I’m so glad you’re here! You’re going to love your new gym! Get ready for a brand new addiction!
I love new CrossFitters! I love all your questions- What’s a clean? What does AMRAP stand for? What’s EMOM? What’s a clean, again?
Soon (if you haven’t already) you’ll be glued to a plethora of YouTube vids of “elite” athletes working hard and teaching you technique about your new sport.
That was my first introduction to CF and really much of my early journey was “video taught.” There were only 3-4 CF gyms in the DFW area in 2007. I read and re-read articles on the CrossFit Journal. I devoured CrossFit videos on technique. Then I would go to the gym and try to apply what I had learned.
Needless to say, my progress early on was slooooow. My only coaches were some of the bodybuilders at the local gym. Imagine asking questions about your snatch to the guys who only did 1/4 squats, bench press and biceps curls. Yeah, it didn’t go well.
Since that time, I’ve been taught by numerous coaches, a few who were even Olympic level lifters or coaching staff.
That brings me back to you. You get to benefit from all of that learning. Your early CrossFit experience will be much smoother and streamlined than mine. From Elements to your first class, you’ll likely learn more than I did in my first 6 months. But even though you’re going to get all of that there are still some things you’ll need to remember.
1. Take it easy. Don’t go all Froning on day one. I don’t care how many times you’ve watched the 2013 CrossFit Games on ESPN or how many cycles of P90x you’ve done, you’re going to have a little adjustment period to what we do.
2. Don’t try to beat anyone…yet. That “soccer mom” over there who’s ahead of you by a full round, well, she’s been doing this a while. Again, take it easy and learn how to pace/ push yourself during a workout. It’ll come.
3. I’m here to help. If I tell you to lighten the weight or scale a movement or decrease rounds in a workout, it’s not because I think you suck. Each workout has a certain stimulus that we’re looking for. If the WOD is supposed to take ~10 minutes and you’re still going at 45, it’s not the same workout. Leave your ego at the door and scale as needed or instructed.
CrossFit’s consistently varied, functional movement executed at high intensity is a great prescription to get in shape and develop the body comp you were imagining while doing “xyz” dvd. The fact that you get a coach all the while not paying personal training fees is just incredible! Enjoy the ride and make some new friends! This will be the best journey towards fitness you’ve ever experienced!
See you at the box!