I have been doing CrossFit at Crossfit Bulls&Bears in Frankfurt for pretty much a year now. And because I’ve grown and learned so much through this year, I wanted to share a little bit of a CrossFit-first anniversary-recap with you.
Prepare to be humbled…
I would consider myself pretty fit. For one I did do or play some kind of sport my entire life. And also I have a degree in sports science and work as a sports therapist. So it’s pretty save to say that sports are my thing. But oh my gosh was I schooled by some of the people at my CrossFit gym. Doesn’t matter what kind of training it was, endurance, strength, speed, gymnastics.. There was always somebody that was way better than me. And I love that. There’s nothing that motivates me more than mentally competing with the person next to me (ofc I don’t tell them), nothing that makes me push harder than knowing they might get done before me. I’m competitive like that.
I have a newfound appreciation for the CrossFit pro’s
Even before actually starting CrossFit, I was following some of the sports pro’s – the Tia-Clair Toomey’s and Mat Fraser’s. And of course I could appreciate back then how incredibly strong, fast and versatile those athletes are. But actually trying to do some of the movements or workouts myself has really added to the appreciation. I never assumed it was easy, but maybe I didn’t think it would be quite as tough.
And seeing that even the best athletes from my gym don’t even come close to the pro’s I realized they are in a whole other world, potentially not even human. I find it fascinating to see what the human body is capable of, and the amount of discipline a single (potentially not) human being can have. Of course this level of commitment isn’t suitable for everybody, but I do think we can learn from it and apply it to other aspects in life.
The learning never stops
I guess this one applies to all aspects of life, not just CrossFit. But I think in sports especially, it never gets easier, you just get better. You unlock one skill, just to find out that skill opened another can of worms – i.e. movements to master. And even if you have mastered them all, there’s always room for improvement. That being said, I’m proud of how far I’ve come this year. I have unlocked kipping pull ups, toes to bar & double unders. There’s still a lot of improvement to be done, but that’s one step at a time. I shall not forget to celebrate the small wins as well!
My perception of beauty has changed – for the better
I have already touched on this in this post, but for the longest time I just wanted to be as skinny as possible. And I adjusted my diet accordingly. Now that that is one the past – thank goodness – and I have surrounded myself with a different group of “fitness people”, my perception of beauty has changed. Most days – lets say – I don’t really care about what I look like too much. I focus on functionality. A lot of muscle mass on a certain body part usually also means more strength, i.e. being able to do certain movements or lifts. And that, after all, is what I train for. Being able to do cool shit & lift heavy weights.
Equipment is everything
Going with the theme of unlocking new skills, I have found that the right equipment is super important. For example, when I first started CrossFit, I took to Amazon and basically bought the first skipping rope I saw. And it did work just fine, but I could never really get to grips with it. Thankfully, my boyfriend gave me another one in my advent calendar last year, and I’m super happy with it. I’m not doing anything different when it comes to those double unders for example, the rope just works better for me. This is the one I use.
Same goes for things like chalk or grips. I recently got some these ones and they have 1000% changed the game for me when it comes to doing anything that requires hanging from a bar. 11/10 recommend!
The CrossFit energy hits different
I don’t know about you, but I have never seen perfect strangers cheering each other on when attempting a deadlift in a regular gym. I have found, however, that this is perfectly normal in a CrossFit scenario. Everybody wants everybody to do well & hit new PR’s. I don’t think the same can be said for other sports or gyms… That being said, it is kind of a strange feeling to have 15 pairs of eyes on you while you’re doing something. At least for me. But I guess that also makes you grow and do better!
Excited for another year!
If you haven’t gathered from this post, CrossFit is my jam. I love it. I could easily turn into one of those people that never shuts up about it. And I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. I’m just too excited to see what skills I can unlock in the upcoming months!
If you’re new to CrossFit and intrigued by it, check out this post to see what you should be expecting when you get started!
Lots of Love,
Lena
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored.