Fun at Fugitive Fitness

Last night I had a great first Functional Strength class at Fugitive Fitness - Parkour Dallas. I've done a couple Parkour Foundations classes there, but the scheduling is sometimes tricky, so I wanted to check out the strength class.

Since no one else signed up for that hour, I got a one-on-one session with the instructor and a personalized workout. It was very challenging, but I *just* completed it in the allotted time.

I definitely could have gone heavier on the deadlifts but wanted to start conservatively because I don't practice them and had never seen the large ball weights before. I rocked the push-ups (no knees!) with only minor wormy-wobbling near the end. Hated the crunches but got through with only a very few poorly done.

My resistance band pull-ups were admittedly pathetic, but I've never attempted nearly so many at once, so I'm okay with what I managed—especially since I did keep going until the end and did more than a shoulder shrug on every rep.

I should try to find more creative ways to do core work since it is definitely my least favorite.

I definitely want to attend more parkour classes, but I think I'll also attend the strength class again.

 

A Parkour Class

Inspired by a rad Fit Fatty’s parkour photoshoot and a close friend’s recommendation of the local instructors, I attended my first parkour class last night, and I LOVED it.

I was really nervous about trying something new with a high likelihood of falling but ultimately enjoyed warming up with the kids’ class (which included one little girl!) and having a semi-private lesson with one other adult. The instructor was great—friendly and approachable—and gave clear, positive, actionable feedback, whereas I’ve had some poor experiences recently with an intimidating pro coach teaching a recreational class.

I'm glad I asked the instructor whether he was wearing minimalist shoes and will be more comfortable next time in my VFFs than the sneakers I wore in ignorance yesterday. I learned a few things I can play with on the equipment on the fitness trail near my office after it dries out and am probably going to take more classes this year and attend an upcoming competition as a spectator.

Part of me says it’s silly to get excited or even attempt such a difficult sport at this point in my life and fitness journey, but I remind myself that literally everybody—not just me—has physical limitations that impact their performance. What I have going for me are STRONG legs and a solid understanding of body mechanics rooted in a base level of fitness.

Parkour basics support my goal of building a lifetime of functional fitness, and the courses break down the fundamentals into very manageable pieces. Cross training supports my running and triathlon training. Maybe I’ll learn to get over a wall for my next obstacle race. Maybe I’ll learn a cool party trick. But I definitely want to get strong and have fun.

I never thought I could (or should) do parkour. I’m pretty excited to prove Past Me wrong.