THE CROSSFIT DAD
Very proud to introduce a Father's Day guest post this evening from Nick Jones!
Nick currently trains out of RCF09, initially over at CFNZ. Thanks for the input Nick, and well done on the thought and effort you've put into being an example to your son.
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This Father’s Day has me reflecting. It’s the first of what I hope are many Father’s Days with my son, Asger. In light of this, I asked Coach Darren if I could contribute a short blog piece to share a few of my thoughts on some of the challenges and benefits that go with being a CrossFitting Dad.
In writing this blog piece, I’m conscious that parenting is a different experience for everyone. Below is a snippet of some of my own thoughts as a Dad of a now nine month old. In parent speak I am a total novice. As it’s Fathers Day, I also want to send a MASSIVE acknowledgement to all of the “CrossFitting Dads” at our two fantastic communities at Reebok Crossfit ’09 and CFNZ!
We all have various pressures on our 24 hour day that require discipline and good time management to ensure we are consistent with our nutrition, training, recovery and lifestyle so that we get the most out of our gym’s programming.
For me, the new responsibility of being a Dad was a bit shock. While I anticipated change, I didn’t quite appreciate the organisation and commitment that would be required by my wife and I to keep up our training with our beloved CrossFit communities. At times, I found just making it to the gym two to three times a week pretty tough work, involving days of planning and a tightly coordinated joint calendar!
On the flipside, a benefit of this is that I value training at RCF09 much more than what I ever did previously. That time that my wife and I get in the gym is now totally sacred to each of us.
This leads me to my next point. I have found looking after our boy can be physically exhausting. So much so that some solid strength and conditioning really does help as a parent! That time at the gym is valuable on a day-to-day practical level in that we have oodles of highly transferrable movements in our programming that set us up nicely to try to deal with the rigours of being a new parent.
Below is my top ten list of the most useful and transferable strength and conditioning movements for new parents:
Any kind of plank, hollow or arch hold;
Racecar Squats;
Goblet Squats;
Turkish Get-Ups;
Overhead Weighted Sit-Ups;
Odd Object Front Carry;
Farmers Walks;
Suitcase Carries;
Sumo Deadlift High Pulls;
Weighted Box Step-Ups.
My last point is linked to the bigger picture. As his Dad, I am conscious that Asger stands to learn a lot from me. My motivation for continuing to find the time to pursue fitness and everything that goes with being a member of our communities is premised squarely around this little mantra of mine:
I’m fit because I’m a Dad.
I often tell myself this when in need of a spark of motivation after a long day (or night…).
If I can remain fit and strong so that I can take my son on adventures and encourage him through my example to seek out new challenges by using his fitness, then I will be one happy CrossFitting Dad.