Your days may consist of running to and from work, cleaning up the house, taking care of family, and maybe slipping in some social time with your friends and you may feel like there’s no time to exercise. Even if you can make time for the CrossFit gym program, the idea of getting sweaty and working so hard might make you want to slip even further into your couch cushions. If that’s the case, there’s a good chance you could be out of shape and have a difficult time performing even the simplest of physical fitness tests. Here are 5 major signs discussed by some experts following CrossFit workouts, that you should kick your daily activity level up a notch because you’re probably not as in shape as you think you might be. You are unable to do push-ups Push-ups are a good test of your physical fitness, as one is able to utilize the muscles in their backs, shoulders, arms, and core. To perform a perfect push-up, you must be able to lower yourself with your arms tucked close to your body before pushing yourself back up. Although this is a tough exercise, anyone who is physically fit should be able to knock out at least a few push-ups. If you’re struggling to perform a couple of push-ups, then according to CrossFit training programme, you can start with your knees on the ground and as you get stronger, you can adjust the move to your fitness level. Don’t give up, they get easier with time. Your heart rate takes a long time to slow down When you’re exercising, your heart beats faster to pump the needed oxygen throughout your body faster. Your heart rate could be anywhere between 140 and 190 beats per minute, depending on your age, when you’re considerably exerting yourself.  When you stop, your heart rate will decrease gradually until it’s back at a normal pace. If you’re out of shape, however, it could take much longer. This means that the fitter you are, the faster you’ll recover. Your waist circumference has grown larger You should always check your waist circumference to know whether you are carrying excess body fat around your abdomen area. Coaches at CrossFit gym always work on keeping a focus on these things, although one’s amount of weight is not necessarily an indicator of one’s fitness level, carrying excess weight around your middle could mean you are not as in shape as you should be. Also, more weight around your midsection area could mean trouble for your heart, kidneys, liver, digestive organs, and pancreas. You always feel tired Taking a look at a gym, one may rush to think that those who are exerting the most energy probably feel exhausted for the remainder of their day. That’s never the case; working out regularly is the key to being alert and energized during the day. You’ll feel naturally more awake if you find time for some level of physical activity even if you can only do a quick walk during lunch. You have a high resting heart rate While it’s important to do some heart-pumping CrossFit gym exercises for your health, your heart rate while at rest should be slower. A lower heart rate usually means your ticker functions better and you’re more fit. If you feel like your heart is racing all the time, this could mean you’re quite out of shape. A normal resting heart rate for an adult should be between 60 and 100 beats per minute. An easy way to check your pulse is by placing your index and third finger on the side of your neck beneath your jawline and count the beats for a minute

Many teens know that CrossFit is a training regime that combines Olympic weightlifting, gymnastics, and other forms of intense workouts. However, few of them know exactly how CrossFit as a sport can benefit them at a personal level. As a matter of fact, there are a number of teens to whom CrossFit is just but all about sore muscles and injuries. The questions most teens ask themselves revolve around the exclusivity of CrossFit. This sport is viewed as a particular category of people who are seen to be fit and ready to roar. However, the fact is, CrossFit workouts are for everyone and more so teens are encouraged. You can easily scale or modify your workout depending on your level of ability. To emphasize the fact that CrossFit has no discrimination; CrossFit Games and Open have a teenager division as a way to encourage competition among teens. That aside, the following are some of the reasons why you need to get into CrossFit as a teenager. Staying Fit and in Shape If you have ever dreamt of being fit and in good shape, CrossFit workouts make that a reality. You can pursue it for competition purposes or just to promote a healthy lifestyle. The workouts in CrossFit comprising Olympic lifting and gymnastic work exercise your different body muscles and this helps in keeping your entire body in shape. Friendship and Relationship Building CrossFitting is not all about lifting and sweating. When you join a CrossFit gym, your fellow athletes become part of your life. You share the same knowledge and go through the same challenges of finishing tougher workouts. This community plays a key role in pushing you towards attaining your goal. Most teens who end up in CrossFit gyms establish long-term meaningful relationships. Long-term Health Promotion When you start CrossFit workouts at a tender age, you are in essence training your brain to experience and appreciate fitness and good health. These are values that will stick with you even to old age. Most CrossFitters if not all enjoy diets such as paleo that focus on eating healthy for performance. Appreciating the role of diet and the various components of CrossFit nutrition can boost your health in the long-term. Change of Mindset CrossFit doesn’t only exercise the body, but it has a significant impact on the brain as well. Before starting CrossFit, many teenagers are usually stuck in the can’t moments of their lives. Through this intense sport characterized by hardcore exercises, teens get to push themselves to their limits and prove that they can. They break down limiting barriers and overcome even the toughest obstacles. This change of attitude is important for personal development. In addition to the above benefits, beginner CrossFit workouts for teens can help in building confidence, release emotions, and basically add fun to their lives.

