Measuring Success
Crossfit Edmonton offers strength and conditioning programs directed to everyone who values fitness and enjoys being part of a like minded community. Our work outs are athletic and challenging and as a coach I am committed to bringing you the latest in fitness prescriptions from around the world.
Crossfit Edmonton understands the importance of seeing results weather its to improve a particular area of strength like doing a pull up, or to change your body composition. Seeing the results will ultimately play a part in keeping you committed and working towards levels of fitness you never imagined. But are there better methods of measuring results? Many fitness programs advertise great results in little time but don’t have any methods to back their claims. Sure, with high energy instructors, blazing music and a workout leaving you sweaty and breathless, this certainly appears to be an effective formula. But what if the initial excitement dwindles and you are left wondering if the program is really giving you what you what?
At CrossFit Edmonton we employ a method of measuring your success by strategically placing “benchmark” days into the program allowing you to compare back and see an improvement in performance. We also have log books for sale which can be an excellent tool to track daily workouts, sleep and fatigue levels. Keeping a log book can keep you in tune with daily successes, benchmark improvements and help in goal setting witch are all things CrossFit Edmonton and their coaches can help you with. Our daily score and achievements boards allows you to celebrate successes, keep in touch with other members and, for the competitive folks, generate some friendly rivalries. These tactics are all tried and true methods for measuring your success and keeping you committed to ultimate fitness.
What has been valuable for your measurements of success? Post thoughts to comments.
PR Tracker. Great tool. Allows me to keep accurate records of my achievements. Very easy to look up previous scores.
Well, in terms of keeping track, I’ve used all the methods you mentioned and I really like the log books and feel they will be even more valuable once we establish more baselines. I have even colour-coded my WOD’s on the pages where you view the entire month in the logbook – different highlighters for grinders, benchmarks, bodyweight, etc. so that I can more easily find something later if I am looking for it. I also liked being able to go back using the website when we were still posting WOD’s & results.
Although the bechmark WOD’s themselves are useful, there are lots of different WOD’s and things we do that have let me see improvement since we began. I don’t really view the benchmarks as much different from any other WOD.
I agree that being able to quantify the successes we have is part of what keeps us coming back to CrossFit. You are right, Chad – it’s hard to be endlessly motivated to do something like step aerobics when there’s no measurable outcome to what you are doing.
My measurements of success are beyond pr’s, having been crossfitting for about 3 1/2 years. My success is my energy level, how my body looks and feels, being able to unload lamninate off a palette faster than the schmucks at End of the Roll, happily carrying my own groceries all at once, lifting up the kids I adjust in my office everyday, walking my dogs every day, and just overall a better feeling of wellness and of my health and well being that I ever felt than doing all the traditional ‘weight training’ that I’d done in the past. I also measure my success on how hard I pushed on that particular wod, depending on how I was feeling, sleep, immune system, etc. It’s easy to push hard when you love the wod, feel good, had lots of sleep, but can I do that on my ‘off’ days?
Benchmarks are great, so are amounts of weight that we lift, better and faster, but I hope others all see the big picture of what we do as crossfitters. For me, this is not for an event or workout to PR, but live my life that the best that I can at almost 41. And at 42, 43, 44…..you get the idea.
I always compare todays results to yesterday’s hoping to see an improvement but those gains are not the ones that affect me the most. Everyday, when I look in the mirror I see a different person than I saw 2 years ago. Closer to the picture in my mind and even more important, I feel better now than I have at any time in my life. The gains in strength are measured through the wods and the benchmarks, but the personal gains in confidence, emotional strength and overall health mean way more to me than any Fran time or personal best push press.
Great comments guys! We see these successes every day with so many of you. It’s such a huge part of what makes this job so rewarding!
For me I found Crossfit to be my catalyst to change many things in my life. I’m not one to talk about fate or destiny, but there was definitely a reason Crossfit and I met. It’s weird how looking at something differently ie.. fitness, can make you question everything you do in life. “Why am I doing this?” and the answer was typically “because that’s how I’ve always done it.” Crossfit and the Crossfit community have given me the confidence to make huge changes in life, and the reward is starting to pay off. My success is measured today by how good and happy I feel physically, mentally and having enough energy to help others.
Success is easily measured!
Of course as a crossfitter I knew I was on the right track when I realized that I could deadlift my boss and well that’s a measure of success right there too! Now the thoughts go through my mind while in line at the grocery store. “Deadlift you, you and you. Probably back squat you. For sure can push jerk you. Farmer carry that guy all the way to aisle 9 and back. Overhead squat that kid so they’ll be quiet….” You get the point.
Yvo!
I think you may have tapped into a new business idea….human rickshaw!
I’ve been thinking quite a lot about this topic since it’s been posted. As it’s the end of the month, I was glancing over the entire month’s workouts in my log book, and it made it easy to see some of the CrossFit successes I had this month – some were times, some were new achievements or better form, etc. Here are some of the things I was most happy with this month:
press – 85 x 5, new PR for Randy, did Elizabeth rx’d, OHS 90 x 10 – mainly happy because I push pressed it from behind my head which really freaks me out!, didn’t feel like crying doing 95 lb. hang power cleans.
It’s easy to forget about the days when we do have new successes or pr’s when we’ve had a bad day.
In terms of life in general, I know that Bruce & I would not be in the position of starting a new company if not for CrossFit. I think that the success, energy and confidence that being in the program gives us allowed us to realize that anything is possible and it’s worth taking a risk. Hell, if I can do a handstand and climb a rope for the first time in my life in my 40′s, I can do anything!
Great comments Sandra!
I think the biggest success I’ve seen in myself and others, hasn’t necessarily happened in they gym. The amount of people that have the courage to step up to new challenges, energy to try new things, and spirit to be a leader in their community, amazes me every day. Success to me is in enriching the lives of others and seeing how far fitness can positively effect all areas of their lives.
Nowadays, you must be super creative to have a good business idea that works..,;
it is easy to get Business ideas, just look for a product or service that has demand and fill it;*~