RUMBLE INDY 2025
AN ADVENTURE IN
THREE PARTS
-By Paul Raath
RUMBLE INDY 2025
AN ADVENTURE IN
THREE PARTS
-By Paul Raath
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RUMBLE INDY 2025
AN ADVENTURE IN THREE PARTS
-By Paul Raath
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Locations
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The start.
There are a few things you probably shouldn’t attempt lightly when pushing 40: wearing skinny jeans, starting a boy band, or signing up for the Rumble in Randburg CrossFit competition. Naturally, I did the latter. And I survived. Mostly.
I’ve been doing CrossFit for about a year and a half now. When I started, I was a
complete novice, the kind of person who thought a snatch was just a British insult. I walked into that first gym session carrying about 16 extra kilos of excuses, low energy, and a vague hope of feeling better in my body. What I didn’t expect was that CrossFit would completely reshape not just my body, but also my capacity for pushing my own limits.
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble
So here I was, on a chilly Saturday morning staring down the barrel of three workouts in one day. I had my snacks, electrolytes and nervous pacing routine firmly in place. My pacing did not last long though, as I was signed up for the very first heat of the day. Here follows a completely true, totally unembellished account my adventure in the Rumble in
Randburg Indy Scaled Division.
Workout 1 – Who Needs Lungs:
Turns out, I do. Running, rowing, and skipping... Look, running is still not (and probably will never be) my favourite thing to do, but here we are. The rowing was my time to shine – and by “shine,” I mean sweat profusely while praying the clock would speed up. I admittedly used to skip leg day. Now I skip with a rope like I’m training for a Rocky remake. Alas, I only scraped through three of the four rounds, but still managed to limp away feeling slightly impressed with myself for not giving up.
Workout 2 – Danger – Gevaar – Ingozi:
And bloody dangerous this workout was. A brutal combo of time-capped front squats, burpee box overs and shoulder to overheads followed by a max weight snatch complex. There was a moment, mid-box over, where my quads were screaming for mercy. But I pushed through, fuelled by stubbornness and
the knowledge that people were watching. And we all know you can’t quit with people watching – it’s CrossFit Law. I may not have completed the final round, but managed to do a pretty decent snatch weight, considering I have been nursing a shoulder injury for
the last six weeks.
The start.
There are a few things you probably shouldn’t attempt lightly when pushing 40: wearing skinny jeans, starting a boy band, or signing up for the Rumble in Randburg CrossFit competition. Naturally, I did the latter. And I survived. Mostly.
I’ve been doing CrossFit for about a year and a half now. When I started, I was a
complete novice, the kind of person who thought a snatch was just a British insult. I walked into that first gym session carrying about 16 extra kilos of excuses, low energy, and a vague hope of feeling better in my body. What I didn’t expect was that CrossFit would completely reshape not just my body, but also my capacity for pushing my own limits.
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble
So here I was, on a chilly Saturday morning staring down the barrel of three workouts in one day. I had my snacks, electrolytes and nervous pacing routine firmly in place. My pacing did not last long though, as I was signed up for the very first heat of the day. Here follows a completely true, totally unembellished account my adventure in the Rumble in
Randburg Indy Scaled Division.
Workout 1 – Who Needs Lungs:
Turns out, I do. Running, rowing, and skipping... Look, running is still not (and probably will never be) my favourite thing to do, but here we are. The rowing was my time to shine – and by “shine,” I mean sweat profusely while praying the clock would speed up. I admittedly used to skip leg day. Now I skip with a rope like I’m training for a Rocky remake. Alas, I only scraped through three of the four rounds, but still managed to limp away feeling slightly impressed with myself for not giving up.
Workout 2 – Danger – Gevaar – Ingozi:
And bloody dangerous this workout was. A brutal combo of time-capped front squats, burpee box overs and shoulder to overheads followed by a max weight snatch complex. There was a moment, mid-box over, where my quads were screaming for mercy. But I pushed through, fuelled by stubbornness and
the knowledge that people were watching. And we all know you can’t quit with people watching – it’s CrossFit Law. I may not have completed the final round, but managed to do a pretty decent snatch weight, considering I have been nursing a shoulder injury for
the last six weeks.
Workout 3 – Gymnasticated:
More like, dead-icated. Devil’s presses, dumbbell walking lunges, and every kind of pull-up imaginable, and just when your soul is about to escape
your body – bear crawls. I don’t know who invented the bear crawl, but I’d like a word. With just a few more bear crawls to go, the buzzer went and I collapsed in a sweaty heap
of heaving exhaustion.
