Crossfit for newbies (guest post)

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Since I started CrossFit a few months ago I’ve seen some pretty drastic changes in myself both physically and mentally. It is an amazing workout and I’m having fun doing it. CrossFit is gaining popularity but many folks still have tons of questions about it.

Isn’t it really expensive???

CrossFit is quite a bit more expensive than an average gym membership but I’m not getting an average gym membership. I feel like each class gives me the same knowledge, coaching, and workout that I would get with a personal training session. With that in mind, I am getting an incredible deal.

My suggestion is that if you are on the fence about the price, take a few classes before you make your decision.

If paying for classes is just not an option for you, CrossFit.com is a great resource.

What is a class like???

Typically we start class with some foam-rolling, a warm up, then depending on the length of the WOD (workout of the day) we might work on strength first or head straight into the WOD.

Aren’t you afraid you’ll get bulky???

No.

Oh, you want more of an answer? Honestly, I want to be healthy and strong. If that means I get big arms, then whatevs. Besides, since I’m a female I don’t have the right hormones to get huge, so I’m not going to worry about something that isn’t going to happen anyway.

Aren’t you afraid you’ll hurt yourself???

Like all exercise, I believe that the second most important aspect is form. It is better to lift less and work on form that to wing it and risk hurting yourself.

However, the most important thing is to LISTEN TO YOU BODY. Someone I know has a habit of letting her ego get in the way when it comes to back pain and then hurts herself. Oh wait, that’s me.

The great thing about CrossFit is that it is scalable. Instead of box jumps, I’m doing step ups. While my back was out instead of a barbell I would use a PVC pipe to practice the movement without weight. There are tons of options if a certain movement doesn’t work for you.

Do you really get a good workout if the WOD is only 15 minutes???

Yes yes oh holy bejeezus yes. I have never had to lay in the fetal position after a workout before. That happens about once a week now.

What is the most important thing that you have learned so far?

(Ok, this is a plant – no one has asked me this.)

I’ve learned that there is a big difference between my body needing to stop and my mind thinking that it needs to stop.

(Warning, I’m going to talk about the damn burpees again)

I have never wanted to stop anything in my life as I did during 7 minutes of burpees. But I kept getting on the ground. Somehow, I kept getting back up.

My mind wanted to stop so bad because everything burned. I didn’t stop and I finished. I realized in that moment that all those times before in skating, dancing, running, lifting, and life, I have GIVEN UP not because I needed to, but because I was afraid of the struggle.

I don’t want to do that anymore.

 

 

Laura Freeman is a CrossFitter, marathoner, and dog-mom living in Oregon.  She is an obsessive goal setter who hopes to inspire others to find their passion and live a healthy life.  This year Laura is taking the CrossFit Level 1 training certification and hopes to start coaching CrossFit.

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Comments

  5. I’ve never done CrossFit but it does intrigue me!

    I did my first set of Burpees at the Spartan Race not long ago…I can’t say I fell in love with them lol

  7. I do love Crossfit but you are right – it’s can be expensive. I keep thinking I’ll do it on my own – but I never do. Ugh. But while I dislike burpees so much – I do love the feeling afterwards.

  9. Love this, thank you. I’m sitting here sore from my first cross fit workout yesterday and the endorphins from my workout were pretty amazing. I love the philosophy of muscle confusion and short, intense workouts.

  11. I’ll have to check out that link! Joining a box is not an option for me right now, but I love the idea of the very different workouts each day.

  12. Great overview! I’ve heard a lot like you say about the cost – you’re not paying for a regular gym membership; you’re paying for personal training, a team, and individual attention. I want to try it so badly!

  14. I do crossfit kip ups on a tree limb in my back yard and “box” jumps on various heights of seating during my run this a.m. All for free! Don’t need no stinkin’ classes!

  15. YES! I completely understand what you’re saying about “a big difference between my body needing to stop and my mind thinking that it needs to stop”.

    If you can get past the tape recorder playing, “You can’t do this. It’s too hard. You’re too tired. You should just stop now and lay down on the ground til time is up,” then you can get it done. And by you, I of course mean ME.

    Every time I sign up for a class (we need to register for our classes), the thought goes through my head, “I could just take my name off the list.” But our coach requires 2 hours notice so that he can contact someone on the waiting list to let them know that a spot has opened. I get up at 7AM to be awake enough and leave by 8, for my 8:30 class. I purposely don’t give myself enough time to cancel (I COULD just not show up, even at that time, but my next class would involve 50 “No Show” burpees. And nobody likes burpees. And I’m realizing it’s a commitment/investment in myself – and I’m worthy of the time, blood (deadlifts, anyone?), sweat (enough for 17 people), and tears (happy ones when I prove to myself that I could do the workout and that the part of my brain telling me I couldn’t, was just a liar).

    I’ve never loved having my butt kicked SO much, in my life. And it kicks my butt, like the neighbourhood bully looking for your lunch money – EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.

