To continue along the lines of my previous blog entry and a mention of the über athleticism displayed at the Crossfit games, it is important to realize the difference between the participating athletes and the rest of the Crossfit world, or rather, its everyday box gym members. Again, not another attempt at using a buzz word to get clicks on this blog.

These athletes train extremely hard. What they call a WOD is not the WOD advertised in the boxes. Their WODs is not much different from a StrongFirst well-designed program: scalable, periodized, waving of the loads, progressive. In other words, they’re cohesive. They may do many different exercises, but, just like I remember reading in tips to get ready for my first RKC, and to make a funny analogy, you don’t train for a swimming competition by climbing mountains. They have a plan, a structure and Crossfit is merely a name at that point, not a system or philosophy. It’s like a variation of the Olympics with the athletes participating in every single event. Folks training for American Ninja Warrior train specifically for the event, and if you were to take one participant from each competition and do a Freaky Friday switch, they would do poorly, purely from a SAID standpoint (Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands). You get what you train for.

To not digress from the subject of the post about super bodies, one look at the Xfit Games and you’ll see very muscularly developed bodies, like superheroes, male and female. Where I am going with this doesn’t come from a standpoint of envy because of my leaner, lithe frame. Those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach, right? Not quite: I can do the moves, but don’t need to, don’t train to, to that level, but I can get you there. No, the subject of the matter is: the amount of work necessary to develop that kind of body requires an extreme level of commitment, discipline, motivation and goal setting, something most of us lack on a daily basis, and even if we don’t lack those qualities, we most likely lack the logistics to achieve that: time, finances/sponsorship, lack of/reduced responsibilities and the necessary P.E.D.’s to recovery faster and get back to the intense regimen. Yes, the last part is highly likely and there is no denying it. Lance Armstrong was a scapegoat, the next 35 guys in line did what he did, he just trained harder, smarter and pushed more. The playing field was level, and it’s not like he skyrocketed leaving a trail of dust between him and the next guy. Ditto for these athletes. I even spoke to a pro athlete, whose name and sport I won’t mention, but I will tell you he was at some point prescribed Albuterol, a drug that would test positive on a test but could get “ignored” if you take it year-round for a medical condition (in which case it’s exempted). Stop taking it in the off-season and you’ll get in trouble. But the governing body associated with it looks the other way if it’s *cough cough* prescribed” for said “condition” and why? For entertainment reasons and ratings.

The super bodies at the Xfit games are “supplemented”. Fitness marketers will tout a 3 times a week, 20 minute a day routine that will get you shredded and beefed up. That doesn’t happen usually and if it does, it certainly doesn’t last. If it takes years for a body builder to develop a massive physique, getting the same physique and condition it to do several days of super high intensity sporting events “naturally”, genetics or not, doesn’t happen. If you have kids, a full time job, commuter traffic, household duties, you can get fit, healthy, lean and strong. But you will not be an athlete of high caliber. Those that are at that level commit to sacrifices your life couldn’t tolerate without sending things into a tailspin. Movie stars get paid millions and devote months to achieve super bodies, which usually “deflate” after the shoot, unless they play the same part (or variation thereof) for years (Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, anything Dwayne The Rock Johnson does…)

Want a super body that can do, look like and do again and again, then do ONLY that, find a sponsor, a doctor with flexible morals or diagnoses and commit to living and breathing that daily. If you’re like the rest of us, find enjoyment in getting better, fitter, healthier and making sure it first your lifestyle. Need to find someone, let me know and I will find help in my network who will do amazing things for you if I can’t help you myself.