Sabrena gives us the low-down on calorie expenditure (yes, that matters) and defines our macro-nutrients for the second part of Nutrition Week.
Protein – 10%-35%
Carbohydrates – 45%-65%
Fat – 20%-35%
Sedentary – 1800-2200
Active – 2000-2800
“Finishing Last” is an editorial series by Christina Crumpecker, MD. Check out Christi’s Featured Athlete profile here.
I had every excuse in the book for not making it to CrossFit Memorial Hill for regular classes. And it’s not that I didn’t want to go or didn’t like the place; there just always seemed to be something getting in the way. So I wrote a list of that stuff and made plans for how to address it. That has helped me turn the corner and get myself in to the gym. Maybe you’ll see something familiar here. Maybe you have something to add. Maybe you’ve never been affected by any of these reasons for not making it to CrossFit, and if so, good for you!
I fight this one a lot. I’m tired at the end of the day. I have arthritis in both knees and am less than six months out of surgery on one. I often have a little respiratory illness going (an occupational hazard for a doctor). I’m sore. Sometimes from the WOD the day before, but more often from sitting on my ass in a chair all day. It took me several tries to realize that if I could get myself to the gym, get some blood flowing, and get my muscles moving, a lot of stiffness and soreness went away.
When I know there is a baseball game on and my dog is waiting for me at home, the couch seems to be calling my name. So I bring my workout clothes to the office and change before I leave. Nothing feels more foolish than going home in workout clothes without getting sweaty. Like all CrossFitters, especially those of us who have a few more miles on us, some soreness from WODs is going to be inevitable. I’ve learned to love it, to see it as a sign that I am that I am doing good work for my body. And don’t underestimate the benefits of mobility and recovery. Some days your body really does need a rest and that’s a GOOD reason to skip a WOD.
In the first of our 5 part nutrition series, we focus on our philosophy for nutrition, fat loss, and athletic performance.
Our principles are:
“Finishing Last” is an editorial series by Christina Crumpecker, MD. Check out Christi’s Featured Athlete profile here.
I had every excuse in the book for not making it to CrossFit Memorial Hill for regular classes. And it’s not that I didn’t want to go or didn’t like the place; there just always seemed to be something getting in the way. So I wrote a list of that stuff and made plans for how to address it. That has helped me turn the corner and get myself in to the gym. Maybe you’ll see something familiar here. Maybe you have something to add. Maybe you’ve never been affected by any of these reasons for not making it to CrossFit, and if so, good for you!
It’s true that a lot of women at CrossFit look like they should be modeling for lululemon (again, that’s hard work right there). I used to hate going anywhere in leggings or yoga pants, even the gym. I could imagine what people are thinking when they saw me from behind. Now I’ve become the person who has family and friends suggesting they put on some “real pants” before heading out to Costco. I still typically wear a long shirt with them because I prefer to cover my assets.
Lots of women wear yoga pants or leggings because they are comfortable and easy to work out in, but there is no dress code for CrossFit. I’ve seen everything from sports bras and short-shorts to tutus (side note: be careful on the rowers) to an infamous mullet wig. Pajamas. A Wonder Woman outfit. Basketball shorts. Leg warmers (seriously, who still knows where to find those?). Day-Glo colors. All black. Wear whatever you are comfortable moving in.
“Finishing Last” is an editorial series by Christina Crumpecker, MD. Check out Christi’s Featured Athlete profile here.
I had every excuse in the book for not making it to CrossFit Memorial Hill for regular classes. And it’s not that I didn’t want to go or didn’t like the place; there just always seemed to be something getting in the way. So I wrote a list of that stuff and made plans for how to address it. That has helped me turn the corner and get myself in to the gym. Maybe you’ll see something familiar here. Maybe you have something to add. Maybe you’ve never been affected by any of these reasons for not making it to CrossFit, and if so, good for you!
No doubt, there are a lot of people at CrossFit Memorial Hill who are in great shape. Everybody can find somebody in the gym who is faster, stronger, or more skilled if there looking for it. And the athletes who are in great shape got there by working really freaking hard. When you are just starting out, it seems like everybody can bust out a bunch of handstand pushups, when you can barely do one on your knees. It feels like other people must be judging you—you doing front squats with an empty barbell, stepping up on plates rather than doing box jumps, using hand weights instead of the lightest kettlebell.
Every athlete is in the gym to work hard on their own weakness and they are plenty more focused on their own actions than they are on yours. But if you are anything like me, it seems like everybody in better shape. No one else is overweight, gasping for air and nearly worn out before the warm up is even done. No one else is sweating—and I mean SWEATING—like I am. It used to be embarrassing, but now I’ve just embraced it as a sign of a good workout. It was an easy thing to be self-conscious about. At some gyms I’ve been to, it was downright unacceptable. But at CrossFit Memorial Hill, another athlete told me, “When I see you sweating and I’m not, it makes me feel like I’m not working hard enough.”
At CrossFit, a sweat angel is the sign of a workout well done. The gym community will meet you wherever you are and support you as you develop your fitness. They’ll high-five and even hug you when you are a sweaty, dripping mess. So just come to class and try your best. I promise you it’s good enough.
