That coach will begin by leading the class through a warm-up meant to target the muscle groups that will be used later on in the class. This means there will be a coach working with a group of athletes, generally for one hour. Here is what you can expect:įirst of all, going to CrossFit is taking a “class,” not a workout session on your own. But for someone new to CrossFit, that doesn’t tell you much. CrossFit, an IntroductionĪt a fundamental level, CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. I never did escape the lighthearted vegan jokes and I doubt I ever will, but I knew that their initial skepticism had been replaced by appreciation. Even though we ate differently, we still respected one another. By the time I traded in my PVC pipe for a barbell, the people surrounding me weren’t strangers anymore. Undeterred by the questions, I kept at it, showing up everyday without fail. They had every right to be curious, even cynical it’s not like there were many vegan athletes in eastern North Carolina. There was an initial surge of questions, predominantly about my protein intake, and there was some thinly veiled skepticism about my dietary choices. After all, I was the only plant-based practitioner at the gym. I don’t generally broadcast my veganism, but it didn’t take long for the word to get out. She even lent me her copy of Brendan Brazier’s Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life. When I broached the subject of plant-based nutrition, my coach barely skipped a beat, instantly tailoring her information to fit my needs. That week focused on the fundamental movements, training strategies, nutrition advice, and gave us ample time to ask all our questions. There were only three people in the class, including the coach. When I began my CrossFit career, I started with a week-long introductory course. They all started where you are now, strangers both to CrossFit and its community. CrossFitters are all human, just like you. Will they say that eating meat would solve all my problems?ĭon’t let your imagination get the better of you.Will they force me to do things I don’t feel ready for?.Will they laugh at me and call me “herbivore”?.Trust me, you aren’t the first person to ask yourself: Though hyperbolic, that vision speaks to some of the reasons why someone might dread experimenting with CrossFit. Hardly a positive learning environment for your average plant-based athlete, or anyone for that matter. You might be envisioning a cave-like, spartan warehouse populated with savage, overbuilt brutes, grunting and gnawing on slabs of meat as they lift draconian objects cast in cold, unforgiving steel and iron. Don’t Let Them Scare You Awayįor the uninitiated, venturing into a CrossFit gym may conjure intimidation, angst, and even a little fear. That journey taught me that, despite what everyone seems to think, plant-based athletes can not only survive in a CrossFit gym, but thrive as part of the community. I also discovered that I had an alarming appetite for sweet potatoes. Over the next two years, I became stronger, more flexible, healthier, and more coordinated than I had imagined possible. Despite a strong fitness background, I started from scratch, taking the week-long Foundations class for newbies and using beginner’s tools like a PVC pipe to ease in and learn proper form for many of my workouts. I officially became a walking stereotype when I paired my veganism with CrossFit in the fall of 2013. Hilarious, right? For the purpose of this article, I must talk about both.
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