CrossFit - Coming Full Circle
Last weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the CrossFit Level 1 Seminar with my brother, Jireh. We had a great time learning from excellent trainers and came away feeling better equipped to coach and excited to dig deeper into the world of fitness, both in and out of the CrossFit realm.
My Introduction to CrossFit
I was first introduced to CrossFit 6 years ago by Jordan (Xplore CrossFit). I remember I was doing something that resembled a clean/press with dumbbells, probably sets of 10, trying to get my heart rate up. In between sets, Jordan came up to me, introduced himself, and asked if I wanted to try out CrossFit.
I remember my first session with him learning how to squat. This was my first exposure to squat therapy (developing form / range of motion by facing a wall). I remembered I kept falling over and would practice at home. I would use this same approach to introduce some of the dragonboat athletes I helped coach couple years later!
A couple days after my first intro, Jordan invited me out to my first session. We warmed up with some handstand holds with our chest facing the wall. Being my first time in that position, I was a bit wary and uncomfortable. It's only recently that I realize the importance of the hollow body in the handstand from coaches at Caveman Strong.
After the warm-up, we got ready for the WOD (Workout of the Day): the Spartan 300. We had to accumulate 300 reps of various different movements, most of which I had to modify. Here's the blog post from nearly 6 years ago. Maybe I'll do it again for old time's sake. Anyone interested in joining?
During my one-year stint in Seattle, I dropped into the gym when I could, mixing the CrossFit workouts with my own.
Highlights of the Journey
Since then, I've had the opportunity to ...
... help coach the Iron Dragons for a couple years, where I got live test subjects to try different movements and fitness regimens
... make a lot of cool friends who share similar interests in gymnastics, endurance running, powerlifting, olympic weightlifting and more!
... train a few friends here and there, both individually and on a group level
... join my first ever CrossFit gym (and my current home gym): CrossFit Markham (the first place will always feel like home)
... workout with my family and seeing my mom laugh as she repped out banded pull-ups for the first time!
... visit other great training facilities, including Caveman Strong (my favorite!), Outlaw North, CrossFit Wallaceburg, CrossFit Sarnia, CrossFit Cordis, CrossFit Ark, Reebok CrossFit Firepower, and many more to come!
Why the CrossFit Level 1 Seminar?
All the information from the seminar is free and publicly available. There are cheaper alternatives to get involved in fitness coaching. Some are arguably even better. So why drop the money to take the course?
Simply put, I want to coach. As I was telling a friend earlier, I have a lot of enthusiasm but not much knowledge. I've been helping my friends with fitness, but there is only so much a guy can do if all he has is excitement.
Does this mean I'm qualified to coach now? (By the way, I just found out this morning I passed!)
No. At least, not anymore than I was before the course. The course definitely provided some good pointers and laid a solid foundation. But becoming a good coach is going to be a journey. The CF-L1 designation allows me to start gaining coaching experience, helping others ... making mistakes along the way, ... and if I'm lucky enough, ... change a few lives.
This is just the beginning of my journey. There is still so much to learn, both in and out of CrossFit. My goal is to develop competency over time in a variety of methods that will best serve the people I work with. Off the top of my head, I want to dig deeper into: gymnastics (gymnasticbodies.com), weightlifting (NCCP), personal training, poliquin, mobility (Ido Portal and Kelly Starrett), nutrition (Precision Nutrition), self study (anatomy and physiology sound fun!).
In the meantime, I welcome any tips / advice on developing as a coach and trainer.
Smile =)
My Introduction to CrossFit
I was first introduced to CrossFit 6 years ago by Jordan (Xplore CrossFit). I remember I was doing something that resembled a clean/press with dumbbells, probably sets of 10, trying to get my heart rate up. In between sets, Jordan came up to me, introduced himself, and asked if I wanted to try out CrossFit.
I remember my first session with him learning how to squat. This was my first exposure to squat therapy (developing form / range of motion by facing a wall). I remembered I kept falling over and would practice at home. I would use this same approach to introduce some of the dragonboat athletes I helped coach couple years later!
A couple days after my first intro, Jordan invited me out to my first session. We warmed up with some handstand holds with our chest facing the wall. Being my first time in that position, I was a bit wary and uncomfortable. It's only recently that I realize the importance of the hollow body in the handstand from coaches at Caveman Strong.
After the warm-up, we got ready for the WOD (Workout of the Day): the Spartan 300. We had to accumulate 300 reps of various different movements, most of which I had to modify. Here's the blog post from nearly 6 years ago. Maybe I'll do it again for old time's sake. Anyone interested in joining?
During my one-year stint in Seattle, I dropped into the gym when I could, mixing the CrossFit workouts with my own.
Highlights of the Journey
Since then, I've had the opportunity to ...
... help coach the Iron Dragons for a couple years, where I got live test subjects to try different movements and fitness regimens
... make a lot of cool friends who share similar interests in gymnastics, endurance running, powerlifting, olympic weightlifting and more!
... train a few friends here and there, both individually and on a group level
... join my first ever CrossFit gym (and my current home gym): CrossFit Markham (the first place will always feel like home)
... workout with my family and seeing my mom laugh as she repped out banded pull-ups for the first time!
... visit other great training facilities, including Caveman Strong (my favorite!), Outlaw North, CrossFit Wallaceburg, CrossFit Sarnia, CrossFit Cordis, CrossFit Ark, Reebok CrossFit Firepower, and many more to come!
Why the CrossFit Level 1 Seminar?
All the information from the seminar is free and publicly available. There are cheaper alternatives to get involved in fitness coaching. Some are arguably even better. So why drop the money to take the course?
Simply put, I want to coach. As I was telling a friend earlier, I have a lot of enthusiasm but not much knowledge. I've been helping my friends with fitness, but there is only so much a guy can do if all he has is excitement.
Does this mean I'm qualified to coach now? (By the way, I just found out this morning I passed!)
No. At least, not anymore than I was before the course. The course definitely provided some good pointers and laid a solid foundation. But becoming a good coach is going to be a journey. The CF-L1 designation allows me to start gaining coaching experience, helping others ... making mistakes along the way, ... and if I'm lucky enough, ... change a few lives.
This is just the beginning of my journey. There is still so much to learn, both in and out of CrossFit. My goal is to develop competency over time in a variety of methods that will best serve the people I work with. Off the top of my head, I want to dig deeper into: gymnastics (gymnasticbodies.com), weightlifting (NCCP), personal training, poliquin, mobility (Ido Portal and Kelly Starrett), nutrition (Precision Nutrition), self study (anatomy and physiology sound fun!).
In the meantime, I welcome any tips / advice on developing as a coach and trainer.
Smile =)
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