Articles

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Weaknesses

Augh. The dreaded "w" word that nobody likes to talk about.  Weaknesses.  We all have them, it is what we do with them that ultimately makes the difference in our performance and overall fitness.

The goal of CrossFit is to have all athletes (competitive and recreational) be ready for the unknown and the unknowable, which ultimately means we have to be evenly adept at the 10 General Skills of Fitness: Cardiorespiratory Endurance, Strength, Stamina, Agility, Balance, Accuracy, Power, Speed, Coordination, & Flexibility.   To help foster the growth of all 10 skills CrossFit uses programming that is constantly varied. This can also mean that certain elements may only come up every so often in the workouts.   This is where the work comes in.  If you want to improve some of these areas, that you will have to work on them outside of the WODs, especially when it comes to skill works.   Mid-WOD is not the time to perfect a movement, and anyone who has struggled with Double Unders will agree!

How do you target a weakness?   Pick something that you need to work on and commit to working on it each time you are in the gym.  If you don't have double unders yet, commit to practicing them each time you are in.   Don't have that kipping pull-up or Overhead Squats are a challenge, take the time each time you are in to spend just 10 minutes work on that one skill.  When you have mastered it, then you can move on to the next one.   It doesn't have to be overwhelming, especially if you take it one step at a time.

If you are not sure where to go, come see us.  We will get you on the right path for success.  All we ask is that you commit the time to doing it!

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Your Dimension Of Greatness

No one can know the potential, Of a life that is committed to win; With courage - the challenge it faces, To achieve great success in the end!

So, explore the Dimension of Greatness, And believe that the world CAN be won; By a mind that is fully committed, KNOWING the task can be done!

Your world has no place for the skeptic, No room for the DOUBTER to stand; To weaken your firm resolution That you CAN EXCEL in this land!

We must have VISION TO SEE our potential, And FAITH TO BELIEVE that we can; Then COURAGE TO ACT with conviction, To become what GOD MEANT us to be!

So, possess the strength and the courage, To conquer WHATEVER you choose; It's the person WHO NEVER GETS STARTED, That is destined FOREVER to lose!

~ Author Unknown ~

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GPP - General Physical Preparedness

General Physical Preparedness (GPP) is a term used to describe the generalized base qualities of an athlete (also known as a CrossFitter).   The aim of GPP is to establish a broad foundational fitness level that can then be converted and applied throughout a wide range of tasks. This is what we do. CrossFit is the pursuit of a generalized model of fitness, hoping to consistently make gains in the 10 Components of Fitness, which include:

• Cardiorespiratory Endurance
• Stamina
• Strength
• Flexibility
• Power
• Speed
• Coordination
• Accuracy
• Agility
• Balance

GPP in a nutshell is fitness.  This is what we, as CrossFitters, pride our selves on….being great in “The Sport Of Fitness”.    It is our goal at Oakland County CrossFit, to address The  10 Components of Fitness on a consistent basis.   Being well rounded in our fitness pursuits allows us to better handle the challenges of life and/or competition.

When we stray from programming that encompasses all of the above components of fitness then we have to accept the fact that we will give up some level of general fitness.   Darrell White say’s it best, “At the end of the day, we are CrossFitters because we believe that broad inclusive fitness (aka GPP) will allow us to survive – nay, thrive – in our environment.  We seek increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains, and we are not willing to sacrifice this work capacity for even the most significant gains in any one domain or competency. “

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5 Reasons Why CrossFit Works!

1.  We look DAMN good, but more importantly, we are strong as shit!

The difference between conventional forms of fitness and CrossFit is that in the former you 'look' strong, fit, and lean....if you were lucky enough to have the right genetics.  For the later you ARE strong, fit and lean.  You have seen "them".  The people who go to a gym 5 days a week, follow their routine and still don't look any different year after year.   Better yet the person who "thinks" they are in shape and then comes in for a workout.  The look on their faces afterwards is priceless!   Hell, some of these people look great, but the strength was simply not there.  CrossFit enables people to get that strength, along with the other nine principles we adhere to, and still manage to look and feel great.....probably even better.  :-)

2.  Paleo & Zone - A Healthy Combination

Many alternative forms of conventional fitness are accompanied by a "diet" program to help you shed the pounds.  As CrossFitters we learn that our bodies run better when we view our food as fuel (which it is).  When we fuel our bodies appropriately we see awesome results.  We not only look better, but we also perform better in the gym as well as the rest of our lives.   From my own experience, I have noticed that cutting out all the grains, starches, and refined sugars has helped increase my performance across the board.  Eating clean is the key to success, so if you want those PRs, get cracking on eating clean!  It Works.

3.  It's not only for the young and vivacious!  And it definitely is for chicks too!

There is a wide age range that CrossFit appeals to, which I believe is a great advantage to this type of training program.  Plus it is equally as beneficial for men as it is for women.  Since everything is scalable there is no room for feeling any sort of discouragement.  What one person can do at 135 pounds, another can do at 45.  It's that simple.  There is something exciting about having everyone in a class doing the same workout that the biggest and strongest guy/girl is doing, even though they may not be at the same strength level (yet).  They know that if they continue working hard they will get to that point.  Old or young, male or female, CrossFit is for you!

4.  Confidence:  wear it like it's going out of style.

I'm not the first to say just how much my lifestyle has changed since I began training.  Nobody likes to feel crappy about themselves, it's not fun!  Anyone who is a CrossFitter can agree when I say that when you get that awesome PR on a clean, a squat, or one of the benchmarks like Fran, you walk into rooms feeling MUCH taller than you really are.  I've gone into the gym after having a bad day and left feeling like I had the best day ever.  Nothing can compare that feeling; and it carries throughout every other aspect of your life - at work, at home, at school, and with relationships.

5.  Community is the key to success.

After having the chance to visit a number of different affiliates, I notice one thing in common.  One of the most important components of a gym:  a sense of community.  Time and time again people are experiencing being pushed through workouts by strangers.  There is an instant bond made through watching each other work through the pain.  When we see a fellow CrossFitter pushing through a workout, we feel that pain he is going through, and we know that the extra push from someone makes all the difference and gets us those PRs we want.  We feel proud of each other and share enthusiasm, which is very unique and special.  There's nothing like looking up on that whiteboard and seeing your pal reach that number one spot he has worked his butt off for.  Not once in my own experiences have I not been able to walk into a CrossFit gym and feel like I am walking into my own.   You can't get that anywhere else.

~ Adapted by an article written by Melissa Cvjeticanin