10 ways to be a better CrossFitter
Image from www.crossfitwatertown.com. Thanks Lisbeth!
1. Have fun – Whether it be in CrossFit or your favorite sport or shopping with grandma, make sure you try and have fun. Honestly, you can do CrossFit just about anywhere with anyone or by yourself. You choose to come to CFSB for a reason. You work hard all day, make the time at CrossFit be the one hour a day where you can be yourself and let loose.
2. Show up on time – Actually show up early and leave late. Foam roll, stretch and get rid of all that junk in your lower back and shoulders. Showing up late will only cheat you out of a sufficient warm-up. Without a good warm-up, your chance of injury increases exponentially. If you show up early you have two options, cheer on the class that is finishing or start warming up.
3. Don’t whine – It’s okay to cry, just make sure that we can’t see or hear you and remember to clean up your tears when you’re done. Maybe the song that comes on isn’t your favorite, in the immortal words of Josh Everett “If you need music to motivate you, go find something else to do”. Be careful of asking me to change the song, I might just put on Miley Cyrus’ Party in the USA on repeat. I’m your coach, not Mix Master Mike. You have a task to accomplish, so do it. Yes I know that every workout is hard and I know that you hate running and I know that the bar hurts your delicate hands, but there comes a time when we have to nut up or shut up…or both. CrossFit is constantly varied, so the odds are that you will see some workouts you hate. That’s why it’s CrossFit and not alltheshityoulikeFit. When you come to CrossFit, be ready to work. Come prepared to face all those pains and things you hate head on. Accept the suck.
4. Give it all – More than strength, speed, flexibility or endurance, effort is what matters most. I don’t care if you’re Joe Thruster with a sub 3 minute Fran, if you half-ass a workout, you’re a pussy. Grandma doing jumping pull-ups and thrusters with a PVC kicked your ass because she gave everything she had just short of a stroke. Times and weights matter, but they fail in comparison to effort. Keep pushing yourself to your most extreme limits. I don’t care if you have a 500 lbs or 50 lbs deadlift as long as you put forth the effort and don’t sandbag.
5. Listen to your coach – We are here to help you get more fit and accomplish your goals. When we say things like “you’re lifting with your back, use more hips” don’t act surprised when your lower back is sore. When we tell you that the foam roll and lacrosse ball works, we aren’t just being sadistic. We tell you to rest because you need rest, just as we tell you to get in the gym more because you need to be in the gym more. If you want to get better at something, you have to practice it. Plain and simple. Yes there are some of you who are naturally good at some things, but why not get better? Why not be the best? Our goal is for y
ou to accomplish your goals.
6.Fail sometimes – The unique thing about CrossFit is that the only way to achieve excellence is through failure. The strength portion of our workouts are designed to where you may fail at a set. If you don’t fail you aren’t trying hard enough (see #4). CrossFit is an environment where no one will laugh at you or put a permanent letter in your file for dumping an overhead squat. Don’t be afraid to fail, there’s always next time. Pushing yourself to fail is more of a mental thing than it is a physical thing. We have conditioned ourselves to think that failing is bad and therefore don’t push ourselves in fear of failure. Take that fear away and see what you can accomplish.
7. Eat good food – The short answer is eat Paleo. If you don’t want to eat Paleo, just eat meat, some fruit, vegetables, little startch, no sugar, no grains no dairy. If you’re low on energy, then you’re not eating enough. I remember a lot of people starting off on Paleo complain of low energy then proceed to tell me that they didn’t eat anything all day because they didn’t know what to eat. Is it that hard to eat meat and vegetables these days? I ate ice cream every day and pizza every other day. If I can do it, you can too.
8. Count it – Tracking your workouts matters. That’s why we printed the log books for you. When you don’t count the reps on your workout, you lose valuable information that will keep you accountable for your progress. Make sure to record as much information as you can. Write down what you ate for the day. Everyone has those days where they ate like crap and had a crappy workout. Those are the hardest days to write down, but those will provide you with the best motivation to get better.
