This month marks 3 years since I first signed up for CrossFit. Since then, CrossFit has been the bread and butter of my workout routine. It’s helped grow my love of fitness in huge ways. The style of workout really suits me and the individual gyms I’ve found have been fantastic.
Even though it works for me, I’ll be the first to admit that CrossFit is not for everyone. That said, over the past 3 years, I’ve learned a lot about fitness in general from being a CrossFitter. Here are the 3 of the biggest lessons I’ve gained from these 3 years.
1 | The right environment can make or break your fitness
Before I started CrossFit, I went to the campus gym most mornings before heading into work. I spent my gym time lifting weights and strength training, but I didn’t have a prescribed set of movements, a set time in which to complete them, or any program I followed at all. Instead, for example, I would designate a day “leg day” and wander around the gym. I might do a couple sets of barbell squats, then lunges, then maybe a few banded kickbacks. Did I get stronger? Sure I did. After all, it was a big upgrade from my previous routine of hanging out on the Stairmaster for 20 minutes and then going home. But looking back, I know for sure that I wasn’t working nearly as hard as I could’ve been.
Once I started CrossFit, I had a trainer holding me accountable, a room full of people watching, and a clock to battle against. There was no such thing as “eh, 2 sets is enough, I’ll stop there”. Even though my workouts at the campus gym and at the CrossFit gym lasted the same amount of time, there was a world of difference in how much work was happening. Likewise, the progress I saw went through the roof, too.
Finding an environment where you feel nudged to work a little bit harder can make a huge difference.
This not only applies to finding an activity that works for you, but also to finding a specific class that works for you. There’s definitely such thing as bad CrossFit gyms that wouldn’t light my workout fire. There’s also such thing as not-so-great yoga studios, uninspiring BodyPump instructors, and so on. A lot of what makes a fitness experience good or bad comes down to what makes you tick as an individual. Don’t be afraid to try out tons of new things until you find the right combination of a workout, studio/gym, instructor, or group of friends that helps you do your best and have a good time.
Switching to CrossFit didn’t give me massive gains because of some magical secret. It gave me results because it was an environment that pushed me to put in a crapton of work. No matter what the workout is named, if you’re putting in heaps of quality work, you will almost certainly see results.
2 | Max effort doesn’t mean what you think it means
I like working out because I like to push my limits and get stronger. I like to peel back the curtain and see what I’m really capable of, mentally and physically. I like to get better at something. But in order to get to that point, that means putting myself up against real challenges.
Before I started CrossFit, I almost never really reached max effort. I didn’t do workouts where I collapsed into a sweaty heap on the floor afterwards.
Doing intense CrossFit workouts means getting to the point I want to stop, and then pushing past that. And then getting to another point I want to stop, and pushing past that. And again, and again, and again. I’ve reached that point in other physical challenges, too, but CrossFit was the training grounds where I really got to learn and practice what it means for me to push myself.
A lot of people seem to have this belief that as soon as you feel like stopping, that means you’re at your max and you should back off. As soon as people feel resistance coming from their bodies and minds, they think ok, that must mean this is enough.
It’s really easy to lure yourself into a false sense of effort. It’s easy to dial back the intensity to a point where you’re working, but you’re not truly grinding through it. But something that feels hard isn’t the same as reaching your max.
Learning to embrace productive suffering is truly transformative, both physically and mentally.
Now, I’m not advocating that you should exercise til you puke every single day. I’m also not advocating that you push yourself in situations where it might not be safe.
What I am suggesting is that people have SO MUCH MORE capacity than they think they do. Challenge what you think are your limits.
Even now, I’m sure I haven’t reached some pinnacle of maxing out. I’m sure there are still deeper levels of effort that I haven’t yet reached. But CrossFit has really driven home that maximums are rarely where you think they are.
3 | Write down your workouts
When I first started my intro sessions, my trainer really, really stressed the importance of writing down our workouts. He equipped us all with a simple notebook and took time out of all of class to be sure we were writing everything down. He even had cubbies set up for us to store our notebooks so we wouldn’t have to worry about forgetting them at home.
After my trainer kickstarted the habit, it was natural for me to continue using my notebook in the months that followed. I diligently wrote down my workouts every day I came to the gym, including my score, any scales and modifications, etc.
That habit followed me to my other gyms, and it has been indispensable. Being able to flip back through my workouts has come in handy countless times. It’s so useful to be able to compare my scores, weights, and times through the months and years. I recently fell woefully behind in writing down my workouts. I’m seriously kicking myself. Don’t make that mistake!
