Physique, Function, And The Cards You Were Dealt

AMRAP 15 Minutes:
10 Power Snatch 115/73
10 Push Ups
Run 200m

It is not uncommon around here that we get approached by members, mainly female but sometimes male, who are concerned about how CrossFit is or is not affecting their physique.  This is not surprising since we live in a society where outward appearances are seemingly so important and there is so much pressure to look a certain way.  I had this conversation with one of my athletes yesterday who thought I would be annoyed by her desire to be skinny.  I actually invite this conversation.  I think it is important that you all understand our ideas and goals regarding your fitness.  You need to understand the goals of our workout program so that you are on the same page with us.  If you do not share these goals, then you first should take a good long look at your personal values.  Then if CrossFit's fitness goals still do not make sense to you, we invite you to find something else to do.

 

If you have never read the CrossFit Journal article, "What is Fitness?",  then you need to stop reading this right now and read that article first.  Download Article, "What Is Fitness and Who is Fit?"  You really should understand exactly what you are doing here.  The goals of our fitness program are not developed around  how skinny or how muscular you can become.  Our goals are strictly health, function and performance based.  We design our program with only your physical capabilities in mind with no consideration to how the exercise will affect your physique.  We intend to increase your work capacity, to build breadth and depth among all 10 of the General Physical Skills, and to physically and mentally prepare you for the unknown and the unknowable.  Read the freakin' article if you don't fully understand what that all means. 

 

Many of you joined a fitness program because you want to look like the supermodel on the right.  Some people avoid constantly varied functional movement at high intensity because they are afraid they will end up looking like the super-athlete former Olympic skier on the left.  We love you Eva-T.  This is a very unfortunate situation because guess what, both of these women are genetic outliers.  It doesn't matter how hard you train, unless you were born with extraordinarily rare genetics, you will never look like either one of these women.  The fitness industry is going to lead you to believe that by exercising certain ways you are going to be able to achieve the look of your dreams.  IT IS NOT TRUE!!! GET OVER IT!!!  You cannot beat your genetics, you can only do the best you can with what you have to work with.

 

You can run hours a week and do yoga and pilates and starve yourself all day long, and you are never going to look like the supermodel.  There is a chance you might look more like that, but in the process of training that way you will have made yourself less fit, less physically capable, and less healthy overall.  If these are your values, then its time to re-evaluate.  On the other hand, you might be scared that you will end up looking like the beautiful Eva-T.  You can lift heavy every day with the aggression of a junk yard dog and drink a gallon of milk every day, and unless you were just born to be an absolute animal, you will never achieve the muscularity of Eva-T.  We all were dealt a certain hand when it comes to genetics, and the goal of your fitness program should be (if you are a intelligent and unpretentious person) to maximize your health and your physical ability.  When you have maximized both of these, your body is going to have the athletic look that you were destined to have.  If you attempt to alter your exercise program to create the physique of your distorted desire, you will be less fit and less healthy for doing so.

 

In the conversation with my athlete yesterday, she told me that many of the women here were mostly concerned with being skinny.  My answer went as follows.  You lose body fat 90% by eating properly, not exercising.  If you disagree with this, we now know why you are overweight.  I told her that our program would never change to meet the desires and the goals of those people.  This business could fail miserably and we wouldn't change our fitness philosophy for them.  We are here to increase human performance and to find the limits of what each person is capable of over time.  So you basically have two choices here, 1) embrace CrossFit,  embrace performance based goals, and embrace your own genetics, or 2) stay stuck in your rut, fight against your God given stock, find something else to do, and get less fit while doing it.

We want people in here who want to do this stuff.  People who make an effort to understand what fitness is and what we are doing here.  People who desire to reach their peak physical capacity.  People who want to become or remain physically dominant into their old age.  People who embrace a good challenge and want to be held accountable.  We aren't here to make you skinny.  We are here to help guide you towards an elite level of fitness.

 

Comments?

