How Crossfit Changed My Life

Ahhh, yes. Right out of the gates I'm making the typical "crossfitter" post. According to the population who don't crossfit, those who do crossfit have nothing else to talk about, except how great crossfit really is. The truth of it all lies behind the fact that we DO always talk about it because it has become a way of life. Choosing to live this lifestyle has changed my life for the better in so many ways, so why would I choose not to talk about where all the positivity in my life is stemming from!

Nemesis Strength and Conditioning, Arizona

Joining a crossfit gym has changed my life in the following ways:

1. It has forced me to be more sociable.

To some, that may sound like a bad thing, but for me it was everything I needed. Growing up, I was always shy and allowed myself to suffer from social anxiety. I never had large groups of friends and never really appreciated being around large masses of people. I think I owe this all to my boyfriend, Tim. He always pushes me to go beyond my realm of comfort, he is the reason I started crossfit in the first place. This may seem more like a personal triumph, and in part it is, but joining my gym made me realize that I was completely missing out on all the amazing people that came into my life. Breaking out of my comfort zone and becoming more open with others has done marvelous things for my life and I couldn't be more appreciative.

    2. It has showed me I'm capable of more than I assume.

Crossfit and lifting weights in general, is a very intimidating thing for a lot of people. I used to be one of those people. My boyfriend had been attending our gym for years before I started going. Over the course of those years I built up this fake intimidation that I would never be able to do the things crossfitters do. I would always watch with a desire, but allowed the intimidation to hold me back from joining. In December of 2014, I promised Tim that I would finally go with him, and at first it was harder than I could have imagined. There were days where I felt down because I couldn't do things the way everyone else was doing. But, I stuck with it even on days I wanted to lay down and cry; who am I kidding, I still want to do that some days! I kept grinding, kept practicing, kept pushing myself and now I'm amazed at how far I've come in a year. I can do things that I never thought I would ever accomplish. I always have to remind myself that there is always more room for improvement, always more room to make myself be better than I was yesterday and that is an extremely triumphant feeling.

    3. It has made me mentally stronger.

Crossfit is no easy game. It's some of the hardest shit you will ever do in your life. The only way to go, is up, and that takes a lot of perseverance and a strong mentality. When I began my journey, I didn't really have dedication or motivation. I had no interest in competing with myself or even improving, because I was weak mentally. I never practiced, never pushed myself, didn't allow myself to see a better, stronger me. I would quit during workouts, make excuses and feeble attempts at actually pushing myself. A little more than a year later, I can't go a day in the gym without practicing the things I need improvement on. I can't quit mid-workout because the guilt will eat at me for the rest of the day, knowing I could have done much better. The gym forged my mentality to be where it needed to be to eat right and not eat like shit. Without the new found strength, I would be horrendously failing at everything I have allowed my life to transform into for the sake of living a fit life. 

   4. It gave me the confidence I needed.

Over the course of my on-going four year relationship, I gained unwanted weight. I was embarrassed and struggled for a long time with hating who I was and what I looked like, and to be completely honest I still struggle with it, but on a much more positive note than I did before. Crossfit has given me confidence and self-esteem that I lost and never thought I would get back again. My body has changed in so many positive ways that I can't count. I no longer depend and allow my day to be determined by numbers on a scale because they are so trivial compared to the changes that are happening right in front of my own eyes. I carry myself with more gratitude for who I am. I feel the confidence that I used to in my relationship, before my weight gain. More importantly, I've began to love who I am again and have been able to store all the negative things I've made myself believe about my body away for good. That's better than anything I could have ever hoped for.

   5. It gave me a new family I never knew I needed.

The best all of all of these improvements in my life is that I gained a family. They are all people who I can trust and I know will always be there to push me and lift me up even when I think I can't do it. I couldn't be happier or more proud of them as we all continue to grow and succeed together. They have all become people I wouldn't want to live my life without and nothing beats that. So here is to Nemesis family for pushing me to be stronger than I was yesterday and for being the best friends and family anyone could ask for.

Barbells for Boobs, 2014

Just a side note here:

My gym, Nemesis Strength and Conditioning will be participating in the Tillman run in Phoenix. If you're unaware of who Pat Tillman is, or why this even is happening, you can read all about it at: http://pattillmanfoundation.org. 

We have a team fundraiser page going, so if you feel you'd like to donate to our team you can do so at:
https://www.crowdrise.com/nemesispattillmanfoundationfundraiser