Lucy's YP Get Fit Blog Week 3: Crossfit is for everyone
For a month, Young Post sub-editor Lucy Christie will try out crossfit, one of the most intense and demanding types of exercise out there. Check in with her weekly blog to see how crossfit affects this already-sporty Scot.
Who says only boys can lift weights?My session on Monday night was amazing. Tracy was my trainer, and she spent a lot of time with me one-on-one helping me really perfect my technique. Tips like "stick your bum out" and "try to give yourself back cleavage" might sound a little silly, but it really helps that the trainers use normal words and phrases that people can actually understand. If you tried to figure out what you were doing wrong while someone told you that you need to lock out your extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle, improving - or even knowing which part of the body you're supposed to be working - would probably be impossible for most people.
This is the one of the great things that I've noticed about Crossfit852. It's full of ordinary people. At our class on Monday, we talked about whether we would be a gangster or a policeman, Taylor Swift's new album and hairdressers in Hong Kong.
The workout itself was intense. Part A consisted of 3 progressive sets of power clean, progressive meaning you add on some weight every set. I can feel that I'm much better at the cleans since day one (and Tracy agreed, hurrah!). The cleans and the snatches are the most difficult moves, as they are a combination of multiple movements. The trainers demonstrate every movement before every workout, and it's reassuring that even seasoned pros seem to need a reminder for the trickier ones.
Part B consisted of:
- 50 bent over dumbbell rows
Then, 30-20-10 of:
- kettlebell swings (recommended for guys 24kg/16kg for girls. I did 8kg)
- pull-ups
- push-ups
At the end of the workout my legs were like jelly, my arms were like jelly and it hurt to move on Tuesday, but the truth is, I am enjoying the tough training and the changes I can already feel in my body.
Anyway, this explains why Wednesday's session was very quiet.
The workout was challenging, but it wouldn't be much of a workout if it wasn't. After part A's progressive overhead squats, part B was handstand push-ups, pull-ups and ring dips. I couldn't do the handstand push-ups, as I'm still trying to build my upper body strength, so I switched to dumbbell reps instead, but even then it was hard.
Best of all, with such a small group, we all got a lot of one-on-one time with Bernard to help improve our technique and really push us to our limits.
For Thursday's workout I went back to Wesley's 7.30pm class in Central. Although it's not always the exact same group, it's nice to see familiar faces and it's easy to see why Crossfit is popular with people who are new to Hong Kong, as it's an instant community of friendly people and it's easy to get to know people after even one or two sessions. Nothing builds a bond quite like collapsing on the floor beside each other after a punishing round of dumbbell weights and box jumps.
This is only my third week at Crossfit852, but the more sessions I come to, the more I want to go to. Maybe crossfit is more addictive than I first thought.