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The world of CrossFit can seem intimidating. Images of ripped athletes throwing barbells around with bloody hands from all of the pull ups, instill fear and doubt in many people searching online how to start CrossFit. Seeing these images might make you think twice about stepping into a CrossFit gym.
But hold on!
This high-intensity fitness program is designed to be accessible to everyone, regardless of age or experience level. And, these images popping up in the search engine are from long ago when CrossFit was a somewhat brutal fitness program suited only for the brawny, extremely athletic and a little bit "crazy".
Modern CrossFit has evolved into a holistic fitness and health program geared towards getting people off of the couch regardless of their age or experience level. At CrossFit HSN, we have a vast array of age groups and experience levels in our CrossFit classes daily.
If you live in Broward County Florida, and are considering learning how to start CrossFit, this post is for you!
We will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to navigate this new exciting world. We'll highlight the supportive community, and provide five essential tips on how to start CrossFit.
What Is CrossFit?
Before we get into how to start CrossFit, first we must learn what CrossFit actually is.
CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness program. It combines elements of various disciplines like weightlifting, gymnastics, metabolic conditioning (cardio), and calisthenics (bodyweight movements). Workouts, often called "WODs" (Workout of the Day), are constantly varied and designed to be functional, meaning they mimic movements you might use in everyday life.
CrossFit also involves a nutrition component which we prioritize at CrossFit HSN. Eating whole unprocessed foods, and little to no added sugar is something we teach and preach to all of our members.
Here's a breakdown of some key CrossFit concepts:
- Foundational Movements: These are basic exercises like squats, lunges, pushes, pulls, and overhead presses. They form the building blocks for more complex movements.
- Metabolic Conditioning (Metcon): This refers to high-intensity cardio exercises that elevate your heart rate and improve your overall work capacity. Examples include jump rope, rowing, running, burpees, and box jumps.
- Constantly Varied: A core principle of CrossFit is that workouts are different every day, keeping things interesting and challenging your body in new ways.
- Scalable: Workouts can be modified to fit all fitness levels. Weights, repetitions, and exercises can be adjusted to ensure safety and effectiveness for everyone from the fittest on earth, to the person brand new to fitness. If "scaled" properly, the fittest person, and the newest person in class will both get the same stimulus from the workout of the day.
Overall, CrossFit is designed to improve your overall fitness across various domains, including:
- Strength
- Cardiovascular Endurance
- Stamina
- Flexibility
- Power
- Coordination
- Agility
- Balance
- Accuracy
Additionally, If you're a CrossFit beginner considering starting CrossFit, remember it's a welcoming community that prioritizes proper form and safety. Don't be discouraged by the intensity you sometimes see online. CrossFit HSN, our gym in Broward County, starts all new clients with a few personal training sessions to teach movements, modifications and scaling options to tailor the workout to your fitness level. Plus we have a nutrition coaching program that will teach you healthy habits using a holistic approach to wellness and nutrition.
Now that we have an understanding of what CrossFit is, let's get into the top tips on how to start Crossfit!
5 Tips On How To Start Crossfit
Tip #1 - You don't need to "get in shape" to start at a CrossFit gym
One of the biggest misconceptions about CrossFit is that you need to be in peak physical condition before stepping into the gym.
This simply isn't true!
Here's why CrossFit is accessible to everyone, regardless of their current fitness level:
- Scalable Workouts: The beauty of CrossFit lies in its scalability. Every workout (WOD) can be modified (scaled) to fit your individual needs. Don't worry about heavy weights or complex movements like handstand push-ups or muscle ups. Most gyms like ours offer personal training sessions before you jump into group class that focus on learning the foundational movements like squats, lunges, push-ups, rows, and overhead presses with manageable weights. Your coach will help you find the right level of challenge, ensuring you work hard but prioritize proper form.
- Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Forget about a one rep max (lifting the heaviest weight you can for one repetition) or knocking out endless toes to bar and wall balls. Instead, focus on making progress and mastering the movements with good form. Even exercises like strict pull-ups and pushups can be scaled by using a pull-up assist band or starting with elevated push-ups until you build enough strength.
