“You Get Out, What You Put In”: Will CrossFit Get You Jacked?

I’ll never forget my first day of CrossFit and how impressed I was with the number of athletes around me. I was inspired, motivated and a bit nervous to get started but knew I found a fitness program that was going to keep me coming back.  

One moment in particular that I will never forget is seeing this one guy who not only was strong but had the build all guys would high-five you for and have the girls leave feeling giddy.

The guy was definitely jacked, and just as important, willing to help. Over the next few weeks, I got to know him better and I asked him if CrossFit could get me looking like that. Believe me, I had my doubts. I’d only been doing CrossFit for a short while and it wasn’t your normal workout that you’d find in a fitness magazine with fixed sets and reps.

But, here’s what he said, “You get out of it what you put into it.” Here’s what he meant. Plenty of people walk into a gym and are consistently inconsistent. They show up 5 days the first week and then 1 day the next. Whether it’s a busy work schedule, muscle soreness, life in general, there will always be an excuse.

Those excuses are what separate the people who are physically fit versus those who are not. It’s not a matter of want. Everyone wants to be in better shape. There’s no argument there. However, not everyone is in better shape.

On the other end of the spectrum, you have folks who are in the gym 5 days per week, every week, but you wouldn’t know it by their gut hanging out over their shorts. Their fitness plan is missing something. They haven’t fully committed.

So, will CrossFit get you jacked? Let’s take a closer look.

How to Become “Jacked”

The definition of “Jacked” according to the Oxford Dictionary is to have very well developed muscles. If well-developed muscles make you jacked, then yes, CrossFit can get you jacked. 

Notice I said that it can get you “jacked”, not that it will get you jacked. There’s a number of variables that go into building a jacked physique so just walking on a CrossFit gym floor and performing a WOD isn’t going to do it for you.

To get a jacked physique, you need 1) a consistent workout program, 2) proper nutrition, and 3) quality sleep. A consistent workout program without proper nutrition leaves you strong but fat. Proper nutrition without a consistent workout program is okay but now you’re weak. Take any combination of those without quality sleep and your body is a train wreck.

ring-dips
From Left to Right: Aaron Godwin, Amber Chavis, Alisha Thomas, Tabitha Fuller, Jolene Godwin

Consistency

Though CrossFit is an awesome fitness program, it doesn’t work unless you do. You’ve got to give it 100% effort. If you go into believing it’s not going to give you the body you’re looking for then it won’t. Why? Because you won’t put in the effort if you don’t believe it’s worth it.

I’ve never had any man or woman come to me in my years of coaching and tell me they have too much muscle or they’re too fit. The people that do complain are the ones who have yet to accomplish anything and are inconsistent.

These are the people that tell me they don’t want to get bulky with muscle and aren’t consistent enough for that to even be a concern.

Don’t let that be you. Put in the work and be rewarded.  

Nutrition

The most difficult part of a lean physique is nutrition. Face it, it’s a whole lot easier to show up to the gym for an hour every day than it is to battle food temptation 24 hours a day.

You need a nutrition plan in place just as you need a workout routine in place. You’re not going to show up to the gym without a plan of what you’re going to do. Don’t show up to your next meal without a plan either.

It’s why I wrote, “Six Weeks to Lean“. To help you pave a path of proper nutrition and to give you a roadmap of how to build a lean body.

Quality Sleep

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From Front to Back: Tyler Fillingim, Melissa Jones, Brett Patterson, Kim Kountz, Joseph Blaise, Abby McGurrin

I’m not saying you need to sleep 8 hours every night but you do need quality sleep. I rarely get 8 hours of sleep but find my optimal range is around 7 hours every night.  

At one time I was sleeping about 6 hours per night but found myself tired midday and needing a half hour nap. I now get a bit more sleep and find myself fully charged throughout each hour of the day.  

How many hours of sleep you get at night depends on your body. 4 hours of sleep at night isn’t sustainable nor is it healthy. Our bodies need time to rest and recover. You’re not doing yourself any favors by constantly getting less sleep.  

If you have trouble sleeping at night, whether it’s stress or other factors, I can relate. For quite a while, sleep was very inconsistent for me. Whether it was stress or other factors is beside the point but I found myself waking up in the middle of the night after only sleeping 4 or 5 hours.  

My lack of sleep was throwing the next day off entirely because I was dragging and found myself unmotivated to accomplish anything. If that sounds like you, there’s a pill for that…seriously.

Driven Nutrition’s R&R is a sleep supplement that includes melatonin, kava kava, and magnesium.

  • Melatonin – a hormone produced during sleep that helps you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.
  • Kava Kava – extracts have been shown to aid in reducing sleep loss from anxiety.
  • Magnesium – help you fall asleep faster and keep you asleep longer without interruption.

This supplement has been a game-changer in my sleeping habits and it can be in yours as well.  

Too Much Sleep

If your sleeping more than 8 hours every night you need to wake up. You can’t be productive when you spend more than a third of your day in bed. Get the heck up.

I know this can be easier said than done but you can work your way to waking earlier by setting your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier than you normally wake up. Do this for a week and then the next week, set it 15 minutes earlier than the prior week.  

Continue to decrease your sleep by 15 minutes each week until you’re sleeping no more than 8 hours per night. Just make sure your alarm is across the room so you don’t reach over and shut the thing up!.

Until next time…Stay Jacked, Stay Strong!

 

P.S. Try Jacked Athletics for 2 free weeks through December 15th. Bring in a new, unwrapped toy for a child in need this Christmas and get in the best shape of your life.  Schedule your first session today!

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