Ready for lift-off at area gym
Third annual ‘Backyahd Games’ shows growing appeal of CrossFit
CrossFit games expanding in popularity
jbissonnette@pawtuckettimes.com
PAWTUCKET – Industrial Revolution CrossFit general manager David Cardenas described the participants in Saturday’s third-annual Backyahd Games as “big kids.” These muscle-bound children at heart weren’t just lifting weights and building strength, they were also working the muscles that make for ear-toear smiles.
The Backyahd Games at the Smithfield Avenue CrossFit gym combined challenging workouts with outdoor games to create a unique summertime competition that was part exercise and part backyard barbecue.
Cardenas said the idea behind the annual event stemmed from a member who expressed an interest in there being more games at the gym. Cardenas said he thought about how to incorporate such activities into the workout regimen, and thus the idea for the Backyahd Games was born.
“We’re trying to make these events as un-intimidating as possible,” Cardenas said. “We have fun but we stay in shape. It’s not all serious with your headphones in and heads down.”
On Saturday morning, competitors were mixing physical activity and fun. For example, competitors would play a brief round of the yard game Kan Jam – in which a plastic disc is thrown at a barrel with slots in it – before partaking in a rigorous round of barbell squats.
For some who are perusing the seemingly endless options that pitch themselves as offering an avenue toward better health, the question when considering CrossFit is usually fairly simple – what exactly is CrossFit?
CrossFit deals with “functional movement,” encouraging a high-intensity workout, with activities ranging from barbells, power lifting, Olympic lifting, cardiovascular work, metabolic conditioning, running, throwing, and jumping. Additionally, CrossFit offers gymnastic components and allows participants to use much of their own body weight via pushups, pull-ups, and squats.
Industrial Revolution coach and co-owner Kelly Carse said the games at Saturday’s third-annual event were what one would see at a backyard cookout or at a carnival, as they ranged from Kan Jam and cornhole to the high-striker strongman test of strength.
“It takes CrossFit to a new level,” Carse said. “It’s still demanding physically, but it’s a lot of fun. People have been very receptive. The hard part of CrossFit is there’s a lot of other competitions out there … This is a great way for people new to CrossFit to experience competition and that allows for a little more play.”
“It gets their feet wet,” Carse said of using the Backyahd Games as a way to introduce new members to CrossFit. “People get personal records or bests in lifts but they also find that because of the games, they’re a lot more engaged. They’re laughing, they interact more. It also brings an element of surprise, when you have all these games, people find they’re really good at it … They find themselves in a better place or standing.”
Now in its third year, the Backyahd Games drew teams from across Rhode Island, as well as squads from border states including Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Industrial Revolution co-owner Donna Nesselbush said every gym likes to cre- ate its own signature event and the Backyahd Games made sense because her favorite season is summer.
“It’s fun for people,” Nesselbush said. “It’s like you don’t recognize you’re working out because you’re having so much fun.”
A state senator whose district includes the section of Smithfield Avenue where the gym is located, Nesselbush said she was “really proud” to open a gym in her Senate district.
“For me to be able to bring people to the district and have folks from Rhode Island and Massachusetts, I like to showcase Pawtucket and how great our city is and the Fairlawn section of our city,” she said. “It’s full of people, they have tents out, it’s such a nice event all in the name of health and fitness.”
“To me, having this gymnasium for people is one of the best things that I’ve ever done in my life,” Nesselbush continued. “It fills my heart and soul … To see them having such a nice time in an environment that is for health and fitness. I love on a Saturday afternoon that the place is full and people are getting a great workout.”