Like starting anything new and exciting, there are things to take into consideration to make the journey as enjoyable and as smooth as possible. The following considerations are a collection of personal experiences that I have learnt from. This is not a one size fits all approach, but it does provide good food for thought when starting your journey into the world of CrossFit.

Enjoy it

All of it. The new movements, the fun (and tough) workouts, new environments, the amazing community, the PR’s, meeting new people, learning new skills. Make sure at the core of it all that you are enjoying it. Enjoyment will help you retain information a lot better compared to if you’re disengaged and not having a good time. CrossFit is a great vehicle for enjoyment in so many different ways. Make the most of every moment and surround yourself with people that you enjoy being around. 

Find and Trust your Coach(s) 

In order to be as safe as possible and work towards your maximum potential, I highly suggest finding an affiliate or coaches that you gel with. Having a trusted set of eyes on you will help you work towards movement efficiency, avoiding the development of bad habits, and potentially injuries. Trusting in your coach will elevate your experience, as it takes away the unknown aspect of learning movements. Self teaching has its place, but having an external coach is a safer and more streamlined method for learning. 

Collect gear slowly

Grips, shoes, shorts, skipping rope, knee sleeves, wrist wraps, belts, supplements, workout attire etc. Each plays a role in your CrossFit journey and some are more necessary than others, but you do not need everything all at once. Save your money and work with what you have until you feel ready for the next piece of gear. You do not need the best of the best equipment to have a great workout, and collecting CrossFit gear can be done slowly. As you find out what you prefer to use then you can start to purchase what works best for you, and save you from spending lots of money really fast and potentially not using some of the gear. 

Find your people 

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”. Creating memories with witty friends, suffering as a unit, pushing each other, having a laugh, these are the great parts of the CrossFit community that we need to relish and all be a part of. Also having that group of friends you workout with helps keep you accountable for things like being consistent, turning up on time, recovering etc. Find your people and enjoy the ride. 

Stretch, Mobilize, Recover

At some point in our lives whether it be sports related or not, we are bound to experience some sort of injury or trauma to our bodies. To best avoid this happening it is imperative that we take actions to give back to our bodies. Stretching/mobilizing before or after training will help you work towards having full range of motion (ROM) which is needed for joint and muscular longevity. Performing recovery protocols often will help you stay in the best condition you can, in order to keep performing at optimal condition. I learnt the hard way by avoiding these steps and falling into a spiral of multiple injuries – all which could have been avoided if I had take the precautions and looked after my body in the earlier stages.