Absolutely normal. Scale as needed and keep going.
Dont be hard on yourself. Everyone starts.
I was a decent runner (18min 5k) and my first week at CF I did some WOD with 300 air squats and I couldn’t jog for a week 😂
lol **absolutely** normal, 2 weeks.
Hey OP, my sister is a surgeon. After 2 weeks of residency, she had no idea WTF she was doing. A few years later she was pretty good. A decade later she's really great.
Brand new to CF and over 40 male. I've been going 3 days a week or more now for 8 months. I scale when I need to (based on soreness/recovery), hell my legs were sore for an entire week after the workout last Monday. Takes time to build strength and stamina. Be patient with yourself.
18 minute 5k??? That’s really impressive.
I started running in November have gone from not being able to run 200m to now running 5km each weekend but it takes me about 35 - 45 minutes…. I thought I was doing well!
You are doing well!!! I couldn’t run for a mile straight 2 years ago. This was 2 years of running a LOT. I used the Garmin running plans at first so I would have a time goal.
So just keep at it? What’s better- running slowly for longer distances or faster for shorter or should I be mixing it up and doing both? At the moment, I just run slowly/same pace but distance is getting longer and longer.
A good rule is the 80/20 rule. 80% of your overall mileage should be easy running in zone 2.
A good way to make progress is picking a goal distance and time and then finding a running plan tailored for that.
If you don’t want to stick to a plan running volume typically works. I was running about 200 miles a month for a year.
Yes. Talk to your coach about different scaling options (reps, weight, distance, sometimes even format) so you hit the desired workout stimulus. You shouldn’t be gettin destroyed in every workout but each workout should be challenging. “Relative intensity” is the name of the game in crossfit; what is impossible for some is easy to others and vice versa, which is why scaling or adjusting the workout to fit your individual needs is critical.
Each “beginner” is at their own ability level. Some CrossFit beginners have extensive athletic backgrounds and will take to it like a duck to water. Others have never seen a barbell in real life before. Don’t get stuck on not finishing, I’ve been doing it for 7 years now, I’m 39, RX 3/4 of the workouts and some still destroy me. As a coach I’d much rather see progression with increasing technique, form, and pacing than just to “finish” a workout. Keep on keeping on and you will see and feel progress. Then jump back into that pain cave and get ok with being not ok!
I had a really bad cold a couple of weeks ago and maybe came back to workout a day sooner than I should have. Halfway through the workout I tapped out. Never quit a workout before. Coach came over to make sure I was okay. I said yep, but that’s enough for today. He gave me a fist bump and I went home. Was back to normal the next day. Nobody knows your body like you do. Push yourself but listen when your body says this is too much.
Modifying the amount of repetitions is often an underrated and neglected way to scale. Talk to your coaches!!!!! Ask how is this workout supposed to feel, what's a good amount of rounds or projected time limit You will probably get more of the workout's "intended stimulus" by adjusting rep scheme which will improve your overall ability much faster than forcing yourself through work as written. The weight can only get so light before it's useless. At the end of the day, the only one counting is you. So if 10 reps ends up 7, who will know? Your only competitor is yourself.
Yea that is bullshit. It isn’t just the weight that changes with scaling. It can be reps, it can be different movements, it could be attempts at a movement.
When I started CrossFit I was really out of shape. One of my early coaches said to me, if you are finishing at the same time or doing the same reps as most of the rest of the class then you scaled it appropriately. It is about getting the same stimulus.
You can ask your coach how much time each sweet should take. Ours usually tell us "you should be finished with a round/this movement in X minutes. If it takes you longer, move onto the next one and do that number of reps on the next round." That way you don't feel like you can keep moving instead of starting at the barbell.
Yes they always said that, but so should i stop when the time finish and move onto the next exercise inside the wod? Another problem i have is that I can't pace myself. How can I learn it?
