CrossFit tips for beginners: 6 Surprising things I wish I knew before I started CrossFit

Have you ever thought about trying CrossFit?  I’ll tell you a secret, I was adamantly against it not even two years ago. I was convinced it was some cultish group of   meatheads that regularly injure themselves because “CrossFit is dangerous.”

The reason I wrote this is because after getting over the intimidation factor of starting Crossfit (and all those other things) I realized it’s truly become something I look forward to every time I go. 

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There are multiple benefits to this workout type, a few of which I’ll detail below.

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Yes it’s challenging and difficult at times but in the best of ways.  And when you are in that type of supportive community with others cheering you on, you’ll end up doing things you never thought you could do. 

For instance, I can now hold a handstand for longer than I have ever been able to because of the strength I’ve built doing these workouts.  For that, I am so grateful, I absolutely love this skill and it’s so much fun to practice.

Without further ado, here are the 6 surprising things I wish I knew about CrossFit before I started.

1.    The best way to start is to take an introductory or private training to learn the CrossFit moves. 

CrossFit includes several fitness elements and specific movements within each.  These include Olympic lifting, body building, gymnastics, mobility, cardiovascular type movements, and more.  Some of them are simple, anyone will pick those up quickly. Others are advance skill sets that even after 18 months I still don’t/can’t do. 

When I first started, I shadowed my husband and feel as though some 1:1 time with a coach would’ve helped me get the movements down faster.

I would recommend anyone considering this type of workout get a private training with a coach alongside or before embarking on group classes.

2.    Not everyone knows what they are doing. 

When you start in a new gym, it’s common to think everyone knows more than you.  It’s part of the intimidation factor and why so many feel judged when they walk into a new gym.

In a fitness class setting, you’d be surprised how many people don’t actually know what they are doing.  It took me a lonnnggg time, like a year to feel like I really had a grasp on things.  

When I started CrossFit, I didn’t know who had experience or not.  I walked in assuming I was the novice of the group and therefore, everyone must know more than me.  Insert intimidation factor. 

However, that really isn’t the case.  Even if someone has been doing CrossFit or functional training, it doesn’t mean they really know what’s going on.  It also doesn’t mean they do the workout exactly as prescribed.

Each person has their own background prior to stepping foot in a CrossFit class, their own varying levels of skill with CrossFit and overall fitness. 

Don’t be shy about not knowing how to do certain movements in class. Everyone is in a different place.  More often than not, they are just as confused as you. 

We are all just figuring it out and trying every day.  It’s truly a low-pressure sitch. 

This leads me to my next point…

3.    It’s a great place to make friends. 

Because of the interactive nature of CrossFit classes, you end up interacting with and meeting so many people.  This has been a great way for me to connect with many fitness-oriented folks and “talk shop” on health and fitness, which has expanded my knowledge and passion for the subject.  I’ve even made some close friends at the gym.

The biggest benefit of making friends at the gym is the added motivation to go work out with your buddies.  There’s nothing like an accountability-buddy to help you get excited to workout on those days you just don’t feel like it.

We humans are social creatures and having a sense of community in everything we do is so important.  For example, if you don’t feel connected to the people you work with, you might feel like it’s time to find a new job.  Somewhere you fit in. 

The same goes for the gym.  If you don’t feel connected to others, chances are you might find more excuses to skip, or stop going altogether.  Making friends in a CrossFit setting is so easy due to the way the classes are set up (partner work, etc). 

If you are feeling the lack of motivation to go to your gym on a regular basis, my recommendation is to find or at least try a new one.  Having that sense of community and having friends to workout with could be the extra push you needed all along to stay consistent. 

4. The coaches are knowledgeable and super helpful. 

Had I known this alone, I probably would have started sooner.  Just because you are in a group class doesn’t mean you are on your own.  

Because of the skill-based nature of CrossFit, coaches will come around for one-on-one help with your lifts, movements, and form.  This is vital to the success of anyone first starting out. See #1 above. 

Additionally, having the help and perspective of someone who has the knowledge to help you through your fitness journey is incredibly valuable.  

5.  CrossFit is pricey, but for good reason. 

Continual improvements to equipment and class offerings

In my opinion, you truly pay for what you get.  The equipment is always available and in good condition with continual improvements.  This may not be the same at every gym but it has been in my experience so far and in other gyms I’ve dropped in.  

Pre-programmed workouts daily

My absolute favorite part of what I pay for is that classes are pre-programmed, meaning all the guesswork of “what am I going to do at the gym today?” is done for you.  

Long gone are the days I would peruse Instagram looking for workouts from some fitness blogger.  Then poorly use my time in search of the next machine or free mat space to perform the workouts.

I don’t miss that AT ALL.

Top-notch coaching (yep, it’s worth mentioning again)

Along with the programmed workout is a steller coach ready to give guidance, feedback, and encouragement. Those little shout outs can be incredibly motivational and inspiring, pushing me to do more than I would otherwise.

6. CrossFit is performance versus weight loss and figure driven.

This is a big one.  This concept of working out for performance over body image and weight loss has transformed me (for the better).  I used to fret and worry about how I looked, how much I weighed, how my clothes fit, etc, etc.  

Since going to CrossFit 3-5 times a week for 22 months now, I feel better about myself, I’m able to maintain a lean figure, and I think more about how to achieve my fitness goals than I do weight loss.  

You can read more about my one year CrossFit transformation here.

Also – what you weigh has more to do with what you eat anyway. If you want help on that this is my most popular post on this blog.

In the past, I’ve alway gauged my workouts by how much I sweat or how out of breath I was at the end.  I used to think the CrossFit workouts were way too short and not strenuous enough to achieve my goals. I’d think, “What’s the point of doing a 15 minute workout?”

Well, the truth is, some workouts aren’t that sweaty, some are, and some leave me gasping for air.  All workouts are geared toward skill and performance in a particular fitness element.  

I.e:  How much weight can you lift safely, how many rounds of a high-intensity workout can you do in a time period, or skill-based progressions for gymnastics movements. 

But the fact remains, I got better results than any other form of fitness, for sure and enjoyed the process so much more.

Summary

If you were to do just one CrossFit workout, it wouldn’t give you a very good picture of what CrossFit really is because each day the workouts are programmed so differently. 

I made that mistake going to just a couple classes with my husband here and there before I joined.  The small glimpse I received into the CrossFit world really didn’t do it justice. 

You’ve got to look at the big picture.  The workouts are programmed to hit different stimulus, muscle groups and functional movements each day.  When added up over a week you will have gotten multiple full-body workouts and hopefully advanced your performance in some regard.  

Not long after starting, with a healthy diet, I got the physical results I was looking for, along with the community, new friends, great coaches, and probably the biggest win: A new found headspace of performance over weight loss. 

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