When I first walked in the door, I was extremely nervous and excited to see our assigned trainers. I immediately sighted Adrian Bozman aka Boz aka CrossFit web celeb. Jon Gilson, owner of Again Faster Equipment and head coach in the Tahoe Summit series, was also present along with Nadia Shatila, Joe Alexander, Rudy Tapalla (CrossFit Chicago), and Joe D. All class acts and great coaches.
Most of the weekend entailed listening to a series of lectures by each coach, and after each lecture (about an hour to an hour and a half) we would break out into groups to physically perform the movements from the lecture and learn visually how to apply all the coaching cues and techniques. Nearly all of these were very eye-opening for me, even the basics of a push press! Some of the coaching cues I had never even seen or heard about before ... all very simple and easy to apply to a client, or even yourself as you do the movement. It's amazing how you can watch videos online all day long and think you know what you're doing, but when it comes to the execution part, there are always things you can work on.
I highly recommend attending a Level 1 Cert if you are able to at some point in the future. Not only do you learn about the nine fundamental movements (about 60% of the seminar), but you also are exposed to amazing insight into nutrition, the multiple definitions of fitness and where CrossFit fits in, and some of the more scientific reasons why we do what we do. I am sort of a nerd when it comes to physics and anatomy in that I think it's super interesting how we are able to scientifically explain the reasons why we do certain things in CrossFit. The Cert is a great platform for these concepts, not to mention the unbelievable atmosphere and fun learning environment throughout the weekend.
During lunch on Day 1, the instructors all worked out together. While most people went out for lunch, some of us stuck around to watch the workout. And now, I bring to you, the most bootleg of all CrossFit video bootlegs, Atlas Level 1 Cert trainers throwing down.
While it's pretty apparent these guys are all beasts and can be labeled CrossFit veterans, it was humbling to see them actually struggle through parts of this workout. I don't think anyone besides Nadia was able to string together C2B pull-ups unbroken, and you see in the video the Boz having to take a break during his double unders. Man ... they are just like us! It reminds me of those People and US Weekly magazines that take pictures of celebrities doing normal everyday tasks so they seem more comparable to the reader, like a picture of Julia Roberts walking out of the ladies restroom, "Oh my god! They go to the bathroom just like us!" Comical, yes, but seeing these guys struggle just like we do everyday in the gym was nice to see. All the videos on the CrossFit main page make it seem like sometimes elite fitness (or the level required to make it onto the main site and make those times) is unattainable for most people. This just goes to show that there is no secret behind getting fit. We work just as hard as the instructors teaching this stuff. Every man and woman is his or her own being, each with his or her own limitations. We all struggle through these intense WOD's no matter who you are.
The reinforcement of this concept will certainly keep me going for months to come as we dive into the Chicago winter.
Train for yourself, and no one else.
-Stick
