Gym Belle Q&A: Is CrossFit for me?

Gretchen asks: Do you think CrossFit would work for an overweight 40-something?

One of the truly beautiful things about CrossFit is that people of all body types and fitness abilities can participate and reap the benefits.  On any given day, everyone does the same workout.  All of the workouts are scalable, though, so you do the workout at your own level.  Sometimes that means using less weight or no weight.  (Tonight, for example, I did a workout where the prescribed weight for women is 65 lbs.  That weight would have slowed me down too much, so I substituted 45 lbs.)  Sometimes it means substituting in a less advanced movement that has a similar movement pattern.  (Until I was able to do pull-ups, I'd do ring rows or use a rubber-band.) 

I've watched a lot of people start CrossFit and make some pretty dramatic changes in their strength and overall fitness.  I would say that most people surprise themselves in terms of what they find they're able to achieve.  I've seen people lose fat and gain muscle, though I'd say that most of the significant weight changes that I've seen at the gym owe a good deal to diet.

If you're curious, absolutely check it out!*

-Gym Belle-

*after consulting your doc, of course :o)