What 3 Months of CrossFit Has Taught Me

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When I returned home for the summer in May, my mind was set on trying CrossFit. Being an avid health/fitness blog reader I’ve been reading about CrossFit and seeing things on social media about it for a few years. I never got the chance to try it until this summer and since I stepped foot in that box I’ve never looked back. The beginning of September marks 3 months of CrossFit for me, so I wanted to share what I’ve learned in 3 months.

First things first, I’m the realest. Just kidding. You may be wondering what is CrossFit? CrossFit is “constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement.” Got it? Let’s continue then.

 1. You won’t be  able to lift like Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet or have Lauren Fisher’s body within a month. CrossFit is really humbling to say the least.

 

2. It sucks. Seriously. I look up at the WOD for the day and think “Why did I come? Today is going to suck.” Then the countdown begins and soon I’m covered in sweat pushing myself through the workout. I always feel awesome after a workout and am always glad I went. It not only challenges me physically, but mentally as well. Some days I feel like I’m going to die if I do another rep, but somehow I always push through and I haven’t died yet. But if you ask me how my workout was I’ll likely say that it sucked.

3. To honest with my body. That means not increasing in weight just because the person next to me did if I’m going to risk hurting myself. It also means learning to listen to my body and knowing when I need to give it a rest.

4. Eat to fuel my body. I remember one woman telling a coach that all she had eaten that day was a shake and a piece of chicken. Like whattt? No wonder she was dragging through the workout. I need to fuel my body before and after the workout. I’m now more aware of what I’m putting into my body and CrossFit has encouraged me to try to eat more “paleo-ish.”

5. I want to be strong. More now than ever, my mindset towards my body and my relationship with fitness has changed. I am now seeing the beauty in being strong. So what if I’m skinny. In general I am small framed and have a slim body, but I want to continue to get stronger and see what my body is capable of. CrossFit is showing me that my body is strong and is capable of so much more with time and work.

6. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and listen to your coach. A lot of the moves in CrossFit are difficult to learn at first and proper form is key. Luckily, I’ve been blessed with patient coaches who will coach me through the moves if I’m having a difficult time getting it down. They’ll point out when I’m doing a move wrong so I can change it and they’ll tell me when I’m doing a good job. If you’re not willing to listen to the professionals who are there to help you…well you can prepare yourself for an injury and probably consider going back into the weight room where you can do your own thing.

7. Hardcore rock and hip hop make up the workout playlist. Seriously. It’s pretty much impossible to want to workout like that to pop music.

8. It’ll beat you up. Literally. I’ve gotten rips on my hands. Bruises in weird places. My mom asked me the other day where my bruises were from. I said from the bar. Wrong answer. She thought I meant like the drinking bar. I said “Noooo Mom the bar at Crossfit from deadlifts.” People may suspect domestic abuse. If CrossFit qualifies as my boyfriend then I’m a victim.

9. You do more than lift heavy weights and jump on boxes. Handstands. Skin the cat. Ring dips. Mobility stretches. You’ll stretch in weird positions you would never want any other people to ever see you in. Split stretch is a prime example. I’ve learned how to do a lot of cool moves through CrossFit and have learned a lot about the importance of mobility.

10. It’s a community.  It’s hard to explain, but I truly enjoy the people at both boxes I’ve gone to and always feel welcome. They’ll be right beside you encouraging and pushing you through a workout and you’ll do the same for them. I’m not much of a yeller so my encouragement isn’t as intense, but I’m getting better at it. They’re people you get to know and look forward to seeing. They’ll ask where you were if you skipped a day. They make you feel really special when they design a workout for your birthday until you actually have to do the workout. Then everyone hates the year you were born for about 10 minutes.

CrossFit isn’t for everyone, but I’ve fallen in love with it. It’s exactly what I needed. I love being pushed and challenged. I love seeing results and seeing myself improve. I love CrossFit and don’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

If you’re interested in reading about my initial impression of CrossFit read this post from my old blog: And It Begins: Crossfit