Why You Should Never Miss a Benchmark

Reschedule your conference calls; move your hair cut appointment, DVR your favorite show, whatever it takes, its “Benchmark” day at CrossFit.  We train day in and day out, we strive to improve ourselves a fraction of a percentage each day, and once in while we are faced with a test.  In CrossFit these tests are our benchmark WODs.   Today’s WOD is “Grace” and I’ve been crossing my fingers for packed classes all day.   30 Clean jerks for time might not look like a great “workout” on paper, and arguably it isn’t.  This is a test, a test of strength, endurance, and mental toughness.   As CrossFitters, we sign on for a fitness program that measures progress, and peaks our athletic potential.  If we were boot-campers, we wouldn’t care about our times and athletics performance, we’d just care about working up and arbitrary sweat, but as a CrossFitter there should be some part of us that cares about getting better.  The only way to really know if you are becoming more fit is to show up and take part in the benchmark WODs.  These WODs are universal, and you can look at your performance on a gym, local, regional or global level.  It allows you to visualize the CrossFit measuring stick and gain perspective on where you stand.  For some of us, it’s a wakeup call, for others, it means huge PRs and a sense of reassurance that you’re doing the right things in the gym day after day.  If you dodge these days, or make them a scheduled “rest day”, you’ll never know where you really stand.  So get up get moving and throw your hat in the ring on this and every benchmark day at CrossFit Thermal.  Test, improve repeat…..