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.