One of the many things we can do for ourselves is to try and be better than we were yesterday. An easy way of accomplishing this is to treat our bodies like the powerful machines that they are. With this, we find great rewards while building confidence and self-awareness. Welcome to your CrossFit journey!
What Is CrossFit?
CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness program that incorporates elements from several sports and forms of exercise. Using movements from everyday life, like squatting, pushing, and pulling, a trainee can strengthen and condition their body for optimum fitness. You can find a CrossFit gym just about anywhere in the nation, and yes, it is for anyone.
Learning the Lingo
There’s a good chance that you will come across several acronyms during a class or on a message board. It’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the most common one so that you don’t feel lost.
Some of those are Workout of the Day (WOD), Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM), As Many Reps as Possible (AMRAP), a CrossFit gym with bare necessities to perform all the WODs (Box), Increased number of reps by 1 each time an exercise is performed (Ladder), the macronutrient diet CrossFit endorses (Zone Diet), Squat (SQ), Personal Record (PR), and Workout of the Day dedicated to those who lost their lives in the line of duty (Hero WOD).
CrossFit for Beginners
Getting started is scary, but you are not alone. People from all walks of life are joining CrossFit every day. Some are professional athletes and others have never lifted a dumbbell in their life.
Start with a foundation class intended for newbies. These classes teach the basics necessary to begin. It’s exciting to start a workout regime, but don’t let yourself overdo it. Start with two classes per week and once you adapt to the new activities and volume of training, then think about adding another class.
For the Intermediate Athlete
If you find yourself ready for more, CrossFit offers effective training and nutritional certifications to individuals looking to bring their health and fitness to the next level. These courses are not necessary to continue your CrossFit journey, but they are nice challenging options.
Experts and Professional Athletes
Some of the more advanced and professional athletes that do CrossFit are Greg Jennings, Christie Rampone, Robert Oberst, Charles Barkley, Jason Terry, and Marco Belinelli. Don’t let this deter you. They all had to start somewhere before reaching the ultimate level.
To get to this level of CrossFit expertise, athletes must meet at least 19 of the 21 standards. These range from heavy lifting to upside-down pushups and more. This doesn’t mean you have to compete. It’s merely a higher degree of your training.
Benefits of CrossFit
The exercises you learn and practice in CrossFit build strength and endurance. They also help with practical day-to-day movements. Other benefits include better agility, balance, flexibility, and weight management.
The workouts typically follow a pattern, but classes vary slightly from gym to gym. Some workouts last 10 minutes and others last an hour. This offers flexibility for those with time restraints in their schedule.
Reducing the Risk of Injuries
The first step in reducing your chances of getting injured during a workout is to make sure you choose the right gym and coach. Find a highly regarded gym with well-trained coaches. Things to look for include the coach’s experience, if they increase the quantity of exercises too rapidly, and whether they push you through form fatigue simply to increase the number of repetitions you engage in.
Another very important factor in keeping yourself safe is form. Take the time to learn proper form. This is key to avoiding injury. Things like rounding at the low back and bending your knees too far forward past your toes can be dangerous. You should stop reps when you can no longer complete them with the proper form.
Speak up. If you have pre-existing injuries or limitations, let your coach know immediately before the beginning of every class. There’s nothing wrong or bad about asking for modifications or different options. Better safe than sorry.
Fees and Classes
Most CrossFit centers require beginners to sign up for 2-3 private or semi-private sessions. These range from $150 to $300. Once you complete those, you are free to sign up for group classes or continue working with a personal trainer.
Depending on your interests, training at a CrossFit facility will cost you anywhere between $75 to $225 or more. The fee is calculated by location, classes per week taken, or the number of personal training sessions you use.
Taking the First or 100th Step
Keep safety in mind first and always. Find a buddy to join CrossFit with you and hold each other accountable. If you’ve been attending classes and are finding yourself on a plateau, don’t forget why you started in the first place.
Everyone’s fitness journey is different. Avoid comparing yourself to others or setting unrealistic goals. Be patient. All good things come to those who work hard. Remember, it’s not how good you are. It’s how bad you want it.