What to Expect When You Start CrossFit!

Anyone can CrossFit.

You’re going to see a wide range of ability levels at CrossFit City Line. Some of our members are grandparents, and some are just out of high school. Some of our members were college-level athletes, and many are people who have never exercised before!

Every part of CrossFit is modifiable, which means that any workout can be changed to accommodate different skill levels, fitness levels, and even injuries. Your coaches will ensure that you get a great workout that progresses your skills and fitness. As Coach Glassman said, "the needs of the elderly and professional athlete vary by degree, not kind." 

You’re going to learn many new things.

Ego has no place in CrossFit--every person at CrossFit City LIne is learning a new skill or is refining and practicing a skill to achieve mastery over it. This means that everyone gets coached.

Technique is critical in order keep ourselves healthy (read: injury-free) and to move efficiently, using the least amount of energy to achieve the same range of motion.

Virtuosity is what we always strive for.

You’ll be sore.

Soreness is normal when beginning a new exercise routine. As your body acclimates to higher levels of activity, that will pass. The best thing to do when you are sore is to move. Increasing blood flow allows muscles to recover better and faster--which is to say that the worst thing you can do for soreness is minimize movement. This only serves to cause more stiffness in your joints.

When you first begin, plan to dial back the intensity and focus on creating good habits with nutrition, mechanics, and recovery. Rolling out with a foam roller and lacrosse ball, sleeping enough, and eating enough all ensure that we’re recovering from our workouts, which will help with muscle soreness.

Note: There is a difference between pain caused by soreness and pain caused by injury or impending injury. Always talk to a coach when you experience pain. 

We only care about your effort. We don’t care about your WOD results.

Sometimes, the act of putting up “scores” sends the message that we’re all comparing ourselves to each other, but this is not the case. We put our times and rounds on the whiteboard together because we are proud of what we did that day. We are not just a part of the class we took, we are also a part of the entire CFCL community. Our shared work is a part of what binds us together.

In reality, we don’t care about each other’s individual results. We care about the effort that we each put into the workout.

Think about it this way: a 25-year-old making a 60” box jump is really impressive. So is a previously inactive 70-year-old man jumping onto a 12" box. Both of those individuals had to put in a lot of effort to achieve those milestones. It doesn’t matter that one is higher than the other. It matters that they both worked hard.

We will be proud of each other’s hard work, no matter what our results are.

People are going to cheer for you.

Try not to be alarmed when you hear and see total strangers cheering you on as you finish a workout. That’s part of the magic of CrossFit. We are a supportive and enthusiastic crew, completely engaged not only with what we got to achieve that day, but what we got to see you achieve, too.

One size does not fit all.

While the general plan is the same for everyone (constantly varied high-intensity functional movements), we are all starting from different places on the sickness-wellness-fitness continuum.

When you start to create goals regarding mobility (like improving your overhead position), gymnastics (like stringing together toes-to-bar), strength (like earning a 400lb deadlift), Olympic weightlifting skills, or improving your body composition (also known as fat loss), you may need a plan tailored to you in order to meet that goal. Always feel free to reach out to your coaches.

Speaking of coaches…

One of the greatest benefits of starting CrossFit is getting to work with a coach each class. Their job is to ensure that you are moving well, that you are getting the best training benefit each day you come in, and to keep you accountable to working hard. They will be assisting you with modifying workouts to ensure that you are able to meet the intended stimulus of the workout, are moving safely, and that you are learning skill progressions.

Coaches want to answer your questions and assist you in achieving your goals. Just ask!