Comments

[Anne]

I don't know who you were talking to yesterday, Justin, but she certainly wasn't speaking for me. When my 5 year old daughter said to me, "Mommy, you're not skinny- you're healthy," she had it all right! She's been learning what I've been teaching her. I've always told my girls that "skinny" doesn't tell us anything about a person's health, and most likely people who are "skinny" aren't fit or very healthy.
I guarantee that Eva T will NEVER end up in a nursing home b/c she can't get herself up out of bed or fall on the floor and not be able to get up. She won't be breaking any bones if she bumps her arm on the door jam. She'll be able to pick up her grandchildren and spend days at Disneyland with them! I could go on and on b/c I get just as fired up about this topic as Justin does. Not just b/c I have daughters, have seen the effects of the elderly living in nursing homes, and people barely surviving on dialysis, or work with impressionable middle school girsl, but also b/c I strive to be as healthy as I possibly can. Not just for myself, but for my family.
Justin- you posed this before and it's a favorite quote of mine, for many reasons. I read it to my middle school students all the time, and when I give talks on body image in the community.

"...Beautiful women train with intensity. They derive self-image from the quality of their work and their ability to excel. They don’t wear makeup to the gym, and they wouldn’t be caught dead with a vinyl pink dumbbell. They move iron, they do pull-ups, they jump, sprint, punch, and kick, and they use the elliptical machine—as a place to hang their jump rope.

They spend their weekends in sport, climbing walls, winning races, and running rivers. They laugh as they sprint circles around the unschooled, turning the image-obsessed into benchwarmers. Beautiful women don’t care if they’re soaked in sweat and covered in dirt, if their nails are chipped or their hair out of place. They care only about quality of life.

Beautiful women are happy, healthy, and strong, and they’re right there beside me, tossing conventional beauty on the ever-growing flames of what used to be.

Be beautiful."

- Jon Gilson

Thank you for your attention to this very important matter. And whoever you were talking to was NOT including me in part of her generalization of "most of the women here...."

[Roger]

Justin- Thanks for posting this comment. This is exactly why I joined CF and I love being there every day.

[Chris N]

Justin do my Skins TM.....make me look fat??

[Justin Riley]

No, but they make you look like a gimmic sucker. Explain to me how those things are supposed to clear lactate out of the muscle again. At least they protect your shins from getting scraped up by barbells on exercises from the floor.

[Eileen D]

I am so glad my amazing kids and the other CFES teens get to see this! As someone who spent the majority of her life believing it was important to try to live up to the societal images Justin talked about, I know how hard it is to break away from that mentality. Perhaps, if I had been given Justin's message when I was younger, I wouldn't have wasted so much time and money on Jenny Craig and elliptical machines. But, as Justin and Travis always say, CF is for every stage of life. So, now I'm pretty sure I can out lift and, yes, even out run and out box jump Valerie Bertinelli. And while, if I'm being honest, I do occasionally slip back to the brainwashing of societal images, my goal is no longer to look like her, but to become as strong (and beautiful) as Xenia, Leslie, Carol and Ruth. Just ask Travis how cranky I get when I have a bad lifting day. It's been a new perspective for me the last 2 years, but I wouldn't change it for anything. Thanks, everyone!

[Laura B]

“You cannot beat your genetics, you can only do the best you can with what you have to work with.”

It took me a very long time, all of my 20’s and a good part of my early 30’s, to accept what Justin says in the above quote. I constantly fought against my natural body physique and wanted to be like the skinny girls in high school, college and the gym. I couldn’t understand what was wrong with me and why I couldn’t achieve that goal. In finding Crossfit, I’ve been able to embrace my genetic physique and am working to improve it. I have no desire to be skinny; I would much rather look like Eva T than the unnamed model on the right.

My goal is not to be skinny but to “maximize you [my] health and your [my] physical ability”. I know I have improved my fitness since starting Crossfit back in February. I also know that if I fully embraced the nutritional aspect of fitness I would see faster improvement; this latter part has nothing to do with what Crossfit can offer me but everything to do with my own discipline and accountability.

Thanks for the post Justin – a lot of food for thought!

[Matt P]

Wait, I'm never gonna be skinny... eff this place, I quit!

Great post Justin.

Chris N- I think I need some of those awesome Skins, maybe that would have padded my shin from the bar bouncing back against it this morning when I screwed up. Do Skins come with steel plates in the shin area?

[DaveW]

The only reason I joined CF was because I was told it would make a certain member of the male anatomy bigger.

[cort]

Matt, you should have borrowed Brooke's old shin gaurds. Maybe you were just trying to psych out me and Brain this AM by putting an big dent in you leg before you started the WOD! It worked...you beat me by 2 snatches! DAAAAAMMMMMNNN YOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUU KENNNSOOOOOOOOO!

