We
know that this whole CrossFit thing is pretty new to most of us. We also understand
busy schedules. In fact, many of the members we have here at CrossFit Angola initially
joined because they needed a more efficient workout that didn’t require them to
be in the gym for hours at a time.
That’s
why we’ve put together this list of ways you can make your time at the box as
productive and fulfilling as possible.
6 TIPS TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR TIME AT CROSSFIT
ANGOLA:
1) SET A TRAINING SCHEDULE
While
you generally enjoy coming into the box, there are some days when maybe
overtime at work, school papers, family issues and other nasty things can
really get you in the mood to skip the WOD “just because.”
A
good way to deter the “just because” excuse is to get into the habit of coming
in at the same time on the same days. Once you’ve created this habit, it
becomes automatic. You’ll find yourself going to the box without any force
involved regardless of the plants who could probably use watering (or any other
strange excuse you give yourself.)
Bottom line: A schedule keeps you consistent, and
consistency is the key to forming healthy habits.
2) TRACK YOUR PROGRESS, & CELEBRATE ACHIEVEMENTS
If
you’re serious about hitting your fitness goal, it’s critical to track your
progress. And we don’t mean stepping on the scale every morning and completely
freaking out at any increase in weight.
Muscle
weighs more than fat, so if you’re doing it right you’ll be gaining lean muscle
while you’re losing fat which-doesn’t always result in seeing a lower number on
the scale.
Keeping
track of your workouts and progress will help you train with a purpose and show
you how much your fitness is increasing over time. If you did 5 back squats at
135 a few months ago, and that sequence has come up again, well now you’ll know
what number to shoot higher than. Celebrate any achievements, PRs, goals, etc
that you accomplish. The goal is continued progress, not reaching perfection.
Bottom line: Knowing what you did yesterday will help
you be better today.
3) COME EARLY, STAY LATE
Many
of us get into the habit of coming in on-time and leaving on-time. That’s by no
means a bad habit! An awesome part of CrossFit Angola is community vibe! We
like to say “You don’t have to workout to hangout”. CFA is a place more then a
gym where we encourage you to come in, hang out with some other awesome people,
and forget about some of your stress.
On
top of that, you may even be able to put in a little extra fitness work if you
come early or stay late.
We
know, working out before working out sounds like advice from a crazy person,
but it’s a great way to work on some extra skills/ goals that you want to
improve on. If you can find a few other people that like to go above and beyond
and will come in with you early or stick around after class, you start to build
awesome relationships with other people.
Bottom line: Come in, hang out, and put in some extra
work both physically and socially
4) ASK FOR HELP
It’s
ok to admit that you feel a little intimidated or uncomfortable asking for help
at the box. But don’t be shy! Even those big, huge, grunting, bearded guys were
new once. Everyone has been in the same spot and loves to help beginners learn.
There’s absolutely no shame in needing some extra help to understand a
movement. In fact, that’s the sign of a smart athlete who’s on their way to big
things.
Bottom line: There’s no such thing as a stupid
question. Ask away.
5) SLEEP MORE
We
want you to sleep more. In fact, we insist you sleep more. We can’t stress
enough the importance of getting a good night’s rest because without it, all
the training and dieting in the world will just be a waste of time.
It’s
hard to believe that something you do when you’re not even awake can be one of
the most important ways you can make the most out of your training sessions,
but it’s true. To put it simply, lack of sleep stresses out your body which
cases weight gain and anxiety.
Bottom line: Prioritize your sleep. Prioritize your
well-being.
6) PRACTICE MOBILITY AT HOME
Stretching
and becoming more flexible really shouldn’t take a back seat in your plan to
become a fitter you. If we could tack on an extra 30 minutes to the WOD for
mobility, we’d do just that! An hour a day at the box isn’t going to undo a
lifetime of sitting on your bum craning over a keyboard.
Invest
in a few key items for home like a foam roller and a PVC pipe to improve your
range of motion while you’re watching TV or right before bed. Practicing
mobility at home will improve your overall athletic ability and will decrease
the risk of injury.
Bottom line: Mobilize everywhere and invest in the tools to do so.
