LIV UP CrossFit Trainer Lorraine "Coach LO" Talavera

- By Lorraine Talavera

So I’m pretty sure right now you are probably asking yourself, “What the heck is a box buddy?" Well, simply put it’s a workout partner! Lately, I have seen many of our members develop new friendships within our box, inspiring me to share the importance of having a box buddy ("BB") and how it can actually help you become a better athlete.

What is a BB?

I know many of us have had those days where we feel tired, weak, cranky, stressed, and even irritable at times. The first thing we tend to say is “I just want to go home” or “I need a drink!”  As you continue your day, it becomes more intense and you decide to grab your phone and text your BB saying “Hey, meet me at the bar, long day don’t feel like WODing. I’d rather have a drink.” Your BB replies with “ Heck no. Tonight we’re snatching. Remember we have been dying to do this all week!” You begin to think about it for a few minutes and then reply back with “You’re right, I’ll be there in 20 minutes!”

Why should everyone have a few BBs?

Whatever way your story works out, you get the idea. My point is that everyone should have a BB, and in fact you should have a few BBs. Why do I say that? Life happens and you can’t always rely on one person to make it to every class with you so when you have a few BBs, you always are held accountable.

The great thing about choosing your BB is that he or she can be anyone who is a part of your community. You don’t have to lift the same weight and you don’t even have to like the same exercises. Some of you might be more advanced than others in certain movements or weight, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider them. In fact, it is usually the people you least expect who end up being the best BB; they are reliable, they hold you accountable, and best yet, they believe in you.

How can having a BB make you a better athlete?

As you and your BB begin WODing together, you will become aware of the things you are good at and the things your BB is good at. You might be a great lifter while your BB has great endurance or vice versa. How can you benefit from your BB's great endurance? You try your best to keep up with your BB when the WODs are based on endurance. Now all of a sudden, you’re running faster, you’re resting less and you’re fighting harder to get one rep ahead of them. Before you realize it, your performance has sky rocketed all from a little friendly competition amongst friends. Hence the word friendly; it is okay to compete amongst one another, as long as you are not a sore loser. If you get your butt handed to you, don’t be mad at your BB for it. Instead, realize how you can improve and then go right over to your BB and say, “Way to kick my butt today, you did awesome.”

I strongly believe everyone can benefit from having a few BBs because I know for a fact it helped me work harder in my workouts sessions. Just to give you an idea I have about 10 different BB’s. One is my husband Jorge, and the others range from LIV UP coaches, members and friends from other boxes. I used to WOD with a lot of guys at my old gym and that was fun and intense at the same time. It taught me to brush mistakes off and to not focus on what I didn’t accomplish but what I did accomplish in a session. So go out there and mingle with your classmates and begin your search for a supportive BB.