Getting started in CrossFit - what to expect

“CrossFit’s too extreme”.
“I don’t want to get bulky”.
“I don’t want to lose my gains”.
“My body type isn’t right for CrossFit”.
“CrossFit causes injuries, it’s too dangerous”.
“I need to get a bit more fit before I start CrossFit”.

These are all various things I’ve heard over the years regarding CrossFit, and generally is what stops people from giving it a go…and believe me, I can see why. Plastered all over the internet, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, etc. are extremely fit people doing lots of funky, hard-looking movements that are in general fairly foreign in traditional gym environments.

So in an attempt to dispel some misconceptions of CrossFit I thought I’d give you a snapshot of what to expect when getting started in CrossFit.

No required fitness expectations
CrossFit is an all-encompassing fitness, aiming to give a general physical preparedness for whatever your life/sport can throw at you. Thus by definition it must be able to encompass all fitness levels and body types – and it does! We only expect you to commit to giving your best and being awesome!

You will get stronger
We use weights… a lot. We firmly believe that resistance/strength training should form a very large part of your fitness base. There is a whole lot of benefits in your body when you do regular strength training (increased bone density, increased muscle tone, enhanced performance of everyday tasks, improved mobility and balance, increased stamina…more here).
Whatever your goals are, strength training can be used very effectively to tone or bulk up muscle, depending on your goals (high reps with lower weight vs. low reps higher weight, etc.). Regardless of what your goals are though, either way you will get stronger. Just check out Jo here, I don’t think picking up her shopping or clothes basket will be a problem (that’s a 90kg deadlift)!

People will say “Hello _____, how are you?” and mean it when you walk into the gym
Yep, we know all of our member’s names, and our members know each other’s names. We high-five them when they finish a workout, when they PB, when they get their first pull up, etc. We even have the occasional social gathering and party! CrossFit is based on the community of members. We often hear from our members that coming to CrossFit feels like coming to their second home, or their happy place. They come in to catch up with friends, get a good workout, and above all have a fun time with like-minded people. We value our community of members above all else – essentially CrossFit is the community.

You will be coached through each session, and each session can be tailored to everyone and anyone’s needs
We want you to move as best you can, and we love to see great movement patterns, whether that is during a workout or in any other facet of your life. To achieve this we coach every single session, so that we can help tweak your mechanics to move safely and efficiently. Further to this, essentially every single movement can be broken down/scaled to any individual needs but still provide the same stimulus. Every single person is unique and individual, and hence we coach you to your unique and individual needs.

These are just a few of the things you will notice when you first start at a CrossFit gym…and maybe a few other fairly normal people achieving some pretty awesome things! :)

- Adam