I cried at Crossfit.
There are somethings that I’m just not good at, and weight training is one of them. Give me body weight workouts all day, I’ll take you all on – burpees, wall balls, push-ups, whatever – but weights, no way.
In class last night at Everproven, we worked on thrusters, basically squatting with your barbell and weights, then as you stand up, bringing it all the way above your head with your elbows locked out.
In my intro class, I had a quick “this one is the women’s bar, this one is the men’s bar” introduction to the equipment, but I never understood the difference, which is probably why I panic during class when we work on weights. (I’m also pretty sure no one will let me use a trainer bar even though I really need it, and I’m too scared to ask for the lighter bar.)
During class, all the women run for the bars and I’m left at the back of the pack trying to figure out what I can carry from what’s left. Which is exactly how I ended up with a men’s bar (if I recall, there’s about a 10 pound difference).
I was struggling with thrusters using the men’s bar and an addition 20 pounds (minimum weight I could put on it to get the bar off the ground at the right level), when my instructor came over and asked how I was doing.
“I’m not strong enough.” I was already frustrated and could feel my chest getting heavy and my eyes watering. I was embarrassed.
He smiled and very politely informed me that I was using the wrong bar – which I had no idea – then went off to find me a woman’s bar. Luckily, the man working out behind me was using a women’s bar, felt guilty and gave me his. (Sorry, didn’t mean to out you for using the wrong one.) Even just the little weight difference helped, but there was no way I was going to be able to do the ladder of 2-4-6-8-10-8-6-4-2 thrusters. (Do 2 thrusters, rest. Do 4 thrusters, rest. Do 6 thrusters, rest… etc.)
I was muscling up the weight by the end of it and only made it to to the first set of 6 in 18 minutes. I was so disappointed in myself and as everyone started packing up their weights, I could feel the tears welling up inside of me. Horrible, I just felt horrible. I was nowhere near anyone else’s efforts, not even getting up the ladder.
So by the time we started discussing the WOD, I was out of it, mentally checked out. It should have been a piece of cake for me, but I struggled through the jumpropes, the lunges, and the burpees, finishing just shy of the start of my fifth and final round. Yes, not everyone finished, but had I had my head in it, I would have killed it, especially since the jumproping – even doign singles – I picked up any time I lost during my sloth-like burpees.
I finished in my fourth round after finishing the sixth burpee of that round. I was four burpees away from starting my fifth round. So close, but I just couldn’t do it.
So I’m frustrated, friends. Frustrated. And I won’t be able to get back to class until saturday morning at the earliest. Wish me luck, because I’m panicking and pretty sure I’m in need of one-on-one training.
WOD 1.20.15
5 Rounds, 18 minute cap
30 double unders or 90 single under jumpropes
30 plate lunges (holding a 25 lb weight over your head, 15 forward lunges per leg)
10 burpees
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