Transformation: More Than Muscles
But here’s the thing: I did it. Not only did I give my all during each workout, but I didn’t feel broken. Tired? Absolutely. Sore? Undoubtedly. But also proud. Just a year and a half ago, I couldn’t have done this. I couldn’t have done half of this. My strength, stamina, and mobility have all skyrocketed
– and so has my confidence. And yes, I’ve lost about 16 kilograms of fat along the way, but I’ve gained so much more. Better sleep. More energy. Clearer thinking. A community of like-minded weirdos who think crawling and jumping and lifting heavy things for fun is a good idea. (Spoiler: it is.)
Why CrossFit Works – Even When Pushing 40
CrossFit is hard. But it’s also one of the most scalable, supportive, and cleverly addictive things I’ve ever tried. When I walked into the gym for the first time, I was a complete novice, scaling everything and just trying not to pass out. Thankfully, the amazing ATG coaches saw not only where I was, but also where I could go. They never let me get too comfortable. If a movement started to feel easy? “Let’s scale it up.” If the bar looked too light? “Cool, now add some plates.” They knew exactly
when to nudge me out of my comfort zone, one small challenge at a time. And that’s how progress happened: not overnight, but steadily, sweatily, and with more burpees than I care to count.
Now I’m doing workouts that used to scare me and lifting weights I once thought were decorative. From scaling to trying competitions in under two years… not bad for a guy
who used to think a kettlebell was a doorstop. And I’m not just fitter. I feel more capable. And let’s be honest, at my age, “capable” is the new “shredded.”
Workout 3 – Gymnasticated:
More like, dead-icated. Devil’s presses, dumbbell walking lunges, and every kind of pull-up imaginable, and just when your soul is about to escape
your body – bear crawls. I don’t know who invented the bear crawl, but I’d like a word. With just a few more bear crawls to go, the buzzer went and I collapsed in a sweaty heap
of heaving exhaustion.
Transformation: More Than Muscles
But here’s the thing: I did it. Not only did I give my all during each workout, but I didn’t feel broken. Tired? Absolutely. Sore? Undoubtedly. But also proud. Just a year and a half ago, I couldn’t have done this. I couldn’t have done half of this. My strength, stamina, and mobility have all skyrocketed
– and so has my confidence. And yes, I’ve lost about 16 kilograms of fat along the way, but I’ve gained so much more. Better sleep. More energy. Clearer thinking. A community of like-minded weirdos who think crawling and jumping and lifting heavy things for fun is a good idea. (Spoiler: it is.)
Why CrossFit Works – Even When Pushing 40
CrossFit is hard. But it’s also one of the most scalable, supportive, and cleverly addictive things I’ve ever tried. When I walked into the gym for the first time, I was a complete novice, scaling everything and just trying not to pass out. Thankfully, the amazing ATG coaches saw not only where I was, but also where I could go. They never let me get too comfortable. If a movement started to feel easy? “Let’s scale it up.” If the bar looked too light? “Cool, now add some plates.” They knew exactly
when to nudge me out of my comfort zone, one small challenge at a time. And that’s how progress happened: not overnight, but steadily, sweatily, and with more burpees than I care to count.
Now I’m doing workouts that used to scare me and lifting weights I once thought were decorative. From scaling to trying competitions in under two years… not bad for a guy
who used to think a kettlebell was a doorstop. And I’m not just fitter. I feel more capable. And let’s be honest, at my age, “capable” is the new “shredded.”
Why I Keep Coming Back for More
I didn’t walk away with a trophy, unless you count a PhD in muscle soreness and a personal best in awkward, sweaty high-fives as winning. What I did walk away with was proof that my body has changed. It’s stronger, faster, and more capable than it’s ever
been. CrossFit hasn’t just built muscle – it’s built resilience, routine, and a weird love for hard things. At nearly 40, I’m lifting more and moving better, and any time I think about quitting, there’s always a group of sweaty legends cheering me through those last few
reps, reminding me that I’m never doing this alone.
Why I Keep Coming Back for More
I didn’t walk away with a trophy, unless you count a PhD in muscle soreness and a personal best in awkward, sweaty high-fives as winning. What I did walk away with was proof that my body has changed. It’s stronger, faster, and more capable than it’s ever
been. CrossFit hasn’t just built muscle – it’s built resilience, routine, and a weird love for hard things. At nearly 40, I’m lifting more and moving better, and any time I think about quitting, there’s always a group of sweaty legends cheering me through those last few
reps, reminding me that I’m never doing this alone.
