This is my 5th year CrossFit anniversary and just like all of us here at Ascension, the sport has been instrumental in changing my perspective of fitness, self-confidence and what it means to perform at your best. Being a CrossFit coach comes with great physical rewards, of course, but everyday without fail, my favourite moments are the mindset changes. I’ve collected some valuable lessons I try to instil into my classes every day, in the hope it can serve newer members and experienced athletes alike!
Tracking Your Progress
If you don’t track anything, you won’t know if you are getting results. At a minimum, log your scores and your PBs into an app or even just the notes in your phone. If you want even more insights, write it down in a notebook. It’ll be amazing to look back on and it’ll allow you to do some very useful self reflection on your performance.
Positive Self-Talk
Positive self-talk will make or break your training. Most of the time, we let our mind take over and settle in with negative thoughts way before we have objectively tried hard enough for long enough, or before we feel discomfort and frustration in a session. It is useful to shift your perspective on all the things you are now able to do thanks to the effort you have already put in, and not always on the things you haven’t mastered yet. You will have an infinitely better time in class and will see the stuff you cannot do as an exciting prospect: something to chase, something to work towards, a skill to be acquired – just like you have already done for your current skills.
Successories
The things you think are boring are the things that will make you better. Think mobility or core work for example. If you have a little extra time, start doing them early on, and show up for classes where the Programmeming is full of the things you’re not good at. Not only does this serve your progress, it also develops discipline and mental toughness.
Improving Your Execution
Some workouts aren’t just about your current level of fitness, but about your execution. Transition speed between movements, the way you place your feet on a box, the way you hold your dumbbell, or your breathing patterns can make a world of a difference. Be open to changing your ways with the aim to reduce any unnecessary waste of energy.
Harsh Truths
Everyone wants you to do well, but no one cares if you don’t. No one in your class is actually looking at you or expecting anything from you, they mostly think about themselves. Make it your aim to do something YOU will be proud of today.
Everything Is Temporary
Failure or disappointment in your performance is just as short-lived as your successes. It all loops back, the highs will be high and the lows can be very low. This makes you who you are and makes you grow, so celebrate every small improvement, every 1kg PB, and every mark of progress.
Spending Time With Your CrossFit Coach
There is an infinite amount to be gained by having some amount of 1-1 attention. If you’re ever frustrated with something, investing some time with a CrossFit coach even as a one-off is 110% worth it to focus on a skill you’d like to improve. You’ll leave feeling much clearer with where you are headed, and positive about your future improvements.
Competing
Competing is not for the fittest or the strongest. The hardest step is to sign up, but it is a fantastic self-development tool: you’ll learn so much about yourself, and very probably do better than you thought. You will rarely regret saying yes to a challenge, you will only regret you didn’t give it a go.
Lead by Example
There will very likely be many people in your friends or family circles who won’t understand, and that’s ok. Your job is not to convince them. Your job is to be the best version of yourself around them. Leading by example and feeling fulfilled is often the key for healthy and happy relationships.
Finally, it is simply not that deep. If you enjoy your hour of fitness a day and it enriches your life, that is absolutely enough and already way more than the general population is willing to do. There are a lot of things you can ruin by always wanting more. You are already ahead. Someone is probably already looking up to you. You are already doing hard things. High five.