Fitness is simple. You go to the gym and do the work. Nothing to it, right? If only it were like this. Mindset is crucial when starting a fitness routine so it’s imperative you’re enjoying what you do.
That’s one of the many reasons why CrossFit is so popular. The workouts are always changing, they’re always challenging and it’s always fun. So how do you get the most out of your CrossFit workouts? CF Jacked is here to help.
Getting the Most Out of CrossFit
To get the most out of CrossFit and set yourself up for future success it’s important to understand some things. First, you’re not in this alone. There is a lot of support willing and ready to help you become a better athlete whether you’re trying to lose weight, rehabilitate or train for a specific sport.
The key is to take advantage of it.
1) Come to Class Ready to Learn – CrossFit is technical in its movements so having a qualified coach on hand is imperative. Let our coaches at CF Jacked help you become a better athlete.
Don’t come into class pretending to know it all. Even seasoned CrossFitters who’ve been doing this for years don’t know everything. Just be open to learning. It’s okay to feel stupid.
On the other end, if you’re a CrossFitter with some experience under your belt then you need to be listening to your coach too. Be open to learning and listening. Continue to evolve.
2) Fitness is a Marathon, Not a Sprint – Chasing the carrot. That’s what it feels like. You think, “If only I could hit a muscle-up.” You then hit a muscle-up and think, “If only I could string two muscle-ups together.” You then hit two muscle-ups….and so on and so on.
The point is you’ll never be satisfied because you always know you can do better. It’s okay to feel this way but enjoy the ride while you’re doing it.
You’re not going to suddenly lose 10 or 20 pounds overnight and you’re not going to suddenly become efficient in CrossFit either. It takes time and it takes work which leads me to my next point.
3) Put in the Work. Get Stronger and Practice – Enjoy the process. If you can’t enjoy the day-to-day pursuit of becoming fit you will just get frustrated and quit.
Getting stronger and increasing your numbers as a newbie to the barbell is easy when you first start lifting weights. You feel like the gains are never going to end, until they do a few months later. It’s normal to stall in strength training. It’s frustrating, but it’s normal.
The point is to recognize this pattern and know that it happens to everyone. You might get frustrated but don’t quit. You’ve come this far, why stop now?
Increasing strength comes in waves and there is no getting around it. You are getting stronger even if you don’t feel like it. Just be patient.
Outside of getting stronger, you’ll want to perform many of the more technical CrossFit movements if you want to start hitting that RX button.
This means you’ve got to practice. Whether it’s double unders, muscle-ups, kipping or handstands then practice is what will make you better.
It’s hard to become proficient in these movements during a 25-minute workout. Put in the extra work outside of class and you’ll be clicking on RX every single time.
Trust me. It’s a great feeling!
4) Be Consistent – Show Up Regardless and No Cherry Picking – Ask any CrossFitter who’s ever taken more than a week off before to go on vacation or anything else and they will tell you it sucks coming back!
Being consistent and getting a workout in even if it’s not in an ideal situation will benefit you greatly for a couple reasons. First, exercise is an important part of life. You’ll feel tremendously better from just a few minutes per day.
Second, when you do get back to the gym you will feel like nothing can stop you because you’ll have an increased confidence. Getting a workout in outside of your comfort zone or normal routine will make you enjoy your normal workout time and gym home more when you get back. Just keep working.
Another rule of thumb is no cherry picking. CrossFitters who decide whether or not they’re coming to class that day based on the movements in the workout are known as “cherry pickers”. What’s the problem with this?
The WODs (Workout of the Day) that are normally skipped are the WODs that include movements that the athlete is inefficient in or movements that he can’t do well. The problem is that you can’t get better at your weaknesses if you don’t work on them.
Pledge to yourself today that cherry-picking is not an option. Just show up.
5) Know Who Your True Competition Is – CrossFit is great because it invokes friendly competition. You complete the workout, log your results into Wodify and check your score throughout the day to see how you measure up against your peers.
It’s fun and is what helps strengthen the community. However, if your only goal is to come in every day just to beat Susie, you’ve got it all wrong. You’re missing the point.
The Whiteboard is a tool we use to measure our fitness against our peers and to cheer each other on. Nothing else. When you lose sight of why you’re working out (to get in the best shape of your freakin’ life) in the first place, you’re missing the point and soon coming to class won’t be fun anymore.
Know who your true competition is. It’s you. Until next time…Stay Jacked, Stay Strong!