9. Be nice – CrossFitters are notorious for making fun of people who go to globo gyms (present company included). People achieve their personal fitness goals in their own ways. Some may like the pace of a spin or pilates class and some may like the intensity of CrossFit. Instead of pointing out their propensity for douchiness on the elliptical, try introducing them to CrossFit. You’ll get a better reaction and won’t come off like a jerk. You were once that guy on the hacksquat machine or that girl on the eliptical. If someone made fun of you and then said CrossFit was the way to superior fitness, you would tell them to go F themselves.
10. Get involved – CrossFit is more than just an hour of working out. We are a family and you can get as involved as you like. Just like anything else, you get out what you put in (TWSS). CFSB holds monthly social events (thanks Nicole) and does quarterly charitable events. Other events like our Redondo 5K team and our CrossFit affiliate team will compete this Spring. During the summer we are planning on having a co-ed flag football team, volleyball team, kickball team and 6-man team. There are many opportunities for you to get involved and if you have any suggestions, we would love to hear them!
WOD 1/21/2010
Push Press 2-2-2 90%
4 Rounds for Max Reps of:
60 Seconds Handstand Pushups
30 Seconds Rest
60 Seconds Sit-Ups
30 Seconds Rest
60 Seconds SDHP (75/45)
30 Seconds Rest
Optional:
Jerk 4-4-4-4 70%
Hang Snatch 5-5-5 50%
Hang Clean 5-5-550%
I really enjoyed reading this post and taking mental notes on how I can improve myself and there were some really good pointers about how every day you may not be your best, but you will give your all. I like that.
I think the man upstairs is mad that we’re destroying the planet. Tornado near Huntington Beach Pier
http://crossfitmarina.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341bf7fe53ef0120a7f506de970b-popup
“That’s why it’s CrossFit and not ‘alltheshityoulikeFit’ ” = greatest thing I’ve ever read.
Forrest I think that might be my favorite Post to date-you just gave it to us straight!!! I am going to try really hard to incorporate and be mindful of all these aspects of bettering myself in CrossFit and life. Thanks for a damn good kick in the ass. And Scarlett-Quote of the day thats for damn sure!
Looking forward to seeing those coming out for bowling tomorrow!!! Let the competition begin!
owww my siiiides!! (alltheshityoulikeFit)
I think this is in my top 10 favorite posts along with My First WOD and Chip’s Paleo Challenge one.
#2 in the photo — wind — definitely my opposition with no car this week, biking to the gym each day. Thank you, wind.
And Friday — I can’t wait to do bowl with you guys!!
******If anyone wants to bring food to bowling (paleo challenge people), let me know–I’ll join you
I love hacksquats
I love getting home from work feeling like a nap is looking much more enticing than getting my butt kicked in the gym…then reading posts like this and getting all pumped up to “nut up and shut up” and not only “accept the suck” but enjoy it!!
I vote MORE Miley by the way…Mix Master Mike!!
Come on, Courtney! Don’t you know that we need more Young MC, Naughty By Nature, and Vanilla Ice. Hack squats are weak; tricep push downs (with the rope) are the best.
I love the fact that Greg has no issue arguing with himself about what is the best of the worst exercises.
My favorite: behind-the-head lat pull down. Cheeky.
Oh yeah, Push Press PR! I’ve never push pressed more than 78. Sweet!
PPress 2-2-2-2
83-83-88(F)-83
WOD = 317
My favorite was the fly machine. So fly
Great job everyone tonight. The On-Rampers are done with their class and will start in the normal classes on Monday. Next Monday we have a new set of 8 On-Rampers starting up.
Also would love to welcome Preston, Jon, Rebecca and Dane in to our family!
PP: N/A (still injured, worked on my form with 45#)
WOD = 352 …I have a feeling I’m gonna be sore tomorrow…
LOVE this post! And those are my words on the lined notepaper! Whoo hoo! Thanks for posting them!
Great post – do you mind if I copy (and give credit) some or all of it ? I’m the trainer at Top Gun CrossFit in Minneapolis and I think this is definately something that needs to go on the wall. Let me know by email – I don’t want to steal your work.
btw – email is steveloeding@comcast.net
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Great article!! Thank You! It inspired me to write a blog post called “accept the suck!”
http://radicalhateloss.blogspot.com/2010/01/accept-suck.html
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