Even if you don’t do CrossFit, I would encourage you to journal your fitness in some way, shape, or form. It’s so easy to get lost in the day-to-day and forget about the progress you made. By keeping records, you have proof of your hard work and your improvements. If you do workouts that involve numbers, such as running, biking, or lifting weights, fitness journaling is extra-useful. Even if you participate in something like yoga, barre, or other group fitness, consider keeping a journal anyway. Write in it daily or weekly about the sessions you did, how you felt, if you got better a particular pose or movement, if there was a sequence you really like, things like that. I’ll bet you’ll be glad you did!
Great insights! While crossfit isn’t for me, I can still relate to a lot of this. Writing down what I do (and sharing it with the Internet world) has greatly improved my fitness. I also need a group environment to really push myself, so while I don’t work out at a box or do a WOD, I push myself so much more if I’m in a group fitness class.
Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait for the Crossfit games :)
Thanks Gretchen! I have to agree that sharing with the whole internet is oddly motivating. :)
I definitely need to get back into the habit of writing down my workouts! My gym uses wodify, so I can look back, but I think I like your idea best! Thanks!
Yes, mine does too. It’s useful, but I really do like having the physical notebook. Doesn’t hurt to have it in two places anyway. :)
Very thought provoking post! I really never thought about any of this until today. I started working out every day about 10 years ago as a healthy way to manage anxiety. Now I continue working out for many reasons, but it really is about stability and maintenance for me, not about progress or pushing myself. Of course I see progress sometimes… like when I switched from cardio only to all kinds of fitness several years ago – barre/weights/bootcamp/yoga/etc, there were obvious changes in my body, but those changes were more like a side effect that I noticed in passing. My long-term goal is just to maintain. I actually sometimes think that “pushing” myself can be counter to the longterm goal of simple maintenance. This is why I don’t time my runs or “train” – I have done this in the past and I find that it leads to a more cyclical pattern (e.g., training cycles), and my mental health suffers a bit during the off training times. Maybe it’s all about why you are doing it in the first place? Anyways – like I said, I found this post very interesting. I had one of those revelatory moments this morning reading it where I thought “wow, does everyone else have a completely different mentality about working out than me?” It’s why I love this blog – not only do you alert me when there is some fitness fashion that I didn’t even know I needed, but you also make me introspect and THINK. I mean, seriously… what other blogs have such a range?! :)
Likewise, very interesting to hear your perspective on fitness, too. I’ve always been a very push-the-limits-of-everything kind of person, so naturally that’s how I tend to approach fitness. I wouldn’t mind chilling out a bit with all that, but that’s easier said than done. :)
Great post! I totally agree about crossfit teaching you to dig deep and push past the wall. I’ve developed a new kind of tenacity, a new mental toughness, that I didn’t have before. I think it’s served me well in life in general. Get comfortable being uncomfortable kind of deal. Since I started crossfit, I have PRed (in a big way!) in all my distance races (5k, 10k, 13.1, and a 25k), and I really think it’s because I’ve spent time at crossfit sitting in that “ouch” place and knowing I’ll be fine. You’re totally right that when I used to hit that uncomfortable place, I’d back off. Now I barrel through and know that it’s mental and I’ve got this. I even think it’s helped me professionally.
Love your blog, love the new look. Congrats!
Yesssss to all of this! Call me a glutton for punishment, but the concept of being comfortable with discomfort is something that’s so important to me. Learning the grit and discipline really does translate to so many areas of life (not just fitness), just like you pointed out.
Thank you for this objective post. In fact, I think one reason that I love your blog more than any others, is this balanced approach you take to all subjects. It shows a sense of thoughtfulness, consideration, and intelligence. For example, so many people would say that crossfit it the best exercise, period. You explain why you love it, but acknowledge why it’s not for everyone.
Thanks so much for such a kind comment, Lucie! I definitely try to be balanced when I write, so it makes me so happy to hear that it comes across that way. :)
I recently just started crossfit (4 WODs in to be exact :) ) and I love it. I am already keeping a workout journal, and plan on writing in it after every workout. I kept a journal when I was dedicating more time to weightlifting, and I found it incredibly helpful for a variety of reasons.
Looking forward to many more WODs where I push myself further than I ever thought I could, and having fellow crossfitters help me get there. Congrats on three years in the sport.
That’s awesome! Welcome to the dark side, hehe. :)
Since moving, I find myself missing my CrossFit community more-and-more. I joined a local “big box” gym, but it hasn’t had the same effect on me — and I’m basically using it only for once-a-week yoga and treadmill (which I have at home). I’m seriously considering canceling my gym membership and joining up at CF again. It was really effective for me, for several of the reasons you listed above.
BTW, I love your suggestion at using a notebook for workouts. I was using a CF-focused app when I first started, but I accidentally deleted it once day, along with all my entries (seriously, I had zero clue that the app didn’t back up the info!). :-(
Ugh that sucks!! That’s definitely an advantage of doing it the old fashioned way, although of course a notebook can be lost or damaged too! Redundancy is nice. :)