More Than Fit

You've been there. There is an inevitable point in almost any CrossFit WOD where you want to quit.

But you don't. You grab the bar again. You ignore the fact that your veins are pumping battery acid and your brain is screaming at you to end it. You press on for another again and again and again until you can victoriously shout, "TIME!"

Getting through that "dark place" has some unbelievable benefits physically, for sure. But what else can be gained? Becoming a fitter individual is all good and fun, but I want to talk about something not so obvious…something that can't be measured on a clock or a scale. In CrossFit, we often hear the phrase, "get good at life." I believe CrossFit affects your life in many ways outside of the physical realm.

There are success stories of CrossFit saving marriages. Stories of people reaching new heights in their careers, while giving full credit to CrossFit. Men becoming better fathers, women becoming better mothers. Addicts putting down the bottle or needle. People suffering from depression throwing away the pills. All of them saying, "CrossFit did [this] for me!" How can these things be gained from a fitness program?

CrossFit makes people stronger. Not just physical, but a mental strength. CrossFitters are strong people.

CrossFit leaves us with torn hands, bloody shins, completely exhausted, lying supine and breathless on the gym floor. Not very appealing, no doubt. However, conquering these physical challenges teaches us a great amount about ourselves and what we are able to get through. Big or small, we face hardships in life. We can't change that. We can control how we handle those hardships. CrossFit teaches us that we are strong. It teaches us that we are capable. It teaches us how not to let challenges get the best of us. How not to quit. No...we learn that we can triumph over our obstacles.

When we face relational, financial, or other issues in life, we do not crumble. We stay strong and know that it will end and we will make it through. We've finished the "Filthy 50." We know what "Fran" feels like. We've been through the Girls and Heroes. We've done more burpees than we care to know.

The confidence that comes from defeating WODs is immeasurable. There is an intangible swagger among CrossFitting men and women. A silent yet deafening "yes I will!" attitude that is so evident in almost each and every one that I've met. CrossFit is not just a workout program, it is a quality-of-life program. We are more than fit.