Easton CrossFit & Fitness
W/ Gwen Dannenbaum
If you’re an Easton student, you’ve already taken a leap many find intimidating to make: walking into a gym full of fit, healthy people working out hard, and deciding to actually stay and join the ranks. Now there’s another challenge to confront, CrossFit, which Easton began offering this past June with fitness director and CrossFit instructor Gwendolyn Dannenbaum.
“CrossFit wants to prepare you for anything and everything,” says Dannenbaum. It’s a workout regimen (and a sport) where soccer moms exercise alongside top-tier athletes, each one pushing the limits of their own personal goals. “CrossFit is a sport that anyone can do because every workout has universal scalability to one’s level and abilities.”
Here’s what to expect: CrossFit involves running, rowing, weightlifting, gymnastics, but ultimately, it “specializes in not specializing.” Everyday has a “WOD” (workout of the day). If you’re brand new, you’ll first be taught how to perform every exercise correctly, how to mobilize yourself, and how to prepare your body for what lies ahead. CrossFit is intense, the exercises performed at 100 percent. That said, if you’re going straight from the couch to CrossFit, you’re encouraged to “let the intensity find you,” as Dannenbaum puts it. “Start light, get your form down, and don’t worry about the mother of three who is deadlifting 250 as you struggle with the bar. Chase your own capacity before chasing the person next to you.”
Like any workout regimen, from kickboxing to boot camp to CrossFit, hydration is vital. Drink plenty of water before and after a workout, and fuel your body with the best quality, most nutritious food you can. Dietary requirements vary from person to person, but a general rule to follow is to eat clean. Also like any other regimen, consistency is key. Commitment brings improved health, higher fitness levels and a greater sense of mental well being. So, when to start? How about this week? Classes are everyday at ETC.
