There are many common misconceptions about CrossFit. Today I felt the need to at least let you know what you're talking about (that’s if you really don’t). Otherwise, you are going to sound as bad as jogger trying to persuade a powerlifter about the cons of benching. It's nothing more than cardio! It’s not! Crossfit is all about strength, stamina and power lifts. It involves bodyweight and gymnastic movements, and of course, some interval and longer duration cardio. However, in this cardio are also 1RMs and strongman movements. So, your heart rate will pace up, but if yours isn't going to, then something is definitely missing from your workout recipe – that is intensity. It's not nicely programmed Seriously! - Saying that all of CrossFit training and WODs are programmed correctly is like saying all of the bodybuilding isn't programmed correctly. The programming may not be uniform across all gyms, or among everybody who scales exercises and loading according to their requirements. And if there’s any CrossFitter who may be unhappy with the programming, then such an individual is free to take his or her business to other gyms where the workouts are different. The best CrossFitters don't even do CrossFit! A similar complaint to this is that most of these professional crossfitters were already strong and skilled before they even started CrossFit. In as much as this notion may be true with some of them, the CrossFit Games today is filled with athletes in their mid 20's who have never found an opportunity to train more seriously until they started CrossFit. In short, they are true products of CrossFit training. It's dangerous! Lol! I don’t really understand what the boundaries of ‘dangerous’ really is- but hey, how safe are other sports either? CrossFit attracts many people, some of whom may be inexperienced. So it’s only normal if injuries occur because of the huge number of people registering every year. A few injuries happening to a few Crossfitters yearly should not be the reason you shy off, go and work out! It breaks the bank! Actually, it’s less costly than paying for a regular gym then hiring a personal trainer on top of that. At every CrossFit spot, you will find instructors coaching groups of people, and within that group, they get to work with you alone as the need arises. In the end, it's semi-personal training and doesn’t have to break the bank.

Just like any other sport, CrossFit has its own fair share of risk. Every time you move massive weights or perform some complicated exercises, a possibility exists that you may be injured. You could also get injured while out for a jog or even walking down the stairs in the morning. However, the main thing here is not about the injury rates in CrossFit, but rather how to come back after the injury. Rest and recovery is part of day-to-day CrossFit workouts, and even during injury, you need more rest so that your body can recover well. Below are some of the tips that will hasten your recovery during injury so that you can come back to the box life. Listen to Your Body When you are in the middle of a CrossFit workout routine, your body may be communicating something to you such as taking a rest or even stopping altogether. The same is applicable when you are coming back from injury. Listening to your body especially in the areas in which you got hurt is important. For instance, if it is the elbow that got hurt and when working out it flairs up, it is advisable you stop. In the normal routine, if your body experiences some discomfort in a WOD, you may be inspired to press on. This is not the case when you are resuming from injury. The body system will hint to you whether it is ready to take on some weights or execute certain movements. Follow Your Coach The primary job of your coach is to ensure as an athlete you are safe. They help you to alter or scale a WOD to match your abilities. Listen to your coach carefully and more so when coming back from injury. The relationship you build with your coach comes in handy during recovery because he will tell you the steps to take as you work your way back to full fitness. Seek Advice from Others Who Have Been There Before A majority of CrossFitters have an athletic background, and this means at one time in their career, they may have suffered injury. Don’t be silent, talk to some of these athletes. They have firsthand experience and workable solutions on how to recover. While it is true that CrossFit injuries and recovery experiences differ from one person to the other, it is also true that you may pick one or two words of wisdom from what they went through. Be Gradual Irrespective of the injury you sustained, your body system requires time to start communicating again. There is a strong correlation between physical tasks and the channels of communication between your body and your brain. Most injuries involve nerve damages, and this may take time for the communication signals to be restored.There is no point coming back to CrossFit to stress your body to perform at pre-injury levels. Scale your movements gradually as you build your fitness to a level where you will be comfortable taking off to full CrossFit training.

We all know that CrossFit is arguably one of the most challenging sports or physical events on the planet today. It is a mixture of many training disciplines and uses every energy system in one super workout. Many CrossFitters realize the fact that addition of a few research-proven supplements often has tremendous effects on their workout results. These are aspects of performance such as strength, training endurance, and general fitness.This triggered us to come up with this educational piece on Crossfit supplements for those want to have their WOD scores soaring high. Proteins Protein is the bodybuilding foods that are essential for our muscle growth, recovery, strength adaptations, and even shedding of fat. On the one hand, proteins can be naturally obtained from foods such as meat, fish, and eggs. On the other hand, protein supplementation is also available for athletes involved in CrossFit.Protein supplementation is not only convenient for crossfitters but also more affordable and free from fat or carbs. The benefit is that you can easily increase your total daily protein intake without consuming too many calories and accumulating body fat. Blended Supplements Also called pre-workouts blended supplements is a combination of several ingredients and to make one a complete solution. This type of CrossFit supplement is efficient for the consumer; it ensures they always get what they need, in the right dosage, and without having to use a variety of different products. Other Amino Acid Supplements Along with other basics like BCAAs and Leucine, there are also other useful amino acids or amino acid-like replicas that can work efficiently for a CrossFitter. Some of these are like; Creatine Glutamine Citrulline Beta-alanine When combined, these ingredients have many advantages benefits for a CrossFit athlete. Forget about the misconceptions about them; these are basically what CrossFit supplements contain.

