The smaller lessons of CrossFit

Posted on April 24, 2008 by Jason

The testing has officially begun! Jenn G., Angie, Dona, Laura, John, Marie, and Heidi are all on their way to the next Phase. Angie has already almost completed all the requisites for the Basic Phase. John is on his way to the Intermediate Phase. Dona and Laura were so funny, as they kept getting excited every time they passed one of the tests. You guys rock!

Other than that pretty quiet classes today. Some great work on "Angie" by Beth, Andy, Ali, Lenora, Fred, John, Thor, Heidi, Jenn, Marie, Jody, and Camille. Chad had his first attempt at the Snatch and hit 145lbs., the man is a beast!

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday and Saturday. 

A very big thanks to "Chief" Andy for helping me pick up and unload the new flooring. It was very heavy and awkward to lift…good thing we do CrossFit!!! Thanks also to "Thor" for helping me move the mats and all the equipment after class. I always appreciate everyone’s help and I think it’s a huge part of why we have such an awesome community.

The only place you will find success before work is in the dictionary. — May V. Smith

The smaller lessons of CrossFit: by Brandon Oto

These are the first 10 of 50, I’ll put 10 more on our site tomorrow…I really enjoyed these.

1. CrossFit is very, very hard. Unlike most things, it does not get easier and may actually get harder. This is a daunting prospect.

2. You can learn to CrossFit extremely well on your own with the internet as a resource. However, it will add 6-12 months to your learning curve and 1-2 injuries along the way.

3. You can work out on your own, but working out with others is almost always far better.

4. The impressive feat is not digging deep and pushing through pain at the end of the workout. Anyone can do that. The impressive feat is hauling *** as you reach the middle — right after you realize what’s ahead of you and how much you already hurt.

5. The impressive feat is not going balls-to-the-wall in a single workout. It’s doing it the next day. And the next. And the next. Forever.

6. The hardest part of training is consistency. It is also the most important. You can do nearly anything if you show up every day.

7. Everyone needs to rest. Your body is not a machine. (Look at how many people take a week off and set six PRs when they return.) Your mind is not a computer. (As Garrett Smith likes to point out, continual stress is not actually healthy.) "Burnout" is physical, mental, emotional, logistical, and a little bit like combining ennui with despair. When you no longer want to work out, rest.

8. If your breaks start cropping up constantly, either take a longer one (or a different training focus for a while) or just slap yourself and stop slacking.

9. The fewer mundane obstacles to working out, the easier it is to be consistent. If there are two gyms in your area and one is a little better but farther, go to the nearer one.

10. Try music and see if it helps. Try planning out your workouts (picking a time to shoot for and breaking down how you’ll get there) and see if it helps. Try the supplements and see if they help.