Crossed Out from Crossfit

The most dangerous strategy is to jump a chasm in two leaps. — Benjamin Disraeli

The ability to straighten and bend your arms is a useful function in everyday living. I, however, could barely remove the milk from the refrigerator this morning. Why you ask? Was it a full gallon? Was it the heavier whole milk? Am I just a weenie?

No; no; yes.

You see, on Monday I adjusted my workout routine to accommodate for an hour of crossfit, and if you’ve never heard of crossfit, let me greatly exaggerate its difficulty to earn your sympathy.

No, but seriously, it’s terrible.

Now, all my kick/boxing conditioning definitely had my cardio, and, to a degree, my muscles prepared for the rigorous hour-long, crossfit workout. Just not this hour-long, crossfit workout.

You see, when I got to the gym early in the morning on Memorial Day, Carsten at the front desk looked at me quizzically and asked, “Are you doing crossfit for the first time today?” When I nodded, he simply began laughing.

I thought the Memorial Day workout would be a good intro to crossfit, an easier workout for those who didn’t take advantage of the three day weekend. But one hundred pull-ups, two hundred push-ups, three hundred air squats, two miles of running, and two days of kick/boxing conditioning later, I am little more than a gelatinous substance skilled at whining.

At the time, however, I thought, “No big deal. I’m a man. No. I’m the man; I can handle some measly pull-ups and push-ups.”

But I couldn’t. I really, really couldn’t.

I have this tendency, though, as do a lot of people, to push myself. To push myself to the ends of my physical or mental capacity and then keep on pushing. I want to see how far I can drive the car on E. How many hours of video games I can play before my eyes shrivel up.

And while this overextension can be good at times—for how can we surpass our current maximum without practicing to go beyond it?—we also need to take time and rest.

For when I wake up in the middle of the night, my lats in so much pain that I have to take ibuprofen and ice them at two o’clock in the morning, I’d say I pushed myself a little too hard. And right now as my arms are unwilling to leave their t-rex pose, I am really regretting my prior exuberance.

So whether it be your work, your exercise regimen, or your studies, do test the limit of your capacity, just do so gently. Believe me. Crying as you try to wash your feet in the shower is not fun.

Painfully,

jdt