Dr. Ronda Rockett quits her medical practice to open CrossFit gym in Wellesley, Mass.,
When Ronda Rockett was practicing medicine, she urged her patients to get healthy through regular exercise and healthy eating.
"I would demonstrate the movements: burpees, squats, and other exercises in my office. But to have the greatest impact you need a community of like-minded people for support. It’s nearly impossible to create positive change going solo,” Ronda explained.
So she chucked her medical practice to start her own CrossFit Launchpad gym in a two-car garage attached her home in Wellesley, Mass.
Ronda is a rocket of a personality with a dedicarted following, her women athletes have been dubbed, "The Rockettes." When Ronda competed in the CrossFit Games, seh came out as the 86th strongest woman over 50.
It's a family affiar. Ronda's husband, Sean Rockett, an orthopedic surgeon, got involved and is head Doctor of the Ortho team at the CrossFit Games. They're three tenagers are all athletic and fit.
Community is key to success
The CrossFit Launchpad Facebook page is a bulletin board for sharing life experiences as well as fitness and other accomplishments; something ordinary gyms don't do. She also organizes social events to build relationships among her "athletes."
The focus
- Full-body functional movements, to improve one's ability to perform daily tasks
- High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) so you don’t spend hours at the gym or jogging
- Emphasis on perfecting one's form so that you do squats, burpees, Olympic weightlifting etc. correctly to maximize the benefit and avoid injury
- Building community support and relationships among participants
- Healthy eating — you can’t exercise for a few hours and eat junk food the rest of the week and expect results. Ronda insists.
- Metrics, tracking one's progress enhances dedication.
For me it's personal
I’ve been one of Ronda’s “athletes" since December. The fist bumps, cheering and candor really foster enthusiasm. I've made closer friends than I would have at an ordinary gym. I’ve done 2,000 meter rowing sessions and 400 meter sprints at CrossFit, that I would never have done solo. My health has improved, making me the poster boy of pysicians, among whom are Doctor-CrossFit advocates: After two months, my LDL and triglycerides plummeted, my HDL went up, blood tests show my inflamation is now normal, allowing my doctor to reduce my Rheumatoid Arthritis medication. (My medical test results are available.)
My weight dropped from 165 lbs. to 145 lbs.—lower than when I graduated from Air Force OTS in 1967!
The routine
Every one-hour class consists of stretching and the prescribed Workout of the Day or WOD in CrossFit parlance.
The WODs are made up of an intense series of full-body movements, such as kettle bell swings and Olympic Weightlifting, that involve lots of muscles plus cardio training, such as rowing or running. The coaches review every movement no matter how familiar everyone is with them and make modifications to accommodate anyone's limitations. They are intense, compressing a lot of movement into a short time without long breaks.
Classes are inclusive too—men and women of all ages work out together, which gives the experience a family feel.
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