CrossFit Downtown Santa Ana - A New Beginning
CrossFit didn't just change the way I train. It changed the way I thought about fitness. It changed the way I ate. It changed the way I spent my money. Most importantly, it has taught me a lot about myself and about community. I'll take a brief moment here in our first blog post to look at each aspect individually.
CrossFit gave me a framework from which to finally understand fitness. I am no longer simply just another "retired" competitive collegiate athlete, but rather I am a 32 year old competitive CrossFit athlete looking to stay fit and healthy. I want to be lean, strong, and fitter than yesterday. CrossFit gave me a methodology, vocabulary, and instruction to apply effective and universal laws of training to my everyday fitness pursuits. In the process I began to learn why we do what we do in CrossFit....Squat, Clean, Snatch, Press, Pull, Run, Jump etc...and I soon began to see my body change and my mindset changing with it! I started training like an athlete again, with purpose and with the joy of being part of a new team (the CrossFit DTSA Community).
CrossFit has changed my mindset. Aesthetics is not my primary or even secondary pursuit. Performance and continued improvement quickly became my ultimate goals. The lean body, new muscles, etc...all came with it even though I didn't set out to achieve those necessarily. It is often said form follows function. CrossFit also introduced me to something very important: Suffering. What I enjoy most, as it is most unique in CrossFit as opposed to other forms of training, is the idea of "suffering in community" Fitness isn't easy, results are hard won no matter your genetics, and there are no shortcuts. You will suffer, and you will be better for it. Make no mistake, CrossFit is hard, but like all good things it is worth it. You quickly reach your "limits". You will not be good at everything, so one must make peace with that reality, and yet always try and push the limits of your "natural" abilities. Those that stick it out, determined and disciplined, learn a bit of humility and commit leads them quickly to results they desire.
CrossFit changed the way I eat. Simple as that. Food is fuel and I learned to treat it as such. It doesn't mean that food can't be fun, but it is no longer a primary recreational outlet nor is it emotional. This takes time and is learned, but you can't develop a healthy lifestyle without learning about food and the proper fuel your body needs. 90% of your fitness will depend on this! There are no shortcuts here.
CrossFit became a priority and I in turn was willing to spend money on my priorities. I thought I could never spend that much on a gym membership! As I thought about it more I realized that I was already spending the money! Coffee every day + Fast Food + the weekend pursuits = I had the resources I just don't make my health and fitness enough of a priority.
CrossFit has become a mirror to look at and learn about myself. If you let it, you can learn what drives you on a much deeper level. You can learn how to set goals, how you deal with disappointment, suffering, success, etc...CrossFit is a microcosm of life. If you invest yourself in the community you will learn how to deal with those that don't meet your expectations, you will cultivate meaningful relationships and learn how to navigate those friendships in a healthy way. In short, CrossFit has taught me a lot about character, discipline, grace, forgiveness, and hard work. It has been a joyful pursuit with benefits extending far beyond simply "getting back in shape" -- effecting the mind, body, and spirit.
We are very excited to bring CrossFit to the beautiful city and people of Downtown Santa Ana and the greater Orange County area. We consider it a great privilege and honor to share in this journey with you. We welcome you to join our growing fitness community today!