EMBRACE SUCK

“Embrace the Suck” is one man’s account of his experience with Cross-fit and other high intensity fitness regimens, including SEALFIT 20X. While Madden comes across as a regular Joe, i.e. not one of those crazed individuals who wreck their bodies through lack of rest, failure to heed the body’s warnings, or by way of starvation diets pursued to get that perfect cut, he’s a cheerleader for Cross-fit. If one is looking for an unbiased account of the strengths and weaknesses of Cross-fit, there are probably more objective accounts of the system’s pros and cons. This book is for someone who’s trying to psych themselves up for high intensity interval training. In that regard, the book does a good job because Madden always portrays himself as a human with the unique set of strengths, weaknesses, and limitations that that condition entails. He succeeds because he guts it out in the company of the people around him who are portrayed as being more fit (at least in some dimensions) and driven than he.Still, Madden’s account does give one a taste of the ugly side of the notoriously cult-like fitness system. For example, there is the trainer who refers to orange juice as poison--because it’s a high glycemic index carbohydrate. Even more disturbing is the wife who chastises him upon seeing a photo of him smiling as he crossed the finish line in a marathon--because it showed he hadn’t pushed hard enough. [Come on, it’s not as if, even if he’d died upon crossing the finish line from exhausting all bodily resources, that some Kenyan wouldn’t have been hours ahead of him.] Madden does include a chapter about pain and injuries, but it just suggests one should know what is run-of-the-mill fatigue and what is an actual injury. He mentions an example of a shoulder injury from his own body that he “should probably get checked out.” Furthermore, the final chapter seems to be a cautionary tale about packing too much training into too few days.The book lays out the Cross-fit approach to exercise, and explains why it is so successful without getting deeply into the research. For those unfamiliar with high intensity interval training (HIIT), the general principle is that one constantly varies one’s workout, and that said workouts are done at maximum intensity with short and regimented rest breaks (though the core workout—i.e. the so-called WOD, workout of the day, is often quite short, i.e. 15 -20 minutes.) The track record for increasing fitness for this approach is good. Studies have indicated that one can get about the same level of cardiovascular benefit as one does from traditional cardiovascular exercise while building muscle (endurance activities like running pursued in isolation tend to result in muscle wastage) and reducing risk of repetitive stress injuries (because one is always changing one’s workout / movement.)It sounds like there’s no down-side. The workouts are short (granted you may puke, but you’re out the door in an hour or less.) The benefits are high, and it doesn’t seem to be deficient in cardio—the one area in which one might think it would be. The jury is still out on the injury risk. Cross-fit puts out guidelines (which Madden explains) on how frequently one should take a rest day and on the need for perfect form. Those who follow the guidelines may not have any higher risk than other exercisers (the science remains insufficient.) However, the problem may be that it’s hard to maintain the aforementioned perfect form when a trainer is shouting, “faster, faster, faster” in one’s face. Furthermore, moderation and following rest suggestions has apparently not proven the strong suit for many Cross-fitters, some of whom come down with rhabdomyolysis (a deterioration of skeletal muscle from over-exertion / insufficient rest.)Diet is, of course, an essential topic for any book on fitness, and Madden touches on the two diets that are popular with Cross-fitters. One of the diets, The Zone, is quickly dismissed as being of little use to him because it requires weighing out one’s food portions, and that level of anal retentiveness is beyond his capabilities. The other diet popular in Cross-fit is the one that Madden practices and addresses in the chapter on diet. It’s the so-called Paleo diet—in which one is supposed to eat like one’s pre-agrarian ancestors--except if it involves a high glycemic index food that our ancestors ate, in which case, no. Madden stresses the 80% rule that other Cross-fitter put him on to. That is, follow the diet in a strict way 80% of the time, but allow for a cheat here and there of no more than 20%. Madden’s approach to diet, like his workout drive, seems more moderate and approachable than that of other individuals one sees in the book.The most fascinating chapter was his description of completing the SEALFIT 20X challenge. This is a one [long] day program in which one trains like a Navy SEAL. It’s part of a fitness and mental toughness conglomeration headed by former-SEAL Mark Divine. This training is a bit different than the Cross-fit workouts in that endurance is a major challenge, and the mind is challenged as much as the body. I don’t just mean that will is important, but the SEALFIT program tests one’s ability to use one’s brain under the pressure of intense physical training.I’d recommend this book for those interested in learning about the Cross-fit and SEALFIT 20X experience. If one is trying to get an unvarnished view of Cross-fit, you may want to start with another book before getting to this one. It’s readable and thought-provoking.

