I have found that CrossFit has made me more fit than I have ever been.
I have fans from every level of the fitness world, whether it's the elite competitor or just someone living a healthy lifestyle, and it's been my goal since day one to make sure that my brand has something to offer everyone.
Gyms are always packed. The only machine available is the one that simulates the gynecological exam. You know, the Sharon Stone machine.
I always have my group of friends at the gym. We used to go hang out somewhere before. Now we're just hanging out at the gym. We have sparring parties where everyone beats each other up, but then we all eat my dad's cooking, and I hire a massage therapist, so everyone is just kicking back and having a good time. I just keep the environment great.
I like CrossFit. I agree with a lot of their coaching tips and the foundation of functional movements and hard work. They embody all that stuff. But I also think there's a bit of a cult following within the CrossFit community, a bit of a fraternity, which obviously creates a bias and a little bit of a tunnel vision.
...the gym is a kind of wildlife preserve for bodily exertion. A preserve protects species whose habitat is vanishing elsewhere, and the gym (and home gym) accommodates the survival of bodies after the abandonment of the original sites of bodily exertion.
These past six years, people have seen me as a woman, not a transsexual. People in the gym, people I train with, it's been great, it's been awesome. I'm just a woman to them. I don't want that to go away. It's unfortunate that it has to.
I've been to CrossFit affiliates all over the world and the programming varies, the coaches are different, but it feels the same. Always welcoming, always fun. Whereas with a regular gym you go in, put your headphones on and don't talk to anybody.
Staying in the moment is something I'll never achieve unless I'm hanging out with the right people and just being in the gym as well.
I love working out in groups - I love the community of it and the energy, and I love great instructors who inspire you and make you sweat!
Many different factors make up a fitness phenomenon, but the most critical are a sense of community, a ton of fun, a sense of accomplishment, and an empowering component that makes people feel they can become or do anything they want.
You need to enjoy yourself and just get into the routine of keeping fit and enjoying being active. That's always easier once you've made friends in the sport.
I'll be a diehard bodybuilder until my last breath, but I want my brand and the movement we are creating to touch all aspect of the fitness community.
You'll find that fellow gym go-ers are super supportive and friendly. It must be all those endorphins going around!
