CrossFit brings new view to fitness training

Cece short for Cingiwe Ciegy casually walks through the headquarters of CrossFit located in Commerce Park, and appears like any other gym personnel. Her walk and even the way she talks gives very little about the type of person she is once in training gear.

Her other nickname, we are told best sums up what she does when she works out. She is one of CrossFit members and shows off a move that leaves us speechless. A rope that has been hanging on one side of the room is tackled in a manner that shows off that training just comes naturally to her.

Going up the rope, twice, feet coiling around the rope so that she does to slip down, one feels like they had a remote control so as to pause her midway and memorise this rare spectacle.  She also shows off her exceptional skills on a machine called assault bicycle, where she does push ups with her legs in the air, and using the wall for support. We learn from one of the three trainers here that the crazier the move, Cece will happily do it with a smile. Her personality proves that everyone who walks through this gym is here to work-out, and still have fun in the process.

Alice Hawkins shows off her skills on a dead lift, tackling 60kg like it’s nothing. Katlego Kgwadi also shows off his exceptional skills on a bar muscle up. Like his peers, he makes the move seem like a piece of cake. The trio is just some of the many members who now passionately follow CrossFit Gaborone.

The first rule of the game here is that one should leave their ego at the door, and when you are working out with the sort of equipment that is used here, you will admit that a big ego does not have a place here. Another rule is that coaches know best, and that there is no room for being unnecessarily brave, which might result in injuries. So one may wonder what this fitness regimen that was developed by Gred Glassman and Lauren Jenai in 2000 is all about. On Thursday morning, BG Style received an invitation to come through and see what CrossFit entails.

According to Wikipedia, CrossFit is promoted as both a physical exercise philosophy and also as a competitive fitness sport. CrossFit workouts incorporate elements from high-intensity interval training, Olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, calisthenics, strongman, and other exercises. Wikipedia also points out that CrossFit gyms use equipment from multiple disciplines, including barbells, dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, jump ropes, kettlebells, medicine balls, plyo boxes, resistance bands, rowing machines, and various mats.

Hugo Botha is one of the three trainers who is always on hand to guide members, and also sees that they take all safety precautions lest they injure themselves. He highlights that safety comes first. He further explains that they have six sessions that normally comprise 10 members. “You always have a trainer walking around, showing movements and techniques,” he explains, stressing that safety is very important, and that all precautions are taken to avoid unnecessary risks. He also explains that something that sets CrossFit apart from other fitness regimen is the fact that they do constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. “All CrossFit workouts are based on functional movements and these movements reflect the best aspects of gymanistics, weightlifting, running rowing and more,” he explains, adding that all the functional movements are handy outside the gym.

“At 65, we still want you to be able to play with your grandchildren,” he adds. One of the members, Tshenolo Molemi explains that CrossFit gives her a lot more than what she would do at a normal gym. Molemi was formerly a spinning instructor at one of the local gyms, and she says that what she loves more about CrossFit is the fact that it challenges her and allows her to grow in terms of fitness capabilities. “I joined CrossFit because I wanted to see what I can do with my body in terms of fitness,” she explains.

She also says that she is loving her time with her new-found fitness regimen. “I am loving it here, and every day we learn new things, and we are growing. It is totally different to what I was doing before I came here,” she explains.
She further says that her favourite routines include rope climbing, and the assault bicycle.