The snatch is an Olympic lift where athletes lift a barbell from the ground to overhead in one fluid movement.

There is mounting evidence, from dozens and dozens of researchers, that nature has benefits for both physical and psychological human well­being,” says Lisa Nisbet, PhD, a psychologist at Trent University in Ontario, Canada, who studies connectedness to nature. “You can boost your mood just by walking in nature, even in urban nature. And the sense of connection you have with the natural world seems to contribute to happiness even when you’re not physically immersed in nature.” NatureMU stands for Muscle ups. A muscle up is a pull-up directly followed by a dip. It’s an advanced movement that takes time to master. Think assisted pull-ups without the fuss of an expensive and cumbersome machine. You can use resistance bands looped over the bar to assist your pull-ups. Wall Ball is a common CrossFit exercise where athletes stand facing a wall with a medicine ball, squat down and then explosively stand, flinging the ball upward and catching it. Prepare to do this often. PS stands for Power Snatch. The Power Snatch is a snatch without a squat. Many top CrossFit workouts include the Power Snatch, or something similar. I also do the Wednesday lifting class which I love. A great class for working on your technique and banter

Paralettes are portable parallel bars that stand at a height of about eight inches. They are used to add complexity to certain (already) difficult movements such as handstand push ups. Subbed is short for Substituted. In CrossFit, athletes sometimes sub exercises they are unable to do in a WOD for one they can. For example, an athlete who can’t do muscle ups may opt to do pull-ups and dips separately instead. Similar to a clean, but the movement does not include a squat. Note: the bar does start on the ground in a power clean.

L– So I have been trying to talk everyone I know into trying CrossFit! I honestly believe if I can do it then anyone can. It’s so good for your confidence, fitness, mental health, physical health, strength, and the members and coaches at M Squared are amazing. I’ve made some great friends and it has become my second home and favourite place to be. Everyone is so supportive, welcoming and encouraging and they genuinely want to see you do well, it’s a special place. I really don’t think there are any negatives (except when Em programmes nine million wall balls every Thursday!) so if you are thinking of giving it a go, just do it, you won’t regret it. There’s no point in waiting until you feel fitter or stronger etc, because even the fittest in the gym all feel wiped out (except Oz) after a workout, it’s what it is all about. I’d just like to add a little more about M Squared and what makes it so special. Within about a week of joining, I was coming into the classes and the coaches would just write my name on the board without having to ask it. That may not sound like much but it just showed that the coaches actually care about their members and don’t just treat you as a number or face on a screen, like they do in some commercial gyms. It may just be CrossFit’s most famous workout. Fran is a 21-15-9 rep scheme of thrusters and pull-ups. It takes some time to get it down, and even more time to shave your time down, but it’s likely a workout you will see many times as a CrossFitter. Couplets are two exercises that complement each other. They are combined in a specific set formation to form a WOD.

M – What advice would you give anyone wanting to start CrossFit but is either unsure or nervous? We get people all the time saying they need to get fit first or they could never do what we do? Any advice for those people? M – What is your why? Why do you put yourself through it each day? Do you have goals you want to achieve? A competitor at the CrossFit Games. These are professional competitive athletes that are the best in the sport.Think of a normal body weight dip. Now think about doing it with gymnastic rings. It’s much more challenging, but much more rewarding.

TTB is short for toes to bar. When hanging from a bar, athletes bend only their waist and raise their toes to touch the bar. Yes, it’s very difficult. The Handstand Push-up, or HSPU is a challenging movement where athletes go in a handstand and then perform push-ups from that position. They are common in CrossFit. My main goal is to try and stop moaning, complaining and asking stupid questions in every class but at the moment I’m failing at that! Apart from that I don’t really have any strict goals, I have loads of stuff I’d love to be able to do; a 100kg clean, butterfly pulls ups, TTB, muscle ups, handstands and handstand walks but if I never get any of those I won’t be too bothered as long as I keep enjoying myself. Knees to Elbows, or K2E/KTE is a movement where athletes hang from a pull up bar and shoot their knees up until their elbows and knees touch.Lisa who would ever have thought it? Always hated fitness and almost fell out with her partner Paul (Also December MOTM) as it was all he talked about. Finally Lisa got involved and is just as much of a CrossFit fanatic as Paul. She doesn’t quite have the “CrossFit Wanker” medal yet, but there is always next year hey? Isabel is another CrossFit “girl” benchmark WOD. It’s a timed workout consisting of 30 snatches 60/42.5kg