A Beginners Guide To CrossFit
First off, WHAT IS CrossFit?!
The CrossFit prescription is “constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movement. [1] It is also known as a form of strength and conditioning training, designed to challenge your body and push it to its limits both physically and mentally. No matter what your age is or where you are at with your current fitness level, you will be able to start CrossFit. The workouts are so effective because of their emphasis on the elements of load, distance and speed, which help participants develop high levels of power. The workout may utilize different equipment to accomplish this, including kettlebells, rowers and bikes, medicine balls, speed ropes, rings and plyo boxes. [2] Not only this, but workouts are constantly changing, scalable and you will never get bored.
What should I expect during my first CrossFit class?
Everyone gets nervous walking into their first day at the gym, or their first day of a new CrossFit/ class! Firstly, in CrossFit, a lot of people refer the gym as a “box”. Usually because that’s exactly what it is. A warehouse box like shaped room where we can all workout together and share the space!
While each box can be a little different, the workouts usually consist within a one hour time frame. 10-15 minutes of stretching, followed by skill or strength and then into the days WOD, or, workout of the day.
Get to know the CrossFit Lingo
Box = Gym
AMRAP = As many reps as possible given in a specific time period
WOD = workout of the day
METCON = metabolic conditioning, designed to train stamina and endurance
EMOM = every minute on the minute
For Time = you complete the total workout no matter how long it takes (some have time caps)
Rep = repetitions
Set = a given number of reps
Want to read more into the specific moves, kinds of workouts, etc? Click here for the Ultimate Guide to CrossFit Lingo . This is extremely helpful for those who want to begin CrossFit!
What if I don’t want to start a gym membership/what if I’m uncomfortable going to a gym right now with covid?
Grown Strong has always been a program that you can do both inside and outside of a gym. We have options ranging from 20 minutes to 60+ minutes, with or without equipment and variations to provide you with the tools you need to help you accomplish your goals right from home! Many of our ladies have started building their own home gyms (which is incredible) with only a few inexpensive items that they felt they needed to boost their workouts. But being a beginner, there are plenty of places to start where creating a home gym just isn’t necessary! All you need is yourself, maybe a few weight variations, and a few bands. It doesn’t need to be complicated. Just starting is the best thing you can do!
How does CrossFit differ from other types of fitness classes?
I may be a bit biased, but I truly believe that CrossFit is the best of all worlds. You get the perfect combination of challenging your body and mind, while finding what you LOVE to do within the sport. There’s nothing like becoming confident in the movements, lifting up in weights, being able to do more reps… it truly is inspiring to see yourself grow so quickly. We also have incredible camaraderie. We rally behind our beginner CrossFitters! We know how intimidating it may seem to walk into a class or box as a beginner. But I promise… there is nothing like encouragement of your friends from the program/gym you are in. I truly believe I have friends for life that have come out of training within CrossFit, and I know most of them can say the same! Grown Strong Fitness was also created on this base, because community truly is everything. When someone is a beginner in Grown Strong Fitness(or even our veterans), our ladies get behind them, encourage them, give them tips and even go so far as to ask for them for a video of a workout so they can seek improvements!
How do I get started with CrossFit?
A great way to get started is to see where you are at right now in your fitness journey. Within Grown Strong Fitness we have a “benchmark” workout. This workout is where we can track our progress throughout the program. Want a fun place to start? Check it out here and let’s get started to see just how much you are improving over the next 45 days!
CrossFit for beginners can seem like a lot, but I promise you that through community, a little bit of guidance and learning the fundamentals, you can become an expert in no time! How was it for you as a beginner walking into CrossFit? Let me know your experience below!
xo, LF
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Lauren Fisher on
Thank you ❤️
Anonymous on
I love this article, thanks for sharing ❤️
Anonymous on
Hey yes you can my mom is 60 years old doing CrossFit and she loves it :) Find a good coach and gym that will help modify the workout towards your needs!
Lauren Fisher on
I wish I would have replied back to this earlier. But YES!!! You absolutely can. It’s important to follow your limits and find a good coach but CrossFit can be safely done at any age! 😃
Anonymous on
I’m 63 year old female who has been weight trying for 26 years now. I also have a total hip replacement. Can I safely do CrossFit? Not sure of some of the ballistic moves with a hip replacement.