A typical triathlon workout schedule includes cycling, swimming, and running. In themselves, these are a full plate for any athlete and they can easily edge out the time for strength training. That said, any person who wants to become a successful athlete can’t afford to let go strength training. This is because this type of training doesn’t just build power in your muscles, but keeps you healthy as well. CrossFit workouts give you a relatively quick way to integrate strength training into your triathlon schedule and make fun out of it. CrossFit helps you to focus on strength and power as it identifies and fixes muscular imbalances and works on your form. To reap the most out of CrossFit, you should use it intelligently in your training schedule and commit yourself to it with the help of a trained coach. The Simplicity of CrossFit One of the best thing about CrossFit is that it is simple. The exercises or movements are purely based on strength training and include deadlifts, squats, and push-ups. Due to the fact that you do these exercises explosively and with heavyweights, they can help you build strength. Swimming, running, and cycling are excellent ways of building stamina, but they are limited when it comes to building power. This missing link is provided by CrossFit workouts such as sprints and kettlebell swings. Inserting one or two WODs in your weekly triathlon regimen can enrich your training. Something you should watch out during these training is that you shouldn’t be focused on impressing others with your liftings, but rather hone your competitive nature with a clear view on your limits, weaknesses, and priorities. The reason you are at CrossFit is to maximize your triathlon training and not to display superiority. Building Function through CrossFit If you want to benefit your sport, your focus needs to be directed to the mechanics of each movement. For instance, a CrossFit coach can help you in determining if your knees are correctly positioned or they are bowing out during a squat. Weaknesses in your inner thighs and outer hips can affect your cycling and running mechanics in addition to exposing you to injury. When doing your push-ups, too wide of arms and a sagging back points toward weaker core strength. By improving your core muscles and strength, you will enjoy a spillover effect into your swimming, running, and cycling. For instance, core strength is critical in ensuring shoulder stability during swimming. Many of your body system imbalances become noticeable when you start lifting at the intensity and level of a WOD. With your coach, you can tailor your workout of the day so as to address these specific weaknesses. Building Power during Off Season Through functional moves such as pull-ups, burpees, and 400-meter sprints and kettlebell swings, you can build your ability and power to push through on the bike and run. However, you should always remember that CrossFit doesn’t replace your running, biking, and swimming, it simply augments it. When you have an event coming up, minimize on your CrossFit workouts so that you can be in the best form for the competition.