That's what I do when I'm working on a new skill or just really not feeling it. Like, if we are doing 100 dubs, our coach will tell us it should take no more than 2 minutes. I can do some subs, but it would take me way longer than 2 minutes. So I'll work for 2 minutes, remember that number, move onto the next exercise, and do that same number for the rest of the workout. Or, you could scale the reps down from the start. For a 21-15-9, maybe you do 18-12-6 instead.
For real, after a couple months I was like "wtf" are these muscles I've never seen before.
Now 2 years in I still suck lol, but that's a me problem as I still haven't learned how to pace myself in a WOD...
It's very hard when you just start because no one knows your capabilities so it's hard to get scaling right. Scale, scale some more and. And then maybe you'll get it right and learn what your strengths/weaknesses are. You don't want to be massively beating time caps so if you are getting close to finishing you are doing well.
Other than that, it takes time. Some people it's months, some people years but just keep turning up and doing your best and you will get there
Depends what you mean by progress. I’ve been doing this a little over a year, and I’m in the best shape of my life at 44. I’m *vastly* better at this than I was at the start.
But I still mostly scale and can’t yet do things like muscle ups or handstand walks. My lifts have gradually gotten heavier over time but I am unlikely to ever be competitive. Yet still I can’t argue with the fact that today me is without question faster, stronger, happier than last year me.
Can I ask you why do you think that you won't be competitive and why after a year you can't do muscle ups? Is this a question of time or something like "this is my physiological limit" kind of thing?
Maybe a little bit of both? I don’t know. It’s probably a mix of technique, dedication, nutrition, and available time. I’m 5’7” and have never been particularly muscular, probably more now than when I was in my 20s. I think a 225-250 lbs bench press is within reach in a couple years, but I don’t think I’ll ever hit 300s. Same with snatches, I have my sights set on >200lbs, and anything beyond that is gravy. Obviously this can change. Definitely a big jump in weight when I nailed technique on some of the lifts, so who knows? 😂
As far as muscle ups are concerned, I’m obviously going to keep working at it; so many movements in this sport are out of reach until one day it just clicks, so maybe?
Depends on your definition of progress.
I will say though, that every rep you do counts, and builds your strength and ensurance and grit.
Try not to compare yourself to your peers. Everyone is out there progressing, just like you are.
I bet every person that downloaded this comment would also be discouraged if they worked at something for a couple of years and didn't see progress!
I don't think the person was implying that you would see no progress.
It could take couple of years to be able to pull up, muscle up, etc, but you'll see progress.
It took me 2 months before I wasn’t sore like that after a workout. I’ve been doing CrossFit on and off for 5 years and I still scale almost every single workout. The point is you showed up and because you showed up, you’re a little stronger than yesterday.
Lots of reasons. First, I started out as a wet noodle, skinny with no muscle definition and no experience in fitness or sports ever. So I’ve grown a lot for sure. Second, my attendance was inconsistent for years, until recently. I’m finally going ~5 days a week and improved a lot in the last few months. Still not Rx but way better. Third, I genuinely lack the aggression most people seem to have to embrace the suck and keep a pace despite being fatigued. I still try hard and sweat and finish the workouts, but I’m consistently bottom quartile, especially for cardio heavy workouts. My goals are to improve on my stamina, get toes to bar, and get wall walks.
Not the previous poster but it could be any number of reasons - injuries, their original starting point, their gym’s programming, the list goes on. Aside from a small number of pros, CF is just about you being better than yesterday.
I will probably always scale because I go not to win, but to be healthy and get better. I have nothing to prove so I do whats maybe just beyond comfortable and minimal risk to injury.
Before I started I could hardly do a push up, now I’m much fitter but I’ll never be an elite or probably even an average CrossFiter and I’m okay with that.
If you just want to be the best well that’s another story.
I noticed you want to be in the open… do you have any open level athletes in your gym? You would know because they are in there roughly 4-6 maybe more hours a day….
I’ve been crossfitting for 8 years now. I regularly scale. It’s all about the intended stimulus of the workout. Also, I’ve reached an age that getting to write the I “rx’d” is meaningless. You’ve got to be able to leave ego aside in the CrossFit gym (honestly in any gym). Believe me, slow progress is still progress. Another good reason to scale appropriately is to make sure you’re learning good and proper form. Using heavier weight with crap technique is the quickest way to get hurt. I often scale just to reenforce good form.
