My husband and I got around to trying out a CrossFit box not too far from where we live that offers a free week trial. Trial memberships are something I strongly advocate, as they help you see if the money you will be spending is worth your while. CrossFit is something that we both wish we could afford because it provides a perfect workout in an ideal atmosphere. Our first workout at CrossFit Code Red was so incredibly perfect for me, I felt I needed to discuss it further.
Most CrossFit workouts incorporate an AMRAP (as many reps/rounds as possible), Tabata (getting as many reps as possible in short amount of time), or Rounds for Time. This is usually great to motivate and encourage participants to go as fast as they can, to beat their record from previously, or set a new PR. And this usually is my downfall. I am super competitive, and I want to get as many reps as possible and beat my previous time or number. I’ve gotten very good at only competing with myself (because comparing your Chapter 1 with someone else’s Chapter 20 doesn’t do you any good), which is the whole point of CrossFit. Here’s my problem. If there are exercises I am not particularly good at (say, push-ups), instead of working on my form and improving my strength, I always modify so I can keep up and stay fast. This gives me a decent workout, but it doesn’t help improve my fitness that much. I just never take the time to do things right.
The WOD (workout of the day) at CrossFit Code Red was two AMRAPs separated with a 10 minute “break” to find your 1 rep max in the hang power clean. The AMRAPs both incorporated Double Unders, a jump rope maneuver where the rope travels under your feet twice with each one jump. I have NEVER been good at double unders. And that’s very likely because I’ve never taken the time to work on improving my skills (also, I have a fat “slow” rope, which isn’t great for double unders, but that’s besides the point). Now, usually, putting double unders in an AMRAP is a great excuse to modify and just do singles. But this WOD only had a rep count of 20 in the first round and 10 in the second. The low rep count practically begged me to work on actually doing the double unders rather than singles. Did I go super fast for the WOD? No. I only completed 2 full rounds the first time, and only 4 rounds the second set. But, I took my time, and counted only double unders. By the end of the WOD, I was stringing along 2 double unders at a time, which is quite the achievement. And I have the stripes to prove it.
The rest of the WOD was also great in working on my form for the hang power clean. Not having a gym or barbells doesn’t allow Chris and me to practice our lifts (cleans, jerks, snatches), so this was another good opportunity to again, slow down, and take my time to do things right. I maxed out at “only” 75 lbs, but I was feeling better about my form. And I’m out of shape, I know. While I know I’m capable of cleaning more than 75 lbs, I also recognize that 75 is more than I could ever lift when I first started on my fitness journey, so I am glad that I haven’t lost everything. 
We’re planning on going back to CrossFit Code Red on Thursday. There’s a lot to discuss about Code Red. It’s a great box with a great coach (at least the one we met, Jake, so far was incredible). Great workouts. Very organized and welcoming. Clean box. And they use a program called Wodify, which helps track your progress and PRs in a very organized and professional way. I could go on and on about Code Red, so I hope I have the opportunity to share some more on the subject. CrossFit itself deserves a huge post. Even if I’m not doing CrossFit, I hope to incorporate some of its values and community during any group workouts I start up.
Great workout! I’m sore as hell. And that’s a very good thing!
I’ve only been to 5 or 6 Crossfit boxes but CodeRed is definitely high on my list.