A Crossfit Body: The Female Side

That is me, needing oxygen I am sure in a Crossfit workout

I want to talk about Crossfit, and the way it changes
the female body. For those who don't know me, I am a female, I do Crossfit, my body has been changed from Crossfit, I see a lot of other women who have similar changes in their bodies due to Crossfit, and I need to get out my feelings about it.

When I first started doing Crossfit, I told my coach that I didn't want to come to a lot of the WOD's that require upper body because I didn't want to get "too buff" (current Cross-fitters hold your tongues). This is coming from a girl who's dad is a national bodybuilding competitor and who was born with his genes. I am the definition of a mesomorph. I literally can look at weights and gain muscle. For a guy that might sound really awesome, but coming from a personal training background, and hearing many male trainers nitpick women's physique, I have always been very careful about my workout routine so I wouldn't get "too buff" and lose my feminine figure.

A shoot I had done right before I started doing Crossfit.

As I got more and more into Crossfit, of course, I started gaining muscle. I couldn't really skip out on WOD's with upper body, because they were all full body workouts. I tried to skimp out on weight, but my coach wanted me to challenge myself (mostly because he knew I really did want to challenge myself). He would also send me lots of articles about women and positive views on having muscle. I started getting comments from my clients about how ripped I was getting (not thinking they may have been meaning that in a GOOD way), and even ended up crying one night after my boyfriends best bud called me buff for the 8th time that night, and swore he meant it in a good way. I was insecure about my body and what others thought of my developing figure. However, I couldn't stop Crossfit. I was hooked. I left Crossfit feeling accomplished, feeling strong and beautiful, and most importantly, FIT. It didn't feel right to stop doing something I loved because of what others thought of my body.

Also right before I started Crossfit.

I never felt FIT after staying on the stairstepper for 45 minutes. I just felt mentally strong for being able to suffer on something so boring for that long. Lifting weights was always good, but I knew I always could have gone harder, and most of the lifts I did weren't functional at all. Not to mention how extremely upset I was after my month long study of doing nothing but the stairstepper.
I was trying to see for myself whether or not HIIT training was actually necessary to lose body fat, and did nothing but the stairstepper, every day for 5 days a week, for 1 month. Guess what? Zero percent body fat lost. I even had a clean diet. Not saying that any average person wouldn't lost fat if they followed this program, but I didn't see any results (despite my butt getting pretty damn toned).

The first workout I did in Crossfit literally knocked me on my ass. It was 3 rounds for time of 12 burpees and 12 thrusters (a movement where you do a front squat and then stand up to a push-press). I just about died. How could this be? I do level 20 on the stairstepper for 45 minutes at a time! After that I was hooked. The workouts in Crossfit force you to push yourself to new limits. My workouts were no longer mundane - I didn't have time to think about what I was going to do after my workout, or read a magazine while exercising. My goal was to finish the workout as fast as I could while maintaining good form (like a race). The workouts are short, intense, functional, and my fitness level soared. Not to mention I got to work out with a bunch of other people too. There is zero discrimination between men and women, and although the weight recommendations are different, the workout stays the same for both.

Crossfit has started. I am now a caveman, lifting stones! 

Here is the conclusion I have come to, and how I have made peace with my body through all of this. Since I have started doing Crossfit on a regular basis (4 months), I have lost 4% body fat. I weigh 9lbs. less than when I started. I have abs, I lost some of my boobs, but I gained a butt (yay for squats). I can eat whatever I want and not gain weight (although I do eat mostly healthy). I can move heavy things by myself, carry all my groceries in on one trip, beat guys in push-up competitions at parties, and look FIT. There will always be people out there who judge the bodies of others. There will always be people who say you are too skinny, too fat, too buff, too pale, blah blah blah. But truly, the people out there who talk about others bodies that way are insecure with themselves. I know because I used to do the same thing.

Some shirts I made for Hypepower.