CrossFit is largely an individual sport, but for you to succeed, you need to partner with others in the day-to-day activities including workouts. Rarely is there any sport you can engage in where teamwork doesn’t count. In CrossFit, the following people can help you a great deal in achieving personal success and generally making your CrossFit experience pleasant. Your Coach This is one of the most important people that you must strike a strategic partnership and cultivate a personal acquaintance with. Coaches take time to understand their athletes so that they can package their instruction in a way that you can understand and follow. They know where your strengths and weaknesses are and the right words to use to give you that extra push in your workout.Their advice on nutrition, technique, recovery, and mobility are invaluable to your fitness. Personal coaching relationships can enrich your CrossFit training schedule through personalized programming. Coaches also give you an accountability platform that can help you in sticking to your diet and training plan. Your Workout Partner This is your trusty companion who ensures you come for your training sessions and even cares to find out when you are getting late. Just like your coach, your workout partner understands your strengths and weaknesses and can customize their support to propel you to work even harder.Another advantage is that your workout partner is an athlete just like you and this means they can give you that extra push when going through tough workouts because you will be able to benchmark with them and even comfort yourself that if they can do it, you can also do it. With your partner, you can share goals and keep each other accountable not just in the gym, but also out of the gym and in other spheres affecting your CrossFit performance. Your CrossFit “Rival” You may hate it, but rivals are everywhere including gyms. Rivals can make you work 100 times harder and even endure the harshest workout if that is what it will take to beat them. Because you are determined not to lose to them, you will scale up to another gear during the WOD, and that will boost your performance. Your rival brings in a competitive element to your workout, and this can serve as a motivation.In addition to the above people, you need a role model who may be an exceptional athlete or even a person who has already attained the goals you want to achieve. With these people in your network, your CrossFit fitness training is bound to be exciting and rewarding.

As much as CrossFit prescribes specific exercise moves, it gives you the flexibility to structure your own workout plan. Lots of CrossFit enthusiasts enjoy doing simple workouts on rowing machines blended with a longer stretch of lifts, rows, presses, and jumping rope. The secret to properly performing these workouts lies in accessing the right equipment.WODs are difficult workouts, and in the event, you can’t get them right the first time, don’t feel down. You can always scale down especially for beginners. Get your mind ready to have your endurance and stamina challenged hard. Murph                                                                                    This is a simple, but one of the best CrossFit WODs. Because of its simple structure, it happens to be one of the most beloved WODs. It incorporates bodyweight exercises along with cardio. If you are an athlete looking for a fairly comprehensive workout that lasts an hour or less, then Murph is bound to be a darling to you.You begin with a one-mile run and after that hop over to pull up bar for 100 pull-ups. Next are 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and lastly, you finish off by doing another mile. The advantage with Murph is that it can be done anywhere even in a running track or open field. Helen This workout comprises 3 rounds of exercises and is an excellent way to help you measure your progress. This WOD aims at perfecting your skills in a handful of areas. As you do the Helen WOD, ensure you time yourself because the goal here is to beat your record. To perform Helen WOD, you should begin with 400-meter sprint and then 21 kettlebell swings loaded with 24-kilogram weights. To finish, jump onto a pull-up bar and do 12 pull-ups. Run through this three times consecutively without stopping. Kelly Kelly incorporates challenging moves along with tiring cardio. Experience has it that only the toughest manage to get through a full cycle of this WOD. It is somewhat demanding, and for beginners, the advice is to scale especially for the first attempt.It takes 5 rounds to complete Kelly WOD. It begins with the 400-meter run then 30 plyometric box jumps and after that 30 wall ball hits done with a 20-pound size medicine ball. If you can’t complete in the first round, don’t be discouraged because even Kelly Moore herself didn’t manage it in the first round. Linda It is also known as the three bars of death. This is because of the intensity of the training. For beginners, they can scale and max at 5 reps however the goal is 10 reps as you try to outdo your best time.This WOD involves doing deadlifts which are 1.5 times your bodyweight, then bench presses sized to your bodyweight, and lastly cleans 75% your bodyweight. The structure of the reps is 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. What this means is you will first do 10 lifts after which you do 10 presses and finish with 10 cleans before moving to the round of 9 each then 8 until you come down to 1 each.In doing these CrossFit workouts, it is important you record your time to see and even celebrate your achievements in every round.

An effective diet plan plays an incredible role in anyone’s life. Without eating quality food in appropriate quantity, no CrossFitter can achieve his or her full potential. This is the reason why it’s important to have a proper diet for Crossfit athlete. Protein is an essential component of a good Crossfit diet. It not only helps to stabilize blood sugar but also provides energy for workouts. Besides protein, there are a few other essential foods to load up on when it comes to enhancing your CrossFit success. Food a CrossFit Athlete Should Add to His/Her Diet: Lentils Lentils are low in calories and high in nutrition; this combination is perfect for a Crossfit athlete. Of all the nuts and pulses, lentils are the one that has the 3rd highest level of protein.  Banana and Whey Protein Smoothie After the Crossfit workout, you need to refuel your body by replenishing glycogen stores and protein for tissue repair. A banana-whey protein smoothie helps a lot in post-workout recovery. Nuts and Seeds Nuts and seeds are full of nutrients and contain Omega-3 fatty acids. The intake of these helps to recover from tiredness that happens after an intense CrossFit WOD. These are actually the powerful pack of vitamins, minerals, and fats that boost up your heart and brain.   Chicken The health benefits of chicken include its good supply of protein content, the supply of essential vitamins and minerals, benefits in losing weight, cholesterol control, blood pressure control, and a reduced risk of cancer.  CrossFit nutrition goes hand-in-hand with both, living a healthier lifestyle and performance. You can definitely push yourself to the limits beyond your thinking during workouts, but if you are not fuelling your body properly, then you might not be able to see the results you are looking for. Whether you want to gain or lose weight, train harder or just want to be healthy; you have to focus on your diet.