Julianne Neathery: CrossFit Games, Making Fitness Fun . . . Not Really ? Health and ...

When you?re gasping for breath midway through a CrossFit Games WOD (Work Out of the Day), you can?t help but say: ?I?d rather be ?. . . (here?s where you insert the word that best describes what you?d really rather be doing). But you gotta hand it to the minds behind CrossFit who got creative and birthed the CrossFit Games. Perhaps by using the word ?game? people would think fitness at this level might somehow be fun. Perhaps it is, in an odd sort of way.

They must have done something right, seeing that the number of registrants around the world doubled this year to over 55,000 participants!

So far, in the Master?s Men (visualize old codgers from 50 to 55 years old), I?ve completed 4 of 6 weekly workouts. That is to say, I?ve survived 4 of 6 weekly workouts. I?ve been having so much ?fun? I nearly didn?t realize that I?m in 102nd place in this age group. Last I looked there are over 600 other older gentlemen in this age category who are squeezing out their last few drops of Testosterone.

Despite the challenges posed in the WODs, CrossFit does what it?s motto suggests in that it is truly: Forging Elite Fitness. That translates into tremendous personal gains in performance: whether sport, hobby, or in my case, repeatedly launching and catching my active 3-year-old daughter. The payoff is most certainly worth it.

Alright. Here?s the workout that I?ll push through first thing in the morning. If you?ll notice, the list doesn?t include vital information such as ?breathe here? or ?fall down with a sharp stitch in your side here.? Okay. It?s gonna be awesome. Maybe even a little fun. After all, it is this year?s CrossFit Games! (http://games.crossfit.com).

Workout 12.5

Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes following the rep scheme below:

3 Barbell Thrusters
3 Chest to bar Pull-ups
6 Barbell Thrusters
6 Chest to bar Pull-ups
9 Barbell Thrusters
9 Chest to bar Pull-ups
12 Barbell Thrusters
12 Chest to bar Pull-ups
15 Barbell Thrusters
15 Chest to bar Pull-ups
18 Barbell Thrusters
18 Chest to bar Pull-ups
21 Barbell Thrusters
21 Chest to bar Pull-ups?
This is a timed workout. If you complete the round of 21, go on to 24. If you complete 24, go on to 27, etc.

Wish me luck. Now let?s go have some FUN!