If you’re reading this, chances are you’re considering CrossFit, or you’ve already began your journey. For nearly 7 years, I’ve told new members that the most difficult exercise in all of CrossFit is simply showing up and walking through the front door.

Once you’ve adjusted your life schedule to allow yourself to come on a consistent basis, below are 4 simple tips to enjoying your time at CrossFit South Cobb:

1. Introduce yourself.

You’re at a gym like this because of community. It’s our biggest strength at CrossFit South Cobb. Even if you’re an introvert, a simple smile and “hello” helps a ton. You are surrounded by athletes and coaches who want to see you succeed. The relationships you build here can carry you through the tougher times in your fitness journey. Remember that we are all in this together!

2. Ask coaches for advice.

Want to get better at those pesky Double Unders? Ever wondered if you have what it takes to learn a handstand push-up? Ask a coach! We can show you drills that will help improve those skill sets . No one wins if you leave with potential questions that never get asked.

3. Maximize your time with us.

It’s important to take advantage of your full 60 minutes of class. Show up on time to get properly warmed up at the start of class. We also end class at CrossFit South Cobb with a coach-led mobility session. Make sure you take part of it. Spending just 5 minutes a day addressing tight shoulders, ankles, hips, glutes, etc will help you to have a safe and long term CrossFit career!

4. Trust the program.

CrossFit South Cobb continues to succeed because we have your best interest at heart as an athlete and we take a long term approach to class programming. There may be exercises listed on the website where you don’t quite understand their benefits. That’s okay! There may be other movements that you may deem too difficult. This is where we need your trust in our staff’s ability to tailor our program to your individuals abilities and goals.

Consider these bits as you begin and/or continue your time with us. You’ll be glad you did!

It’s that time of the year again, where CrossFitters across the globe keep their eyes glued to their phones and Social Media each week to find out what’s coming next for the CrossFit Open. The CrossFit Open is a series of 5 workouts performed over the span of 5 weeks. It’s a great opportunity to get involved with the competitive side of CrossFit while being in the comfort of your own box, friends, and coaches.

With all the hoopla you may ask yourself “where do I fit in the picture, and why does everyone care about me doing it?”

1. Strengthens the bond of your CrossFit community.

Most athletes tend to stay on a consistent and predictable class schedule with CrossFit, so that means you see the same faces each time you come to class. Doing the Open on a Friday night allows you to meet and workout with fellow members you don’t normally see during the week. And anytime you sweat together as a group, you can build new relationships and strengthen current ones. Who doesn’t like popping a beverage after a fun workout and high fiving some new friends??

2. Stricter movement standards.

In your typical CrossFit class, most coaches just want you to be able to perform movements safely and comfortably. There aren’t too many instances where your Coach will “no rep” that Wallball that lands 3 inches below the intended target. Yes, a good coach should correct you during class but rarely will you see your workout time as a whole affected as a result of small misses in movement patterns. That won’t be the case during the Open! Each athlete is assigned an individual judge and rep counter to endure each movement is done with correct range of motion and correct amount of reps. This is a game changer for newer athletes, as you will be exposed to the strictest standards for each of the 5 Open workouts. Embrace the challenge of taking your game to the next level!

3. Increased crowd energy = increased work output.

Have you ever heard a professional athlete say how much their home fans “carried the team to victory”? It’s a proven fact that sports teams have higher winning percentages when they play in front of a home crowd. Why? Energy matters! When you are surrounded by a mass of screaming fans pushing you every second of your workout, you WILL perform better in your workouts. It’s an experience like no other. When you do the Open with your box, you’ll experience that same euphoria, and it’s nothing short of amazing.

4. The Open is for everyone.

You may be pretty cool with my first 3 points above, but still unsure about participating because of strength or ability concerns. Not to worry! Each time a workout is released, athletes will be given two versions: Rx’d and Scaled. With reduced loading and less challenging movements, the Scaled option will be designed to be accessible to the vast majority of athletes who train in CrossFit affiliates. Rx’d will challenge the world’s elite.

So there you have it…now you can see why over 272,000 CrossFit athletes just like YOU participate in the Open each year. Why miss out on this awesome experience? If you’re ready to resister, just visit games.crossfit.com.

See you Friday Night!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been stopped in a store while wearing a CrossFit t-shirt and a stranger will stop me to ask me questions about CrossFit. Since I teach CrossFit for a living, it is always a pleasure to talk about my passion. There have been some odd inquiries over the years and some that will make you chuckle. By far the most popular question I get is “do you think CrossFit is right for me?”

If I answered that question 7 years ago in the infancy of my CrossFit experience I would have said, “Heck yeah it is! Doesn’t matter if you’re 8 or 80, come on in and I GUARANTEE it will work for you!” Today, my answer is a bit more complicated. The answer to that question now largely depends on the individual. Below are some of my reasons for and against trying CrossFit.

CrossFit is right for you when:

1. You realize that you don’t know it all.

Did you play sports growing up? Great! But if the last time you worked with a sports coach or strength and conditioning specialist was 25 years ago, chances are you may have forgotten a few things along the way. CrossFit works great when you’re willing to follow the lead of a high quality CrossFit coach and be coachable during the initial learning process.

2. You enjoy being held accountable.

Who wouldn’t want this, right? If the idea of having a coach call you or text when you haven’t been showing up to class seriously drives you bonkers, be careful about CrossFit. A good CrossFit box will make it their business to track you down and see how things are going when you’re not around.

3. You like new challenges.

When new clients visit our gym and check out a Crossfitter knocking out pull-ups, or someone climbing a rope I love to see the look on their face. 1 of 2 things usually happen…their eyes bulge with intimidation following by a quick mutter of “I could never do that”, or their eyes brighten with enthusiasm saying, “I can’t wait to learn that!”. The hard fact is that not many folks walk into a box knowing how to do everything in CrossFit. Most of us have had to be willing to learn new techniques to help us reach our goal of being proficient in a movement we’ve never done before. If you don’t like challenging yourself to learn new things, a CrossFit gym could be a miserable place for you.

Will I guarantee CrossFit will work for you? The answer is a resounding YES! But only you’re willing to think about and accept the conditions above. If you’re ready to check out CrossFit, find a quality local affiliate near you!