The Right Way of Doing CrossFit Workouts

If you are new to CrossFit, you may find it overwhelming. If you don’t, you are probably doing it wrong. CrossFit is meant to be challenging, regardless of your fitness level, but it is particularly tricky if you are a beginner. Nonetheless, there are some golden rules that you can follow in order to make the most of these workouts.

Eat like an athlete

If you want to train like an athlete, you will have to eat like one. Most people who practice these workouts regularly, turn to the Paleo diet, as it provides all the nutrients necessary for getting stronger, slimmer and faster. The Paleo diet is also great for helping the muscles recover faster. Of course, it is not necessary to change your diet, but you will see faster and more relevant results if you at least give up on some unhealthy eating habits. In simple terms, get rid of all processed foods, limit your sugar intake and try to eat enough proteins. Also, don’t forget about healthy fats, which you can get from avocados, extra-virgin olive oil, coconut oil and so on. And make sure you eat enough calories to give your body enough energy to undergo these intense workouts. Obviously enough, if you want to lose weight, you will have to eat less calories than you consume, but try not to overdo it.

CrossFit Workouts

Beginner training tips

Many beginners start with online training sessions, consisting mainly in WODs (workout of the day). However, our advice is to start by going at a certified CrossFit gym. You shouldn’t have any troubles finding a nearby gym, as CrossFit is quite popular all over the world, and big cities have dozens of certified gyms, with several in the same neighborhood. For example, there are several CrossFit West Hollywood, with Brick being the best one in Los Angeles. At a certified gym, you will have the opportunity to take an introduction class, as well as an Elements class, which takes you through the nine fundamental movements in this training program. Moreover, it is necessary to train for a while under a trainer’s supervision, so that you learn how to adapt your posture for each workout. An improper posture can lead to severe muscle injuries. Moreover, CrossFit workouts are scalable, which means that their intensity can be adapted for each individual. As a beginner, you may not know how hard you should push yourself.

Working out on your own

Despite the fact that CrossFit people love going to their local boxes, this training program actually encourages you to train in any environment. If you train on your own, you will likely create your own WODs. To get the best results, make sure your workouts include some basic exercises that train your main muscle groups. Our advice is to focus on burpees, sit-ups, push-ups, dips, snatches, squats, cartwheels, deadlifts, scales, holds, bench presses, power cleans and hand stands. However, despite the fact that WODs can easily be performed at home, most people still prefer to go to the gym, to benefit from advice and support from pro athletes and friendly gym members.

Workout equipment

CrossFit doesn’t focus on fancy equipment, but there are some elements that you can use in order to add some versatility to your workouts. A yoga mat, some weights, a jump rope, stability balls,         a horizontal bar and a stationary bike are just a few of the many pieces of equipment that you can use to make your workouts more fun and more versatile.

Recovery advice

In order for the muscles to grow, they need to tear first. This is a natural process and it has nothing to do with serious injuries. Nonetheless, it is important to allow your muscles enough time to recover. How much recovery time you need depends on how intensely you work out. As a beginner, you should take a day off, every couple of days. As you become stronger, you can do three days of workouts with one day of rest, or even five days or workouts with two days of rest.