Head over Heels

I will admit, I have been extremely slack with blogging and I wont make any excuses. But I will catch you up on what I have been up to, exercise wise. I mentioned before that I started doing Crossfit. Well, let me tell you, I am completely hooked! I think I venture into a real gym 1-2 times a week to train the smaller muscle groups, but damn, I don’t like it. Crossfit has taken me in, swallowed me whole and won’t let me out. I am absolutely loving what it is doing to my body, I am so much stronger, more toned, developing muscles I didn’t even know I had, AND I’m still feminine (not like all those crossfitters you see on the internet).

Casual knees to elbows

My boy doing some great snatch work

This new style of high intensity training paired with Olympic weight lifting and gymnastics has not only strengthened my body, but my mind too. When you walk into that box (Crossfit gym) and check out the WOD (Workout of the day), you immediately have to get your mind around what your body is about to endure. Some days I go in there dreading the workout to follow, but I just have to suck it up and figure out how on earth I am going to complete it. And you know what? Those are the days when I am at my best because right before the workout I tell myself that I CAN do it. This has giving me so much more mental strength that is not only applicable in my workouts, but also in everyday life.

The one thing that I will critique about Crossfit is the RX weight (recommended weight) for the WODs. Often the workouts have high number of reps (e.g. 21-15-9) and those workouts often include Olympic lifting or various weighted squats. The area I think becomes a problem is when the recommended weight is very heavy (cleans: 45kg for women, 60kg for men). These lifts require an extreme amount of precision to avoid injury, and once you start doing high reps, muscles start fatiguing, form goes out the window and you just want to complete the workout as fast as possible. For me, this is not very sustainable. The human body was not designed for strength, but range of motion and speed. I am all for lifting heavy weights, but slowly, controlled and fewer reps. Give me a 25kg barbell and I will dominate those high rep workouts, but once the weight increases, I can feel the strain on my body, especially my back.

Other then that, I absolutely have fallen head over heels in love with Crossfit. It becomes so exciting to begin a WOD. The competition to get the fastest time or the most reps makes it an adrenaline rush like no other.

So, I challenge you to try a crossfit workout. Here is an example of something i have done, and of course loved! But you can also find and create your own WOD according to what you feel like doing at www.woddrive.com

My new favourite thing

Beautiful Durban beach front

So recently I started going body boarding with my brother, and damn, is it a serious workout! You wouldn’t think so considering you really just paddle yourself out to the back line, catch a wave and do it all over again… But my word, getting out there is quite a mission! Saying that, I absolutely love it!

First of all, I love being in the ocean. It’s so fresh and lovely… Just floating around, diving under the waves and making sure you don’t get sucked out to Australia. It really is a lot of fun though.

Very excited to show off my body boarding skills

Secondly, catching a wave makes you feel like you are flying across the ocean. Once you get that perfect wave, nothing can stop you… Besides being dumped and being discarded as rubbish. That dosnt happen too often though.

Thirdly, it is a really really fun and exciting workout! I mean who wouldn’t want that? A workout and fun all wrapped in one?

Ok ok I do enjoy working out at the gym, but I wouldn’t exactly classify it as ‘fun’. It’s great and it makes me feel fantastic but I recon the only time I smile while doing a bicep curl is if someone is making those grunting noises while they lift a weight equivalent to a baby elephant.

So going body boarding is a great way to spice up my exercise regime while working on my tan at the same time!

Moral of the story: find a physical activity that you love doing and that adds fun and spice to your life. It could be anything! Cycling, running, horse riding, skiing, wrestling, rock climbing… Anything!