    If you can be guaranteed of anything in CrossFit, it’s that it’ll take everything you’ve got, you’ll leave everything on the mat, but it gives back to you, too. 🙂

    GREAT POST! 🙂

  16. I’ve been really curious about Cross Fit too. So glad you shared. But here’s what I don’t get. Why would anyone have you DO 7 mins. of Burpees? Wouldn’t it be more interesting and effective to do 2-3 different moves in those 7 minutes? I’ve got to enjoy my workouts or I won’t go back. 7 mins. of burpees would not work for me.

    • No end to the means…. I exercise to accomplish a goal and seven min. of burpees isn’t a goal in my book.

    • It’s only one workout. There are tons more of them (you can make anything into a CF workout, really).

      When it’s something like 7 minutes of burpees, it’s challenging your endurance in a specific way. Every day, there’s a different CrossFit workout to be done.

      CrossFit is big on you challenging yourself. You’re not trying to beat someone else’s number – you’re trying to beat your own, to show your own level of progress.

      So, if you do a workout like 7 minutes of burpees, and have a count of let’s say 100 (for easy numbers), then next time you do it, let’s say in a few months or a year’s time, and you get a score of 150 or 200, then you can see how far you’ve come, using a controlled variable like the same exercise, at 2 different moments in time. When you can see a jump in numbers (be it, time or reps), it’s amazing to have a tangible measurement of progress.

      But if it’s not your thing then it’s not your thing and no one will convince you otherwise. I think that’s the good thing about CrossFit, though – most people won’t try to “sell” you on it. Results and intensity speak for themselves.

      *This morning, at our gym, we did 21-15-9 with burpees and kettle bell swings. When I was done, I was a sweaty hot exhausted mess, laying on the ground gasping for breath. It was beautiful! 🙂

    • This workout was part of the CrossFit Open, which is the first qualifying stage of the CrossFit games. What I liked about it was that everyone could attempt the workout. There wasn’t an issue with the move being too technical or the weight too heavy. Everyone who wanted to could do at least 1 burpee in the 7 minutes and have completed the workout. Personally, it was a turning point for me because I didn’t quit even though I really wanted to. It was more a mental test for me than the physical one. You are right though, 7 minutes of burpees is pretty random.

  17. Thanks for the info. While I have no interest in doing crossfit, I do occasionally use some of the exercises, either so spice up my own workout, or for my classes or cross country team (burpees and air squats, anyone?)

  20. I am so intrigued by Crossfit and do want to try it sometime but I will be honest, it still scares me. Um, and the fact that a workout will make you need to lie in a fetal position afterwards? That might have tipped me back over to scared. 🙂

    • CrossFit is great because it is scalable. Every once in a while I like pushing super hard and then end up laying on the floor catching my breath. That is absolutely not a requirement. You can always step back and take a breath, or lighten the load. I’ve definitely been known to stand back catching my breath and staring at whatever piece of equipment is torturing me that day. It is about YOUR goals and YOUR experience.

  21. I want to do it SO bad! I agree that you get what you are paying for, I don’t think it’s insanely overpriced if you’re at a quality box, but I just don’t have the money. Luckily, it’s pretty obvious CrossFit isn’t going anywhere 😉

  22. I wish I knew about Crossfit when I was younger.. not that I am too old BUT I am very careful to do what is right for me & I don’t want any injuries as I age…. some of it makes me think twice BUT I may yet try… 🙂 This based on your part about not getting injured.. I do love my lifting weights though so hard to pull me away from that – I like the standard old weigh of lifting & concentrating on body parts one by one – I know – old school! 🙂

    • It’s similar in that you move from exercise to exercise. Some days you will shift between 2 exercises, other days you might move down a list of a few different exercises. Definitely check it out!

  24. Hi Laura,

    Crossfit is starting to gain more and more popularity. I have been reading about it on many blogs and people are very satisfied with it. I wouldn’t worry about getting too bulky either, it doesn’t happen overnight anyway.

    MAriella

  25. CrossFit does sound interesting, and if the price fits the results then it sounds like a good bargain. Is the whole workout just under 15 minutes? Do you recommend newbies to practice light exercise before fully immersing in CrossFit exercises?

    • The classes I go to are an hour long. We start with a warm up and then depending on the programming we might do some strength, work on a skill, or do a “max capacity test” (how many of X can you do in X minutes – we’ll repeat the tests every few months to check our improvements). Then we will do the official WOD which varies based on the coaches programming. Some days they are short like less than 10 mins. Some days they are longer, 30-40 minutes (or 60 in my case, lol). If the WOD is really long, we might take it easier in the first part of class.

      Many boxes have “on ramp” programs where you can learn the basic movements and get in the swing of things. That is a great first place to start. If your box doesn’t offer that (mine didn’t) definitely communicate with the coach about modifications to the workout to meet your fitness level. For example, my first class I did only the bar and cut all the reps in half just to practice doing the class with everyone.

      Hope that helps!

  27. I can’t afford any classes right now but I’ll certainly be checking out crossfit.com. Thank you for sharing this information.

  28. I love crossfit!! it is an amazing program. however it can be very intimidating to beginners. So, be sure to listen to the trainers, don’t over lift, stick with the light weights so that your form is near perfect! And don’t be surprised if you get a blister or 3 on your hands 😉

    Happy Crossfitting!

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