My CrossFit Experience: The First Week

I just surpassed the 3-year mark of my fitness journey. Hard to believe, trust me. My 3-year fitness journey update will be coming soon, but I just couldn’t wait to post about my new workout routine and how I’m switching things up for year 4.

So here’s what happened: I graduated from college so I got kicked out of my college gym. No more campus gym for me. I was stuck in limbo because I needed to get a gym membership elsewhere but I also was sick and tired of my old workout routine. My passion for fitness had gone out the window. I’d been wanting to get into CrossFit for a while now because it seemed like the perfect way to switch things up but still focus on strength training.

I joined a local CrossFit box at the beginning of June, and I can happily say that I’ve never once regretted that decision.

Here’s What Happened During My First Week

Okay yes technically I’ve been doing CrossFit for two weeks now, but I’m not going to count that first week. I went to a foundations class, went to an actual CrossFit class, and then I had to go home for a week because of a funeral. So it doesn’t really count.

My first real week of CrossFit, I only made it to two classes. TWO CLASSES. I’m the 5-6 workouts a week kind of person. But holy moly not with CrossFit.

Classes Are Exhausting but So Rewarding

Classes at my CrossFit box are an hour long. And you’re moving for that entire hour. There’s no rest periods or time to catch your breath for an extended period of time. You’re moving for 60 minutes straight.

I absolutely love it.

In my bodybuilding/weight training days, I’d be at the gym for about an hour, complete 5-6 exercises, and call it a day. I’d have minutes of rest in between sets and exercises so I never really felt like I was pushing myself. With CrossFit, that’s a whole different story.

I leave classes feeling empowered and proud of myself. I’m doing things I thought I wasn’t strong enough to do, and I’m feeling more and more powerful every single day. That 200+ lb deadlift is coming, y’all. I can feel it!

Here are the two workouts we did during my first week:

WOD = Workout of the day
EMOM = Every minute on the minute
Met-Con = Metabolic conditioning aka cardio

Being Sore is an Understatement

It’s pretty normal to be sore when first starting a new training routine. I’ve been through that whole “I haven’t worked out for my entire life and now I am” kind of sore. I’ve been through the trembling legs after my leg days. But nothing really prepared me for the “I think I just got hit by a bus” kind of sore that came after my workouts.

The thing about being sore after a CrossFit class is that the soreness is not just in your legs or your arms. It’s your entire body.

Being sore (and being gone for a funeral) is what kept me from going to more than two classes in my first week. My body needs time to adjust to this new style of training, and I knew that if I pushed myself to go to more classes, my chance of injuring myself would go way up.

Thankfully I’ve been doing this whole fitness thing for a while so I didn’t feel guilty for not going as much as I initially wanted. I know that recovering properly is more important than trying to fit in another workout.

I Am So Hungry

With my old style of training, yes I was burning calories, but not to this extent. I get hungry almost every two to three hours. It’s crazy.

Nutrition is so important for success in any kind of training routine. What you eat can either make or break your workout and your progress. With that being said, I’m still learning exactly how much I need to eat and what I need to eat in order to perform my best.

But Abigail, Aren’t You Worried about Injuries????

I know this question is probably going through your mind right now. CrossFit has a reputation for injuring people. But the reality of it is, there’s a chance of injury during any kind of workout.

I’m not worried about being injured because that just comes with the territory of putting my body through different kinds of stress. I know my limits, I know how movements are supposed to feel, and I’m not going to push myself to do things that I know might not be ideal for where my body is right now.

As long as I’m being smart, safe, and not an idiot when it comes to weights and movements, I’ll be just fine 🙂

My Spark for Fitness is Finally Back

Before I end this post, I just want to say that in the past week, I felt a spark and a passion for living a healthy lifestyle that I haven’t felt in probably a year.

I wake up every day excited for my workout, I would rather eat healthy foods than junk food, I don’t care about drinking alcohol as much as I used to. I feel like myself again and it makes me so happy.

---

I am so beyond glad I took the plunge and decided to invest in joining a CrossFit box. I love the uplifting community. There’s something to be said about getting and giving fist bumps after a killer workout. I cannot wait to share more about my journey with CrossFit in the future!!!

~abigail gray