CrossFit split many opinions, people believe they are a great way to test your body, others believe they are a waste of time. Being fit and doing CrossFit can provide different aspects to your fitness, bringing a no nonsense approach. After analysing the CrossFit challenge we assess why it splits opinions, and why it is so difficult.
The Challenge
When challenges require pushing your body and managing time they can often bring out panic in you. WOD, or workout of the day is a competitive environment that can persuade you to compromise form for speed. These challenges sometimes produce the worst in people as they can suffer debilitating injuries.
If you lack form, you throw away every minute of work you’ve done in order to show yourself off. Pushing yourself and getting through the course quicker is very much an emphasis on practicing for this daunting challenge.
When doing things in repetition purely for form it gives you an extra edge once pushing for heavier weights as we found out. Through practice it will gradually get better, but the importance of practice means your confidence will significantly increase.
Mental Challenge
Mental challenges happen every day, even at the gym. Exercises you don’t enjoy can ruin your workout, or often make you lazy. CrossFit tests you in every way, even with the exercises you don’t like.
Knowing what you are weaker at will allow you to broaden your workouts, also making it easier to adapt to CrossFit challenges as there are so many different activities. You will definitely find something that you will struggle at.
Working on exercises you are weaker at pushes your body to the limit and pushes through the mental block that our minds tend to prevent us from doing.
Pride
Being able to compete and do CrossFit challenges brings a huge amount of pride. Socially, CrossFit brings fulfils the needs of those who are pushing their bodies, or believe they are. CrossFit is designed to offer a variety, bringing out the best out of you and doesn’t focus on workouts in which you excel.
If you are someone who loves strength and conditioning CrossFit is a great way to test it. Pushing yourself to the limit, bringing only your A game is the only way to truly prepare yourself for the CrossFit challenge. It may be daunting, it may be extreme but it will be worth every penny once you show the true grit and steel through the competition.