It's Called A Workout

Today was Toonie day in Nelson, and, as it was raining yet again, I did my Crossfit work-out for $2 at the local community recreation centre. This was the first time I've worked out in a "globo-gym" for years and years, and, yes, years. All I can say is, nothing has changed. I felt like I'd flashed back to the 70's and the days of Jane Fonda aerobic classes and leg warmers.

My workout today was three rounds for time of:

• 400 metre row;
• 50 back extensions;
• 10 A2B.

At the end, I threw in some pull-ups, medicine ball squats (although the medicine balls at the recreation centre are way too light being half the weight of my home made one - a basketball filled with sand), and some balance work.

The one piece of equipment I don't have in my home gym is a rowing machine and so I was stoked to use the one at the recreation centre. I set the dial to 10 - recommended is 3 - but in Crossfit, you don't use no girlie weights, and rowed as fast as I could. Awesome workout.

Pretty soon I had the familiar Crossfit grimace and the sweat was flying. Off the machine and run over and pump out the back extensions as quick as possible. Unfortunately, the equipment they have at Nelson recreation centre for back extensions is easier than mine, so I really should have added some weight as 50 repetitions was too easy. Then, race over to the pull-up bar and pump out the A2B.

The rowing machine is in the area with the other "cardio" equipment, and the people there just gawked at me as I rowed as if I were fleeing the sinking Titanic. No-one uses the rowing machine, only the ellipticals, the bikes, the treadmills, and no-one was working very hard. They were all just casually turning the wheels, stepping, walking or jogging while watching TV or reading. Here is your first clue that you are not working hard enough - you can read or watch TV while you do "cardio." Remember the word "work" is a more than half of "workout."

In the weight room area, where the other equipment including the back extension equipment and the underused pull-up bar is, no-one was using the free weights or the medicine balls (too light in any case), or the big bars (also too light), or the pull-up bars. Most people were either using machines, standing around - perhaps preparatory to using machines - or doing some half-arsed knee bends that I can't in all honesty call a squat (knees should be below hips).

I felt pretty spanked by the time I finished and did the standard Crossfit cool-down which is collapsing on the floor in a sweat soaked heap. Everyone else was looking surprisingly fresh. I am embarrassed to admit I once worked out the way everyone else was and thought it was useful.

Once I'd recovered enough to stand up and look around me, I wanted to unplug all the machines and shout, "Step away from the machines." Or, as the Crossfitter's like to say "Don't use machines, become one."

Alpine bouldering in the Selkirks