If you love CrossFit, then you’re not someone who’s interested in taking the easy way out when it comes to exercise. You know there are exercise DVDs that promise results in 10 minutes, there are gyms with monthly prices that are cheaper than buying a box of Kill Cliff bars, and there are endless infomercials about miracle working machines that you can put in your bedroom.
But you chose CrossFit.
If you’re like me, you chose it because it actually gets results. Every month you’re getting stronger, lifting more, and beginning to see abs taking shape (don’t lie, I know you’re checking for them when you’re in front of the mirror brushing your teeth).
You chose CrossFit because of the community. You chose CrossFit to have the opportunity to train under qualified and inspiring coaches. You chose CrossFit because no matter what time you come in, the atmosphere gets your blood pumping and the accountability of fellow CrossFitters pushes you to be your best and give just a little more.
It’s why you don’t mind being sore and having callouses on your hands. It’s why the price feels like a bargain. It’s why your friends don’t stand a chance at convincing you that the new exercise app is the way to go.
So how do you get the most out of your workout?
How do you harness the wild potential that lies in front of you every time you walk through the doors and set down your gym bag? That’s what I asked our Premier coaches and here are five ways they said you can get the most out of your workout:
1. Mindset/Attitude
Be better than you were before. It’s not about constantly comparing yourself to everyone around you. It’s about pushing yourself to be the best you can be. Give 100% of what you have today. If you got in on a late flight, slept very little, and had a stressful day at work, your 100% may not look like what it does on a day when you’re feeling rested and energized. That’s okay. Show up and give what you have today and be proud of your efforts. You can’t hit a PR in every single workout. Celebrate the small victories that you make along the way and seek to be better than you were yesterday. Even if it’s just grabbing a smaller band, choosing the heavier kettle-bell, or throwing an extra 10lbs on your lift. Don’t compete with anyone but yourself. Be better than you were before.
2. Pre-Workout Fuel
Everyone’s body is a little different when it comes to fueling up for a workout. Our coaches suggested having a healthy snack consisting of real food (a bar or shake if you need to) 60-90 minutes before your workout. Unless you have an iron stomach, avoid stuffing right before a WOD or you might just be tasting your food twice. We’ll also be sharing some of our coaches favorite pre-workout snack in an upcoming post.
3. Strategy
Come ready and armed with an approach. You’ll get better results and go farther if you have a mental strategy. Look at the WOD and determine what you hope to accomplish. Maybe you want to go for RX even if it takes slightly longer or maybe you want to scale it back a little bit and get high reps/rounds. Our coaches said to use the clock to your advantage. Watch how long it takes you to get your first round and use that as a gauge to determine how many rounds you aim to get and try to finish each round as close to your original time as possible. Having a strategy helps you push yourself and stay focused even when you’re pouring sweat and are out of breath.
4. Hydration
Studies show that even slight dehydration can make a difference in your performance. The key is to get ahead on drinking water hours before, so you should be drinking water throughout the day. We’ll be posting soon about a simple formula to know exactly how much you should be drinking. Guzzling a whole water bottle right before a WOD might cause you to feel nauseous or at least “stomach sloshy” as one of our coaches put it. So stay hydrated all through the day. My apologies coaches, we may be running off mid-WOD to the bathroom.
5. Warm-Up
You know that it’s a good idea to be warmed up before a workout. But, we’ve all snuck in well after the warm-up is in motion and tried to avoid eye contact with the trainer as we nonchalantly fall in line lunging/hiding behind the biggest guy there. However, our coaches stress the importance of the warm-up and say you should be looking to get results from your warm-up just like you do from the rest of your WOD. This is a time to get your muscles heated and an opportunity for you to focus on becoming more flexible. Challenge yourself…even in your warm-up and you’ll see results in your flexibility, not to mention being ready to perform. So RX that warm-up baby!