After doing Crossfit I can truly say that the pleasure I get after completing a workout I didn't think I could do is completely worth my muscles. I no longer have issues when people call me buff. Instead I say, "Thank-you! I've been trying!" Crossfit has developed character in me and built confidence in my abilities as a person. This is not to say that I am trying to be the next competitor up in my dads bodybuilding competitions, or even thinking about training for the Crossfit games. I most definitely am not. And I will not say I don't watch what I eat at all either. I eat very clean and stick to meat, fish, veggies, some fruit, and practically zero grains and sugars. I know for a fact that women who work out hard and/or do Crossfit, who are also following a clean diet, look amazing. Anyone in the fitness industry will tell you that diet is 80% of the equation. I have seen too many people work their butts off trying to lose weight, but because they didn't eat right they never saw their weight go down. There are 2 parts to the equation. Don't overlook the diet.

Watching my first Crossfit competition and
was blown away! Outside playing after the
competitors were finished. 

When it comes down to it, DO WHAT YOU LOVE! We were all born with passions of our own, and to cheat ourselves of moving our bodies the way we want because of the way we may look is weird and really unnatural. If you like to dance, dance. If you like to swim, do yoga, hike, mountain bike, lift weights, body-build, or do the stairstepper every time you are at the gym, cool, do it. If you like to Crossfit, do it. People can talk all the crap they want about your body, but in the big realm of things, that is incredibly sad on their part. They are the ones who are the most insecure, and that is a big thing to come to terms with. If you think your body is beautiful, it IS! It does amazing things for you, and confidence is contagious. 

On a much bigger note though, everyone should workout in their own way because of the way it makes you feel first and foremost, not because of how it makes your body look. I don't think women have to be below a certain body fat percentage to be considered sexy, and I don't believe any sort of extreme is good one way or the other. But for goodness sake, be fit to be fit. Find exercise you like to do and do it. Do it for the simple enjoyment of moving and for the hundreds of different health benefits. Exercise for the way you will feel when you are 80. For the diseases it will prevent, and the strength it builds for your immune system. Exercise to live a life that FEELS good. The body will come as a result.

Well in to Crossfit training. This is me and my
boyfriend doing some fun fitness shots. 

Over the last few days I have read quite a few articles written by women "owning" their bodies, or saying they enjoy new mottos that say strong is the new sexy, only to write IN THE SAME ARTICLE that they feel the women who represent the ads are too buff or too lean. Don't get me wrong, I support these women writers stepping out and owning their bodies, but is this not doing the same thing that they feel others are doing to them? Enough with the judging! Calling someone too lean, too cut, too buff, or too unrealistic is still coming down on their bodies. If you are eating clean, working out on a regular basis and enjoying it, and are in love with the way YOU look, then nothing else should need to be said. If you feel like those ads are unrealistic, make your own ads with your own pictures. BE THE CHANGE, work to INSPIRE other women to be happy with their own bodies, and don't put anyone down. Keep in mind that the people who you love the most in your life right now could lose or gain 100 lbs. tomorrow and you would still love them. If you love your body and are at peace with it, then you will have much more energy to give to others who you love. Worrying that your body doesn't look like someone else's is a complete waste of time and kills all motivation. Not to mention it is not being true to yourself.

A current photo of myself, about to go out dancing.
I have muscles, but can still rock a red dress.
Most importantly, I feel..... good. 

I can truly say that I have never been happier with my body, and it is because of my mindset. I have more energy than ever before, I have tone and definition, I have a crazy fast metabolism due to my new muscle, and I see myself getting stronger and faster every day in my workouts. That is what keeps me going. RESULTS. I eat good, I drink on occasion, I try to sleep when I can, and I teach my clients to exercise for their health, their mind, and their own personal goals. Never once have I encouraged a client by saying, "do it to burn off that Christmas dinner you ate last night!". No - do it because you love yourself. Do it because it makes you feel good, and if you feel good you make others feel good. I love my body, and I love all the other bodies out there too. Women are beautiful, and I really believe there is nothing that a women can do to make her body look unattractive if she takes care of herself.

There is my rant. Thanks for reading.