TOP 10 REASONS CROSSFITTERS ARE HAPPY

Do these CrossFitters look unhappy?

CrossFitters are passionate about their sport. We want to talk about it endlessly, post   pictures and updates of the latest workout on social media, and spend hours perusing articles and videos that might help us finally get that elusive muscle-up. CrossFitters think it is the bomb.com, and we want everyone else to think so to.

This morning I stumbled upon a blog post entitled, “5 Reasons I’m About to Join CrossFit, Even Though I am Terrified.” You can find it here: http://hellogiggles.com/5-reasons-im-about-to-join-crossfit-even-though-im-terrified. Here’s the part that stuck with me:

“It seems, to this fascinated observer at least, that a bunch of people have branded CrossFit to be some brain-washing, workout-fanatic, hard core, no-nonsense cult which, realistically, can result in an unsafe and agonizing experience. So, why are people who CrossFit so happy?”

The author is correct. CrossFitters are for the most part happy, upbeat people. If you CrossFit, and you aren’t, you are probably doing something wrong. I have always thought that CrossFit attracts a certain personality type. You have to have something special inside you to be willing to work so hard. But what is it about CrossFit that makes us so dadgum happy?

Here are my unscientific, untested TOP 10 REASONS CROSSFITTERS ARE HAPPY:

I’d be happy too if I could lift like Chris.

1. CrossFit is measurable. Who likes to run in place? Well, besides those who are still doing so on the globo gym treadmill. It is human nature to want to see progress. Just like we measure progress in our jobs by our titles or salaries, everything we do in CrossFit is measurable. Whether it is a new strength PR, a faster WOD time, a drop in body fat percentage, there is a tremendous sense of satisfaction knowing you are improving.
2. It makes you better in life. CrossFit is based around functional movements, meaning movements that you use in your everyday life. Once you start CrossFitting, squatting to pick up your child’s blanket while holding him becomes easier. Deadlifting the case of water from the bottom of the grocery cart is a breeze. Carrying a Rogue 12’ upright for your pull-up rig off the UPS truck to the amazement of the driver is no problem. CrossFit just makes you better.
3. You are a member of the coolest club ever. There are no age, weight, fitness, or secret handshake requirements in CrossFit. It is available to anyone with the cojones to walk through the door. The only requirement is your willingness to work hard… at whatever level “working hard” means to you. If you do that, you will be accepted into the most amazing community of people I know. You will gain a new vernacular, using words such as “snatch” and “burpees” as often as you can. You will totally rethink your sense of fashion, opting for neon-colored Nanos, crazy-printed knee socks, and anything with an “Omega” symbol on it. And the best part- the members of your CrossFit gym will be doing the same things with you so that it becomes “cool,” instead of just “weird.”
4. 

   More CrossFitters… who look happy doing CrossFit!

   You get to meet people who don’t look like you. It is amazing how CrossFit brings people together. Through CrossFit, you may find yourself friends with athletes ranging in ages from 18 to 80. You will meet people from different backgrounds, different races, and different socio-economic brackets. Some pretty wonderful people have come into my life through CrossFit that I would have never ordinarily crossed paths with. It has made my life so much richer to get out of my social “comfort zone” and meet people from all walks of life. This is one of the by-products of CrossFit that I am most grateful for.

5. The camaraderie. In a CrossFit gym, you are surrounded by people who give you high-fives, who shout encouragement, who may even finish a workout with you if you are struggling. Last time I went to a group fitness class outside of CrossFit, I stood there with a smile plastered on my face, pretending to be in deep thought, while I waited for the class to begin. The instructor did not know my name. None of the participants spoke to each other. You did the class, and you left. I guarantee you will not find that atmosphere at any CrossFit gym. With the encouragement you find in a CrossFit gym, you can’t help but leave happy!
6. It is a sport… And you can play it too! CrossFit bills itself as the “sport of fitness.” Of course there are the CrossFit Games, but there are also hundreds of local competitions where the “average Joe” can have a shot at the podium. Competitions are open to anyone from the elite to the beginner. If you are not ready for an individual competition, there is usually a team division too. You want to have a good time? Go to a local competition with a group from your gym. You will most likely end up surprising yourself by how well you do (progress!), and you will really get to know your fellow gym members (camaraderie!).
7. 

   CrossFit Elite Athletes- they’re just like us!

   It’s elite athletes are REAL people. While we are talking about the competitive side of CrossFit, let me point out that its elite athletes are just like you and me. They are fireman, teachers, nurses, parents. There are no egos at the elite level of CrossFit (yet!). The athletes are accessible and interact with us regular folk. Just take a look at their Twitter or Facebook feeds. We may perform at entirely different levels, but if we’re doing it right, my 95-pound clean should feel as difficult to me as Talayna’s 135-pound clean feels to her (well, maybe…). That’s what makes watching the CrossFit Games so much fun! We can relate to the top athletes in our sport.

8. You are doing something good for yourself.  The older we get, the less time we take for ourselves. CrossFit is one hour of YOU time. You are the one that has to show up. You are the one that has to work hard. And I promise you will be the one that leaves feeling awesome because you did something good for yourself. You are also doing something not everyone is willing to do which adds it’s own sense of pride. Unlike a restaurant or a store, you will never leave a CrossFit gym feeling guilty… unless you sandbagged the WOD.
9. It will get you in the best shape of your life. Whether you want to become an elite athlete or you just want to look good naked, there is no other program out there that will get you there like CrossFit. I have done every fitness program out there (except Zumba which scares the poop out of me), run multiple marathons, and done triathlons. Nothing has gotten me in better shape more than one hour per day, five days a week of CrossFit. NOTHING!
10. It is FUN… in some strange, sick way. The bottom line is that CrossFit is fun. Sure, it can be brutal at times, testing your physical capabilities. Some of us think that’s actually a way to have a good time. But if you walk into a CrossFit gym, check your ego at the door, perform at your level (not the hot chick’s next to you), you may just find that CrossFit can be fun.

So what do you think? Why are we CrossFitters such a happy bunch? If I left something out, comment below as to why CrossFit makes you happy.