Friday, October 28, 2011

"CrossFit Poem"

Skinny.
Large.
The barbell doesn’t care what size you are.
The barbell doesn’t care what color your hair is, or if you even have hair on your head.
Games strong.
Rookie “strong.”
The barbell doesn’t care.
It doesn’t judge you based on physical appearance.
It doesn’t judge you based on what your body fat percentage is.
It judges you on if you can lift it.
It judges you if you have the heart to keep lifting it when you get tired and worn out.
It judges you when you set it down and face whatever life throws at you head-on.
Lift it heavy.
Lift it light and fast.
Move it up and down or side to side.
Just move the damn barbell.
It doesn’t care that I'll probably  never look half as good with my shirt off as some fitness competitor or model.
Or that I'm pasty white with hair on my chest.
It only cares if I could pick it up and throw some weight around.
It only cares if I could jump, squat, run, push, or pull.
The same movements I make on a daily basis in my everyday life.
The barbell (and CrossFit) cares more about how well our body will function than how we look with our shirts off.

The difference between Crossfit athletes and a lot of models in Muscle & Fitness – our athletes build strength to enhance their everyday life, not just “look pretty.”
They’d CrossFit even if there wasn’t the Reebok Games or prize money.
If no one ever saw them complete a WOD or lift heavy, they’d still CrossFit.
They work to be stronger for life.
They work to be stronger to compete against lifeAnd everything it throws at them.
They bust their tail in workouts just like the mother of four next to you this morning did – to feel better, to look better, but more importantly, to help them get through life better.
Functionally better.
To conquer whatever life throws at them.
It’s not about how tan, how shiny, or how chiseled we look.
It’s about how we feel.
How well we can lift our kids into the air when playing with them.
How much easier it is to walk up three flights of stairs and not be completely gassed.
How well our bodies move.
Up and down.
Side to side.
Jumping. Running. Rowing.
You know, every day activities.
CrossFit is growing because it is changing lives.
Creating confidence.
Building functional fitness.
We aren’t consumed with physical appearances – although we see amazing results physically from CrossFit.
We are consumed with getting better every day.
With competing against the barbell, the clock, and ourselves.
The barbell does not discriminate.
It does not profile.
It doesn’t care if you look like models on TV or what the world says is “hot.”
The barbell doesn’t care if you’re skinny, large, or muscular.
Because to the barbell you’re all the same.
CrossFit doesn’t care what you look like or where you came from.
The barbell doesn’t either.
Both just care where you’re going.
What you plan to do when you pick up that barbell.
What you plan to do when life tries to knock you down.
The barbell just cares if you’re willing to give it your all for 5, 10, 15, or 60 minutes in a WOD…
…and then keep giving it your all for the remaining 23 hours in the day.
If you’re willing to compete.
Every day.
That’s all the barbell cares about.
That’s all we should care about.

This Great illustration of what Crossfit means to me and our community was written by Jake from Compete Everyday; http://competeeveryday.com/.  I couldn't have come up with a better way of saying it then this and its what makes me want to continue to get better every day or "Compete Everyday".

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