The only time it's ok to post pictures of your girlfriend on the internet.

The first thing I thought when I started CrossFit was, “Don’t make a fool of yourself on the first day and throw up all over the place”. The second thing I thought was, “Who is this Greg guy and how does he complete these workouts so fast?” But the third thing I thought, and probably the most important of all, was, “Where are all the chicks at? This workout is the perfect thing to ‘build their confidence’ (i.e. get arms like Cameron Diaz, get rid of that pesky back fat, see their abs, tighten their butt, lose the cankles)”

But just like their skinny fat, these girls’ excuses as to why they wanted to stay on the elliptical and not lift weight were totally worthless. I can totally understand if someone loves going to the 24 Hour Fitness, waiting in line for a cardio machine, doing an hour of ellipticing (I just invented that word) while watching reruns of Next Top Model and hating everyone around them for no reason. If that gets you to your desired level of fitness, fantastic! CrossFit has nothing to offer you. On the other hand, if you hate your gym and only go because you like to say you worked out for the day, then don’t complain about not seeing results.

“Lifting weights is too manly. I don’t want to grow big muscles”

Good point, lifting weights IS manly, so why don’t you go knit me a sweater and bake me a pie and not talk so much? Lifting weight is considered good fitness. Guys try to put on muscle mass by lifting super heavy weights, eating ungodly amounts of protein, taking supplements and staying away from any type of metabolic conditioning. Oh and they have more testosterone which aids in muscle growth (and brain growth since our brains are 3 times the size of females. Don’t blame me, it’s science). I would say it’s just about impossible that a girl could come in to CrossFit and leave looking like Serena Williams. What is going to happen, is that you are going to start shedding excess body fat and start hardening up your muscle. You will become more tone and have a butt you can bounce a quarter, and I do mean a 25 lbs plate, off of. Your confidence will shoot through the roof and your goals will change from arms like Cameron Diaz to PRing (personal record) in your deadlift or push press or overhead squat. You will feel great and the desire for overall great fitness will be the driving force. Looking good will just be a byproduct.

Meet my girlfriend, Jen, in the picture above. She started doing Crossfit after she got sick of hearing me talking about PRs, DLs, Fran times, AMRAPS, MetCons, 5×3’s, Overhead Squats and how positive my gym was. She started Crossfit in June, but really started to turn up the intensity in July and switched to the Paleo Diet. The picture above was taken after 3 months of CrossFit and 2 months of strict Paleo diet. She works out at Orange Coast CrossFit because she lives down in the OC. Her gym owner, Justin Flynn, is a great guy and welcomed her in to their CrossFit family. Of course she was intimated at first, but the beauty of CrossFit is that it everyone is so encouraging. Jen has been working hard and increased her deadlift to over 200 lbs, got her first pull-up, backsquats her body weight and push presses 100 lbs. She’s so happy when she PRs in a workout and so dedicated to set goals for herself after a disappointing one. She knows the difference between a snatch, jerk and a clean. Her weight only dropped by 5 lbs, but her body has changed significantly. None of her clothes fit anymore and her posture is so much better. Today, out of a gym of 85 members, she won the Paleo Challenge at Orange Coast CrossFit.

Yes, I am proud of her. Not because she won the challenge, but because she is even more motivated now to set bigger goals for herself. CrossFit isn’t P90X where it ends after 3 months. CrossFit really doesn’t even start until 3 months into it. We set goals for ourselves, no matter how miniscule, and go after them with fierce intensity. If you are thinking of starting, do it now. If you have taken a break, we welcome you back with open arms. If you are only coming once a week, step it up. There really is no excuse.