Can I do CrossFit even if I don't want to compete? Marek Vácha can help you with that!

Author Marek Vácha and R.U.F.F. training team

If you've been following Kulturistika.com for a while, you've probably been exposed to a sport called CROSSFIT. On instagram, videos of athletes lifting unimaginable weights pop up at you, able to tackle any task the organizers can think of. It's actually kind of the original idea of the founder of CrossFit.

#READY for the unknown #PREPARING for the known

Why should someone who has no racing ambitions do this sport? Let's take a look at it in the following article.

General physical fitness

Just because racing doesn't appeal to you, doesn't mean you can't take up CrossFit or that you won't have your place of honor in the CrossFit community. You could say that CrossFit is the modern day all-around Falcon. That could almost be the end of the article, but let's get some more information to get a better idea of what CrossFit is really like.

This style of exercise focuses on developing general fitness including endurance, strength, coordination, stability, body awareness and most importantly uses functional movements. Is this starting to sound a bit like something you could use in your life?

What are these functional movements?

Functional movements are understood as natural movements. By training in them, we gain not only strength, but above all better execution and therefore a more economical way of moving, which we use in our daily activities. For example, let's think of getting up from a chair, which requires performing a partial squat, when picking up a heavy purchase from the floor you use a deadlift, climbing a box simulates well either walking up the stairs or some hike in the mountains, and so on.

So you train not for training, but for life itself. And that's a big added value.

Within the class there is an occasional "competition" in the form of a so-called WOD(Workout of the day) - this provides a little more motivation to get moving, hec. It makes you get to know yourself, find out that you can do more than you could have imagined. And that's something that fits into everyone's life. You'll gain or rediscover respect for yourself, you'll learn patience, because not everything always goes right, even though it may seem that way from social media.

You say to yourself - why bother learning new elements? I'd rather go for a run, add a few squats and push-ups and I'm good to go. Yeah, that's an option, too. And it's also one of the options for crossfit training. But learning something new to do gives us the opportunity to break the daily stereotype, to play, to come out of our familiar surroundings, out of our playpen, and learn that the journey is the destination.

Always something new!

The clear advantage of CrossFit is its immeasurable possibility of combinations and modifications that can be tailored to each individual. It's called SCALING or scaling. Different abilities can train together, as each person can modify the workout for their own level and thus benefit equally.

Of course, you need to be able to estimate your ability, which can be difficult especially at the beginning, so get advice from an experienced coach. Crossfit gyms also create a community of like-minded people. In fact, CrossFit tends to become a bit of a lifestyle. You're active, you're doing something for your health, both physical and mental. And if you don't feel like it for a not-so-serious reason, your gym buddies will get you there anyway.

So, are you signing up for your first class yet?

Leave your ego at the door...

Once you've signed up for a class, and maybe even started to enjoy it, there are a few things to watch out for. The most important one, in our opinion, is to not get carried away with your ego, or whatever you want to call it, and really take it one step at a time. The basics, the basics and the basics. You can never have enough of them and you need to have them mastered before you start building on. It's a very common mistake that is repeated in CrossFit, and one that CrossFit sometimes has a notorious reputation for. In CrossFit there are actually workout style workouts - where there is a set time, e.g. 10 min AMRAP (As many reps/rounds as possible = do as many reps as possible) and set exercises with a specific number of reps, or with a given weight. The goal of the workout is to complete as many reps as possible.

To gain more reps, some individuals may simply slip into not performing the exercise correctly, whether this is due to lack of experience with the exercise, poor coordination of the exercise, or simply fatigue. Practicing without technique, with unnecessarily large weights, and anyone who wants to continue in this style may be setting themselves up for some sort of health problem that may occur either in the short or long term.

One should always train technically, and if one is unable to do so, either reduce the intensity (if that is not the goal) or the weight or otherwise modify the exercise. Of course, it is difficult to train ideally, even more so in the aforementioned fatigue, but we should constantly strive for it.

A good coach is the key to success

This brings us back to the fact that it is good to listen to an experienced coach. A good coach. Not one who will force you to cram Rx weight on your axis just to make you go Rx even though you're not ready for that difficulty yet (Rx variation means in CrossFit the prescribed version of the workout without any modifications, so even with the weight given x Scaled variation is any other modified version). Better to get away from that quickly. Crossfit gyms vary in their approach, try to pay attention.

What also happens often is that in the phase when someone fails CrossFit, they start to feel like they have to train everything right away, that more is always more. They go to train almost every day, and every workout they train at too high an intensity, at the limit of their capabilities. Yes, it really happens. This approach, often accompanied by poor technical execution of individual exercises, is not sustainable at all in the long run, let alone healthy.

Conclusion

The thing is, everything has its time. And if you overdo your workouts, don't include enough rest or recovery, your body will pay you back. It's good to remember why you're doing it. And especially under what conditions. If you sit behind a computer all day, then come to one afternoon CrossFit class, you'll destroy yourself there, and in a bad movement stereotype... is that really the way you want to go?

Let's just say NO. Invest time in yourself, in your progression, in your pace, don't want it all at once. It will pay off. CrossFit, when done right, has the chance to really change your life. It will teach you to take better care of yourself. At any age. You just need to listen and be patient. So consult with your coach, don't be afraid to ask. I'm sure he'll be happy to advise you. That's what we're here for.

Do you want to start CrossFit? Feel free to contact us at riseupformfailures.training@gmail.com or on Instagramr.u.f._training. We are here for you.