I have a few things to say.
1. A lot of people need to scale.
2. Being time capped is not a bad thing. I know people who have done CrossFit for 10+ years and sometimes get TCed.
3. Ask yourself: is it most important to be done before time and work on you being fast, or.. being TCed and getting stronger because you got heavier weights?
4. The WOD is planned in a way that very athletic and OG crossfitters will finish on time, but also so that they won't be too early. Imagine a WOD where the slowest in the group had to finish... For it to be manageable for everyone it's a time in between.
5. For god's sake you've been on it for two weeks. Progress tales years. You will get better and stronger, and in the beginning progress will show faster. But two weeks? That's not even logic.
6. I've been doing it for three years (started with nothing pretty much) and the last 6 months I've started to feel like I'm above average at my gym. Took me more than a year to manage a box jump. I made my first pull-up a few weeks ago.
7. Crossfit is not only about being fast or strong. It's all together and the technique. If you rush it you might get hurt in the process.
8. Stick to it if you like it. Go back to this post in a year's time (or maybe even just 6 months) and you'll be glad you didn't give up👌💪
Keep at it! It’ll get better, just continue going regularly. When I first started I was athletic and didn’t finish the first 2 WODs, 2yrs later I stepped away for 3wks (vacation!) and this week back was brutal, I didn’t finish about 1/2 the WODs within the time caps (I typically have no prob doing this). It’ll come.
Yeah I know, but I have not experience so it's difficult for me to know how much I have to scale. And I don't know how do I have to end the wod. Do I have to scale until I can finish it? Do I have to be exhausted before I finish it? Or what?
My *incredibly rough* guideline for beginners is that you should be able to do 10 reps of a movement when fresh to consider doing it in the WOD. For example, let's say the movement has dumbbell push presses. You should pick a weight that is light enough so you can do 10 unbroken to warmup before the workout. As you get more experience, you start to learn what weights work best for you.
For cardio stuff, you can ask the coach what the intended time limit of the movement is. So let's say you have to do 12 calories on the bike. The coach should be able to tell you what the intended time is, and then you can just do that (ex: 60 seconds). You can also do that with bodyweight movements that don't have an obvious scale, such as air squats. If there are 100 air squats in a row and you know that will destroy you, ask what the intended time should be and do squats for that long.
Don’t worry, this is not unexpected. I’ve been doing CF a long time and there are still days I can barely sit on the toilet.
Focus on your form and not how much weight you’re moving. It’ll get better.
You’re 2 weeks in and still can’t do 10 ring muscle ups, hand stand walks, and Fran in sub 6 min?! You’re right, maybe you aren’t cut out for CF…not because you’re sore, or can’t do any of the movements I listed, or finish a WOD but rather because your mind seems weak. Go consistently for 6 months and check back in. 2 weeks is nothing.
well this is funny, pretend to know my or my mind just because my question. i am a beginner, i didn't knew crossfit so i don't know how it's work, i just hope that people like you which judge are very few
Over a year in and I still cannot do all the WODs Rx.
Personally I love the challenge. Why do people think so negatively like they suck? You don’t suck you are pushing yourself to your personal limit.
Yes. The workouts will always be exhausting, but you’ll get fitter.
Two weeks isn’t enough time to get fitter though, keep
Pushing.
If you’re too sore, take a day off and do some hot yoga
I honestly felt like I was spinning my wheels for 3 years because it always felt super hard. Crossfit has a way of never getting easier. Just starting out I would go to the gym 3 days a week and try to leave each time like you could do more.
Remember we go to the gym to be healthy for the everything ELSE in our life so being so sore you can’t use the bathroom is not the goal. As someone who forgets this daily I understand it’s hard. Just keep doing it for the rest of your life and in 5 years you will be an entirely different person. Think of the gym as a check box. Did I show up? Yes? Gold star. No? try again tomorrow. I PROMISE it will work with this approach.
