The guys at LifeAsRx shared this link today. It’s an article written by Miss West Virginia USA 2010 (Erica Jade Goldsmith) and I think hits on a pretty key point that we run into a lot. When we talk to friends about CrossFit, or working out in general, a lot of people say that don’t have three things (aside from money)- Time, Equipment and a Location.
Read the quick little article below, or click on the title to be taken directly to the link itself. Good advice, short and sweet, hard to argue. Enjoy.
Lessons from a Pro. You have the Time…
“I don’t have time. I don’t have any equipment. I don’t have anywhere to workout.”
Those are the three most common excuses I hear when people are talking about their lack of exercise. People don’t believe me when I say they can get a complete workout in 20 minutes, with no equipment, and they can do it anywhere. It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not; it’s CrossFit.
Of course, I’m sure everyone in the CrossFit community is very familiar with these simple moves, but you would be amazed how many people haven’t heard of them or didn’t realize they could get a complete workout with absolutely nothing, but a few things that can be found almost anywhere.
1. Running-Who doesn’t love a good run? I’ll admit, I still haven’t found the elusive “runner’s high,” but I love starting my WOD with a run to get me in the zone. You can even mix it up by doing sprints, running up and down stairs, running backwards, etc….the possibilities are endless.
2. Air Squats-I like to introduce my friends to this first, since it’s quick, easy, and they will need proper squat form for a lot of CrossFit exercises.
3. Box Jumps- It doesn’t matter where I go, I can always find a place to do box jumps. I particularly like the park benches and picnic tables because they’re sturdy and you can find varying heights.
4. Burpees- I have a love/hate relationship with burpees. Burpees are tough and they wear me out fast. My friends’ biggest complaint about doing burpees is how crazy they will look and how dumb they will feel, but I always tell them that they may look crazy for a few minutes, but the results are worth it. If they complain about it too much, I make them do box jump burpees.
5. Pull-ups- If you’re at the park doing your WOD, you’ll probably find a set of monkey bars. If you can do unassisted pull-ups, you’re awesome, you know what to do, but most people, who are just starting to workout, have problems with pull-ups, so I take them to the shorter monkey bars that are just tall enough for them to do a jumping pull-up.
6. Push-ups- Everybody has done a push-up at some point in their life, even if the last time was during the Presidential Physical Fitness Test in elementary school. So, this one is pretty self-explanatory.
With those exercises, that don’t require any equipment, you can do Angie, Murph, and Barbara, just to name a few. So the next time you hear someone complaining about not having the time, the space, or the equipment to workout, introduce that person to some simple CrossFit moves that could change their life, or at least put an end to their excuses.
Miss West Virginia USA 2010
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