There are many that claim CrossFit is the sport of injuries and there are many articles that have proven otherwise. You can get injured doing many everyday activities or any other sport. I won’t go into an argument defending CrossFit or explaining the point of view of those who claim it’s dangerous. You can find lots of reading online…
I want to focus on what YOU should do as a member of the CrossFit community, as an athlete of this sport, as a responsible human being.
CrossFit is fun, but it’s not easy. You know you aren’t joining an aerobic class. CrossFit incorporates weightlifting and gymnastics: two sports that some people never dreamed of doing. CrossFit makes them accessible to everyone. It’s new territory. It’s intense. It demands a lot from you physically and mentally (sometimes emotionally) to get through a workout. But that’s why we love it.
So how do you get involved into this sport, learn how to hold a bar for the first time, learn different bodyweight movements, and improve your overall fitness all while avoiding injuries?
You have to take responsibility.
1. Listen & Speak to Your Coach
You just joined a CrossFit box with no prior knowledge of the type of training you will be doing. Your coaches are there to teach you, guide you, instruct you and answer your questions. Don’t be shy to ask if you don’t understand a movement. Ask your coach to check your form and if you are doing something correctly, especially if it doesn’t feel right. Communicate with your coach if you are not feeling well. Let your coach know what’s going on with you and what’s in your head. As much as we try, coaches can’t really read your mind. And there is no such thing as stupid questions when it comes to you being safe doing an entirely new form of activity. Also, if your coach insists you aren’t ready for something, then you aren’t ready…yet!
2. Educate Yourself
You start to get the hang of how a CrossFit class runs, you’ve started to see some changes in your performance and body and you’ve started to move towards more advanced movements. The best thing you can do for yourself is to keep learning as much as you can. Go on YouTube! There are so many instructional videos on every Crossfit movement. Visit the CrossFit YouTube channel. Visit other channels. You will find so many coaches from the CrossFit community that help people learn progressions and exercises to move towards advanced movements. Subscribe to the CrossFit Journal. Read some articles about training methodologies, nutrition, and many other interesting topics. I will add some links at the end of this post to get you started…
3. Take Care of Other Factors Outside the Box
I’m sure your coaches have probably explained the importance of nutrition, sleep, and recovery. These are completely your responsibility. You want to look better, feel better and perform better? Watch what you put in your body. Commit to eating nutritious meals, take necessary supplements, and avoid all the junk food. Make sure you are getting enough sleep. If you’re a mother you probably aren’t, but that’s okay because we have super powers…ANYWAYS! Sleep, it’s important for recovery, muscle repair, your brain, and basically to be able to function properly and train. And finally, work on your recovery. Whether that’s taking a yoga class, doing mobility at home, foam rolling while watching TV, or doing stretches by your desk at your job. If you’re sore from a workout ice your muscles, get a massage, get some acupuncture done, or use a fancy recovery gadget. Don’t neglect yourself and ignore your sore muscles. It’s your body; take care of it if you want it to function properly.
4. Scaling WOD’s
To do a workout Rx or “as prescribed” is to do movements without scaling. Basically if the workout requires you to do clean & jerks using 40kg with chest to bar pull-ups, someone doing the workout scaled would decrease the bar load and do regular pull-ups or banded pull-ups. The problem that arises with doing a workout Rx, is sometimes the athlete is not at the level to do so. That’s when things can get ugly. If you have to do a large number of reps at a weight that is say your 3 rep max, you should scale the weight. If the workout requires you to do handstand pushups and you struggle with regular pushups, you should scale. At CrossFit Q8 we scale for each athlete depending on their ability. Sometimes athletes are in such a hurry to lift heavier or do an advanced movement when they haven’t gone through strengthening the basics or foundational movements. Don’t hurt yourself. Leave your ego outside of training.
It’s not that difficult really, you just have to train smart and take responsibility for yourself.
Some Of My Favorite Resources:
CrossFit Diet (I don’t eat Paleo or Zone, but they are great places to start)
#CrossFitMom 
Reblogged this on kikiforcrossfit and commented:
Reblog from Haya, an incredible Crossfit mom, coach and athlete! Some important points about starting Crossfit and avoiding injury. Check her out!
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