Crossfit has proven to be one great program for people looking to become fitter, and people trying to lose weight. If you are just starting out your Crossfit experience, here are some tips to help you get the best out of it.
1. Focus on Yourself
During your early moments as a crossfitter, you will come across different types of crossfitters. Some crossfitters have been at it for so long, they’ve become so good at what they do. You may marvel at the ease with which they do their routine. Or, you may be discouraged by the intensity of what they do.
You will also come across crossfitters who are in the early stages and are not yet used to the intensity. Their struggles may discourage you.
Your attention should be on your journey, not theirs. The experience varies for each person. Your goal should be to get better than yourself – to do better than your last session.
2. Do Not Rush
Never forget that the whole process is gradual. You should not rush into it. Start slow, and start by learning the movements and their intricacies. Routines such as deadlifts, back squats, and the snatch must be studied very well before you actually do them.
Usually, people want to jump to completing their routines very quickly and move to higher weights. But this should come after you have learned enough about the movements. You should prioritize consistency and form before intensity.
3. Do Not Be Bothered About Scaling
Understandably, your Crossfit journey will start out with you doing less intense workouts. As you go on, your trainer will scale your workouts up according to your performance.
Do not be bothered that you have to start small. Your sights should remain set on your goals, how fast you get there should not be your main concern.
4. Do Not Overdo
Now, the workout of the day (WOD) is usually defined and prescribed to you. As much as you may desire to get massive results within a short time, avoid increasing the dosage of the prescribed WOD.
While you may think overdoing the WOD will give you better results, it may just be of little or no benefit to you.
Also, for starters, you should work out 2 – 3 times weekly. You may also avoid training for consecutive days. As you move forward, your body will get more into it, and you can do more.
5. You Do Not Have to Buy Every Kit
You may come across various adverts hinting that you need a bunch of kits for Crossfit. The truth is you may not need all you see. Not everything is essential, so if you intend to get everything you see, get them because you want to, not because you think you have to.
One gear you will definitely need is workout shoes. Many of the workouts you will do will involve your feet. If you are not wearing something sturdy enough to withstand the intensity, you will not enjoy the exercises. You may even be at the risk of getting injured with the wrong shoes.
You may also get a wrist strap. It is common for beginners to feel a strain in their wrists. You can find some relief with wrist straps. There are different grades of wrist straps, but your best bet is a heavyweight wrist strap.
6. Do Not Come With Your Ego
Crossfit is a public fitness program, there will be many people from different backgrounds. If you truly want to be a part of everything that goes on, you have to drop your ego at the door.
The thing is you will be welcomed by warmth and friendliness, so there will be no use for your ego there.
7. Avoid Drinking Before You Show Up
Before you go on out to get boozed at night, make sure you do not have to attend a Crossfit class the following day. It may not seem like anything, but drinking alcohol within about 12 hours or less before your sessions can hamper your performance.
If you’ve taken too much, you will most likely have a hangover. Now, imagine yourself working out while feeling dizzy, nauseous, shaky with your head & muscles aching. Not the images of the best workout, right?
8. Eat Right
What you eat will affect how you perform during workouts. Taking a meal that contains nutrients in the right proportion is essential for you to get the best out of each session.
Whatever carbs you will eat between 30 – 90 minutes before your workout should be simple carbs. Simple carbs are readily digested so your body can use it as fuel as you workout.
Also, the meal you eat before your workout should contain carbohydrates, protein, and other parts of a balanced meal. Carbohydrates and protein should be more than the rest but make the carbohydrates slightly more than the protein.
Do not eat too much, the goal is to eat just part of the total amount of calories you will burn as you work out.
9. Pay Attention to the Pain You Feel
Do not try to act tough or macho, if you feel physical pain due to an injury, stop and pay attention to it. Now, during your exercise, you will feel pain as you push your muscle to the limit. This type of pain is okay when it is bearable.
But if you fall, twist something, or sprain something, you should not endure such pain. Those are the types of pain you should care for immediately. If you don’t, it may go from slight to bad to worst.
10. Make Time for Recovery
Your body is not made of steel or stone or some other thing that is almost indestructible. Your body has limits, and this means you have to allow it to recover when you reach that limit.
Do not wait until you are knackered before you get that time off to recover. You will feel better after recovery and come back stronger.
11. Recover the Right Way
So how do you recover the right way? One thing to do during your recovery break is to take a protein shake or drink.
During the workouts, your body is breaking down carbs. But during your recovery, you can push your body to build by taking protein shakes. Your muscles can become larger and more toned with protein-shakes breaks.
12. Be Punctual
There might be no retribution for arriving at your sessions late. But doing so gives you less time to prepare. For one, you need to warm up before the workouts start.
If you arrive at the box late, you will barely have enough time to warm-ups. When you do not warm up, you leave yourself at risk of getting cramping and getting injured.
13. Trust the Process
You might be surprised by what you’ll see when you start Crossfit. Many people think that crossfitters get injured a lot. If you think the same, you might be surprised when you come across the broom-handle technique.
The trainers try to ensure that everyone gets the right form for back squats and deadlifts every time. Those who do not get it are made to do their workout with a broom handle. The goal here is to ensure safety.
While working out with a broom handle might seem insignificant and ineffective, trust the process.
14. Keep a Record
Write down every activity you participate in, the exercises, the warm-ups, the outcomes, and every other part of your journey. Seeing a record of what you’ve done and what you’ve achieved might just be the boost you need on the days you are uninspired.
Also, this record will help you keep track of the changes in your body and connect them to the routines that make them happen.
15. Go to a Box That Will Make You Stronger
In your search for a Crossfit box, you will come across some boxes that have only warm-ups and WOD routines.
You will also come across other boxes that incorporate workout routines that improve your strength. Some of these routines include deadlifts and squats. You should opt for these types of boxes.
If you get stronger, your tolerance for the workouts increases. You are also less likely to get injured if you are stronger.
16. Have Fun With It
We won’t even try to sugarcoat it, most workouts are not fun. But the good news is, you can make the experience fun. Play around with the workouts, reward yourself for your accomplishments, just do anything that makes the workout fun.
17. Relate With Other People in Your Class
Being a beginner can be lonely, so you may want to relate with other people in your class. By doing this, the chances of you meeting another beginner are higher.
With you knowing that you are not the only newbie around, you will feel less nervous, and warm up to the whole experience faster.