[Cherie]

I wish I could say I've defeated this battle but I'm still in the process of working on this. I don't wanna look like the skinny supermodel but still find myself wishing I had Cori's abs, Brooke's traps, Anne's shoulders, Loren's back...etc. My interpretation of what is beautiful has surely changed since I started CrossFit but with all the beautiful women in our box its difficult not to wanna look like them too. I've always struggled to get outta the "I wanna look like her" mindset after all these years of doing so but will hopefully stop being a wanna be and just be happy w/ being just me.

I still wear make up, I still step on the scale daily and look forward to deadlift days only cuz I get to wear my completely non-functional socks with the bows. So whomever it was that Justin spoke to yesterday, you are not alone. Like everything else we learn at CFES, this one area that takes some of us a while to "get". Hopefully with some work and attention to it, we'll get it soon. It sure would be nice to "get" the ever elusive muscle up too!

Anyway, good post today! Thanks for the reminder/pep talk!

[Donna- MaD Crossfit]

@DaveW - everyone knows that stretching makes your penis bigger. Great post, Strong Girls Rule! Now go lift something heavy.

[Lesley Heller]

Good post Justin. Being healthy is more important than being skinny. I too always compare myself to other women. I want to be skinnier, I want toner arms blah,blah,blah. The important think is to be healty and fit. Think down the road how u will look in middle age. U night be skinny but also flabby. Crossfit will help keep u fit. I wish Crossfit would have been around 20 years ago. Man would I look awsome now. Oh well! Thx Eileen for the compliment. U r awsome. Lesley

[Amy K]

Ok so I've only been coming for a few months, after much encouragment from my sister and my mom. I guess I figured it would be too hard for me (assuming everyone worked out at Anne's level). After my mom started going and kicking ass and achieving PRs I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm glad I've started coming, the people I've met are great and the coaching is solid. There are few places out there that woul have the balls to put up a post like this. As a mom of two little girls- THANK YOU!

[Anne]

Cherie- You are a beautiful lady- embrace your beauty and power! Be proud of what you've been blessed with and what you've accomplished.
I'm laughing at the shoulder comment- b/c when my mom was delivering me, the doctor said- "Looks like it's going to be a boy! Look at the size of these shoulders!" Ha!! So, Justin's right, we gotta work with what we have- I was never destined to be a slight, petite person. Right out of the gates- obviously! It bummed me out to hear that years ago- a cousin stopped swimming b/c her shoulders were "getting too big." So, welcome to 2009- a time where we no longer have to listen to crazy misinformed societal messages.
Cherie- you kick some serious ass and you should walk around very proudly of your accomplishments.
As I told Cheesy- if I were in high school now, I'd totally walk around and think, "She might think she's so cool, but she can't do what I can do w/ a barbell."
It's so funny- b/c everyday I've always had the girls stand in front of the mirror and say, "Thank you, God for making me me- there is no body else that I'd rather be! Amen!"
Thanks to my mama for instilling that message into me when I was a little girl!
Did I metion before that I a super passionate about this topic???!!! I'll try not to post any more today!

[xenia]

Ditto to all the above comments(except Dave's)--I see myself in all. For me the positive mental health aspect of Crossfit is uncomparable and has by far exceeded any other fitness program I've been involved in. As a major added bonus Crossfit helps get rid of problematic cellulite:) Thanks for the post Justin and thanks for helping me slowly rewire my thinking about fittness and appearance.

[Liz Ross]

Great Post Justin!

It is awesome that so many woman have something to say on this topic.. As someone who has been in the Marketing/Advertising industry for over 30 years, first as model, then agent and now producer; all i can say is what you see on TV and in the Magazines is nothing but pure BULLSHIT!!!

First of all they never look like that in person!!
They have been created to look that way. You can't imagine the tricks.. Skinny FIlm, yes there is such a thing, film that actually "stretches" your appearance. Lighting, Wardrobe, Make-up, Body Make-up, yes I can teach you to contour a 6 pack with lotion and powder.. Photo Shop and Flame Retouching.. Its an insane industry that fuels such a ridiculous expectation.
Trust me these super models are miserable.. They are fucking hungry and for all but a few genetic "freaks" not meant to walk the earth on legs smaller then Cori's arms...

How about we get serious about the numbers that count... Resting Heart Rate, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol and Body Fat.. If you happen to have a small jean size well then consider it icing on the cake.. Embrace your body and your genetics.. Be thankful everyday that you can go to Cross Fit and push yourself! How lucky are we to haves the freedom of movement. And when you have a bad day of self image (it happens) remember what your body can do not what you wished it looked like..

