You think CrossFit is just about improving your fitness? You got it all wrong. If you’re looking for a complete overhaul on your current lifestyle and are looking to level up, then look no further. The benefits of CrossFit carry over from fitness into your personal life and everywhere in-between. It’s time to level up your game.
How so, you ask? That’s what I’m here to answer for you. CrossFit is so much more than an exercise program. Because you see an exercise program is simple. The benefit is a healthy body. That’s a no-brainer.
However, because of the intensity and challenge in CrossFit, there is so much value in the workout that’s hardly ever discussed. So let’s discuss it.
7 Ways CrossFit Will Level Up Your Life!
1) You Get More Done In A Short Amount Of Time – We race that clock. That’s what we do in CrossFit. Workouts are “For Time”, quickly doing the prescribed work in the shortest amount of time or we’re completing “AMRAP”, as many reps as possible in a certain time domain.
Don’t think that can carry over into other aspects of life? Think again. An example of this is when I cut the grass. I hate doing yard work. I want to spend as little time as possible doing it. Heck, I got to do it today because the weeds in the yard are starting to wave at me.
And you can bet that yard is going to be done, “For Time”. I’ve got my timer ready and I’m going to set a new PR today.
2) Your Energy Level Increases – Without getting all scientific on you, energy levels work like this. Mitochondria within our cells are what produces the energy in our body. While some of this energy comes from our nutrition, the number of mitochondria you have is affected by your daily activity. The more mitochondria, the more energy.
So, think of it like this. We burn energy to create more energy. Lose weight, feel great, increase your stamina, quit feeling like a slug. Feel the love.
3) You Hold A Greater Sense of Self-Discipline – We all have a limited set of will-power before we totally break down. Whether it’s a decision to eat a yummy donut or getting started on something we dread to do. CrossFit workouts push you and help increase your discipline to persevere through even the suckiest of times.
For instance, I completed a workout this morning and was on the last leg of a 400 meter run with a 20-pound medicine ball. My legs hurt, the humidity was causing shortness of breath and all I wanted to do was put that damn ball down…but I didn’t. I kept going and now I look back at that moment as what will be the hardest part of my day. That’s what got me through the run was knowing this was the worst part of the day. Everything else is going to be hunky-dory here on out, except for having to cut that grass.
The other benefit of that awful run is the discipline I built that will carry over into other aspects of my life. When I inevitably get to a point of time where I have to make another hard decision like keep going or stop and end the suckiness, what do you think I am going to do?
If I had stopped during that workout I would have conditioned my brain to take the easy way out whenever it wanted to quit something that I know was good for me. That’s what momentum is at its finest. It can work for you or against you. I’ve now got the momentum to keep on trudging.
Momentum is a reason habits are hard to break. Build the right habits such as making the tough decision to keep moving even after you want to stop and it will be that much easier to continue going next time in that situation. You know you can do it.
4) You No Longer Settle For Being Lazy – This is all a result of having more energy. When you have energy, you don’t want to sit around. You want to burn more energy.
That’s why I love getting my workouts in the morning. It gives me energy. I’m ready to conquer the world after I recover. That’s why, if you work out in the evenings you may find it difficult to sleep right away. You don’t have a desire to be lazy. You want to get stuff done.
When you exercise with high-intensity, you release endorphins which in turn reduces stress and increases pleasure. Essentially, you’re in a happy place and a great mental state. You’re in a great state of productivity if you’ll take advantage of it.
5) You Aim to Be Better Than Yesterday – We have a staple on Tuesdays at CrossFit Jacked. We call them benchmark workouts. Nothing new with this term here but we use Tuesdays as a way to test our fitness level by repeating prior workouts with the goal of performing the workout faster either with a quicker time or more reps.
Improving your workout improves your health which improves your confidence which improves your attitude which improves your relationships which improve your life.
The takeaway here is to challenge yourself. Put yourself in a position of being uncomfortable. CrossFit workouts aren’t easy. They’re challenging no matter your fitness level. The workouts expose your weaknesses but still, you can’t wait for the next.
Shouldn’t you want that in a workout? I’ve done the Globo-gym thing waiting my turn to get to the bench or squat rack asking the old’ question, “Hey, bro. How many sets you got left?” Now, isn’t it time you get more from your gym?
6) Everything Becomes a Game – CrossFit brings out the competitor in all of us. Don’t lie. We know you’re looking at the leaderboard. Where do you stand today? Are you better than yesterday?
Friendly competition in the gym pushes you, exposes you, tests you and shows you what the human body is capable of. Quit the mediocre workouts and put yourself in a position to get in the best shape of your life.
I get it. Before CrossFit, I thought I was in shape too. I ran 2-3 miles a few times a week and went to the gym 5 days per week. After my very first CrossFit workout, I wondered what I had been doing all that time. Definitely not exercising. That first workout left me a mess.
CrossFit exposed me yet I was hooked. I learned what true fitness is all about. It’s not about how far or how fast you can run. Yes, that’s one avenue of fitness that’s important but it’s not the true measure. There’s so much more to learn and attempt.
Strength, speed, endurance. CrossFit tests you in every aspect.
7) As Your Health Increases, So Does Your Mood – When you’re happy and alert you are ready to take on new challenges, harder tasks. As Brian Tracy calls these hard tasks…you’re ready to “eat that frog”.
Think back to the time you last lost some weight. Scratch that, maybe you didn’t even lose weight. Maybe you just dropped some pant sizes. How’d you feel? Stupid question. You felt great!
Imagine feeling like that more often. You make the right choices by exercising and eating right and your waistline rewards you and you’re in a happier state.
Your happier state allows you to think more clearly and with more confidence. You feel like you can handle anything life throws at you. Even those “frogs.”
Not only does your improved mood help you with task completion but it improves your relationships with other people. No one likes to be around whiners, complainers, and all-around negative people.
The world is negative enough without you bringing more into it.
Until next time…Stay Jacked, Stay Strong!