4 Things I Learned from CrossFit

Those who attend regularly see it as a way of life.  The New York Times even went as far as to compare it to a religion (http://nyti.ms/37FvAg3).  CrossFit captured the global fitness imagination in the early 2000’s and in two decades spread across the globe.  The passion that combines weightlifting and cardio elements to help you test your limits, has grown in popularity, spawned a language, specialized equipment, and an annual global competition that attracts competitors hailing from across the globe.

8 years ago, I found that I was not immune to the hype and needed to see for myself what all the excitement was about.  The experience forever changed me. 

While I never saw myself competing in the global competition that determines the “fittest person” on the planet, I was better for having waded into unfamiliar waters. 

Below are the four most important things I learned from participating in CrossFit.

1.       People’s Bodies are Different

While this seems pretty obvious on its surface, it was a truth that was continuously reinforced when I would watch other’s workout and when new members joined. It was always impressive to me how many shapes and sizes showed up to a workout, and how you couldn’t predict someone’s strength or speed or agility by simply looking at them.

It was a reminder that we are all so much more than what people see.

Our motivations, our emotional well-being, and what we have going on below the surface is just as rich and complex as our physical exteriors.   

Sharing our feelings, solving a math problem, or touching our toes varies in difficulty for every single person.  CrossFit is a great reminder of this because there is no one-size fits all body type that excels, and with so many different movements, CrossFit served as reminder that we all have areas where we struggle and where we shine.  This is just as true for touching our toes, as it is for our emotional and intellectual attributes.

2.       Progress isn’t linear

Part of the attraction of CrossFit, is with set lifts and timed workouts the ability to numerically track your progress is endless.  In the early stages you can see leaps and bounds in your progress and it can quickly become an obsession that you track, share, and compare to others.

However, early accelerated growth can slow, and progress can stagnate for weeks at a time.  If you let it, these periods of limited growth can begin to chip away at your desire to continue.  However, you can’t plot progression linearly.  Days, weeks, or even months of remaining committed can culminate in a breakthrough at an unexpected moment.  Progress doesn’t come evenly in the gym, or in life.

3.       You Don’t Always Get What You Want

In addition to not getting things when you wanted, it also turns out that getting what you wanted was often just as elusive.  An example of this for me was jumping rope, a skill I hadn’t really practiced since elementary school, but proved to be quite important in CrossFit’s daily workouts.  On multiple occasions I would have to stop a workout just to make sure I did not possess two left feet.

I wanted desperately to improve my ability and spent hours after class and at home trying to improve, all to no avail.  

However, while I was busy fixated on jumping rope, other skills that I hadn’t obsessed too much over rapidly improved.  When we become fixated on how we want to grow, we can neglect how we might actually be growing.  This is why goals are nice but should not be the only yard stick we use for our growth.

CrossFit taught me to remain open-minded about how I defined improvement.

4.       Community is Important

On more days than I’d like to admit, I thought about passing on a workout and instead heading home, ordering some take-out, and plopping down on the sofa.  On most days though, I didn’t, because I knew that I had a community that was going to keep me accountable.

Knowing that there were coaches and other members waiting for me pushed me to commit to the process.  Over time it became easier to show up, and not because the workouts were any easier, but because I, myself, had become a critical part of the fabric of a community that held its members to account.

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A guiding principle of Three Hurdles is that every experience offers an opportunity for growth.  My exercise regimen has shifted to triathlons, but my time spent attending CrossFit classes was fruitful in its push to help me grow emotionally and intellectually, as well of course physically.

Upon reflection, the takeaways I had were far greater than simple body movements or the shared language of participants, it was far greater, and far more profound. It was a celebration of personal growth, one rep at a time.