard mixed emotions about squats and lunges- some people say they make their thighs too big and some say that they shape them for the better and see a smaller circumference. But either way whats wrong with a pair or strong, gorgeous stems… you don’t want to be walking around on strings of spaghetti, right?

Also a lot the the trainers are on the Paleo Diet. http://thepaleodiet.com/ Its a diet that focuses on eating lean protein, seafood, omega-3 and monounsaturated fats, fruits and veggies and keeping dairy and complex carbs off the menu. I have been eating Paleo for a while and I can see and feel the difference in my attitude, energy level, and digestion.

There are new CrossFit gyms opening up all over the place, and many of them have free consultations and even offer their first class for free!! I have always been one who loves an active lifestyle- sitting on the couch like a potato (hmmm.. is that where that phrase comes from?) and letting my brain be controlled by the flashing lights on the screen has never appealed to me. So, I’m always game for a new fitness routine and this one seems to fit the bill. Plus its fun and entertaining and I don’t feel the monotony of the treadmill.

I think you should give it a try…