Dani Cirignano

Women Who CrossFit: What to Expect

This is where I tell you how CrossFit surpassed my health and fitness expectations beyond anything I could have imagined.

I’ll start here: I’m a yoga enthusiast. I’ve taught for seven years, and practiced for fifteen. To say I was skeptical about trying CrossFit was an understatement. I was curious after a friend started and wouldn’t stop talking about how much it was changing her life. Did I mention she looked amazing? I remained unsure. I didn’t want to “bulk up.” I’d heard rumors that CrossFit was cult-like, having heard plenty of people disregard CrossFit people as having “drunk the Kool-Aid.” Plus, yoga was so zen-like, and promised a connection between mind and body: how would I ever get that type of fulfillment in a gym environment, with Top-40 music blasting and the sound of barbells dropping all around?

But it was also true that something needed to change. After being the same size and shape since junior high, in my mid-twenties I gained thirty-five pounds seemingly overnight. I was so confused. I was “healthy.” I practiced a strong style of yoga six days per week. I ate mostly vegetables. I slept well. I had left the college partying lifestyle behind me years before. I had changed absolutely nothing in my habits, and yet—this weight gain. What was going on?

I visited my doctor to rule out anything out of the ordinary. I learned a ton about hormones in women, and how set-points in weight can shift, and how it can become more difficult to lose weight the older we get. I gathered all the information I could, but all the information in the world wouldn’t magically disappear the extra pounds. This did a number on my self-esteem, not to mention my wallet when I needed to go out and buy a whole new closet-full of clothes.

So I decided to give CrossFit a shot, and now I’ll never look back.

Five Reasons Why Women Should Try CrossFit:

Confidence. I’ll admit I started CrossFit with an aesthetic goal in mind. I was tired of feeling self-conscious about gaining weight, and I wanted to fit back into my cute clothes! However, the more I practiced, the more these superficial goals became secondary, especially when I considered how much I was gaining by way of confidence. There I was, lifting my bodyweight, measuring my progress over time, and surprising myself by how incredibly competent I actually was. A world of boldness opened up to me when I realized I could make what was once impossible possible. And, nothing compares to experiencing the power of your body. I found myself naturally standing taller, and moving through the world with my head literally held more high. My aesthetic goals remain, but it’s so much more fun working to reach those goals after truly understanding that my body is capable of so much more than simply looking good in a bikini.

Strength. In a culture that is constantly asking women to be smaller, to fit into a very specific image of what is considered beautiful, it is revolutionary to take up space, to push your limits. You will become skilled in the gym, and, you’ll be better at everything in your life—from carrying groceries, to lifting your kids, to handling whatever comes at you, with focus and determination. Also: there is no sweeter feeling than that low-grade persistent soreness that reminds you of all your badassery.

Resiliency. Here’s the truth: I have been practicing CrossFit for just shy of two years, and I still cannot do a pull-up. I’m getting closer every day, and, there’s still a long way to go. I say this because something interesting happens when a person continues to show up day after day, week after week, month after month. Something interesting happens when you fail at something a million times, and keep trying. You learn how to get good at failing. You learn how to dust yourself off and get right back to it. You learn to appreciate, even enjoy, the process that is becoming a better version of yourself. Hopefully I don’t need to tell you that these are all skills that translate helpfully into all the parts of your life outside the gym.

Ego-check. Yes, you will learn to leave your ego at the door. You will be outrun, out-lifted, out-jumped, out-pulled, out-pushed by pretty much everyone, especially at the beginning. You will need to be diligent with form or you will hurt yourself. You will attempt to lift things you have no business lifting. You will rock a particular skill in a workout one day, only to feel like you have two left feet the next. You will also find that over time, when your ego isn’t running the show, in that sweet spot where you can get out of your own way, in that space, you have never felt more alive.

Community. I saved the best for last. The greatest part of all of this is the other bad-ass women working just as hard, right there alongside you. They’ll be there to help you up when you are on the floor, out of breath after a particularly tough workout. They’ll be there to cheer you on and celebrate you when you lift something big, or hit a new goal. And, they’ll be there for you outside of the gym: these women will become some of your best friends.