I went to X-treme Athletics Gym, which is a CrossFit gym. I’ve only known what CrossFit was for about a couple years and I had only seen it in videos or in pictures. I had never seen it in person or have done it myself, so going to X-treme Athletics was a new experience for me. I have been to different gyms that have a variety of workout machines, weights, and usual things that you would normally see at the SJSU gym. But at X-treme Athletics it is a whole different layout then I have seen at other gyms, what you see when going in are free weights, barbells, assaults bikes, rowers, and Gymnastic rings, but most of the gym is open space to workout. I was excited when I first arrive, CrossFit is something new that I have never tried before but, I was interested in doing it myself. I was a little scared as well because I knew it was going to be hard as well, I am not in incredible shape, therefore, I didn’t think I could handle it. The environment was great all around, everyone was friendly, and what I liked is that everyone worked out as a group, …show more content…
It just being the warm up I didn’t think it would be hard, but I was wrong, I was already breaking a sweat and so was everyone else, but we stuck through it. That was just the easy part, then came the workout, which felt like the hardest workout I have ever done. It was a HIIT workout, the circuit consisted of 8 total rounds, and the goal was to do as many of each workout in 20-seconds. It started with 20-second Thrusters, which is a squat to an overhead press with the barbell with a 10-second rest. Then going straight into the bent over rows for 20-seconds with a 10-second rest as well. Again going straight into 20-seconds of an overhead press with then 10-seconds of rest. The last one was straight into 20-seconds of sit-ups with 10-seconds of rest. This was all one round and we did 8 rounds of
I have always loved sports and the competitiveness that comes along with them. In so doing, I have decided to eventually become either a high school or college coach at some point in my life. Subsequently, I decided to interview the Vilonia High School Cross Country Coach, Coach Sisson. As I walked into her office, I instantly noticed all of the trophies and team photos from all of the past years of coaching. She is also the school nurse so her office has first aid equipment intermingled into the trophies and team pictures. While I set up my notes and questions for the interview on one of the desks in her office, she was finishing up a diagnosis of one of the high school students who felt sick. After her patient left, I quickly started the interview in order to waste no time. She began with how she got involved in coaching. The Vilonia School District expressed their interest to her as being the next cross country coach several years ago. She was widely known for her passion for running and she gratefully accepted the position and has been a coach for numerous years now.
The gym is a place where a typical American college student goes to work out their bodies. Based on the fact that I personally could be considered a gym rat, a stereotypical name for someone who spends a lot of time in the work out area. This is partially by choice being on the swim team requires the strength training equipment that is available to our disposal in the gym. While I have been to the gym many times I haven’t really taken the time to take in the other people around me. Within this ethnographic exercise I will explore the college gym norms within Roger Williams University.
Thirteen thousand square feet of machines, weights, ropes, chains, and pain. The fluorescent lamps fill the room with an unnatural light. Sunlight, just like excuses, is not allowed in Satan’s lair. Each horse is paired up with his driver. A seven minute warm-up is prescribed by the trainer, and so it starts. I jump on the stationary bicycle. A light breeze against my bare legs blows gently attempting to cool me, but does little to diminish the internal burn of the quadriceps and hamstrings. Upon completion of the warm up, John Thomas, former Navy S.E.A.L., commands me to join him at the manual neck resistance station.
Growing up my parents ran a little lake on the outskirts of my hometown of Shelbina here in northeast Missouri. I was the "tough" one out of my family by the time I was in the ninth grade I could use two weed eaters at the same time and pick up the back end of a golf cart. At 5'3 and wearing size 16 I was big girl and was often made fun of by my peers. I wanted to be something other than the "fat girl" at school. So I became stronger than an ox and used that to my advantage. My high school coach seen me one day bench pressing a picnic table and begged me to join the weightlifting program. I excelled at the class and became known as "Pipes" I went from being the chunky girl to being the girl that was respected for my bench pressing and squats. My coach believed in me and that was all I needed to continue to do my best. That year I made a C average except for weightlifting where I got an A and earned the respect from my peers and my coach.
Over the last 8 years I have been in the positions to learn many different skills and ways of approaching various situations. My interest in as an Exercise Physiologist intern with Henry Ford Health Systems I assisted in cardiac rehabilitation and exercise stress testing in addition to providing patients' education for proper physical activity and event lifestyle modification as a weight management consultant. Since finishing the internship I have been a practicing personal trainer since 2007 working with many types of clients from the everyday working mother keeping in shape to the athlete trying to reach the next level of competition. Recently, I finished a summer internship with the Central Michigan University Strength and Conditioning Department.
