I think most of us have heard the proverb of giving a man a fish vs teaching him how to fish. But in case not it goes something like this, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you feed him for life.” Obviously this is saying that learning the how of something sticks with us for life, and we are able to benefit from it for years to come; instead of a one time benefit.
Yesterday in our social media post I mentioned how most gyms’ only want you to sweat and burn some calories. In fact some gyms don’t even want you to do that!
The globo-gym business model works like this. The member pays the gym a certain price per month. The gym in turn provides the space and equipment to workout. Globo gyms operate this way and try to sell lots of memberships for a low price in the hope that you won’t actually use their service.
CrossFit changed this slightly. Most CrossFit boxes still provide the space and equipment but they usually charge a higher price per month. This benefits the members because the members receive a workout of the day or ‘WOD’ as CrossFit calls it. A good box will provide all of the above in addition to coaching and instruction. In my book this is where boxes get divided into what I would call a good CrossFit and a not so good CrossFit.
A not so good CrossFit box could provide a great workout program, but have minimal to no coaching. A good box will provide you with movement demo’s, tell you what to be cautious of, give scaling or modification options, show you why the movement(s) you are doing can be good for our daily living, and teach you how to feel proper vs. improper movement.
Essentially the proverb comes back to us, one is giving you the result, the other is teaching you the nuances and the how. The latter provides you with a lifetime of knowledge that you can use day in and day out.
Hopefully all of us will be moving throughout our life or at least the large majority of our life. So learning as much as you can about movement and how to do it properly is very important. Most times bad backs, busted knees, messed up shoulders come from years of poor movement and posture. Understanding movement can help prevent the injuries and issues that “just come with getting old”.
If you are taught how to move well and move correctly then your movement will work for you, and you will reap the rewards for years to come. You will be fed for life. Never being taught how to move well, or only focusing on weight and intensity might help you reach a short term goal but will eventually start to work against you. You might be fed for the day, but you will soon find yourself beat, broken and hungry.
Want to learn more? We are here to help, get started with us today to experience proper movement and coaching.
