Embrace the Suck: What I Learned at the Box About Hard Work, (Very) Sore Muscles, and Burpees Before Sunrise

· Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Roger Wayne
Audiobook
4 hr 49 min
Unabridged
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About this audiobook

Lifelong amateur athlete Stephen Madden decided to put himself to the test, physically and mentally, by immersing himself in the culture, diet, and psyche of CrossFit-the fast-growing but controversial fitness regime that's a stripped-down combination of high intensity aerobic activity, weightlifting, calisthenics, and gymnastics practiced by more than two million athletes worldwide. But what's crazier? The fact that such a grueling regimen-in which puking and muscle breakdowns during workouts are common-is so popular, or that people pay good money to do it? In Embrace the Suck, Madden chronicles the year he devoted to mastering all of the basic Crossfit exercises like double unders, muscle ups and kipping pullups, and immersing himself in the Paleo diet that strips weight from its followers but leaves them fantasizing about loaves of bread. Throughout, he explores the culture of the sport, visiting gyms (boxes) around the country, becoming a CrossFit coach, and confronting some basic questions about himself, his past, and athletic limitations-and why something so difficult and punishing can be at once beautiful, funny, and rewarding.

About the author

Stephen Madden has held various staff positions at Sports Illustrated, Fortune, and Bicycling, where under his editorship the magazine won two National Magazine Awards. His writing has appeared in more than twenty-five publications and websites. Madden lives in Chatham, New Jersey, with his wife and three children.

Roger Wayne hails from small-town Minnesota. He served in the Air Force as a broadcast journalist in South Korea before obtaining his BA in communications and journalism. Roger has recorded for video games, animation, and commercials, and he loves making books come to life. You can see what he's up to at rogerwayne.com.

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