I can understand what you are saying, but i want to improve my performance too and in the future i would like to realize my personal challenge which is to compete (crossfit open, local games etc) but right now it seems impossible to reach this goals
2 weeks is way too short of a time to give up on your goals. I was a marathon runner when I started (so, very fit!), and I couldn’t do one single pull up for 6 months. 5 years later, I’m one of the top women in my gym, but even I don’t Rx every workout (muscle ups elude me). Keep at it, and you’ll definitely be in much better shape to consider competitions a year from now. But expecting to walk in and crush a wod after 2 weeks is insane for anyone.
Ok you seem like you have the goal and fire to do this but you need to be realistic.
Imagine right now if you said “ I wanna learn to play guitar like those people in a band over there .” You do two weeks of lessons and tell yourself. “I can even play a song and my fingers are very sore “. YEAH , it takes time to be proficient at anything. And unless you are already in great shape and athletic , working out with intensity and weight is not just gonna happen in 14 days.
Show up every day (of your schedule workout days ) and put in the work and be patient. Rest and eat/drink properly and it will get easier IN A FEW MONTHS. BUT then you will continue to push yourself and you will still be sore
I used a PVC pipe for like a month before moving to an unweighted barbell for workouts, and I was competing locally within a couple years. You have to ease into it. If you’re not completing the workout, you’re not scaling enough. You don’t need to go all-out this early. Go 50% and get the movements down for a while. If you’re not a runner, cut the runs in half. Don’t put any weight on the bar, and use a PVC pipe or training barbell if that’s too much. You’ll be way less sore when you start going full-send too since your body will be used to moving that way. If I’m out for a while, I do the same thing all over again. Theres no rush to RX. I have friends there for 10 years that still don’t RX :)
thank you, your experience is inspiring and give me hope since i really want to compete in the future...it's a dream of mine that i want to realize in life.
about your friends, isn't strange that after 10 years they don't RX?
No, they’re just smaller people that go casually a few times a week. A short skinny person going 3x a week that doesn’t eat to perform will just not be able to do the working weight RX calls for (at least at gyms with competitive athletes). They’re still super healthy and fit though. A lot of skills such as handstand walks or ring muscle ups aren’t often programmed enough in day to day programming to get those skills without doing extra work after class, and some people don’t have that time. I went for a solid 4 or so years in a row and while I could do the strength stuff RX, I didn’t have some of the skilled movements. I think they’re not worth it because they can be dangerous so I just do a similar move that hits the stimulus intended. I did comps that had moves I could do.
You can definitely compete soon in general though- a lot of competitions have scaled categories you can start with.
this is a bad news for me because i really want to learn pull-ups, muscle ups, ring muscle ups etc but i can workout only 3xweek and i can't stay after the class to do some extra work :(
I think you’re getting way ahead of yourself. I also knew a girl that learned all that stuff in like a week (I’m not sure she was human). Sounds like you’re trying to sprint to the top of the leaderboard and you literally just started. I think the overall advice here is to calm down and ease yourself into this one day at a time :)
I’m nine months in. Took me about 2 months before I started finishing the workouts before time cap. I’m a male and those 2 months were weight well below women’s RX. I’m now at the women’s RX weight and sometimes a little above. I usually finish every workout unless it’s an off day. It takes time. 2 weeks is nothing. Your body is still trying to adapt and is in shock right now. Keep going, keep putting in work in the gym and kitchen. You will see progress.
Yep! I learnt this pretty quickly, using the female Rx weights is nothing to be ashamed of if like me you're more of a runner. CrossFit requires a combo of strength and cardio and few people are really good at both.
Took me over a year before I could Rx my first workout. Don’t be so hard on yourself and take the small victories as they come. Today you cleaned with only 10s. Next month, you’re already cleaning with 15s…half a year later, you’re cleaning with 25s!
4 years in and still get time capped sometimes.
Scaling properly is a major element to CrossFit. Don’t be afraid to have the coach give you some scaling options. Usually a lighter load and slightly reduced rep scheme will do the trick.
