but WODstack is one of the best fitness tracking software programs (for me) OF ALL TIME!!!

WODstack is a new fitness tracking program I just discovered for tracking my WOD’s and I will no longer be clutering up your Dashboard with my WOD’s on here.

• If you’re still interest in my workouts/max you can follow my progress at http://wodstack.com/samsonnotdelilah (you don’t have to sign up to follow all my stats are public)

WODstack is simple, It’s clean, and more importantly it’s Crossfit specific. I stumbled on the program after randomly checking out Brandon Gadoci’s Tumblr wayyy after the he followed me and I was looking for more people to follow to wake up my Dashboard.

I’ll admit I have not tried Fitocracy but from what I gather from what my Dashboard, the software tracks your fitness (ok cool sounds useful) and then assigns points for activities and leveling up to rank that challenges you with new fitness challenges….

Points? Why? Personally, I’ve worked really hard to get over (both good and bad) reactions to any fitness related changes I choose to pursue (workouts, Crossfit, going Paleo, etc.)

I would much rather use that brain energy on committing to becoming healthier instead of interpreting other people’s reactions to my healthy lifestyle choices. I’ll admit in the past I have felt really great after getting recognized by people after an intense workout or any other healthy changes I’ve experimented with lately. I have also felt the reverse, during times where I have left a little in the tank because I wish I had someone to help me push a little further for that last set but it’s a process. I mean if I never let myself hit rock bottom I would never realize that it could only get better from there.

I am just different. I am very comfortable with my fitness end goals. I am a freakishly flexible dancer, lax bro, and aspiring parkour enthusiast and I want to keep doing these things (and more) but BETTER and for me Crossfit gives me the tools to do that with all the other x-factors I loved about being an athlete in high school and college (camaraderie, personal challenges, new and different workouts, more time to do non-fitness things I enjoy, etc.). I understand that realistically that means I will probably never look like…

*Terry Crews aka the Big Scary Black guy from all those movies whose name you can’t remember*

or

*Let’s be honest, he’s Wolverine now not Hugh Jackman (unless he’s at the Tony’s then he IS Broadway)*

But, I really am just figuring out that I will be OK with that. While Terry Crews and Hugh Jackman have definitely put in work and I would definitely not have minded settling for this especially during my p90x days at the end of the day they are probably not even remotely interested in any of my fitness related end goals parkour, learning more ballet and modern lifts, and climbing walls and jumping through, up, and over city terrains. Those are my goals and realistically I know that realistically instead of looking like those guys above I’ll need to be able to functionally move like these guys —->

*Jason Statham - Usually not the biggest but always the most BADASS!*

or

*Desmond Richardson - Professional Dancer/FIT AS F*$%!!!*

To me adding points is just another one step away from my customized personal goals that I got comfortable with before being exposed to other people’s definitions of fitness success.

A one-size fits all definition of fitness, may work for some people and even help some people to get up and start making changes. If you’ve been doing this a while, at this point a one-size fits all system for measuring success is irrelevant because your definitions and metrics of personal achievement will remain unfazed.

Altering or conforming personal goals (consciously or unconsciously), which I’m not gonna lie is pretty tempting, is not worth risking my focus. If I started focusing on a point system I would get distracted and start to lose touch of the benchmarks that I value in terms of reaching my fitness goals.

I value different metrics of fitness success differently than other individuals. To be frank, I know I am obscenely competitive and I do not trust myself well enough to resist the temptation of wanting to level up, climb to the top of the points system like Fitocracy.com. I do not want to “settle” for looking like Terry Crews/Hugh Jackman, especially when I know that the quick hits of validation would only reinforce this “settling” behavior and ultimately I would forget who Desmond Richardson was and why I admired his non-traditional fitness. Ironically, it would actually be less work to settle for Crews/Jackman than have to explain why I want to physically function like Statham/Richardson.

So for now I’ll take a cue from my personal fit/lifespo and enjoy all my Samson fitness points all at once in medal form, in front of a candle-lit shower. Win.

For future reference: 1 Samson Fitness Point=10 Schrute Bucks or 20 Stanley Nickels

PS: Before you bother to reply in defense of the glorious Church of Fitocracy let me say this, for now I’m very satisfied with WODstack and will not be changing anytime soon. Although, I have yet to talk, message, or ever talk to Brandon Gadoci he seems like a nice guy who is not trying to sell/promote anything directly (I mean had to actively find WODstack by reading through his Tumblr!) and he seems genuinely interested in creating a useful service that he would use himself, and I appreciate. 

Truthbomb Disclaimer: Also, who are would you really be trying to convince? the fact that any crazy guy like myself can openly dicuss my preference for WODstack over something like Fitocracy should have absolutely no effect on what your Fitocracy experience means to you.