Wikepidia’s definition of Intensity is: the quality or state of being intense; especially : extreme degree of strength, force, energy, or feeling.
So what exactly does this mean…. and how the heck do we get there?
I have been in the fitness industry for over 10 years, and have pretty much done every type of fitness activity you can do, but the one thing I lacked was “Intensity”.
I could stay on an elliptical from sunrise to sunset, but I was not seeing physical or mental gains. I was lacking the big “I” and it was keeping me from all of my fitness goals.
When I first discovered CrossFit, I was pretty skeptical. First off, no workout typically lasted longer than 30 minutes and was spending 3 hours in the gym. Secondly there was “heavy” weights and I did not want to get “big”, and last I was satisfied with my routine and not willing to step out of my comfort zone.
I wanted to lose some weight for my wedding, so I decided to give it a try. Low and behold not only did I drop those last 5lbs I wanted, I was loving the way I was feeling! I decided since it had worked so well for my wedding that I would keep on with the program, and see if it could lead to anymore results.
Not only did it lead to results, it CHANGED MY LIFE!
I started understanding the word intensity and the results showed. I no longer had to be on an elliptical for 2 hrs, if I could be much more intense in 10 minutes.
I made a choice that every WOD (workout of the day), that I encountered I would take on full force and be the most “intense” that I could be.
Some days I did walk away feeling defeated: “I could have pushed harder”, “I shouldn’t have dropped the weight”, “I should have run faster”, but at the end of the day I was still performing with intensity!
My body has now completely been transformed and I no longer look at the scale, calories, or body fat. I focus on the big “I” and all my results seem to fall right in to place.
It has been very interesting these last 3 weeks, I have recently relocated from South Dakota to my home town of Los Angeles. I am now working out mostly on my own. I was SO afraid that I wouldn’t push myself to the degree that I did with my fellow Crossfitters standing by….
but that is not the case… I was shocked at the amazing things you can achieve when you rely on your mental push and your intensity. I have PR’d on my back squat by 25lbs, I have made myself do workouts that I don’t want to do, I completed one of the most hellish workouts in CrossFit and took 5 minutes off my previous time.
All because I put the “I” in intensity! So I challenge you to find your “I” and push it to the next level. The results will amaze you!
Fit Chic