5 Things I Wish I knew Before Starting CrossFit
If you are considering doing CrossFit but have never been to a class, it can be an intimidating idea. But it doesn’t have to be. There are a few things I wish I knew before starting CrossFit that would have made the transition much easier.
I would like to give a disclaimer. If you are the type of person that can talk to anyone, you will probably not have any issues just jumping right in. Most CrossFit gyms are very welcoming places and very excited to teach someone for the first time.
I am not that person and had a few things to learn once I walked in the door for the first time. Now that that’s out of the way, here are 5 of the things I wish I knew before starting CrossFit.
BASIC TERMS
There are some basic CrossFit terms that the average person probably isn’t familiar with. These terms have to do with the workouts, or just basic lingo in the CrossFit community.
Box – This is a CrossFit gym. That’s it. Just another name for the gym.
WOD – This stands for Workout of the Day. This is the workout that all the classes will be doing on a given day in the CrossFit gym.
AMRAP – This can mean “As Many Reps as Possible” or “As Many Rounds as Possible”. This is a common type of workout in CrossFit. These are timed workouts where you would see how many rounds/reps of the workout you could get done in the given time.
For Time – This is a workout where you see how quickly you can do the prescribed movements. Where an AMRAP goes for the full time, this type of workout is where you stop when you get to the end of the movements and your score is the time it took you to complete the movements.
SCALING IS GOOD
When you look at the whiteboard and see the workout, there will be a prescribed weight for any barbell/dumbbell work. A lot of people feel that is the weight they must do, but this simply isn’t true. If you are newer to CrossFit, it is a great idea to scale the weight.
What does it mean to scale the weight?
This just means that you do a lower weight than what is on the board. This helps you be able to continue to move throughout the workout. It also a good way to make sure you do not hurt yourself. Scale to your abilities, not your ego.
I absolutely love the Buttery Bros (CrossFit YouTubers), and as they say “Scale for Life”. This is a great catchphrase, but also has a lot of value if you actually do it.
Scaling also helps you learn technique for movements you may not be familiar with. It is much better to go lighter and get proper technique down, than to just try to lift heavy and let technique take a back seat. It may seem silly at the beginning, but when you are lifting heavy later down the road, you will be glad you did this.
This is something I wish I knew when I started CrossFit, and still something I struggle with. When I see a weight I know I should probably scale, my head just tries to convince me that I can do it even though I know it’s not a good idea.
CONSISTENCY IS KEY
Just show up. It’s that simple.
A lot of people are incredibly sore after their first CrossFit workout, so they take a week off to recover. Then when they come back, they are sore all over again. This is a never-ending cycle.
Continue to show up. Getting in there and moving around will help with the soreness. I know that sounds backwards, but its true. I won’t get into the science, just trust me.
It also helps with the mental aspect. You can’t let soreness be your excuse to skip the gym. And I fall victim to this all the time. However, you also need to listen to your body and not overdo it. Especially at the beginning. Rest is important, but there is a difference in being sore, and needing rest.
IT IS YOUR JOURNEY
This is one of the most important things I wish I knew before starting CrossFit. You aren’t jumping in on someone else’s fitness journey. This is your journey. Own it.
You decided to start doing CrossFit for a reason. What was it? Was it to feel better? Was it to look better? Do you want to have a healthier lifestyle in general? Whatever you reason is, remember it.
That is why you are doing this. No one is going to make sure you get to the gym. This is your journey, and you must take pride in that. Remember your why and keep pushing for it. I have never meet anyone who showed up consistently, and worked to get better, and ended up being disappointed they put the effort into CrossFit. If anything, it’s the total opposite and a life changing story.
MORE THAN A GYM MEMBERSHIP
One of the hesitancies I had when I first did CrossFit was the price. It was hard to justify the higher price of CrossFit when I could go pay $15 right down the road for a standard gym membership.
Well, there are two parts to this.
First, it is much more than a typical gym membership. You are getting programming, a community who gets to know you and help you along your journey, some nutrition tips/support, and coaches who take the time to personally help you with movements or things you are struggling with.
The coaches learn who you are and where you struggle and make a point to help you in those areas. You are not getting that kind of support or coaching at a typical gym.
Second, as I mentioned in the post of Why I Do CrossFit, the structure and community have allowed me to get more out of CrossFit than anytime I was a member of a standard gym.
This makes CrossFit well worth the price in my opinion.
5 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE STARTING CROSSFIT
CrossFit can be overwhelming at first. But as with most things, if you have an open mind and take it slow, starting CrossFit could be one of the best things you do.
You don’t really need to know anything before stepping in a CrossFit gym. However, if you are anything like me, you appreciate a good heads up for what you can expect or things to know beforehand.Don’t let your hesitations get the best of you, and you never try it. Use these things I wish I knew before starting CrossFit and jump into a class. I am positive you will be glad you did it.