That Crossfit Thing

Learning to speak the Crossfit language is as important as the workouts themselves

Amy Amerantes

I have a little secret. I secretly want to be a Crossfitter. By now, I’m sure you’ve all heard of this 14-year-old phenomenon - a strength and conditioning program that incorporates constantly varied functional movements of high-intensity interval training, Olympic-style weightlifting, plyometrics, gymnastics, powerlifting, mobility and other endurance and fitness focused movements. In other words, it’s an all-over systemic workout with an aim in improving endurance, flexibility, power, speed, stamina, agility and balance.

While there are a number of Crossfit boxes (the name of a Crossfit arena) to choose from in our state, I was excited to check out the new kid on the block, right in my hometown of Johnston. Crossfit Tolerance opened its 7,000 square foot facility a little over two months ago. Owner Justin Risk began his fitness journey back in college, graduating with an exercise science and nutrition degree, while playing football on both a collegiate level and semi-professional level shortly thereafter. He began competing in powerlifting competitions and eventually moved from football into the world of bodybuilding, becoming an AFAA certified personal trainer. After seven years into his training career, he realized that he was lacking the explosive, dynamic functional movements that he once engaged himself in. In an effort to move back into the fast-twitched world of high-endurance athletics, he looked to the advice of his friend Page Lockhart, a three-time Masters Crossfit Games veteran, and never looked back. Justin devoured the research and study of Crossift, interning at Reebok Crossfit ONE headquarters and learned from some of the best in the business before taking classes of his own and becoming certified as a coach, which eventually lead to the opening of Crossfit Tolerance.

I’ll admit that I was, for the first time before any workout, nervous when I stepped through the doors into the spacious, clean and aesthetically motivating box. My experience with Crossfit up until this point was minimal, and although I’ve done crossfit-style workouts, I hadn’t performed a lot of the movements that I was about to be exposed to. Their WODs (workout of the day) alone were in a language I hardly spoke. Even after three cups of coffee. But, I knew I wanted to learn and try, even if my first attempt left me needing five more to figure it out.

Justin showed me around and explained how his classes work. His programming focuses a lot on “threshold training,” which is working at 80% of your heart rate, or at the point right past where your mind is telling you that you’re at your max effort. He believes and teaches his athletes that it is your mind that will give out on you way before your body does. By training how to cross this mental block with proper and safe mechanics, progression will expedite because of the trust you have in your own body to perform what your mind allows it to. Threshold training teaches your body the safest and most efficient way to understand, “Forget tired.” Or, “You got this.” Or, “Next time, wear long socks when doing deadlifts.”

After our chat, we began with a good amount of isolated and specific muscle stretching. Working with a PVC pipe and resistance bands, we stretched our shoulders and back, as well as worked in some wrist flexibility movements. Next was the dynamic warm-up of pull-ups, handstand holds and kettlebell presses. Having been born from the bodybuilding world, I was able to crank out strict hanging pull-ups without a problem. But I was about to attempt my first Crossfit movement – the kipping pull-up.

A kipping pull-up (see video below) uses a full-body coordination movement in a “swinging” motion that allows more work to be done in a shorter time, resulting in an increased power output as you “shoot” yourself up to the bar. Justin explained in detail how to perform this move, using understandable cues and comparisons, walking me through it, one piece at a time. When I felt I had the swinging movement down, I attempted the power up. And I failed. At least five times. However, the more he talked me through it and coached my movements and thoughts about it, the more I understood. It was just getting my body used to acting in a way that it hadn’t before. As a result, I maybe got one or two. But it clicked and with practice, I know I will progress. I have a whole new respect for all the kippers out there.

The next portion of the WOD was muscle endurance, which included a series of one of my favorite moves - the deadlift. Deadlifts weren’t new to me, but the manner in which I performed them was. While I might work steady sets at the gym, this workout was a 21, 15, 9 unbroken reps at 70% of what my one rep max (the heaviest weight I can lift a deadlift up for one rep), with a varied (short) minute rests between those unbroken sets. When performed in this consistent manner, you’re not only working your strength, but muscle stamina as well. I loved every second of it. Maybe I couldn’t walk down stairs for a few days afterward, but that is nothing new to me. It also gave me a reason to not have to clean the first floor of my house.

The last portion of the workout was the “METCON,” or, metabolic conditioning. Again, I was entering new territory with the Olympic lifts I was about to work. With descriptive instruction and lots of practice, Justin coached me through the lifts. Yes, I looked like a floppy fish the first 50,000 times I tried to clean that (unweighted, training) barbell up off the ground. And my hips and footing weren’t always quite right, but with lots of repetition and continuous tweaking from the coach, I got the hang of it (and only then ran the series with some weight on the bar).

Cool-down and mobility movements end every class, and each class is different from day to day. What stands out about Crossfit Tolerance is that class size is small, capping at 12-15 people per coach, so that individualized attention and instruction is given at all times. My first Crossfit experience was nothing short of amazing, and Justin made it comfortable, enjoyable and understandable at all times. I appreciated that he scaled the workouts to my ability and knowledge, as he does with all of his athletes. While there are many misconceptions about Crossfit being a “cult” or that it is reckless, the reality is that it’s another fitness lifestyle that all ages can partake and progress in and, like with any other sport or athletic activity, with proper training and coaching, it’s a safe, ass-kicking and fun environment to keep your health on track.

Just be sure to wear long socks when you deadlift.

Crossfit Tolerance. 2C Morgan Mill Road, Johnston. 228-6991.