Imagine my surprise walking into a beautiful gym with amazing views of Table Mountain; windows all around and a vast open workout area. Completely different to the busy, often bruising, gym environment I am used to.
Jobst, the only level two qualified CrossFit* coach in the country, took me through an introduction on how it all started, and then introduced me to the other coach Roland. The two guys seemed to know their stuff, judging by their
qualifications, but once the niceties were out the way, things got a little less nice afterwards…
Every student gets taken through an 'introduction', which is timed to give the coach and idea of your fitness level – from this he'll be able to know how far to push you and also track your progress. My torturous introduction went as follows: 500m row (on a rowing machine), 40 squats, 30 sit ups, 20 pushups and 10 pull ups. Sound easy? Not so much. Before CrossFit I'd been going to gym pretty regularly, so the introduction didn't scare me too much. (Well, apart from the pull ups.) I climbed onto the rower as Jobst counted me down and pulled away with gusto. After what felt like at least an hour I was breathless as I struggled to free my feet from the straps.
Now while you're allowed to catch your breath as often as you like, the clock never stops. So I quickly moved on to the squats and then pushups. Cutting corners when I'm exhausted has become a habit, and I was more than pleased to not hear Jobst shout 'that one didn't count', especially after my chest didn't quite touch the floor during the last few pushups – see there are advantages to having big boobs. By the time I was rigged for the pull ups, I was ready to roll over and do nothing but breathe.
In reality the introduction workout lasted just short of 15 minutes. Not in my mind though. Slouching on the floor and inhaling water, Jobst proudly announced me a 'beginner'. Nothing I didn't already know…
Today my muscles are singing (not a lullaby, something more emo) and I've re-discovered a few muscles. As I type this without trying to move my arms too much, I do know one thing, I will be back for more. The endorphin rush is comparable only to my first bungee jump and rafting down the Zambezi River. But, watch this space. Chris Brown isn't the only one who can transform himself.
* CrossFit is definitely not for the fainted-hearted.
Find out more here. Then
watch Zoopy's take on it…