10 Tips to Get Better at CrossFit
Whether it’s your first day walking into a CrossFit gym, or your 500th class: we can always improve in the gym.
*Sidenote: If you aren’t familiar with CrossFit, it is defined as constantly varied high-intensity functional movements. While that might seem like jibberish to you, it basically means it’s constantly changing workouts that are applicable to everyday life!
If you are looking to improve in CrossFit, use these 10 tips:
Be consistent. Set your schedule up and book your workouts so you can maintain consistency. Consistent workouts make it way more attainable to build strength and endurance.
Poor nutrition comes out in workouts. If you are feeling sluggish, and unable to push it into the next gear, ask yourself. Did I eat something today that helped me perform my best? If the answer is no, then it’s time to take a look at your nutrition and how it’s affecting your time in the gym.
Work on your weaknesses. You might love moving a barbell, and hate gymnastics. So when you have time to come to open gym, you should be working on gymnastics. Normally the movements you hate are just the ones you haven’t practiced enough. Turn weaknesses into strengths by practicing.
Maintain the intention of the workout aka SCALE when you need to. If you are going over the time caps in workouts or completely straying from the intention of the workout just so you can write “Rx” on the board: you need to check yourself. Scaling workouts does not mean you aren’t fit, it means you are doing the workout the right way for you.
Don’t max out every time you touch a barbell. See above about intentions of workouts, but switch it to intentions of strength. If you are constantly trying to max out your lifts instead of working at percentages listed by your coaches, then you are not going to get the benefits out of the strength cycle as they are intended. Your body isn’t built to max out everyday, no matter how strong you might be.
Workout with people that are better than you. If you are the best person by far at your gym: you won’t improve. You might feel great about yourself, but you won’t ever have that push of wondering if someone else is going to beat you in a workout. Find someone who is better than you at the things that you want to improve on: watch them, workout with them, talk to them about how they got better. Being the best in the gym might be a nice ego boost, but you will only be helping the others around you improve that way.
Even if you like a workout, don’t skip your rest day. Referencing tip #1 about being consistent… but about your rest days. If you religiously rest on Thursdays, but the workout that day is your favorite workout for that week, don’t skip your rest day to do that workout. Your body needs recovery and will do better with a schedule. The workouts will always be there for you to hit another day!
Learn to differentiate when you NEED a break during a workout, versus when you WANT a break. Physical strength is one thing, mental strength is a whole other ball game. Knowing when you actually need to take a second and take a breath during a workout, versus when you want to take a break because your brain is telling you to rest is a skill that is acquired only by pushing yourself and learning your limits. During your next workout, try to push yourself to rest just a little less. You’ll be shocked at what you can do.
Form > speed always. You are always better served to go slower with correct form, versus faster with incorrect form. Bad form causes injuries, creates bad habits, and will make your coach have a minor heart attack. Slow it down a little bit!
Celebrate ALL of your wins. Even if you can’t do 10 toes-to-bar in a row but you finally got your first 1: celebrate that. Not too long ago you couldn’t even do a hanging knee raise. Don’t forget that just because you aren’t where you want to be, doesn’t mean you haven’t made progress!
