As most of you lay in your warm, comfortable beds, dreaming sweet dreams of sugary carbs and massage chairs… a small group of women is awake doing some of the hardest things they’ll ever do in their lives. Lifting heavy objects and putting them over their heads. Heaving medballs into the sky. Swinging hammers, dragging dead weight, pulling, pushing, gasping for enough oxygen to get up and do another round.
I’m talking about the 5 AMer’s. Steph, Tress, Kathie, Kim (sometimes barb!) We all work hard here, but there’s something more admirable about doing it at 5am. They say getting the hardest part of your day out of the way early is nice. To have the notch in your belt before you even eat breakfast. To know that no matter what else happens today, you’ve already bettered yourself. Well, I do my killin after breakfast, but hats off to these motivated ladies. Here’s some shots of Fun Friday. You wouldn’t believe how many jokes about wet balls in the dark one group of mature women can make.
Every Friday we try to mix things up… a little more than usual. The workouts are generally a spin off of some game like dice, cards, darts, or that bozo the clown ball toss thing. Sometimes it’s competitive, sometimes it’s cooperative. Sometimes it’s more fun than playing freeze tag in 3rd grade hopped up on birthday cake. Sometimes the “fun” in fun friday is a relative term and you end up wishing it was monday. Last week we did a ball toss game. Throw a tennis ball into a box from 6 different stations. Make it and move on unharmed. Miss and there’s a punishment assigned to each station. Simple, different, fun.
This week we’re playing with soggy balls at the football field…
We did that hooker Fran last week. If you don’t know what that means, I’m sorry to say it’s far less illegal than you’re imagining. “Fran” is a simple workout comprised of pullups and a barbell movement called a thruster. In total, it’s 45 reps of each and the workout takes only a few minutes. But ask anyone who’s done it and after they wince, they’ll tell you how horrible it was. The pain in their arms… the acid in their legs… the worthless lungs in their chest…
The workout is truly nasty. For everyone.
What we do here is designed to increase work capacity. A fancy way to say we make you into a better you. A more capable you. You’ll be able to lift more, move more, do more, throw more, jump more, and confidently kick some ass. But within these walls… I’ll always want more, demand more, and expect more. It has to be that way to ensure progress. Workouts like Fran take your new limits and kick ‘em in the crotch. At the end of each day you’ve either gotten a little better or a little worse. There is no middle ground.
The fancy new building with the big dirty windows and the same rubber smells is great. The increased visibility has brought in a few new faces. We may be in a new box but the look in peoples eyes the first time they walk in is the same. Always the same… a mix of fear, confusion, and more fear.
Where are all the machines?
Did you get robbed?
Are those sweat marks on the floor?
Oh god, he’s not going to make me pick that up is he?
What am I doing here?
I would run away… but he could definitely catch me…
Yeah right, I haven’t picked up a jump rope in 25 years.
THAT’S JUST THE WARM UP!?
And then there are the day one grunters. The people who stand back and quietly listen, grasp the basic concept and just give it their all. It doesn’t matter if their all is 3 reps or 300. The day one grunters are the ones who try, fail, and then try again. Pushing their limits to point of literally grunting. Doesn’t have to be a war cry. Most don’t even realize they’re doing it. But of all the character traits I’ve seen… day one grunting is the best predictor of success. Some people are just naturally willing to push themselves harder than others. It doesn’t matter how awesome or how deconditioned you are. You can always get better. You just have to try, over and over again. There will always be set backs and hurdles and challenges. You can’t win everyday, but you can try.
We’ve got standards for everything we do here. Pushups are chest to the floor. Pullups are full hang to chin over the bar. Squats are hips below the knees. Wallballs hit the target line or they don’t count. When you’re held to a consistent standard the results are honest. Either you can do it or you can’t. Once we’ve established what you’re capable of and what you need to work on the process becomes simple. Consistently face the movements that challenge you and they’ll cease to challenge you. Avoid them and they’ll always be hard.
Grand opening was a pretty good time. Had a few folks from Crossfit Geneseo come down and play. Those peeps are always a good time. There was a steady flow of people poking their heads in and asking questions. What we do isn’t for everyone but you’ll never know unless you try it or come in and watch. Big thanks to everyone who helped with the setup. I didn’t realize how much of the street went unused. Maybe next year we’ll be able to set something up and play in the road. Tire drags and wallballs over the powerlines? Glad to be open and glad to help anyone who’s interested in bettering themselves.
