It would be dishonest if we told you that Crossfit was all merry and perfect. Like every other fitness regimen, Crossfit takes a lot of hard work, and it can be very intense.
You may have read or heard a whole lot about Crossfit. You may also be totally new to it, and that’s fine. Whatever category you fall into, we think there are certain things you should know before you opt-in for a Crossfit membership.
1. Fitness Is Not a Requirement to Start Crossfit
If you have been holding back from getting a Crossfit membership because you think you have to be in shape first, then you’ve been missing out.
Crossfit is for everyone, fit or not. You can say the main requirement for being a part of the Crossfit program is the ability to do even the slightest exercise routine.
Crossfit offers scalable fitness routines. So whether you are very fit or not, whether you are used to working out or not, your coach can tailor your fitness routine to suit your capabilities.
2. You May Not Get Buff
We won’t blame you if you think that Crossfit will make you get buff. You may have seen ads on television or on social media that make you anticipate becoming buff through Crossfit.
The pictures and the videos may show bulky Crossfitters, but many Crossfitters do not look like that. Those bulky Crossfitters are professionals at what they do.
Does this mean you can’t become buff by Crossfitting? No. It means you have to raise your routine to a level that will make you buff. In other words, more intense workouts, a special diet, and even more dedication.
3. The Experience Varies Across Crossfit Boxes
Well, here’s one important thing to note, you are unlikely to get the same experience in every Crossfit box. One factor that influences your experience in a Crossfit box is the coaching style.
You should look out to ensure that the coaching style suits your needs before you choose your Crossfit box. If the intensity of the coaching is too much for you, you may not enjoy the experience. If it is not sufficiently intense, the experience may be underwhelming.
You should also consider the programming methods and community culture. You can explore many boxes before finally making a choice.
4. You Should Always Warm-Up
You should always warm-up, don’t hesitate, just do it. Warming up reduces your chances of getting injured when you start the real exercise.
Now, you might think taking a walk to the box will warm you up, or you might think you are warm already. But the chances are you are not.
A quick 5-minute or 10-minute warm-up should do. You could do jumping jacks, walk-outs, squats, leg swings, and many more.
5. You Might Have Heard This Before, but Be Consistent
You are probably not new to being told that you should be consistent, almost everyone gets that advice when putting in the effort to attain something.
When you start your workouts, it might be tough at first. Imagine your fitness regimen as a steep slope. It’s hard to climb, but once you get to the top, everything feels better.
The more you keep at it, the more your body adapts to it. You may take a 1-day break between 2 or 3 consecutive workout days.
But avoid taking many days off. If you do, your body may not adapt as quickly as it should. It may even become tougher for your body to adjust to the workouts if you take long breaks.
6. You Should Know These Crossfit Abbreviations
There are a couple of abbreviations you will come across when you are a part of Crossfit. Knowing what they mean will help you get through. The following are some of such abbreviations and their meanings:
- WOD – Workout of the Day
- Box – a Crossfit gym
- Hero WOD – the toughest workouts so named after fallen soldiers
- AMRAP – as many rounds as possible. Usually, a time limit is given for you to do as many rounds of a workout routine as possible.
- RFT – rounds for time
- Rx – prescribed workout
- Rx’d – prescribed workout has been done
- EMOM – Every minute on the minute
- The Open – the open is a 5-week challenge done every year. Anyone can be a part of the challenge. The Crossfit regionals come after, and The Open serves as the qualifier for that.
If you do not know the meaning of any abbreviation, you can ask about it.
7. Keep Track of Everything
Keeping a log of every workout and every part of your workout journey might actually be very good for you. It could serve as a way to monitor your physical progress. But beyond that, it could also help you mentally.
A record of your achievements may spur you to even do more. Also, this record may help your track your mental state and link them to the routines.
8. The Chances of Rhabdomyolysis Are Quite Low
If you’ve heard of rhabdomyolysis, you may be thinking twice about Crossfit. Extreme physical activities can cause exertion rhabdomyolysis. So, your fears are valid to an extent.
It is a condition to be concerned about, but your chances of suffering from rhabdomyolysis are low. Most Crossfitters do not get rhabdomyolysis.
Staying safe from this condition requires caution:
- Pay attention to your body, do not go overboard.
- Scale-up gradually and appropriately.
- Follow your coach’s instructions.
9. You Have to Rest and Give Your Body Time to Recover
Like we already mentioned, at the start, the workouts will be tough. Your muscles will get sore, you will feel the effects of the workouts more, and you won’t even need anyone to tell you to get a rest.
As you go further with the workouts, you start to experience the soothing feeling that comes with workouts. The body produces serotonin and dopamine that gets you a natural high. This high can be addictive, and it might even be the reason you do not try to rest.
But getting yourself involved in the daily high-intensity workout routine without enough rest will only put your health at risk. The goal of Crossfit is to make yourself healthier, but if you become unhealthy through Crossfit, it defeats the purpose.
10. Crossfit Is a Community
If you love meeting people, then you can look forward to being a part of CrossFit. It is like a school, everyone comes every day or almost every day for the same purpose.
Sooner or later, you become friends with these people, and a community is formed. The good thing about this is that since everyone has similar goals, you can support each other to attain those goals.