The WHY behind CrossFit

I have been a chiropractor for 12 ish years.  I have been on the chiropractic lifestyle for 16 years, and I have been concerned with my health for that same number.  Honestly, at 24, I did not care about my health.  At 25 it all changed, because of chiropractic.

So, that being said, I have been in pursuit of greater health for that entire time.  Obviously I have messed up at times, I am not saying that.  But I have still pursued this concept of health as a general goal.  So what is health?  The five pillars that Maximized Living use as a method to achieve it make sense to me.

1. Maximized Nerve Supply (spinal function)
2. Maximized Mind (peace, rest, relaxation and comfort with life)
3. Maximized Nutrition (this is all about getting the right stuff in)
4. Minimized Toxins (this is all about keeping the wrong stuff out)
5. and lastly, and our topic today Maximized Oxygen and Lean Muscle (exercise)

So why Oxygen?  Because deep breathing that is not forced, but is forced upon you, is the absolute best way to bring in more oxygen, into deeper darker places in your body, than through any other method.  A quick aside.  Have you heard that cancer dies in the presence of oxygen?  It is true.  Most cancers have no desire for oxygen, but prefer anaerobic and acidic environments.  If you are penetrating more tissue with oxygen, then you are at a reduced risk of cancer, period.

Ok, back on track.  Lean muscle, also an awesome predictor of health, according to studies published in the journal of aids and retrovirus, as well as the journal of sports medicine, it is the number one predictor of survival.  Above all measures, and another study in the journal of aids and retrovirus also said that phase angle (measured by the BIA that we do in our office for only $15), is the number one predictor of long term potential of aids patients (better than T-Killer Cells).  Phase angle has a direct correlation to muscle mass.

So my point, you need to be working out.  Stop making excuses, and start working out.  And do it seriously, hard, with intention and love.  Wait, what was that?  Love.  Love your workout?  What a ridiculous notion.  Well, it was to me for a number of years.  Actually, all the way up to the point where I became a personal trainer (this was during my second years in college, while I was working towards my Doctorate degree, as well as my Masters in Exercise Physiology at the same time).

I decided to use my knowledge, so I got a personal training certification, and went out and got some customers.  I realied how boring workouts were, so I began to “program” workouts that were timed intervals.  And all of this came before CrossFit.  But I was sport specific.  So for example, for myself, I would do these squat workouts where I would put a 135# barbell on my back, and do squats for 60 seconds at the fastest pace I could (usually I would do 20-25).  Then I would re-rack the barbell, wait two minutes, then do it again.  This was to mimic hockey periods.  Where I would work hard for 1 minute, then rest for two.

Made sense to me, but I failed to realize that I was almost on to something.  It wasn’t until 6 years later, when I found CrossFit, that I realized what the missing pieces were.  First, back to the love your workout thing.  I was enjoying the workouts that I was doing from 2000 until 2006.  They were pretty interesting, varied, and decently intense.  But when I found CrossFit, it all changed.  I became really interested in the WOD (workout of the day).  I found myself wondering what tomorrow’s WOD would be, checking the web site looking for a post.  Waiting for an inkling of what torture I would put my self through the next day.

But that is just it, there are hundreds of thousands of people out there now, who are dying to put themselves through the same.  I call it torture, but it is elation.  Why?

Because for the first time in most people’s existence, they have a workout, that tortures their bodies, but pleases their minds… they actually love it.

What would you give, to have a situation where you are dying to get out of work to go work out.  VS the usual, “I am so beat after work, how could I ever go work out?”  For seven and a half years, I have found the most amazing thing, a desire to be fit, for the simple reason, of the desire to go do the workout.  Other desires come to fruition… be healthier, have less cancer risk, have greater growth hormone levels, thus better healing. Increase serum levels of thiol, thus reduce aging (this also happens just from being adjusted), and increase serotonin, and sensitivity to leptin, driving body weight down, and fun things like libido up.

We just opened up CrossFit Bridgemill.  And many of you have already jumped in to enjoy the two free weeks we are giving there.  Which is great, I am sure you will love it.  But for many of you, that is a ridiculous hike.  But you need to try CrossFit, simple.  If you aren’t in the Bridgemill area, then go to our other gyms.  CrossFit Towne Lake, The Garage.  I will give anyone who wants it (in the next two weeks) a free week at either of those gyms, to work out as often as you want, and to feel the love.

CrossFit is expensive compared to other gyms, but to call it expensive is ridiculous.  Caviar as a source of nourishment is expensive.  CrossFit is actually economical.  Why?  Reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke, cancer and diabetes, the whole time loving life and being able to do more, be more confident, and be more confident in your clothes.  Uhhhh, hmmmm… what is that worth?  Everyone who tries and sticks at this, gets results.

But look at the difference in the model.  A CrossFit gym costs $150 a month or more, but the reason is simple.  Anytime fitness, around the corner from my new gym, has a goal of as many members as possible.  They are hoping for that, but then praying that they never show up at the same time.  Why?  Because there is no way they could accommodate all of their members in one day.  So they keep selling, and selling, and they don’t care if people are coming or not.

A CrossFit gym is banking on you coming.  They want you to come, because they want you to get results.  Our model at Bridgemill is that we will close the doors to any newcomers once we hit 220 members.  Period.  You just say “that’s it, we’re full, sorry”.  Because we will have our hands full managing and giving our effort to 220 people.

One thing I have said to people about the cost.  I have never had anyone leave our gym saying, “it isn’t worth it”.  But i have had people leave saying “I couldn’t find it in my budget”.  Well, your budget stinks then.  Seriously.  Somehow quantify your cable tv over this?  Or a phone?  An iPhone?  Really?  More important?  Your 5 maximized living essentials should all come before the car, the phone, the tv, the vacation, and the clothes.

If you cannot understand why your health is worth that much, then you will surely lose your health prematurely.

Come join us!  Email Bridgemill, The Garage, or Towne Lake today!

Addition, Obesity is a Disease according to this study!  READ IT HERE

 

Be well and Blessed! – Dr. E