Hey ladies listen up! This one is for you! What comes to your mind when you hear “Women in CrossFit”. If you are anything like me, there were a lot of misconceptions and myths that I bought into. Have no fear ladies because I am here to dispel some of those myths for you today.

Myth #1: Women in CrossFit look like they are straight out the Wonder Woman movie.

Let me tell you! Honey, I bought into this one big time! Before I stepped into the box for the first time I thought every woman in there was going to have washboard abs and muscles on top of muscles. I was scared I was going to be the only woman in there who didn’t look like a Amazonian goddess! We are all at different places in our journey to health and fitness. Not every woman has a six pack abs. There are all bodies types and shapes in every box and CrossFit celebrates everyone no matter where they are on their journey. Don’t be afraid to step into the box just because you feel you don’t look like everyone else. Remember, everyone is at a different place in their journey!

Myth #2: Weight training will make you look like the Hulk’s sister. (and there is nothing wrong about it)

Can we please give the whole, “lifting heavy makes me bulky” notion a rest?Some of us are afraid to start weight training because we have bought into the myth that weight training will make you too big and masculine. This is not true as naturally we don’t have the hormones that will build bulky muscles. We are just not designed to be big and bulky.  Female bodybuilders have trained for many years to achieve a very specific look, and often use anabolic steroids to assist them. That is the difference between men and women. This doesn’t mean that we won’t be able to gain strength and power. All those rumors you’ve heard about lifting heavy weights are just that: Rumors. So get in there and work on barbell exercises that build strength, balance and mental strength. Also ladies, keep in mind that the coaches at the box know the differences between how men and women train and help you navigate that!

Myth #3: CrossFit is only about the getting to the Games.

FALSE! This is totally not true and if that has been your experience, you need to find a new box! I heard someone say once, “CrossFit is only as competitive as you make it.” Meaning, CrossFit is more about competing with yourself than competing with those you are in the box with. One of the best parts about being in the CrossFit community is that you go through the WODs together and you encourage one another to push past the mental barrier. Some of my best lifts have been when I have had my CrossFit family yelling and encouraging me on! Competing against yourself means you will push yourself more to outdo yourself. I find there is more of a reward in this than trying to outdo someone else. Know that no matter how much weight you can lift or how fast you run, there will always be others to cheer you on!

So ladies, we don’t have any excuses not to get in there and smash out a WOD! Don’t let the myths about CrossFit overshadow your desire to get healthy! Take charge, put down those pink dumbbells, pick up the heavy black ones, do your best  and finally lay to rest these common misconceptions and know we will be there to cheer you on! 

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You walk in to your box, exchange hellos and trash talk with those arriving, put your things in your spot, then you walk over to the whiteboard and that’s when the outcome of your workout changes.  You look at the scores for the day and you zoom in on a few people that have the fastest times or the heaviest lifts. At that moment, your assessment of your own performance starts spiraling.  You decide, at that moment, that you are not fast enough or strong enough and, in your mind, that’s an automatic failure.  Some people see other athletes’ scores and it lights a friendly fire for competition while the rest look at the same one or two athletes and decide that they will not match up.  Then there are some of you who know a few scores are padded to look better and let the lack of someone else’s integrity destroy your happy hour, so you spend the rest of the day boiling over how that score is “winning” but it’s only because they cheated.

If you truly want to grow, get faster, get stronger, get more BADASS, then you must stop staring at the whiteboard in comparison and you must keep your focus on the lift or the workout directly in front of you. Stop seeing others’ PR’s as your failure. They may have been working specifically on that lift or technique behind the scenes. They may not have the same physiological or physical boundaries that you are trying to work through. They may get a full night’s sleep or recover better. Maybe they have a kick ass pre-workout. Who knows what else? What it boils down to is what you have power over and you only have power over yourself. So, use that power instead of wilting away when you are near other athletes.

As a coach, I can assure you we know who is doing their best and doing EVERY rep and we know who is cutting corners to look best. Let go of your anxiety and anger and let those people deal with their own half attempts.  They are not getting the benefit of the full workout or building their mental and physical fortitude because they choose to cheat instead of fight to the end… and they are not gaining respect.