I enjoyed this book far more than I thought I would. Not to say that I expected this book to be disappointing, but having just finished reading Learning To Breathe Fire, I wondered if things could have been said any better. This book was not a singular view of Crossfit, rather it was a definitive look at the emotional and physical growth of the author, and in my humble opinion it was fantastic. I related to this book far more than I thought I would as a husband, father, aging man, and a Crossfitter. It's message really resonated with me, and it was nice to hear that we all face the same struggles in life. Especially since I too have struggled with "the nagging voice", the one in the back of your mind that tells you to quit or that you don't belong. In fact, more times than I care to recall, I have succumb to that voice and regret is always right behind. This book, and the author were an inspiration, and the chapter with Mark Divine was excellent to say the least. I am very happy I read this book and I would highly recommend it.

Full disclosure: I have met Steve once, and we road bikes together a few years ago. I found his peronality well conveyed in the book. While not a definitive piece on Cross-Fit, it certainly was an engaging read. From his struggles to achieve the proper form, to his making other exercises harder to may up for his 'cheats', and his admission that his wife is better at some of the things than he is. If there was a flaw at all it was in the language. Having been in a gym, and experienced the frustration of kneeling over a barrel while emptying your guts do to excersize induced nausea, I understand the use of the F-word, but still struggle with it in print.It has had one effect - I am now rededicated to working out and losing weight - although not currently with Crossfit.

If you are over 40 and considering trying Crossfit, start your journey here. Fitness is the sport of the new millenia. It involves measuring the incredible output of the human body using time, weight and repetitions. We can do incredible things if we accept the pain of intensity or so we are told. While all of this sounds great to a twenty year old athlete, it can sound a bit ridiculous to a middle aged desk jockey. Stephen Madden, once editor of Bicycling Magazine, climbs off the bike and into the box in this fast paced book about his journey doing masters Crossfit. He learns all the usual lessons and faces all the expected obstacles to discover that it is possible be a part of this new revolution. At the same time time there is a deeper message about facing our own expectations and limitations as they pertain to age and success. This book didn't dissuade me from doing Crossfit but I do have fewer illusions about what I can achieve with it.

Stephen Madden is a former senior editor at Sports Illustrated, and his style matches the prose of that magazine--brisk, often funny, and thoroughly reported. Not a Cross Fitter myself, I've been interested in fitness and have long been curious about CrossFit and its rabid, cut aficionados. Madden is definitely one of them--well, an aficionado at any rate. But as an over-50 hammerhead with a fondness for sweets, he doesn't fit the hardbody mold; and he's willing to poke fun at himself.Embrace reads like an enjoyable memoir rather than a how-to guide, as Madden gradually learns a couple important lessons: The greatest benefit of fitness is mental, even spiritual. And the exercise you hate the most is what gets you the most benefit. Along the way we learn--practically experience--what it's like to do a WOD (workout of the day) in a CrossFit "box" (gym).One caveat: Don't read the book at mealtime if you're squeamish. Madden has a tendency to throw up during workouts. Which, as with much of his suffering, he makes hilarious.

There are quite a few folk climbing on the crossfit bandwagon now and this is another book that feels like the author wanted a piece of that action without really having a great storey to tell. If you are into all things crossfit, you probably can't go wrong with this book, also if you have a passing interest it may also suffice but if you are looking lots of detail on training etc. you will probably be disappointed.

Maddens journey into Crossfit is interesting and well written, but I can't help to compare it to "Inside the Box" and "Learning to Breathe fire" that covers many of the same areas, and Inside the Box tells the personal journey in a way I found more captivating,But Madden's book is good, and I did enjoy it.

If, like me you are closer to 50 than 49 and just discovered CrossFit, this book will resonate with you. It won’t tell you how to do CrossFit. But it will assure you that you are not alone in your soreness.

Great read. Gives a very good idea of what to expect if you are relatively new at crossfit. Reccommended.

A good buy very interesting enjoying it.