What should be getting out of your CrossFit membership?
Why did you decide to start doing CrossFit? Maybe because you heard someone else raving about it and they were getting in the best shape of their life and invited you to come check it out. Or maybe you searched it out because you heard CrossFit is good for weight loss or strength gain. Or maybe you stumbled upon it accidentally (but probably not)
Now that you've been doing CrossFit for awhile, why do you continue to show up? What keeps you coming back for more? Have you gotten stronger and lost weight? Do you have healthier habits and relationships? Are you fitter today than before you started?
Or, if you haven't yet been bitten by the CrossFit bug, what makes CrossFit so special? And is it the right place for you to get fit?
"Get what you came for" is really asking the questions, "What am I supposed to get from my CrossFit membership? What are the benefits? What are the results?" Here's my take on what it means to Get What You Came For!
You come for coaching
CrossFit coaches help you move well, stay safe and customize workouts to your needs. That's extremely valuable information you should be seeking every day. But also, when was the last time you asked a coach, "What do you eat for breakfast?" or "What do you do to get better sleep?" or "How can I improve my cardio?"
You come to CrossFit for coaching, and if that coach is in better shape than you, why shouldn't you ask that coach how they've gotten in great shape? CrossFit coaching is two parts; one part them telling you what to do and one part you asking them questions on how you can get better, leaner, stronger, healthier. If someone is in better shape than you, and you want to get in better shape, take the opportunity to ask that person questions about their health and fitness and learn from them. Coaching is an extremely valuable part of the CrossFit experience!
You come to push yourself
You'll get in better shape when you push yourself outside your comfort zone. Results don't happen by staying comfortable. CrossFit workouts, the camaraderie and the coaching are all tools you need to use to figure out a way to push yourself each and every day while staying safe and doing the right things. Everyone needs the appropriate push; if you're new to CrossFit, trust the coach to know what it means to push yourself. If you're a veteran CrossFitter, you know what it feels like to push. Check with the coach, maybe they have a helpful idea how you can push yourself differently today.
You come for a challenging workout
The workouts are designed for you. And they're designed to be customized to give you the appropriate challenge. There's a lot of value in that! Going to the gym on your own requires you to either come up with your own workouts or pay for an app that gives you workouts. Either way, coming up with the right workout will either cost you time or money. And the valuable thing about CrossFit is that the workout is created for you, the coach is there to guide you, and other people are there to push you too.
You come for relationships
There's a good chance you're not the fittest person in a CrossFit gym. And that's a gift! Have you ever heard the saying that you're the average of the 5 people you hang out with the most? Well, if you want to get in better shape, are you hanging around people fitter than you? Are you asking them questions? Are you learning from them and taking their advice?
Some people create meaningful relationships through the CrossFit gym; relationships that extend beyond the gym walls. How awesome is that! Fit friends that will help you be healthier and have similar interests! I'm not saying you need to make a bunch of new friends at CrossFit, but you're missing out on a ton of value if you don't engage with the people around you and get to know them and their stories.
You come to understand WHY
Too many people workout with understanding what they are trying to achieve, and more importantly, why they are trying to achieve it. We fall into the fallacy that we need "cardio" or machines to safely lift weights or this or that. Too often we don't think past the short term goal of, "I just need to lose 20 pounds and get in shape." If you don't dig deeper than that, I'm sorry to say that you'll yo-yo diet, bounce from one workout plan and gym to the next and never truly get fitter or feel satisfied. We have to dig down to the roots of the questions, "What is fitness? And, why does it matter to me to strive to improve my fitness?" CrossFit has very clear definitions for those answers. And because of that, you can look at any workout and understand why you're doing it and how it will benefit you. Yes, even the burpees. (Find any 80yr old and ask them if they wish they could do a burpee, then come talk to me)
Understanding WHY you're working out and why you're doing the exercises you're doing is an invaluable part of the CrossFit experience.
You come for the results/rewards
Ultimately, you're coming because you see results and rewards from working hard in the gym. I think of results as tangible, numerical values. Less body fat, more weight on your back squat, a faster mile time, etc. Rewards are similar, but sometimes not tangible. Advice from a coach or friend, a new healthy habit, a feeling of accomplishment, a release of stress, a good mood, etc.
It's important to identify what results and rewards you are seeking, and then go after them. You're surrounded by people that can, and want to, help you!
Go get what you came for!
