Woman’s Day‘s Karen Birkemoe has taken on a 12-week CrossFit workout challenge to shed some unwanted kilos. Here she reveals the events of week number three.
Week three and I’m still going strong. Every workout the weights go up a notch and miraculously I manage to lift them. Meanwhile the list of exercises I hate grows longer… pretty much anything that works my lower body is a trial – back squats, fronts squats, goblets squats, box step-ups, walking lunges… the list goes on. They all remind me that sitting on my butt for the majority of my life hasn’t done me any favours. On the other hand anything using my upper body strength gives my bruised ego a little lift. It’s becoming obvious that Nicole (AKA Batman) and I have opposite strengths and weaknesses. Neither of us were born with that competitive gene but it pushes us to see what’s possible and to give a little heavier weight a try.
Something in the air
I’m noticing something else at the gym and without sounding like a Nigel-no-mates, I think it’s how incredibly friendly everyone is. At first I thought it might just be the CrossFit Athletic team because they were my initial point of contact. Even the guy on the front desk, John AKA J-Lo, never fails to welcome me with a smile and a quick chat about my progress. With a little observation I don’t think I’m wrong in saying that he knows every member by name. At first I put this down to genetics, it turns out he’s the proud dad of my trainer Pete and the gym’s co-owner Paul Walton. But it’s more than just a friendly family because that attitude extends to all the other members as well. People who look like Olympic athletes and are fitter than I could ever dream of being gladly share equipment with me and have a laugh between reps.
All the posturing and attitude that made me loathe entering the weights area at Fitness First is absent here. I had even tried the outdoor gym at Bondi Beach but always felt I was missing the required amount of testosterone to muscle my way in. I have to say it’s refreshing. There are truly all levels of fitness working out together and no one seems to need to make someone else feel small to make themselves feel big. Instead everyone, myself included is just striving to improve from the week before and getting all the encouragement needed to do just that.
Eating for two
That may be a little bit of an exaggeration but I swear I don’t think I’ve ever eaten so much in my life. I am literally never hungry and it is the best remedy against being tempted by something naughty. The Woman’s Day office is a haven for delicious food (test kitchen triumphs) and office celebration cakes but I have been able to turn away without the slightest effort. My morning coffee has become an every other day treat… baby steps (with big weights in my hands)
See www.crossfitathletic.com.au for more.
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