TIME!

by Grace Lin

How many times have you witnessed this scene?  Everyone in class is gathered around an athlete as he/she finishes the last round of the workout.  We aren’t exactly sure how many more reps the athlete has left, but we know he/she is close to finishing.  Words of encouragement are shouted out from all directions as the athlete takes a short break from the barbell.  Everyone continues to encourage the athlete get back on the bar and finish.  The bar is picked back up and the cheering continues.  Then the athlete drops the bar, looks at the clock, and backs away to breathe.  There’s a moment of confusion… Is he/she done?  Or are there a few more reps left?  Is this a break or is this the end?  Then the coach asks, “Time??”  And the athlete nods.  The workout is done.

How anticlimactic!!  If you have been coming to the gym for at least a week, then you know we tell everyone to yell “time” after finishing a task priority workout.  However, I’ve seen a trend of people not calling “time” upon finishing, unless we bring special attention to it and remind the class to do it before starting the WOD.  And even then, there are still some who do not yell “time.”  Yelling “time” should be automatic.  We shouldn’t need to remind you to yell it loud and proud when you finish.

But Grace, what’s the point?  Isn’t it all the same if I just look at the clock and tell you my time at the whiteboard?  I mean either way my score gets recorded, right?  Well, guess what, it’s not about you.  Here is why we yell “time.”

It keeps the intensity of class high.  When you’re in the middle of a workout, and you hear people around you calling “time,” it gives you a sense of urgency to finish.  This is part of the reason we workout in a class setting, so we have people around us to push each other to do the best we can.  When you yell “time,” it gives others who are still working incentive to move a little quicker to finish, and vice versa.

It lets the coach know the class progress.  As coaches, we are constantly taking in data from the class, like how athletes are moving, how certain movements are affecting people, which part of the workout seems the toughest, etc.  When athletes start calling “time,” it tells the coach that people are starting to finish the workout.  With that data, we can increase the atmospheric intensity for an extra push for those who are still working.  Again, it goes back to keeping the class intensity high during the workout.

You need to be proud of your time.  Be proud that you finished a hard workout!  Don’t be that person who whispers “time” when they finish, or worse, doesn’t say it at all.  You should be very proud of yourself for the effort you put forth and what you accomplished.  These workouts are not easy, and we should celebrate every time we finish one.

It doesn’t matter if you are the first to finish or the last to finish… yell “time” no matter what!  Be proud of your work and your fitness.  And remember, it’s not about you.  It’s about everyone else.  We are a community, a team, a family.  So, yell “time” for your CFCH family.