CrossFit: A fitness family

by Samuel McEachern

“It’s not for everybody. Not really in the sense of physical ability but more mental. So if you’re a mentally strong person who can suck it up and go with it then it’s for you.”

Dan Bosco is the owner and head trainer at Windsor’s only CrossFit gym. Known for its high intensity workouts, CrossFit is without a doubt not for everybody.  Some go to the gym to give themselves an edge in the sport they compete in, whereas CrossFit is the sport. This is just one of the ways CrossFit varies from traditional workout routines.

It does not look like a traditional gym. There are no mirrors, no showers, no complicated machines and no treadmills. Instead there are kettle bells, Olympic rings, medicine balls, tractor tires, boxes, chin up bars and an open rubber floor. The equipment and space is used in hour long, group classes. They begin with a warm up, which then goes into a high intensity Workout of the Day and is followed by group stretching.

“It’s constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement. So you’re coming in there and doing something different every single day. You’ll never do the same thing a day after another. Routine is the enemy,” says Bosco.

The Workout of the Day is the highlight of each class. Each WOD carries a name with it and is timed. When the WOD is finished, the time you completed it in is put on a board. Competitiveness is a good way to keep participants motivated, says Bosco.

“Having the scores up is good, it’s a motivating factor as long as people keep in perspective why their there and what they’re doing here.”

Having the scores up is also a way to track personal progress. Some people find themselves not going to the gym as much when they cannot see any physical proof of progress they have made from working so hard. Keeping track of scores and times allows newer gym members to see how they’ve improved on the different routines.

The routines are designed to focus on multiple aspects of fitness. A long distance runner will focus mainly on stamina, just like an Olympic weightlifter will focus on upper body strength. If you are looking to focus your workout routine to achieve a certain goal then CrossFit is not what you are looking for. Part of the appeal of Crossfit is how it strives to make you a complete athlete. You will not excel at anything, but you will be extremely capable at everything. This is why functional body workouts are such an important part of the Crossfit routine. Instead of isolating muscles, they will do exercises that require movement and will simultaneously use multiple muscles.

Another appeal of Crossfit is the community and cult-like following that goes with it. Participants will often relate closely to one another about the difficulty of workouts, and the time they completed it in. It is a tight knit community that all share a common goal. Certified Windsor Crossfit trainer Lauren Bosco explains how the relationships formed help members achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves.

“It provides friendship and bonding in a way other gyms rarely can. We see each other at our lows and highs in the gym,” Lauren says. “We congratulate each other on victories. It really is a family and community of people that just love being active and making going to the gym a sport.”

On top of providing complete fitness routines and strong relationships between members, CrossFit allows you to compete in competitions between gyms from other areas. For some of the top athletes, there is the Reebok CrossFit Games. Thousands of athletes compete in different workouts to see who are the fittest men and women from around the world.

Windsor CrossFit is participating in an upcoming competition on Oct 27, dubbed “Battle of the Boxes. “ Hosted by a Detroit based CrossFit organization, it will include 34 other teams from Ohio, Michigan, Canada and other areas from the US.