Traditionally, CrossFit has been a preserve of athletes, recreational exercises, and even the military. It is simply a strength and conditioning program that helps you to get into shape, improve your performance, as well as health and wellness. There are lots of other benefits that CrossFit Workouts gives you, but its main focus is in keeping you fit and healthy over time. Maximizing Fitness through Physical Skills The individual exercises included in the CrossFit training program are specifically chosen to help you attain a purpose. There are 10 physical skills that CrossFit builds into you which maximize your fitness. Among these skills are stamina, agility, speed, cardiorespiratory endurance, flexibility, balance, coordination, strength, power, and accuracy. For instance, CrossFit uses rowing and running to help you build cardiorespiratory endurance as well as stamina. Weightlifting exercises such as deadlifts and squats can significantly help you in building strength. As a beginner in CrossFit, you will gradually see the benefits of this training in as little as 2 or 3 weeks. CrossFit Long-Term Benefits One of the reasons why CrossFit is a darling of many athletes is because it gives you short-term, medium-term, and long-term benefits. A few weeks after starting out in CrossFit, you will start seeing your fitness level rise. However, building on all the skills as listed above is something that cannot be done in a few weeks or months as mentioned by the experts from CrossFit workouts. Rather, it takes dedication and commitment over the long term. The lifetime approach of CrossFit revolves around the continuum of wellness and sickness and blends various elements including exercise and diet to optimize your wellness while reducing chances of sickness. Universal Scalability of Workouts When you watch CrossFit for the first time, you may be excused to think that it is designed only for individuals who are extremely fit. On the contrary, CrossFit is a journey that has an entry point for everyone. It doesn’t matter your fitness or ability level; the fact is that you can complete CrossFit WODs. How to achieve this is simple, you can design your individual workouts to accommodate your fitness level. As you become more fit, the workouts are scaled by adjusting the load and intensity. For instance, if you are an elite athlete, you will lift heavier loads at a higher intensity compared to someone who is just in to lose weight. As your body adapts to the CrossFit workouts, your fitness level improves. Measurability and Repeatability of CrossFit Workouts Every workout that is built in CrossFit is not just measurable, but also repeatable. There are common techniques often used in measuring the performance of your workout and this includes weights, distance, rounds, time, or even repetitions.  CrossFit employs a series of workouts known as girls and heroes to serve as the benchmark workouts against which to track and monitor your performance and success.  At the beginning of the month, you may perform a certain workout so as to obtain baseline information and then do it, later on, say in 6 weeks, in order to measure your progress. Getting into shape through CrossFit exercises is not a difficult task, but it requires a combination of discipline and commitment.  

CrossFit training has become one of the preferred disciplines for people who want to get in better shape. The range of movements incorporated in this sport is unique and you can’t find such a combination in any other strength and conditioning program. Initially, CrossFit was the preserve of tough individuals such as police academy students, military personnel, and professional athletes. However, the tide has changed and it is now done by almost anyone who is willing from all age brackets, teens and seniors included. Just like any training, there is a possibility of being injured while working out. As an athlete, it helps to know the likely injuries and their main causes so that you can avoid them and in case you get injured, you will know how to get treated. Lower Back Pain This type of injury can range from a persistent irritating pain to a dull ache. It comes as a result of excessive stress on the lumbar spine. It is common for people doing squats and deadlift exercises. In order to prevent this CrossFit injury, you have to learn how to do stretching and strengthening exercises right. In case you suffer a lower back pain injury, the recommended treatment is to first bring down the weights or to the extreme stop any type of exercise which aggravates the pain. In this way, you give the respective injured body areas time to recover and heal. As a temporal measure, you can use kinesiology tape just to ease the pain. Anterior Knee Pain  Knees are susceptible to injury during CrossFit training. This is because most of the movements are initiated from or involve the knees. Most of the knee pain incidences are usually linked with overuse and training, but knee pain can also point to a joint dislocation or to some extent a developing injury. Pain which occurs on a kneecap can indicate a condition which is referred to patella femoral joint dysfunction. In simple terms, it is the result of applying excessive pressure on a joint. One of the main symptoms of this condition is having difficulties in aligning your knee when doing a squat or lunge. To treat this injury, you can do light stretches, ice the knee, and lower physical impact. It is not advisable to apply too much pressure on your knees especially if you notice a swelling or dislocated kneecap. Tennis Elbow Even though its name is derived from tennis, this is a common CrossFit incident. Repetitive movements in CrossFit training can contribute to this injury. If you notice elbow pain developing, you should stop doing any activity until the pain subsides. When resuming training, you should start with a few stretches particularly targeting the extensor muscles. Rotator Cuff Tendonitis This is another common injury associated with CrossFit workouts. By all standards, the rotator cuff is one of most delicate joints in your body system thus susceptible to injuries. Many of the cuff injuries are associated with heavy and repetitive lifting exercises. Don’t ignore this injury. When it happens, the best approach to address it is by icing, massage, and a little bit of rest. In all the injuries discussed above, rest is very important because failure to take a break can restrict your range of motion and somehow undermine your future performance in CrossFit.

