3 months ago I posted a review I received from a new member (now a good friend Fraser) he has recently written an updated report on his progress. His words are very flattering and I certainly can not take credit for all his hard work and consistency. Here he is Deadlifting 80kg for 5 (Before anyone says he has a natural upper rounding of his thoracic that we are working on improving) Fraser: Having now completed three months membership during which time I have attended 3 classes per week, I thought that I would share my experiences so far. When I started I was a bit apprehensive about lifting weights as I have a problem with my back and I did not believe that this was for me. When Alan said that it was the best exercise to burn calories I thought to myself ‘Aye right’. The problem with my back stems from my weak hamstrings and spending too much time working at a desk. The exercises given to me by my chiropractor would help correct this. If only I had the self-motivation to do them. Hence why I needed to join a gym and Crossfit was the one that was recommended. Initially I was taught how to deadlift as this would help strengthen my hamstrings. After only 4 sessions I found that my posture had improved. Through Alan’s continued guidance I now know what I need to do and what to concentrate on to get the best return from my efforts and more importantly to avoid injury. The confidence gained from the deadlifts has resulted in a change of mind and I have attempted to do other lifts under guidance. Some I am more confident with than others but then all that this has identified is that it is not just my hamstrings that are in need of attention. The other lifts provide different challenges and I am determined to better myself as I have already experienced the benefits that the Crossfit routine brings and it is not all about building muscles and losing weight. The benefits may seem insignificant to you but I have noticed that I am better balanced when washing the soles of my feet in the shower, and I have also found it easier to cut my toenails! Believe me these are important when you are in your 50s. Every little bit of improvement helps and with the gardening season starting shortly I do not expect to have the aches and pains that I usually get in the first few weeks of the season. A common reason why people join a gym is to lose weight. This wasn’t my main reason but I have lost weight and this has been noticed by others. In the first month I did not lose any weight as fat was being replaced by muscle but I was getting slimmer. Then in the next two months I lost 7 lbs. It may not seem much but the 38 inch waist trousers have been replaced with 34 inch ones. The benefit of exercise is not limited to physical improvements. I have also noticed that after a Crossfit class that my brain is more alert and focussed at work. To attend the gym I made an adjustment to my usual routine. I found this straightforward enough as I decided to attend the 7 am classes which meant going to bed 30 minutes earlier. So far I have only missed one 7 am session and that was on January 2nd but then there was a class at 9.30 that I attended. I can do this with the schedule because the exercises in each class for any given day are the same. However no two days contain the same set of exercises and I do not know what the exercises are for any day until I turn up and read the noticeboard. I like this because if I knew in advance that I was going to do something that I am not good at I might be less inclined to attend. Also the variety of exercises helps as doing the same exercise over and over again can get tedious and boring and can also be dangerous as you would be working on the same area of the body. I realise that I have solely mentioned lifting weights but there are other exercises that are included in each class. It is not all about lifting weights it is just that was my main concern from the start. I knew that there would be a cost for being a member of Crossfit. Yes there are cheaper options available in other gyms, but I had to find out what they offered for this? I did not look solely at the equipment in the gym but also about the trainer of the class. Crossfit had been recommended to me by a friend and I also received encouraging comments from my chiropractor about Crossfit. For £55 per month for a six month contract I have calculated that my membership costs less than £5 for each hourly class. It would be lower if I attended more classes which I could do, but I do need my recovery time. I did start with a 1 month contract to ‘test the water’ and as soon as I realised that Crossfit would benefit me I signed up for 6 months. I regard the monthly membership fee as part of my commitment to better myself. At less than £5 per hour I wouldn’t use the word cheap here as this word can be associated with poor quality. I also believe that I am undervaluing the gym if I said that Crossfit is good value for money as I get an excellent quality of guidance and exercise tailored to my own ability. I have also found very quickly that you become part of a community of likeminded people who have their own personal targets. When I started I did not realise that I was training with someone who was about to take part in the World Kickboxing Championships and who returned with a medal. We were doing the same exercises but scaled by Alan to our own ability. I found exercising on my own difficult and it is easy to become demotivated. It can also be dangerous exercising by yourself if you are not doing the exercises correctly. The Crossfit gym does not allow this to happen because even if I am the only one at the class Alan is always there to ensure that I am exercising correctly. Credit has to go to Alan who is the key part of the Crossfit gym. I believe that he is the main reason why the members have gained from the classes. He is one of the highest qualified Crossfit trainers in the country as a Crossfit Level 2 Trainer. He is keen to pursue his own development and has recently gained the Level 1 Award in Coaching from British Weightlifting. Through Alan’s knowledge I have achieved more than I expected. If you want a second opinion as to how good he is then read what other people have posted on the Crossfit Kirkintilloch Facebook page; 26 out of 27 people can’t all be wrong. Alan’s knowledge for getting the most out of exercise also extends to nutrition – fuelling the body with the correct food. I have also learned that a Burpee is not just for babies with flatulence, and The Plank has nothing to do with my IQ, although it did take me a few weeks to work out what the anagram AMRAP is. My main reason for joining Crossfit was to help me achieve the goals set by my chiropractor. At my appointment back in October 2014 I mentioned that I had been at a trial class at Crossfit and the chiropractor was keen that I joined as she was aware of the Crossfit regime. At my last appointment on Thursday 8th January she had less to work with as she commented on the improvements that I had achieved – weight loss and a stronger balanced body. Usually I have a weakness along the left side of my spine –none of that this time. She said that this was the best shape that I had been in and given the fact that I had in the last 3 months been doing some landscaping in the garden (moving large boulders) and also enjoyed a merry Christmas and New Year it made the progress even more impressive. I also discussed the Crossfit regime including exercises and she commented that the trainer must be good based on my history of doing exercise. My week now consist of going to the Crossfit gym on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and in the other days I find 20 minutes or so to do some of the warm up exercises. There is no equipment required for these exercises so I can do them at home. And having been given guidance on how to do them and been corrected on my errors I am confident I can do them without injury. Have I now got self-motivation, perhaps but I think that my willingness to better myself is stronger as I have achieved more than I expected. I have now set my own targets for the next 3 months. At the start if someone had said that I would be deadlifting 80kg I would have said ‘Aye right’, but with the Commonwealth Games still fresh in my mind I now have the attitude of ‘Bring it on’.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Jan 2015 09:31:47 +0000
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