Yesterday I launched the brand new Crossfit Virginia Beach website. I’ve worked pretty hard on it and I’m really happy with how it came out. If you have a second to go glance at it, let me know what you think!
While building this site (migrating it from typepad) I have learned to really hate Typepad. It seems to be fine if you are using them, but if you ever try to leave, God help you. Maybe I’ll go into all the reasons why Typepad is awful in a future post, but let’s start with: it turns image URLs to garbage, forcing you to have to manually reinsert ALL your images when you import to your new site (unless you just want to pay typepad to keep the old blog up indefinitely, which I’m sure they’d love), and my other favorite thing: there is no way to back up your photos or photo albums other than a right click > save as, which is totally ridiculous! Argh!
I wanted to take a few minutes and talk about my Crossfit experience so far, since it has become a huge part of how I spend my time and mental energy. If you missed my previous posts about Crossfit, I’ll just explain really quick. Crossfit is a core strength and conditioning program that can be summed up like this: constantly varied functional movements performed at a high intensity.
It combines all sorts of disciplines like Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, kettlebells, plyometrics, cardio like rowing and running, functional training such as squats, pushups and pullups, and more. It can be done by everyone from kids to the elderly by scaling the workouts according to ability. The point: to gain broad, general, overall fitness. In short to be able to do whatever the heck you want to do, from climbing a mountain to lifting a really heavy piece of furniture to running a 5K without training for it.
Crossfit is extremely appealing to me because of the constant variety it offers. The one thing I cannot stand is a boring workout. Crossfit is a lot of things, but boring is not one of them. I have always been someone whose interests shift and change pretty quickly. I tend to do something to death, burn out on it, then move on to the next thing. Because of the way Crossfit is structured, I don’t think I will be burning out on it anytime soon. I check the website first thing in the morning for the WOD (workout of the day) and follow the comments to see what kind of times or totals people got. I think the web aspect of Crossfit also definitely has something to do with how much I enjoy it. It’s a natural thing for me to log things online.
The one thing all Crossfit workouts have in common: they are freaking HARD, both mentally and physically. The workouts are a huge challenge for me. I am extremely out of my element in that gym, which would be obvious when you walk in during a WOD. Almost everyone at the gym is in peak physical condition. I have struggled with my weight since my teen years. I have lost nearly 80 pounds over the past few years, but I’m still pretty far from what I would call a healthy weight. I am completely out of place here, and yet I felt immediately as if I was welcomed into their family. I don’t feel self-conscious there, I don’t feel discouraged. I absolutely attribute this to the quality of the people who work out there.
See, the thing is, everyone gets crushed by the WODs, no matter how long you have been crossfitting, no matter how great shape you are in. If you’re like me, you’re still trying to get some of the movements down, and even with the most sproingy rubber band assisting you, things like pullups are hard to master. If you’ve been doing this for a while, you may have 25 kipping pullups in a row, but you are pushing at your absolute hardest to get a better time than you did last time.
The faster people get done with the WOD, lay on the floor for a few minutes, catch their breath and then sit up and cheer on the slower ones. Since I am almost always the last one to finish, I get a lot of cheering and encouragement. I am one of those people that needs a push to get past the mental aspect of something like doing 50 burpees in a row (burpees are my nemesis), so this really and truly gets me through to the end of the workout.
I have been doing this consistently for only a few short weeks, and yet I have noticed gains and progress. I am well on my way to an actual legit pullup, and my range of motion and form on squats has improved a lot. The only two things I can actually say I enjoy doing (even though they are still horrible and hard) are kettlebell swings and ball slams. There are some things like ring dips and box jumps* that I feel like I will never get, but other things are getting easier.
* As of March 18th, I have officially made box jumps cry like a little schoolgirl. I’m totally the master of box jumps. BOOYAH, stupid box.
I have decided to cancel my membership at the YMCA. I will be getting to CFVB at least three times a week, and between that, running, riding my bike, doing stuff like hiking, swimming and whatever, and the weights my mom has at her house (she bought a new house and the previous owners left an Olympic bar and all kinds of plates!) I think I will be set.
If there is a Crossfit affiliate near you (see the list on the left here), I highly recommend at least giving it a shot. See if you can recruit a brave friend to go with you, stick with it for at least two weeks, get to know the people there. I guarantee you’ll get addicted too.
