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Inside the Box: How CrossFit ® Shredded the Rules, Stripped Down the Gym, and Rebuilt My Body
£13.70£16.10 (-15%)
In Inside the Box, veteran journalist and marathoner T.J. Murphy goes all in to expose the gritty, high-intensity sport of CrossFit(R). Murphy faced a future with a permanent limp from one too many marathons. Desperate to reclaim his fitness and strength, the 47-year-old signed up for his first CrossFit(R) workout with nothing to lose. Anaerobically blasted by each workout of the day, Murphy discovered a sweat-soaked fitness revolution that’s transforming bodies and lives. CrossFit is the sport of fitness, a radical new approach to exercise that is turning the traditional gym workout upside down. Every day at thousands of CrossFit gyms across America, fitness seekers of all shapes and sizes flex their inner athlete by racing to finish fast-paced workouts. Each workout mixes weight lifting and gymnastics into an explosively effective and addictive new way to lose weight and carve out a new physique. Inside the Box is Murphy’s journey through CrossFit. From staggering newcomer to evangelist, Murphy finds out how it feels, why it’s so popular, whether it can fix his broken body.
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Additional information
| Publisher | 1st edition (1 Sept. 2012), VeloPress |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 192 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1934030902 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1934030905 |
| Dimensions | 15.88 x 1.27 x 22.86 cm |
by Dickens
A good read, but……it felt, at times, like a rehash of Crossfit promo interviews and features lifted from their website. I would have preferred more personal opinion and insight into the training experiences of the author which although present do not feature heavily. Perhaps that is why I enjoyed and would recommend to others “Embrace The Suck”, which felt as though it was a more objective description of Crossfit and was better written. That said I found the book to be enjoyable and interesting and worth reading.
by Mrs. Laura F. Hilton
Really enjoyed this book. It’s made me love CrossFit even more.
by Danielle
So, I bought this book thinking it would help me with the CrossFit class I’ve recently joined. It did, but not in the way I expected.
CrossFit has achieved a kind of cult status lately with classes springing up all over the place, and it’s easy to see why, the combination of HIIT and olympic lifting is a very effective (though difficult) training regimen. In a way it reminds me of those silly ‘self help’ seminars of the 80’s and 90’s and the sales methods used by Kriby vacuum cleaners, the difference being CrossFit isn’t trying to sell you snake oil, it’s just very basic funcional training routines combined with competition and high intensity (this is a good thing)
The book then is not really about CrossFit itself, but more about one persons relationship with CrossFit and how it has had an impact on an individual.
What it is not is a manual on the exercises you’re likely to be doing at a class, but as there is already plenty of information on HIIT, Tabata, Olympic lifting available on the internet I’m not really sure how much value that would have brought anyway.
As a new-comer to CrossFit, who is already seeing strength and fitness gains I didn’t really think I was capable of, I found the book a thoroughly entertaining read. It’s nice way to see that the ‘suck it down’ hurt and highs and lows of training at high levels are actually par for the course; the pain being gasping for air, your body almost on it’s knees as you struggle through the end of a ‘WOD’ (CrossFit term for the daily routine) and the highs being the rush of endorphines and amazing afterglow when you complete a difficult workout.
Nay-sayers will say this is just propaganda for CrossFit, and in a way it is, but to be fair, I’m sure a well written book by anyone learning *any* new workout regimen and seeing terrific results would also seem like propaganda, so I don’t really think it’s a valid accusation.
The bottom line is this, ‘Inside the Box’ is a thoroughly enjoyable read about one mans journey through CrossFit, it has interesting details on the subject and is also quite motivational. It’s not the longest book in the world, but the story has lasting appeal to make it worth the five stars I’ve given it.
Highly recommended!
by Mr. Simon A. Hailes
Firstly: this book is overpriced as there is only about 155 pages of reading matter and I would say about £5 would be a reasonable price. I dock a point for the rip off effect.
Secondly: it is quite an enjoyable anecdotal read, but I don’t get the feeling that I am much more wiser about what crossfit is. Apart from the competitative ‘sport’ element there does’nt seem to be anything that original about it and it does seem to be a recipy for injury. I know a lady who blames a shoulder injury on sometimes doing shoulder movements up to three times in a row in crossfit and I am sure there are many more like her.
It would seem to explain a phenomenon of anti-social behaviour in my gym, where on a couple of ocasions someone has hoarded 3 or 4 pieces of equipment and will not allow you to work in with them; while they crouch there spider like amongst their little web.
Thirdly the writer has the anoying habit of always reffering to the english generic as a she instead of the correct he. This tells me something about his mind and it might be right on and cool in California or even the USA, but it seems odd and frustrating to the mind of an english man such as I. Maybe they should edit an english version. I don’t know but it is anoying.
He also seems to claim kettlebells as a particular crossfit inovation; as if no one used them before or uses them much anywhere else.
So I think 2 stars is quite generous for the readability.
God blessee.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.
by nx
Enjoyable read that offers you the authors story, while also introducing some of the background behind crossfit and talking about others.
What would have made it better?
1) I think an ‘instructional section’ for those that would like do some preparation at home before venturing into a box.
Personally I did not need such a section, but I can see the gap in the market.
2) WODS – Would have been nice to have seen more WODS introduced and discussed. This could have included records, the authors history with that WOD and average times.
I would buy this book, but don’t if you are looking for a ‘How to’ or ‘do crossfit at home’ book
by K. Osborne
Good overview from someone who has had access to some good people / coaches / boxes.
Well-written and therefore a good read. Probably not for those who are serious/seasoned crossfitters already, but for anyone else curious – great.
by Mr. EM Button
For anyone intrigued by Crossfit I’d recommend this book. The author provides a good overview of the Crossfit ethos and gives a good feel for what it’s like to partake
by CME
bought for my son for Christmas and he read it in one weekend. He said it was a very good read as he is into Crossfit. Very helpful hints and great insight into Crossfit.