Are you a female and curious if you could get fit by going to CrossFit? Afraid you won’t fit in? Worried you won’t be able to lift a thing? Or maybe you’re worried about getting too bulky as a female. That’s exactly how I felt. So I’m here to explain a few things about the box and share my experience so that you can feel more comfortable stepping in the first day and giving it a try.
When my husband tried to urge me to go to CrossFit with him I thought he was joking. He’s a funny man so you never know. He kept mentioning to give it a try for about 6 months before I got curious about it. My final straw when I knew I needed to do something was when we were in Croatia. We went river canyoning and for the next week I couldn’t walk because my legs hurt so bad!
People are not as in shape at the box as you would think
One of my biggest fears when going to the box was that everyone would be so in shape and would be able to lift so much more than me. But when I showed up I noticed that many people that were going to the box were not so in shape. Some were actually on the heavier side and didn’t look healthy at all. Of course naturally they could lift much more but my motive for going to the gym was to get into shape and healthy. The key here is that if you eat a terrible diet, you can lift all day long but you will not purely get in shape by working out.
Everything is scalable
Of course this was a huge worry for me! I’m tiny and don’t have big muscles. I saw the CrossFit games and how much those girls were lifting. I thought I had to immediately do that when I walked in the box but when I walked in, the trainer told me to get a 15 pound bar. I then thought I would die but I realized no one even noticed. I learned the basics and techniques before anything so that I would not get hurt. I slowly moved my way up. I then realized everything was scalable, pull ups, wall balls, running, box jumps etc. I always found a way to complete the moves to the best of my ability. Secret too… most other people were scaling also. Everyone has their move their not able to do.
Focus on getting stronger both mentally and physically
Don’t focus on the weight. The weight will come if you focus on getting mentally strong and ensure you are following the proper techniques. It’s very important that you do not get hurt. Focus on getting mentally stronger. It will go a long way. Remember when you’re ready to give up, you’re only about 40% away from physically being able to actually give up.
Everyone is supportive
No one is paying attention – everyone is focused on themselves and doing their best that they’re not paying attention to your PR (personal record). People at the box are extremely supportive. When you feel like you can’t do anymore someone is usually cheering you on, especially if they finished first. Everyone
Trainers are exceptional
The trainers were quite exceptional when it came to being motivating and helpful. They were there consistently to show you proper technique, encourage you when you wanted to give up or just to joke around. They made it easy to continue to want to come back.
You will not get huge muscles as a female if you don’t want to
It actually takes a lot of work, dedication and supplements for females to truly get big muscles like the girls you see in the CrossFit games. Females bodies aren’t actually built to have huge muscles. Will your muscles get bigger? Yes of course but it will be toned versus being gigantic.
Did you do your best and try your hardest? I remember when I didn’t sleep at all one night because I read the WOD for the next morning and my worst nightmare was there. A one mile run. If there was anything I hated at the gym it was a run of any distance. I literally had nightmares that night and tried to come up with every excuse in my head not to go. But I woke up in the morning and decided I was going to give my best and that’s all I could do. So I did. I ran it in 12:32 which most people know is not a very good time but I didn’t care because “I ran a mile!” and the best part was I wasn’t even last! I felt so accomplished that day nothing could bring me down. (I do run a better mile now. lol.)
In the end CrossFit truly is for anyone who’s willing to put a little hard work in. Most every box I know of offers at least one free visit to start. Mine offered 5 free classes which helped me to truly decide if it was for me or not. So if it’s free what do you have to lose? Go for it.
