Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
I haven’t written a word about CrossFit Asheville, because I don’t want the secret to get out. I don’t want all of Asheville to know my secret to strength, health and fitness success.
But I can’t keep it in any longer.
CrossFit Asheville kicks my ass. And I love it.
I usually go twice a week. If I start thinking about it, I dread it. If I just go and do it, I thrill at my success. Yeah, I’m getting old, but I can still hang. And the CrossFit folks are giving me the tools not only to just hang in there, but to get faster, stronger, meaner and leaner.
From the CrossFit blog:
I had some newer members recently confess that they got nervous just driving to the gym the first few times; to the point that they almost turn around and go home: “you don’t belong here” Nancy retorts in the back of their mind. I am very proud of those folks who ignore her and come in for their first few sessions, they exceed their current capacity and change their lives.
No matter what state of fitness you are in, your limitation is always Negative Nancy, the voice in your head saying “stop and go home”. When you learn to push your limits you have improvements in strength, flexibility, co-ordination, etc; mostly you learn how to drown her out. You have a momentary out-of-body experience where you ignore her words and push on. Grab five more reps, three more rounds, or one final sprint on the way to a PR.
One of the most important things for you to understand is that EVERYONE has a Negative Nancy. In the exercise physiology academic domains she is called the Central Governor. It is the theory that your body does not want to push beyond its limits unless necessary. Therefore, this voice comes into our heads unless we have a legitimate reason to keep her at bay. As we evolved, escaping from a tiger was a legitimate reason. After the encounter, provided we survived, our body would then rejuvenate itself to a point better than the first encounter… this was their fitness. For us? A society of ease and convenience? CrossFit is our evolutionary tiger, a period of time to come in and approach death, to ignore Negative Nancy, to push ourselves to the limit. We then go home for comfort and rejuvenation only to return to shut out Nancy, to exceed our limits, to beat the tiger.
CrossFit mind control can have benefits far beyond the gym. If you can shut out Nancy with a screaming heart-rate under a heavy thruster, imagine how easy it will be to ask your crush out for a date, or to ask your boss for a raise, or even to sink that final free throw for the state championship.
Check out CrossFit. You will get corrected, yelled at (in a good way) and encouraged. And your body will be the better for it.
BTW, CrossFit is growing and looking to relocate. Do you have some nice, open space around town that would be a perfect location for CrossFit? Let me know, and I’ll pass it along.
DEF gotta check out Blue Ridge Crossfit inside of ASI in S. Asheville. Awesome faciliity, instuctors and a dedicated group of crossfitters who all share the love of what xfit is all about. stop by and check it out!
Yes there is crossFit in south Asheville at Blue Ridge CrossFit. It is a very nice place with showers and great instructors. It is located at ASI.
Rachel, I’ve heard there’s a CF in south Asheville, but the only location listed on their web site is for Coxe Avenue. I’ll ask the next time I’m in (Tuesday).
I looked into CF a while back – you’ve inspired me to actually go and check it out.
Is there only one Crossfit in town now? When I looked, there was one in the River District and one on Coxe Ave. ?