Embrace the Suck: What I learned at the box about hard work, (very) sore muscles, and burpees before sunrise
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)
With irreverence, humor, and soul-touching candor, the former editor of Bicycling magazine explores the CrossFit phenomenon, the fitness revolution sweeping America, chronicling his experience "inside the box" and how he got into the best shape of his life.
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.
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Stephen Madden. (2014). Embrace the Suck: What I learned at the box about hard work, (very) sore muscles, and burpees before sunrise. HarperCollins.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)Stephen Madden. 2014. Embrace the Suck: What I Learned At the Box About Hard Work, (very) Sore Muscles, and Burpees Before Sunrise. HarperCollins.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)Stephen Madden, Embrace the Suck: What I Learned At the Box About Hard Work, (very) Sore Muscles, and Burpees Before Sunrise. HarperCollins, 2014.
MLA Citation (style guide)Stephen Madden. Embrace the Suck: What I Learned At the Box About Hard Work, (very) Sore Muscles, and Burpees Before Sunrise. HarperCollins, 2014.
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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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With irreverence, humor, and soul-touching candor, the former editor of Bicycling magazine explores the CrossFit phenomenon, the fitness revolution sweeping America, chronicling his experience "inside the box" and how he got into the best shape of his life.
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.
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- source: Will Leitch, founder of Deadspin, contributing editor for New York magazine, and author of God Save the Fan and Are We Winning?
- content: "Stephen Madden's engaging, open, and funny book about how it changed his life—but kept him resolutely who he is—did away with all that: He finds the human side of the sport, the activity, and the community. A perfect introduction to a worldview that can change yours."
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- source: Alex Gibney, Academy Award-winning writer and director of Taxi to the Dark Side
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- content: "Surprisingly personal and compelling...Madden's epiphanies are genuine, and well rendered.... He may be subpar as an athlete. He's far, far above that as a writer."
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- content: "Even if you've never lifted a kettlebell, you'll be fascinated by Madden's view of the challenges and psychology behind the phenomenon."
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January 1, 2015
No matter what the leisure or exercise activity, there are always people who want to push it to extremes. For fitness fans, this is a program called CrossFit, which makes the Ironman triathlon look like a walk in the park. CrossFit is where drill instructors who are deemed too mean for the marines find their niche. It's the only leisure-time activity this reviewer has encountered that has a cute mascot for vomiting. Madden, once a "fat kid" and former editor of Bicycling magazine, considered himself no good because he wasn't athletic. He came to this sport in middle age and through sheer force of will mastered a series of extreme weight and cardio workouts, "embracing the suck" for one year. The exercises are not easily understood as described here. All that is clear is that too much is not enough. This title will appeal to hard-core athletes and students of psychology but may leave average readers feeling as though CrossFit practitioners have gone mad. VERDICT Limited appeal but provides exciting insight into a highly unusual lifestyle.--Susan B. Hagloch, formerly with Tuscarawas Cty. P.L., New Philadelphia, OH
Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
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November 1, 2014
An avid cyclist, runner, and swimmer, Madden rode more than 4,000 miles per year while editor in chief of Bicycling magazine (200208), but when he could no longer do a simple sit-up to pull himself from the couch, he knew he needed a different approach to fitness. He slowly immersed himself in the culture of CrossFit and now offers a painful, sweaty, and exhausting insider's view of this popular exercise regimen. He details his failures and successes completing CrossFit's WODs (Workout of the Day), the advantages of the Paleo and zone diets, and his relationships with his fellow CrossFitters. There are some poignant and humorous moments as Madden realizes that CrossFit is more than a workout; it embraces a no-quit attitude, emphasizes camaraderie over competition, and challenges the mind as much as the body. His willingness to test his limits and do more than he thought possible helped him become a better person, husband, and father. The numerous workout anecdotes will entertain the CrossFit faithful, but Madden's well-written personal narrative may appeal to a more general fitness audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)
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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,...
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