When it comes to choice of where to workout it is a complete personal preference. Some people do not like the thought of people staring at them or watching them workout because they are not at the place they wish to be at yet. This is only one other thing that sets people in this discourse community apart from themselves. In some instances, this can become a disadvantage for the person pushing towards a specific goal. Certain goals can be pushed to the side or completely forgotten about because of the discomfort people feel placing themselves in a place like a gym for the first time.
As I started my routine on the back bar, an image appeared in my head. I saw myself seven years ago, hands gripping tightly onto the bar with my chin hovering inches above the surface. My tiny arms were shaking and my knuckles turned ghostly white, but the cheers of my team and coaches motivated me to stay up. Just before the pain became too great to bear, I heard the last girl’s feet hit the floor. I stayed on the bar until I was aware of what was happening, I had just won the annual chin up hold contest! I was overwhelmed with joy as I dropped to the floor, girls running to congratulate me. This contest was a huge deal at my gym. My picture hung on the back wall for a whole year, so I was reminded of my accomplishment every day. I snapped back into reality, smiling to myself. The memories were part of what made the gym so special to me. Just because I was leaving the gym, didn’t mean I was leaving behind all the memories as
Black, Tamara. 2008. Exercise and Fitness in a U.S. Commercial Gym.Ann Arbor, Mich.: University Microfilms International.
Have you ever wanted to know what the hardest sport on the body is? The hardest sports I thought were hockey, football,and cage fighting. I play hockey and the training is really intense so I was leaning toward hockey and cage fighting because I have seen documentaries about the training. In the articles I have read they all have different opinions like figure skating, horseback riding, some say soccer and many more.
Come on you can do one more push up! When you’re in the gym you do not have the support of teammates. At crew you will not give up because of the support you have from your teammates behind you. In the gym you can just say, “Oh that set can be done another day,” and give up. We have in crew on Tuesday and Thursday a 2k-meter ergometer (erg) test to see who will be in an 8A boat, that is our eight fastest men of our crew. These are the days that you need your friends behind you pushing you so your time comes true that the couch gives you. I know this might seem harsh but when it is all over with you feel very great about the way you look and how you just pulled on the 2k test.
The gym is relatively square with widows covering half of the room. The other half of the room has a wall of mirrors with the last wall having a hallway to bathrooms as well as the fitness trainer’s office. On one of the window walls it has a row of cardio equipment (that has attached TV’s on them) facing the outside. In the back corner near the cardio equipment is a stretching and body exercise area (kettle bells, mats, exercise balls, medicine balls, and stepping stands). In the center are weight machines that range from leg, arm, and abdominal equipment. The wall with the mirrors contains the free weights and other bench press and weight machines. Overall...
The competition between the different exercise protocols for space highlights the struggle for each group to garner valuable resources to enhance their training routine. Next, the gym showcases social laws that everyone adheres to such as cleaning equipment, avoid gawking at others, and sticking to your respective workout space. Consequently, when a deviance to any of these laws becomes apparent the gym society swiftly acts to correct the action with disapproval and guidance for corrective actions. Finally, the gym truly embodies cultural pluralism during this hour long viewing people work together, conversant, and encourage one another regardless of their ethnic background. Since examples are highlighting social concepts, let’s move
Once upon a time, I qualified for the Tae Kwon Do State Championships, to go to the Tae Kwon Do Junior Olympics in Orlando, Florida. It was my second year at the Jr. Olympics, and I was competing in two events. Sparring and forms. Forms has always been my favorite, partly because I was pretty good at doing them. Sparring was okay. I guess.
Adding exercises into one’s daily routines can change their whole lifestyle. Many people look at exercise as being something just for people who want to lose weight or to become muscle bound, but there are a great deal of benefits that can be received from exercising regularly. Of course gaining muscle and losing fat are the two most popular reasons that usually attract people to the gym, but they make up a small part of the potential benefits that can be achieved with exercise. There are several ways in which I have benefited in my life from exercising regularly, besides just making me bigger and stronger. It has made me become more organized, helped me make better decisions, and motivated me to take on new challenges in life.
I am forever grateful for the lessons I learnt, the people I met, the experience I gained and I now know what true love is. Gymnastics has made me into the person I am today. When something scares me I know how to conquer my fears, I know how to set goals, to deal with disappointment and I will always keep the leotards and tracksuits as memorabilia of a very special time in my life. I am not a quitter, I have left a