CrossFit is an amazing program that enables athletes to achieve their goals quickly. CrossFit workouts usually entail complex movements at high intensity and you are meant to do more and more work in lesser time as you go by. The exercises you undertake develop power, strength, and explosiveness.If you are traveling and have no access to a box or just want to work out from home, don’t worry because there are set of CrossFit workouts you can do even without equipment. When you are frequently doing a variety of reps at different times, your body will never get used to just one type of exercise and the gains will be enormous. Ensure you keep a record of the time and reps every day and always strive to get better and faster. Discussed below are some great workouts you can do at the comfort of your home. Jump Squats These are high-intensity exercises amazing for building explosive power and enhancing the height of your vertical jump. Because of the complexity of jump squats, they should be done correctly to avoid injury as well as get the best from the workout. First, take the appropriate stance by getting into a normal standing position with feet hip-width apart. You should then push the hips back as you drop your butt closer to the floor for a low squat. Secondly, push your feet off the ground and explode up for the jump as high as you possibly can. You should ensure that you land back softly and correctly with knees bent. Do the reps you are comfortable with at first, but strive to increase this with time. Handstand Push-Up This is also referred to as press-up, inverted push-up or vertical push-up.  It is a CrossFit exercise done when your body is in a handstand position; downward-facing. First, bend your elbows in until your head slightly above the floor. Secondly, throw your body up against the wall and support yourself using the hands. Try to hold yourself in the inverted position for at least 15 seconds before repeating the exercise. Practice until you can hold yourself in this position for adequate time. Ensure you lower your body slowly and don’t dive because this can result to injury. This exercise among many other CrossFit workouts helps to build your shoulders, chest, and triceps strength; condition the core and improve your balance. You require lots of balance and strength to master this move, but you will definitely reap the mentioned benefits. Broad Jump Burpee This is a high-intensity exercise that will help you burn loads of calories in a short time and requires no equipment. The first thing is to stand with your feet at shoulder width while the toes are pointing slightly out. Lower your knees as you push your butt back until they are at 90 degrees. Jump explosively as you propel yourself forward as far as you can possibly can. Once you land from the jump, bend at the knees and hips leaning forward as you place your palms on the ground. When you attain this position, jump both your feet back at the same time for a push-up position. These are some of the amazing CrossFit workouts of the day you can engage in without requiring any equipment.  

