What to Expect When Starting CrossFit in Davie
CrossFit is safe and effective for beginners when there is proper coaching.
With large class sizes, inexperienced coaches, and a lack of structure, I wouldn’t recommend it to a beginner.
Owning a CrossFit Affiliate is unique in that each one is run independently. Meaning, the quality of the experience is directly related to…
- Coaching experience of the owner
- Standards upheld by the owner and staff
- Community built and attracted by the gym’s leadership
If a CrossFit Affiliate has experienced coaches, a proper onboarding process for new members, and high standards for movement quality, then CrossFit is an excellent choice for beginners. In this blog post, we will continue to break down the safety of CrossFit for beginners.
Coaching Beginners in CrossFit
CrossFit includes many technique-based movements that require proper instruction, clear standards for correct form, and appropriate scaling or modifications so beginners can perform them safely and effectively.
All movements in CrossFit can be modified to a safe, beginner-friendly level.
Let’s take this example workout:
5 Rounds for Time:
- 400m Run
- 20 Overhead Squats (95/65#)
For a beginner to CrossFit, or just fitness in general, this seems like a lot of running and squats!
An experienced coach would help a beginner by cutting the running distance in half, or even substituting a bike. Additionally, a caring and experienced coach would most likely cut the reps of squats or lower the weight.
At the end of the day, we want you to come back again! An educated and experienced coach wants to find the right balance between pushing you and keeping you safe and in the gym.
Class Structure
Every class should have clear structure that follows this format, or some form of it:
- Whiteboard brief: discuss the workout, ask about injuries, discuss workout goals, open the floor for questions about the movements
- Warm-up: easy stretching, mobility, and dynamic movements aimed to increase range-of-motion, and raise body temperature
- Instruction & teaching: coach-led drills, technique, progressions to improve your form and technique. The coach should be going around the room to watch each individual in class ans giving feedback.
- Strength / Workout: after going over all of the movements, building in weights, practicing form and technique, you will take on the workout of the day (this is where the real gains happen)
- Cool down / stretching: end the last 5 minutes with fist bumps, stretching, and relaxing to bring the heart rate down
As mentioned earlier, every CrossFit Affiiate is run differently, so it may not follow this exact format.
This approach is designed to keep members training safely, consistently engaged, and progressing over time.
Getting Started
Every beginner to CrossFit should aim to be as consistent as possible.
If you want to be successful at a CrossFit affiliate, attending class 4-5x/week is key for seeing results fast, including weight loss, lowering blood pressure, getting stronger, and just feeling good.
Our members who are most successful come to class at a consistent time, week over week.
When you build up consistency, you will understand the movements better, improve technique faster, and get to your goals quicker than if you were only coming once or twice a week.
On-Ramp and Personalized On-Boarding
For total and complete beginners to CrossFit and barbell weightlifting, we take them through 4 1-on-1 private sessions to teach the basics, show proper form and build up confidence in all of the major exercises that we do in class.
This is a mandatory step that is designed to help our beginners succeed faster.
Check out our CrossFit Foundations Page here.c
What Now?
The next best step to see if we are the right fit for you… Book a No-Sweat Intro.
Additionally you can check out some other local CrossFit Affiliates and find the one that best suits your needs.
Before doing anything, ensure you talk to a coach one-on-one so you are on the same page about your goals and how they can help.