- Your Body Adapts: CrossFit workouts are designed to be high-intensity and constantly varied. This means your body is constantly challenged in new ways, forcing it to adapt and improve. Even if you're new to exercise, your body will quickly respond to the training. Expect to be sore after your first few classes – that's a sign your muscles are working hard and getting stronger!
Ditch the intimidation and embrace the challenge! CrossFit offers a fun and effective way to improve your overall fitness, regardless of your starting point.
Tip #2 - Nutrition is a key component to your success
We would argue that nutrition is equally as important, or more important than the fitness aspect. The key memberships we sell in our gym all have a nutrition component to them. They are called HYBRID memberships and they get our clients the results they are looking for the fastest.
An example of a HYBRID membership would be "Monthly CrossFit Unlimited with High Accountability Nutrition Coaching". This means the client can do an unlimited amount of CrossFit classes in a month, and they check in with their nutrition coach in person two times per month, and virtually in the HSN app weekly.
If you are new to our gym, we highly suggest signing up for one of the HYBRID memberships. You will not be disappointed and doing so provides you with CrossFit coaches that support your fitness and a nutrition coach that supports and holds you accountable to your healthy habits.
At Healthy Steps Nutrition and CrossFit HSN we focus on a holistic approach to nutrition coaching. We believe so much more goes into nutrition choices than just trying to decide what to eat for the day.
Our holistic framework considers:
- Sleep
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Stress Management
- Social Circle
- Lifestyle
Tip #3 - Embrace the community
Remember: The CrossFit community thrives on encouragement and support. The right crossfit gym has fellow CrossFitters, regardless of their experience level, cheering you on as you progress on your fitness and nutrition journey. (That is of curse unless you always take the "good" pull up bar in workouts! Just kidding...
Get some gym friends! People who you know go to the same class time as you do, and who will wonder where you are at if you don't show up to class. Accountability is king!
And also know that the people you see in class doing all the pullups, not modifying one movement, and crushing the day's workout in half the time of everyone else all started in the same place you are.
Everybody started as a beginner.
Don't be surprised if you find yourself surpassing your own expectations and achieving things you never thought possible due to the support and accountability of your new social circle.
Tip #4 - Get the right gear for your crossfit workout
There are two pieces of equipment I suggest all new CrossFit athletes purchase when they start Crossfit workouts:
- A good pair of "CrossFit Shoes"
- A jump rope
Shoes:
There are MANY brands of shoes that are great for crossfit workouts. But, what you want to make sure of is that you get the correct style. Typically "running" shoes are not going to be the best for the hybrid movements you will see in a CrossFit gym. You will be running, and squatting in the same workout.
The best thing to do is to get a shoe that is good for "functional fitness in order to eliminate the excessive lateral give and high heel elevation often seen in traditional running shoes. Reebok, No Bull and Nike all have great "functional fitness" shoes.
Jump Rope:
Our CrossFit gym offers jump ropes for members to use who don't have their own. This is amazing, but what is challenging about this is the jump ropes are not cut to a custom length. Learning to jump rope, and to eventually move into the "double under" works so much better if a jump rope is sized to your height.
Jumps ropes are available to purchase for as little as $28 on Rogue Fitness. They are easily cut to size and come with instructions on cutting the rope to the correct length.
Tip #5 - Enjoy the process
There are a lot of movements to learn in CrossFit and so much room for improvement as years go by. Many crossfit beginners are extremely hard on themselves and think, "I'm not getting where I want to be fast enough".
Enjoy the process and celebrate your wins!
Nutrition and Crossfit when done together are magical. By working on both, your results will sky rocket much faster than someone who did not work on both. You will lose weight, build muscle, and your functional movements will feel much easier than they did when you first started.
"How many reps did you do" will become part of your vocabulary, and your wardrobe will begin to include things like wrist wraps, and knee sleeves. Soon you will be racing your family to the car to see who made it in the shortest amount of time.
They call this drinking the cool aid and it's fun!
Wrap Up
You are never too old or inexperienced to start CrossFit and working on your nutrition. Improvement in these two areas equals improvements in your overall health and quality of life. Like most people, seeing is believing. Check out all these people who have found success with CrossFit!
This could be you! If you are ready to get started or even just find out more, BOOK A DISCOVERY CALL today!
Real People Real Results At CrossFit HSN
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