Building big arms can either be a result of exercise or genetics. However, there are people who have gone overboard and piled on drugs so that they can grow their biceps. On average, a lifter has to work harder and a bit smarter if they have to build arms through CrossFit workouts. Understanding the basics of muscle building is important if you are to follow a path that won’t expose you to unnecessary dangers. Mechanical Tension To achieve this, you have to utilize substantial weights and perform your CrossFit exercises through a full range of motion for a given duration. The time you spend under tension brings about mechanical tension in your muscles. If this time is significant enough, the mechanical tension will be significant as well. It is therefore advisable to lift heavy and use slower eccentrics in your quest to build biceps. The interesting bit with mechanical tension is that the stronger you get, the greater your capacity to recruit more muscle fibers for growth. Metabolic Stress When you train in sets that have a longer duration and relatively shorter rest periods, your muscles will accumulate lactic acid, creatinine, hydrogen ions, and many other metabolites which are the result of muscular contractions. Since your muscles are being constantly assaulted while doing CrossFit workouts, it becomes difficult for blood to escape and this creates blood pooling effect. What You Need to Do to Build Arms There are several things you can do to build your arms. The first step is building a sufficient base of strength. A foundation of strength will allow you to create enough tension as well as make higher rep pump work much more effective. CrossFit workouts such as squats, deadlifts, bench press, and pull-ups can help you in setting the base. The second step is to train for the pump. Experts point out that the sweet spot for building muscle is working out within the 8-12 reps range with moderate weight. This brings about metabolic stress and tension. There is a suggestion to add training methods or exercises that are a bit unfamiliar so as to moderate muscular damage. The third step is to vary your grips. Do not stick to the same grip one workout after another day in day out. This leads to overstressing of the same muscle recruitment pattern and movement. Because of lack of variety, your elbow can be aggravated from overuse thereby leaving you with unbalanced arm development. The different grips you can explore include wider grip, narrow grip, neutral grip, and shoulder width grip. The last step is to control the eccentric. Achy elbows are one of the commonly cited pain points for Olympic weightlifting enthusiasts. This could be occasioned by the athletes attacking curls as they would a max deadlift. When this happens, they lose control on their way down thereby taxing their tendons instead of biceps. It is always important to have the end goal in mind to maximize the mind-muscle connection, stimulate the muscle, and get a pump.  

Diet and training may be the major building blocks behind the success of any CrossFit training program, but they are not the only ones. As a matter of fact, one of the essential contributors to success in athletics is the mindset. Olympic weightlifters have discussed on several occasions how they exploit different mindsets to consistently perform at their highest levels. The definition of the mindset that informs discourse in this article is simply what goes on in any person’s mind from CrossFit Gym or others before the start of a competition. The happenings in your mind during this crucial time set the stage for the level of performance. There are three main mindsets athletes across different sports including CrossFit appear to use the most. Aggressive Mindset This mindset is far from what people may interpret as an attempt to hurt their opponents. Instead, aggressiveness refers to a mindset in which athletes are assertive, proactive, and forceful. For instance, athletes who set the pace in a race, best exemplify this mindset. With this frame of mind, athletes can easily shift from solid performance to exceptional performance. CrossFit is a special kind of a combat sport which means your opponents are doing all they can to figuratively beat you. Through aggressiveness, you can victoriously battle with box conditions. There are several ways you can develop an aggressive mindset. First, aggressiveness comes when your body is filled with excitement and energy. When doing your CrossFit workouts, you can do more movements and bring in dynamism in your movements. Secondly, high energy self-talk can go a long way in instilling an aggressive mindset. What you say and how you say it is important. Calm Mindset If you are one of the CrossFitters who get nervous as they near competitions or when approaching their WODs, you need this mindset. Remember, your primary goal all through your pre-competitive preparations and the actual competitions is in settling down and relaxing. When you do this, your mind will release any worry and doubt thus making your body to be free of tension and nervous discomforts. Also, a calm mindset is valuable for CrossFitters who are naturally aggressive and always in the attack mode. To create this mindset, you have to relax your body through muscle relaxation and deep breathing. The second way is to use mental imagery in which you project yourself being calm as you execute your exercises in CrossFit Gym or just before a competition. Through imagery, your body and mind physiologically relax. Clear Mindset In this mindset, anything related to performing is excluded. A clear mindset is best exemplified by CrossFitters who talk to their teammates or coaches before a competition. Because of their incredible talents or years of experience, some athletes naturally have a clear mindset. They are ready for the competition and they don’t see themselves losing. To create this kind of mindset, think about other things, other than CrossFit sport. You can talk to your CrossFit community around you, listen to music, think about a person or an event that makes you happy. Like all other mental states, your mindset requires deliberate steps to instill and master. Figure out the kind of mindset that works best for you. Thereafter, make a commitment to adopt that mindset and lastly focus on the desired mindset both in the CrossFit gym during practice and when competing out there.