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The Web site looks great! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Use your inside track to push them for a Norfolk location – fo real.
You’ve been doing so good girl!! Soon enough you WILL be doing ring dips & box jumps! … & we can make someone else play photographer that day, so you can have proof
See you tonight I’m sure!
I really like that the intensity of the work out is reflected in the intensity of the color palette for the site. Despite there being so much going on in the header, the overall effect is very clean. Nice.
That site looks so good, you did a fantastic job!!!
I was all set to see if there was a local chapter so I could see about maybe giving it a shot but then I read “50 burpees” and YOU LOST ME. 50?!!? Whoa. FIVE burpees kicks my butt…I can’t even imagine doing 10 times that.
Elizabeth, you would be amazed at what the human body is capable of. I’m telling you, it really is a mental thing. Rob, one of the trainers there, pushed me the other day when we did this workout:
800 meter run
5 rope climbs
50 pull ups
50 Handstand pushups
50 Burpees
I was completely exhausted by the time I got to the burpees, but getting them done was more mental than anything. He coached me through almost all of them and encouraged me to just take them two at a time, compose myself, take a deep breath and get right back onto two more. If you break it down into smaller chunks, it works. You should totally try it. I think you would be into it.
Amber,
You did an amazing job on the new Website, having done a bit of coding & couple of sites behind my belt in the past, I tell you – Awesome Job, Girl!
You’re doing amazing at the gym, truly inspiring. Last workout crushed me too, both hands ripped
I respect your opinion on this type of stuff and I’m bookmarking my local Crossfit site so I can give it a shot…in 50 pounds.
The website looks really great! That definitely looks like something my husband and I would enjoy but we live in BFE and there isn’t anything like that close to us. Good for you on all your hard work!
damn amber! i’ll be home for a week (march 16-22) with nothing to do, i’ll hit this up with you. i was planning on getting a travel pass from gold’s to use in VB…..but after seeing all the man eye candy in these pics…count me in! hahaha
so here it is amber. im a long time lurker and i read everyday. im 5’7 and around 220. this crossfit stuff looks amazing. even though i probably couldnt do a rope climb or a ring dip to save my life-i just know crossfit is for me. i found an affiliate near by and went to their site. i would love to join, but i feel all types of self conscious. do you ever feel that way and how do you overcome that feeling??
Lei, I emailed you something a little more involved & personal but I wanted to post something here too in case others had the same question.
The thought of actually going and putting yourself out there to do something like this is way worse than actually DOING it. It’s like working out, the thought of going suuuuucks, but when you get there and get started, you’re like, I actually like this.
I think you should totally go sign up for the fundamentals classes (I’m pretty sure all affiliates have something like this). That way even if you decide you can’t hang, you can learn how to do squats, deadlifts, etc. properly. My bet is that once you take some classes, you meet some of the people and you get to know the environment, you’ll at least want to try some of the workouts.
Every crossfitter I have met in real life and online is an awesome individual. I can almost guarantee they will make you feel like family.
I am hands down the biggest person at the gym, and sometimes I do feel a little self-conscious like when I am doing push jerks and I KNOW my body is jiggling all over the place. But then I think about it and you know what? I am actually the MOST bad ass person in there (haha I tell myself this anyway). Because I am doing the same workout as navy seals and people at the peak of their fitness. (yeah, I’m doing modifications of some of the stuff like ring dips and I’m doing lighter weight, but I AM THERE)
One of the things I like most about crossfit is most of the time, the workout is SO HARD and crushes you so much that you are totally out of your head, and just focused on the moment. I don’t have time to think about what my body looks like or what people are thinking of me because I am physically pushed to my limit. I LOVE THAT.
I think you should totally go for it. Let me know if you have any questions or anything. I think you are a bad ass! DO IT! And report back!!!
I am impressed (though you often impress me w/ your workout prowess!!!)…I have a former coworker who does this, and though it sounds appealing in some respects, it scares the bejeezus out of me!
I love this post. I love the idea for many of the reasons you do. I hate working out, and this sounds interesting.
I looked at my local chapters, and daym it’s $$$. i’m having a hard time getting over that price tag, when my 24 hr membership is less then $30 a month…
thoughts?