Friday, February 1, 2013

Cross fit: A Personal Story

Sara Urban, a 27 year old mother and current CrossFit coach, has an inspirational weight loss story and found her love for fitness on her journey to good health. Since 2010, Sara has lost 85 pounds and has fallen in love with CrossFit.  She is a competitive participant in CrossFit competitions and has set a goal of qualifying for the CrossFit Fittest Games. I recently interviewed Sara in an effort to gain a better understanding for her new found passion.
1. What is CrossFit?
CrossFit describes its strength and conditioning program as “constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement, with the stated goal of improving fitness (and therefore general physical preparedness). Workouts are typically short—20 minutes or less—and intense, demanding all-out physical exertion. They combine movements such as sprinting, rowing, jumping rope, climbing rope, flipping tires, weightlifting, carrying heavy objects, and many bodyweight exercises.  These elements are mixed in numerous combinations to form prescribed "Workouts of the Day" or "WODs". Hour-long classes at affiliated gyms, or "boxes," typically include a warm-up, a skill development segment, the high-intensity WOD, and a period of individual or group stretching. Performance on each WOD is often scored and/or ranked to encourage competition and to track individual progress.
2. What's one thing people should know about CrossFit?
CrossFit is for EVERYONE! Yes, you can watch the CrossFit Games on ESPN and think there is no way I could do that but that’s the beauty of CrossFit. It is universally scalable for any and all fitness levels. We have competitive athletes and 60-year old grandmothers working out in the same classes. It truly is a beautiful thing and it changes people's lives in ways you can't even imagine.
3. What is your favorite quote that keeps you going?
You’re stronger than you think you are.” I know it is cheesy, but it is true. Always remember that you can run a little farther or longer, lift a little heavier, and you really don’t need that break like you think you do. Push yourself; you will surprise yourself with doing things you never thought you could.
Sara is currently a CrossFit coach at Boomfit in College Station, Texas.  She inspires others to find their passion for fitness and sets a great example for people struggling with weight loss.


4 comments:

  1. Great story! I love the before & after photos because it shows the power and effectiveness of the CrossFit training! Way to go, Sara!

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  2. The difference is day and night! Crossfire is an incredibly intense exercise regimen, but the rewards far outweigh the costs. It's perhaps one of the most accessible and customizable workout anyone can do. I love the display of prowess and power and such self confidence she exudes in the red top. She just seems so much happier and I'm pretty sure she can more than keep up with her little tikes.

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  3. Wow! What a powerful personal story of your sister. This makes me want to go out and find a Cross Fit class here in town. How do you qualify for the CrossFit Games? Is there several areas to qualify or just a select few? When qualifying for the games can you qualify for different events or is it just one big event? In this blog you discuss how we can watch the CrossFit games on ESPN and I would love to watch the games and see what this is all about but what time of the year can I expect the games to air? Thank you for sharing your sister’s story it’s very inspirational.

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  4. I started going to crossfit about two months ago and I am hooked! I was surprised to find that crossfit really is for anyone and everyone who is looking to get into shape. As you mentioned, it can be pretty intimidating to try crossfit after watching the crossfit games on television, of even after looking on the internet for more information about crossfit classes. In my classes, I have met several people over the age of 50, who have not ever considered themselves as active, but after joining crossfit and being consistent, they are as successful as the younger athletes. Many just starting a workout regimen are not familiar with weight training, but may will find that crossfit is a great source for learning the proper techniques used when working with weights, as they really put emphases on completing movements correctly, rather than just doing as many as possible.

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