I am proud to be a part of such a kick ass group of woman...

[cort]

What amazing people we have in our box. (Even Dave W and his 'enlargenment' theory.

[Sabrina]

Great post today, Justin, and such positive insight from all of the commenters. I've struggled with body image issues all my life, and it's taken me this long to get to a place in my head where I'm really happy just to work on getting as strong and fit as I can be. It's fantastic to be a part of such a supportive community that has the right priorities and attitudes. This is why I'm totally addicted to this place!

[Chris Nelson]

WTF Justin... When I wear my Skins TM.. It is like my coat of armor. Speaking of Gimmicks... Can I borrow your Crossfit TM shoes... I'm gonna ruin Fran later.. I mean I'm gonna destroy Fran ... Yes Matt P .. You will never have shin pain when wearing my super hero suit...I'm $@#%king Elite

[Brooke Kiefer]

Great post today Justin. Its amazing how much bullshit has been instilled in our (womens) brains for years. Sometimes being a chick isn't all its wrapped up to be. Us women have been told time and time again that to be beautiful girls need to be skinny. Yes all of us (you would be lying if you didn't agree) care what we look like. Lucky for all of us we are surrounded by people who know and believe that strong is beautiful. Yes sometimes it really sucks when a favorite shirt of mine or jeans that used to fit a certain way don't anymore but I blame it on being able to squat and jerk more than I used to! If someone needs help with moving something heavy they don't have to wait for the "guy" to come they can ask us strong beautiful women! I'd much rather be able to "participate" in my life than sit on the sidelines worrying if I look "fat" in the shirt I'm wearing or if these skinny jeans are all they're wrapped up to be. I think its all about who you surround yourself with. "you have got to be around people with the same attitude that you want to cultivate".
Now get off your fucking elite asses and come lift some heavy shit (wear pink if that helps:))

[Kenso]

Nice post. Working in mental health, I have had a number of sessions and groups around this very topic. It's amazing how much images like these influence our self image. So much so that it can result in eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. And this isn't limited to women, as evidenced by the increasing number of advertisements directed at men.

You are all great role models (except Cyril, but he's gone now) and the children in your lives are fortunate to have you around to challenge the societal pressures to look a certain way. Hopefully they take it in.

That being said, I'm kinda bummed that Justin doesn't think I could ever look like one of those women. The dream ends.

[Matt P]

Brooke-

http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5664177/

[Brian]

Health is the main reason I do Crossfit. It was not the first thing I did to get going but it has sure changed my life over the past two years. Cherie, Justin and Travis know how unhealthy I was before starting. I now choose not to be a walking stroke victim.

On the topic of health and women...well I think we have the healthiest as well as the most physically fit women in the area. From the teens, 20's, 30's, 40's,
50's and 60 year olds and beyond. Justin, Travis, Brooke and chris are keeping us all young at heart.

[xenia]

http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/chef-brews-a-kettlebell-workout/3xo9vg4m
This link fits in perfectly with today's topic and yes strong women can swing a pink kettlebell!!

[Lesley Heller]

xenia u r so cute and a great sense of humor.

[cori mering]

Justin awesome post - i am so proud to work out with such a kick ass bunch of amazing women. crossfit has enabled to do things i never, ever thought i could do. truly awesome.

And, BTW Cherie just so you know I think your body rocks it!!!

[Crystal]

Justin, you posted this just at the right time. I was lecturing on a topic very closely related to this in one of my classes last night. I was able to pull this post up and use it as a reference, THANKS!

Brooke, you are so right about participating in life, not just sitting on the side lines. On Saturday I was doing some volunteer work where the clean up involved heavy lifting. It was so nice to be able to help out and not have to wait for a man to lift, but don't worry I kept my lumbar curve!

Anne, the Jon Gilson quote you posted is amazing! I have spent my entire life being the odd one out in my family, more worried about how I was going to get up a rock wall, to the next whitewater river and figuring out how to tackle a new sport than being a "make-up queen" (my husband's nickname for my 2 sisters).

It is nice to see that I (and most of the other women I have met at CrossFit) are receiving a new message. Who knows, maybe this new message will start to take hold and more teenage girls will know that it's ok to be who you are and not have to strive to be as skinny as someone else.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=671382444]

Great post Justin! Already knew I couldn't ever come close to you or Travis but seen tremendous improvement since the 1st day I stepped into CFES. But shit, at least I look better than Kenso on my worst day...He looks like Godzilla's little sister...