Hi there! I’m Wymberley and I write at Crossfit Super Mom.
Ericka asked me to write fantastic post in her absence as she is away from the computer today.
Obviously, I focus on blogging about Crossfit, but also frequent topics like healthy eating on a budget, the everyday successes, and the challenges of managing a family and personal health. I hope you will enjoy my occasionally sarcastic adventures and celebrations; please visit and keep reading!
If you have been involved in Crossfit or any other fitness activity that has become routine, you know breaking that routine can be tough to come back from. For me, it is a slippery slope between a day off and…17.
My husband (Mr. Dad) is on a rotating shift at work and cannot continue CrossFit at our gym again until September. He does not want to lose his enthusiasm or intensity of workout in his absence so, we have been brainstorming how to keep him on task. The biggest challenge is accountability. Without someone watching and cheering you on to be your best, many athletes cannot maintain the high level of work.
So here is what we came up with to get him through the next month of at-home WODs (Workout of the day):
-Since we have a short period of time away from routine (a few days, a week, or in Mr. Dad’s case a month) we need a short-term goal. Where do I want to be in one months’ time?
-This gives the opportunity for betting pools, bragging rights and embarrassing tattoos.
2. Have a partner
-Um, Crossfit is hard…and unpredictable. I feel like, if you are creating your own Wod, eventually you’re going to be too easy on yourself. No cherry-picking allowed!
-If you have a partner to help document and plan your workouts you have a dialogue to bounce ideas off another person and expressing your feelings about your efforts.
-Not everyone wants to hear about your snatch record…although I can’t imagine why not.
3. Practice that exercise!
-Can you do double unders? How about one legged pistol squats? OR how about a real push-up?
-Buy a jump rope and finally master those basic moves.
-Why not start your own burpee/ push-up/ plank hold challenge? There is always room for improvement and refocus.
4. Track your success with a baseline WOD
– What’s your Fran time?
-Start your time away from the routine workouts with a benchmark WOD. This can be as simple as a 400m run for time, a creative at-home benchmark WOD, or a standard CrossFit workout like “Fran”
-The point of a benchmark WOD is to get tangible success over time. Who doesn’t want to say “Hey, guess how much I don’t suck at that workout “?
Perks of At-Home WODs
Nothing beats being at the gym and with your community of fellow CrossFitters. However, if you are on your own for some time, there are perks:
-clothing is optional
-you don’t have to worry about body fluids or gasses escaping (much)
-you can get crazy and have fun with your workouts! Go to your city pool, volleyball sandpit, skate park, football stadium…
-Get your family and kiddos involved; a family WOD can be really challenging and worth the memories!
What is your favorite workout away from the Gym? How do you stay motivated and accountable? Let me know if I left out a good tip!
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