If you struggle with intrinsic motivation, team up with a friend you trust, who you feel can push you, but leave it at that! Don’t compare their strength to yours. Instead, take the anxiety or the self-doubt and flip it right around in to fuel to become what you know YOU can be. It’s an injustice to yourself every time you say you want to be better but show up and give up because of what someone else is doing or claiming to do.

FIX YOUR ARMOR, WARRIOR. THERE’S WORK TO DO.

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HOW CAN YOU SPOT A FELLOW CROSSFIT JUNKIE? 

Whether you’ve been a CrossFitter for one month or five years, chances are you’ve found yourself victim to at least some of these quirks, which are the signs of a true “CrossFitaholic.”

• YOU STAY AWAKE UNTIL THE WOD IS POSTED, AND REFRESH THE PAGE EVERY MINUTE.

• YOU SECRETLY SIZE UP NEARBY OBJECTS “ I COULD LIFT THAT”
  

• ALL OF YOUR WORKOUTS END LIKE THIS. IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY TO DO IT?

• YOUR WARDROBE CONSISTS OF MORE LULULEMON AND REEBOK THAN ANYTHING ELSE—AND YOU HAVE NO SHAME WEARING IT WHEN YOU’RE NOT EXERCISING. YOU FEEL AWKWARD IN ANYTHING BUT GYM CLOTHES.

• YOU SPEND AS MUCH TIME CHEERING ON OTHER CROSSFITTERS AS YOU DO ACTUALLY WORKING OUT.

• YOU HAVE TO SHOW EVERYONE YOUR BATTLE SCARS.

• YOU HAVE SUFFERED THE LASH MARKS ASSOCIATED WITH DOUBLE UNDERS. 

• THE IMPORTANCE OF THE RIGHT SHOE CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH.

• You can’t remember the last time you weren’t sore.

and Lastly , You are obsessed with more CrossFit Clothes.

SOUND FAMILIAR? WHAT WOULD YOU ADD? (POST TO COMMENTS.)

Have you been working out religiously for years and are frustrated because you don’t see the results you wish for? I am like many people have become frustrated about not seeing changes in weight and my clothes are tight.  But by following this 5 steps, It saved me so much time and frustration.  I have been doing CrossFit consistently for a year now, it’s definitely time to increase the intensity of my work out and regularly push myself beyond my fitness comfort zone.

Be willing to make some changes, expect more and reap the results.

What to Do When Your Workout Isn’t Working

1.) Quit making excuses and start prioritising your health in the same way you do your job and your social life. There’s always time to workout – even if it’s only for 20 minutes. Think about the reasons why you’re exercising in the first place because the more meaningful your goal is, the better.

2.)Don’t give up on trying new things. Don’t stick to the same workout routine for too long, or your body will adjust to the stress level and you won’t be getting an effective workout. Always change your workouts up; never let your body adapt.

If you only do what you know you can do, you will never improve. You need to try (and, more importantly, fail) new things and work yourself harder, smarter, faster, better to understand what you’re capable of. I have learned to take 1 day at a time. You can not be doing the same thing every time and still expect different result.

3.)Talk to your coach. Let them help you establish your goals and work out how you can get the best results from your training.

4.) Own a log book. Did you hit your goals? If not go back over the log book and see where you might have gone wrong. A weight training log allows for optimal progress. Too much or too little weight may be used if resistance is not recorded.

It’s a nice feeling knowing you beat your personal best.

5.)You deserve a rest. To allow the body to build muscle tissue, rest and recovery are essentials. Remember to always take one to two rest or easy active recovery days a week!

Remember, when it comes to exercise, change is good—and that change should be challenging! Make exercise a habit; something you just do and enjoy because, ultimately, the best motivation is no motivation at all. Persistence is key here , we all fail at doing things, but what keeps us motivated is determined mind set. Push through the work outs even though it hurts but it rewards you in the end… which reminds me… since I’m not going to make anything today, I must hit the Gym!