Serendipity - The occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. That for me was, Cross Fit!!
Around 2010-2011, I was bored of my gym workouts, my body refused to budge and I knew that I needed a change.
A Cross Fit seminar was organized and I decided to enroll, even though the voices around me said,"it's for athletes", "it's too tough", "it's not safe" and nay, nay, nay!!
Fortunately, I listened to the voice in my heart and went headlong. My very first exposure battered my body, mind and soul and left my ego bruised and burnt! But I just LOVED it!!! Every workout had me shaken and stirred but I always went back for more.
The beginning of Cross Fit was pretty humble in India. There were more ‘nay’ sayers than takers back then. I remember it being a tough task trying to convince people to even try it. More so with women.
Slowly but surely, fitness concepts started changing and evolving. The few who did Cross Fit started posting and sharing their workout sessions and transformation stories. They were physically and physiologically able to do movements that was hitherto deemed worthy only of the elite athlete or gymnast.That changed the perception of the average gym goer that, it was not a workout for the fit but a means to get fit. The definition of fitness changed across the board. Cross Fit in India has truly been a game changer.
Traditional gyms gave way to "functional fitness" based gyms. Machines were replaced by relatively empty spaces manned by coaches who delivered quality exercise experiences rather than just a workout. The reason why Cross Fit started trending was because, in its essence, the programme is rooted in science and is evidence based.The results speak for themselves. Personally, I achieved in four months of Cross Fit what I never achieved in 4 years at the gym.
The trend caught on and appealed to the millennials and gen X is joining the bandwagon as well. The trajectory is certainly looking upward. The number of Cross Fit boxes not only in the metros,but even in the tier two cities is increasing.
Earlier, we had to travel to another country to attend a Cross Fit seminar, as it was such a rare occurrence in India. And even when it did occur,it was in one city, Delhi. Today the seminars take place regularly and in 3 metro cities. This in itself encapsulates the journey of Cross Fit in India thus far. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. India is just about bursting into the fitness map. Cross Fit is all set to explode and establish its dominance in the fitness arena throughout India.The importance of fitness and mainly "functional fitness"has percolated not only to the youth, but the kids and adults alike. You're cool if you do Cross Fit! Because it's here to stay! So watch out for more!
Like the activity, the shoe too has a cult following! Every cult has certain traditions embedded and have a collective identity that's held sacred. Yogis have their mantras and beads, footballers have their jerseys, Cross Fit has the nano.
Quite like the evolution of Cross Fit in India, the beginnings of the nano shoe was also pretty humble!Nano was limited to the few who knew it as a shoe and not a particle or technology. As a "crossfitter", not working out in a nano would not only be sacrilege, it would be foolish to do so.It is not a unilateral workout! It is not a workout targeting just one or even a few components of fitness. It is as varied as varied can be and a singular workout can address most components of fitness. Designing and making a shoe for this sport of fitness would mean, a harmonious blending of the sciences of engineering, physics and bio mechanics along with comfort and not to forget, aesthetics!An innovation that would require cutting edge technology and breakthrough design!
What's the difference between a nano and a perfect man?!!
The shoe exists! The shoe fits and checks out every box!!
I am the proud owner of every nano to date and it never ceases to amaze me,how much better it gets every subsequent year.
Every feature that is present, is a result of careful thought to every nano requirement of the demands of Cross Fit that would empower and enable you to perform better.
Feedback from athletes (all stars and the regular), is what makes the shoe evolve every year.It felt like if you wished for a particular feature, the next time it was incorporated.
The first few nanos did have all the features required for Cross Fit. Rope pro, wide toe box allowing your forefoot to splay and make you more balanced and distribute impact forces better.A stable heel counter for better ankle alignment, etc, etc. That said, it also kept getting better and more refined along the way.
Nano 3 had a dura cage in its upper to protect it from the vigors of the workout.
Nano 5 had Kevlar on their uppers.
Nano 6 had Kevlar infused mesh upper. The shoe drop was 3mm to make your Olympic lifts stable and safe.
Subsequent nanos had the nano weave technology that made the shoe "breathe" and more comfortable for the consumer.As the lifts got heavier, so did the stability in the heel counter.
The latest nanos incorporated the flex weave technology, upgraded the traction on the soles and the rope pro and has a minimal shoe drop.
The nano 9 went a step further by increasing the cushioning but not compromising on the minimal shoe drop. That is an engineering marvel in itself!! It's so damn important and hence so difficult to have a shoe that increases cushioning but doesn't absorb impact forces but rather helps transfer that force!!
It will be interesting to see what the next nano shoe will bring to the box!!
The reasons why it has appealed to millennials and to generations above and below is the sense of community that it invokes.
Nowhere is the term,"better together" best amplified than at a Cross Fit box. Scores are posted not to boast, but to boost.
We help push each other to be better versions of ourselves.
I am truly grateful to my tribe for continually motivating and inspiring me. The loudest cheers are for those who finish last. We celebrate each other's PRs like we have hit the jackpot!!
My Cross Fit Fam is the reason I workout everyday and is the highlight of my day.
The workouts are hard! Bloody hard! But nothing worth achieving comes easy. The blood, the sweat, callouses and sometimes the tears are all worthwhile in the end. And we do it all over again and again!
If music is a universal language that binds and brings people together, then Cross Fit is the workout that binds people across the globe and makes you fitter together!
If the rhythm is going to get you, Cross Fit will get you better!
About The Author
Vinata Shetty is a Reebok Master Trainer and Rehab Trainer from Mumbai.
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