Crossfit is a major fitness buzzword right now.  What I knew about Crossfit is that it's popular, it's hardcore (ie rope climbing, pull ups, etc.), it's done in a big gym/garage/box setting, people love it, and I wanted to try it. 

I did an internet search for Crossfit's in Salem and there are a couple.  I went to Crossfit Salem's website http://www.crossfitsalem.net/ and saw they have free classes on the weekends and that those classes are best for newbies because they go over basic movements, etc.   Perfect.

I showed up and the group was already warming up...by doing burpees.  Burpees as a warm-up?  Hello.  The group stood in a big circle, each person said their name and then a burpee would ensue.  15 people in the class.  15 burpees.  The fitness level of the group at first glance seemed to really range as some people were already struggling with the warm-up.  I was surprised that my burpees went very easily as I haven't done them in a month or so.

Andy, the Owner and group leader for today informed us there would be two workouts.  We would pair up in teams of two and complete the following WOD (Workout of the Day):

8 minutes of taking turns going down the length of the gym and back doing:
1.  bear crawl (on hands and feet)
2.  Lunges
3.  Squat Jumps

Sounds straightforward enough until he throws in there "and by the way, when you come 'back' you are moving backwards".  What?!  Just as I suspected, the human body is not designed to move so agilely backwards.  Weird.  And hard. 

At the end of the 8 minutes, each team went to the white board and put how many times we went through this circuit.  The environment is gently competitive, but also very supportive, with random people cheering you on by name. 

The second half of the workout was also done in teams of 2, but we had to partner up with a new person.  I hate that.  I always flash back to picking teams in gym class, and because I'm not very aggressive at claiming somebody, often times, I end up in a musical chairs scenario and end up with the last person who is roaming the area like a lost puppy looking for a partner.  Same happened today.  But my partners were extremely nice and supportive and I don't know what the heck I'm doing here so I didn't really care.  The workouts we are doing turn out to not depend on your teammates abilities only except for where your total time completing the workout is concerned.  Because during this workout, we will workout until the last team finishes.

Second circuit:
Sprint 200 meters (outside in the parking lot) with a medicine ball - my partner brought a 15 pounder.  Each person does this three times. 
100 ground-to-overheads which is a squat with a medicine ball in your hand and then you "clean and press" the medicine ball overhead.  100 has to be completed between the two teammates, so we can split it up however we want.  My partner and I hand off every 10, but I'm going much faster than her so we split the last 15 to allow her to rest a smidge longer. 
Then we run to rowing machines and row 200 meters 3 times each person.  Oh, but by the way, you only get to use one hand to row.  Awkward and hard! 
After that, we grab jumpropes and do "double unders" as fast and as many as we can until the last team is done.  I cannot do double unders.  Need to practice.  So I jump singly hard and fast til we are done.  My teammate states that lots of people can't and you divide the number of single jumps by 4 to get the equivalent in double-unders.  Good to know.  For next time, since I didn't bother counting.

The workout was tough, no doubt about it.  I don't know why but I barreled through that workout.  The training I have done with my trainer at Platinum in Keizer has definitely more than prepared me for Crossfit.  As I was sprinting along with my medicine ball, passing people left and right, I was thinking "medicine ball, schmedicine ball.  Try running stairs with a 20 pound vest on with dumbbells in your hands AFTER a leg workout, people!" 

I was informed that the weekend workouts are not as rigorous as the weekday ones.  So I will come back and try the weekday one as well, just to get a true taste of Crossfit.  What I will say is I will definitely be back for a weekend workout there.  It's more than I would've done to myself on a Saturday morning, and that is the whole point, isn't it?