You just joined a CrossFit gym and you couldn’t be more nervous and excited all at the same time. There are new movements, new words, even new equipment and gear you’ve never seen or heard of before. So what now? How should you navigate this new environment to get the most out of your experience? I asked social media for their input and below is a list of the responses that experienced CrossFitters want you to know as you get started. Everyone was a beginner at some point. I want to do my best to help you through your beginner phase. Enjoy!
1 – “Commit to at least 3 months to see lasting changes.”
2 – “Form > Weight. Be patient and give every workout your all.”
3 – “Don’t compare yourself to others.”
4 – “Get uncomfortable.”
5 – “Master the basic movements.”
6 – “Improve your mobility.”
7 – “Its you against you.”
8 – “Scale. Even experienced athletes scale.”
9 – “Listen to you body in training.”
10 – “Find a sustainable pace.”
11 – “Always start light with a PVC pipe.”
12 – “Enjoy the process. Thats where the fun is!”
13 – “You don’t have to be fit to start.”
14 – “Focus on technique and the weight will come.”
15 – “Listen to your coach.”
16 – “Its a marathon not a sprint.”
17 – “Have fun and leave your ego at the door.”
18 – “Its ok to scale.”
19 – “Have a growth mindset.”
20 – “Relax, you’ll get there!”
21 – “S T R E T C H”
22 – “Enjoy the ride and don’t rush.”
23 – “Its best not to compare, no one is you.”
24 – “Work hard and have fun.”
25 – “Stay within your abilities.”
26 – “Its worth the frustration learning new things.”
27 – “Keep showing up.”
28 – “Learn the lingo and terminology.”
29 – “Scale, scale, scale, scale.”
30 – “Keep showing up and don’t be afraid to scale.”
31 – “Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing.”
32 – Don’t compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 10″
33 – “Be patient!”
34 – “Always be learning.”
35 – “Learn how to navigate the gym safely when people are lifting.”
36 – “Form, technique, and efficiency over everything else.”
37 – “Warm-up shoulders properly!”
38 – “Buy your own jump rope and size it appropriately.”
39 – “Its your journey, no one else’s.”
40 – “Be consistent, keep showing up.”
41 – “Listen.”
42 – “Use gymnastics grips, not gloves.”
43 – “Scaling isn’t bad.”
44 – “We all had a day 1, you’ll be fine!”
45 – “Strength takes longer than you think.”
46 – “Your hands and wrists will acclimate to the movements eventually.”
47 – “Community will get you through it.”
48 – “Don’t cherry-pick workouts.”
49 – “Be coachable and willing to accept criticism.”
50 – “Burpees will always suck.”
Now, its time to get to work! If you would like to learn more about what we do at Roaster Barbell, simply send Coach Pete an email at ptaylor@mail.bw.edu or a text at 440-503-6712 and lets get you started!