Monday 100426

15 – 12 – 9

Back Squat, load equal to body weight

Ring Dips

Post time and load to comments.

Trying to embrace the suck. Thanks for the WOD Gino, I'll see you on your birthday next year!

To continue with the post yesterday about women and CrossFit, there was a recent CF Journal article by Louis Hayes titled Beyond the Body. The subtitle is CrossFit Girls are beautiful but it's more about attitude and determination than appearance. The article discusses how the fitness industry as a whole has pigeon-holed many women to eliptical machines and "pink and purple rubber-coated dumbells of 5 and 10 lb." But then it goes on to talk about how strong CrossFit women are – mentally as well as physically.

How many other women do you know who are doing what you ladies are doing? You're deadlifting, and you're swinging kettlebells, and you're doing pull-ups – and when you string several together that's the highlight of the day! How great is that? You're changing your lives, and your family is seeing this, and they're proud. And so are we! You're strong women and you can do anything you want to.

Here's a little something for you from the Journal article. Keep this in mind tomorrow when you're fighting through the WOD:

But not CrossFit chicks. And not women who use kettlebells. Or those who do Olympic weightlifting. Or those who participate in other functional fitness models. These women are different. They are defiant, but not the pierce-my-face-and tattoo- my-forearms sort of defiant (well, sometimes they are). They defy this handicapped mantra with one of their own: “I can do it." They snub their noses at the magazine models who crash-diet and get airbrushed before the printing press. In the gym, they walk past the rows of treadmills and recumbent bikes on their way to the squat rack. They ignore paid advertisements for trendy fitness equipment. And they impress the hell out of muscle-bound men by ripping out deadlifts, burpees and rope climbs!

CrossFit chicks swim upstream. Through work capacity and high performance, they battle against all the images of female physical fitness that have been implanted since birth. They fight the self-limiting mentality put upon their gender community to deny women a way out or above. CrossFit chicks possess a confidence, commitment and sense of accomplishment that puts them at the forefront of their gender. They know the anxiety of stepping up to competition. They savor the taste of victory. They sweat, suck wind, and give their all. They are part of a community that snuffs out the mantra of popular culture—the CrossFit community.

Somewhere, each female CrossFitter was introduced to a new, unorthodox philosophy of physical fitness. It’s a model that allows women and girls to face their fears and weaknesses and learn how to win. They learn the movements and programming and attitude that put them on the pathway to a place the gym teachers and TV infomercials told them they could not go.

And once these ladies get on the path, there is no turning back. They quickly realize all the lies and deceptions that have flooded their existence. They set their sights on lofty goals and objectives that are now attainable. And they reach them. CrossFit chicks question authority and search for the truth. They rebuke folklore for something more substantive. They see a world filled with opportunity rather than obstacles. They search for answers rather than questions. They make plans instead of excuses. The confidence seeps though their pores. The resolve shows on their faces. Resilience shines through. These traits are common to all CrossFit chicks. There is an added element of beauty and attraction given to these women.