"Whoa." She said. She stood there, a barbell at her shoulders. The gym was absolutely silent; I was waiting to see what she'd do next. Finally: "I never thought I could do that."
The world of fitness is huge. At one end, there are the heroes we watch: maybe at the Olympics, maybe at soccer; maybe the exceptionally fit dude at the office; maybe our niece at the gymnastics club. Then there are the activities we do: aerobics classes; Body Pump; workouts from Men's Health and Oxygen magazine.
In the words of Dan John: look at your goals. Look at your behaviour. Does your behaviour match your goals?
There's a huge gap between the upper echelons of athleticism and your neighbourhood 'fitness centre.' But the gap isn't what you think: it's not an ability gap, it's a knowledge gap. It's a fear gap. And it's just an illusion. You were born with the same gifts and weaknesses as the one wearing the gold medal. You may never rise to that level – you may never want to – but you can do the same things.
The other – more serious – gap? Look at the aesthetic of the athletes: they're exactly what most people are trying to attain. And yet, most will never do the same exercises, eat the same way, or seek professional coaching to get that appearance. It's not that they're scared; they've just been led to believe that it's impossible to DO the things necessary to look that way; to be athletic. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is garbage.
You don't have to deadlift 550lbs to have a good-looking posterior. But you do have to lift things from the floor. You don't have to run a 4-minute mile to have great abs. But you DO have to do activity with a high heart rate for short bursts. You don't have to do 300 situps a day to have a strong, stable trunk; you do have to be able to lift things over your head.
It takes 21 days for an activity to become a habit. In those 21 days, you can develop a toolkit – including the knowledge, strength, flexibility, practice, and skill – that will teach you how to exercise the right way for the rest of your life. You'll know more than most Personal Trainers.
Typical 'Boot Camps' beat you up for a couple of weeks. THEN what happens? Has a lifestyle change been triggered? Usually not. You're the same person, with the same knowledge, and the same dependance on a coach for instruction and motivation. You're just more sore.
In our new OnRamp program, you'll be prepared for more than CrossFit: you'll be prepared for a lifetime of fitness. Here's how it works:
Each day for 21 days, your coach will introduce you to a new, fundamental exercise. Yes, there are thousands of exercises out there, but every other exercise is literally based off of these. Learn these, and you can learn to perform anything, anywhere.
After you practice, you'll do a quick CrossFit workout, starting with a quick little combination on day #1, and ending with a real, honest-to-goodness CrossFit WOD. You'll be more than familiar: you'll be ready. Ready for the CrossFit main site WOD. Ready for life.
21 days. You: an athlete, not just an exerciser.
The coach: Whitney Pagnucco, 2nd place at the CrossFit Ontario Challenge, arguably one of the most fit women in Ontario. Also, very nice.
This is a group for beginners and those who have never done CrossFit – style workouts before. It will put you on the path to a lifetime of success. It will teach you everything you'll need to know about exercise, pushing yourself…and what you're truly capable of doing.
Fee: $199 (+plus gst.)
Start date: September 7, 2009
To enrol: 256-1344 or 253 -0011.