__
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The start.
There are a few things you probably shouldn’t attempt lightly when pushing 40: wearing
skinny jeans, starting a boy band, or signing up for the Rumble in Randburg CrossFit
competition. Naturally, I did the latter. And I survived. Mostly.
I’ve been doing CrossFit for about a year and a half now. When I started, I was a
complete novice, the kind of person who thought a snatch was just a British insult. I
walked into that first gym session carrying about 16 extra kilos of excuses, low energy,
and a vague hope of feeling better in my body. What I didn’t expect was that CrossFit
would completely reshape not just my body, but also my capacity for pushing my own
limits.
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble
So here I was, on a chilly Saturday morning staring down the barrel of three workouts in
one day. I had my snacks, electrolytes and nervous pacing routine firmly in place. My
pacing did not last long though, as I was signed up for the very first heat of the day. Here
follows a completely true, totally unembellished account my adventure in the Rumble in
Randburg Indy Scaled Division.
Workout 1 – Who Needs Lungs:
Turns out, I do. Running, rowing, and skipping... Look,
running is still not (and probably will never be) my favourite thing to do, but here we are.
The rowing was my time to shine – and by “shine,” I mean sweat profusely while praying
the clock would speed up. I admittedly used to skip leg day. Now I skip with a rope like
I’m training for a Rocky remake. Alas, I only scraped through three of the four rounds, but
still managed to limp away feeling slightly impressed with myself for not giving up.
Workout 2 – Danger – Gevaar – Ingozi:
And bloody dangerous this workout was. A brutal combo of time-capped front squats, burpee box overs and shoulder to overheads followed by a max weight snatch complex. There was a moment, mid-box over, where my quads were screaming for mercy. But I pushed through, fuelled by stubbornness and the knowledge that people were watching. And we all know you can’t quit with people watching – it’s CrossFit Law. I may not have completed the final round, but managed to do a pretty decent snatch weight, considering I have been nursing a shoulder injury for the last six weeks.
Workout 3 – Gymnasticated:
More like, dead-icated. Devil’s presses, dumbbell walking
lunges, and every kind of pullup imaginable, and just when your soul is about to escape
your body – bear crawls. I don’t know who invented the bear crawl, but I’d like a word.
With just a few more bear crawls to go, the buzzer went and I collapsed in a sweaty heap
of heaving exhaustion.
Transformation: More Than Muscles
But here’s the thing: I did it.
Not only did I give my all during each workout, but I didn’t feel broken. Tired? Absolutely.
Sore? Undoubtedly. But also proud. Just a year and a half ago, I couldn’t have done this.
I couldn’t have done half of this. My strength, stamina, and mobility have all skyrocketed
– and so has my confidence.
And yes, I’ve lost about 16 kilograms of fat along the way, but I’ve gained so much more.
Better sleep. More energy. Clearer thinking. A community of like-minded weirdos who
think crawling and jumping and lifting heavy things for fun is a good idea. (Spoiler: it is.)
Why CrossFit Works – Even When Pushing 40
CrossFit is hard. But it’s also one of the most scalable, supportive, and cleverly
addictive things I’ve ever tried. When I walked into the gym for the first time, I was a
complete novice, scaling everything and just trying not to pass out.
Thankfully, the amazing ATG coaches saw not only where I was, but also where I could
go. They never let me get too comfortable. If a movement started to feel easy? “Let’s
scale it up.” If the bar looked too light? “Cool, now add some plates.” They knew exactly
when to nudge me out of my comfort zone, one small challenge at a time. And that’s
how progress happened: not overnight, but steadily, sweatily, and with more burpees
than I care to count.
Now I’m doing workouts that used to scare me and lifting weights I once thought were
decorative. From scaling to trying competitions in under two years… not bad for a guy
who used to think a kettlebell was a doorstop. And I’m not just fitter. I feel more capable.
And let’s be honest, at my age, “capable” is the new “shredded.”
Why I Keep Coming Back for More
I didn’t walk away with a trophy, unless you count a PhD in muscle soreness and a
personal best in awkward, sweaty high-fives as winning. What I did walk away with was
proof that my body has changed. It’s stronger, faster, and more capable than it’s ever
been. CrossFit hasn’t just built muscle – it’s built resilience, routine, and a weird love for
hard things. At nearly 40, I’m lifting more and moving better, and any time I think about
quitting, there’s always a group of sweaty legends cheering me through those last few
reps, reminding me that I’m never doing this alone.