Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
Audiobook4 hours
Embrace the Suck: What I Learned at the Box About Hard Work, (Very) Sore Muscles, and Burpees Before Sunrise
Written by Stephen Madden
Narrated by Roger Wayne
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
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.
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.
Author
Stephen Madden
Stephen Madden is the chief content strategist for the enthusiast publisher F+W edia. website Sports on Earth. He was the founding editor of Sports on Earth, Outdoor Explorer and Fitbie. 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 25 publications and websites. He graduated from Cornell University. An avid Crossfitter, cyclist and swimmer, Madden lives in Chatham, NJ with his wife and three children.
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Reviews for Embrace the Suck
Rating: 4.057142857142857 out of 5 stars
4/5
35 ratings1 review
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Great start, got a bit repetitive towards the end, still enjoyed it and started looking more into CrossFit.