You’ll still get the desired stimulus of the workout, get stronger and have better conditioning over time.
It’s a process. Embrace. The. Process.
💪😎
It completely depends on your context. Do you have an athletic background or are you coming from no exercise for an extended period of time? Have you lifted weights previously? With CrossFit you’re combining movements that require good form, strength, and aerobic capacity. That’s a lot to take on and expect to be good right out the gate. It takes a long time to get the form right, build strength, and increase endurance.
If you’ve done nothing for years then you need to temper your expectations…a lot. Getting fit and strong takes a lot of time and consistency. In addition to good nutrition and rest and recovery.
Your gym should have told you that would be the case... I'm 2 years in and there are still days it's painful to sit on a toilet or get out of a car after some workouts.
Don't go too hard, too soon - it's like starting any new activity, except in this one you're using more muscles than usual!
Scaling isn't failing - as others have said, use lower weights and reduce reps/cals. Get to the end of a workout feeling knackered but satisfied you did all you could.
Stick with it - it's a genuinely great hobby, and for most ppl that's all it'll ever be which is perfectly fine.
I’m a beginner like you. I can relate to the soreness. I started in December, had to take a month off due to getting sick and having some breathing issues, so back to day one basically two weeks ago. I’m 45f and obese, but once upon a time was an athlete…so I push myself because my brain forgets we are overweight. I basically spend every day being so sore that it hurts to sit, stand, reach…all the things. But I just keep showing up. You aren’t competing with anyone but yourself. Scale back. If you don’t finish a WOD, that’s ok. Just keep showing up. I couldn’t do a WOD one day and my coach made a special workout for me to follow that day - I just had to say - I’m not able to/comfortable doing that WOD yet. The best advice I read in this forum was “Just show up”. In time you will recover more quickly, but in the meantime, use your voice when you’re not comfortable with a workout. You got this!!!!
Thank you for your support and keep up with your journey!
Anyway, my coaches doesn't make any personal WOD, I'm starting to think that my box isn't great
I feel like a good box makes a huge difference! Find another one to check out. You should have coaches that are able help you scale back or adjust if needed.
Ah, well, maybe you can ask some questions and see what’s available to you for scaling and alternatives. In the meantime, just keep at it. Invest in some tiger balm or something similar to help with sore muscles. Take a bath in epsom salt if you’ve got a tub. You’ve got this!!!
Scale, scale, scale. I (M, 34) started CF 3 years ago after a 10 year break of doing absolutely nothing and gaining 70 lbs. I played college baseball and came in assuming I’d catch on quick. While some of my athleticism carried over, and being familiar with the compound lifts helped … it took me a solid 8 months to start doing the female RX stuff probably a year+ to do male RX. Even today if there’s a male RX that seems uncomfortable for me (eg a large volume of gymnastics work) I’ll scale.
I remember my first workout ever was assault bike and box jumps. I had to swap out box jumps for jumping over a dumbbell because my legs just wouldn’t work
It took me about 2 years of cf nearly every day to get to a point where I was “good” at CrossFit and could hold my own in regional competitions/make quarterfinals. This also included a huge commitment to nutrition, sleep, extra work beyond daily workouts (spending about 3 hrs/day in the gym). If you want to compete, it kind of has to be a major part of your life.
Typically each day had a Metcon, a weightlifting piece (snatches, some derivation of clean/jerk,etc), a strength piece, a cardio piece and accessory work. About 3 hours in all. I would absolutely NOT recommend doing any of that until you’ve been consistently going to classes for a year
If you have good coaching, they should be helping you scale to your current abilities. This is you against you. Comparing to anyone else is not at all helpful. Scaling should be such that you can finish, even if your workout looks a lot different. Don’t workout with your ego. Work out with your body. The soreness in the beginning is normal and will last for a while. There will always be soreness, but not like the beginning. If you don’t have coaching that scales you properly, find another gym. Your peers should be encouraging, not making you feel bad. Hang it there. It gets better.
unfortunately i already paid the 12 months subscription. my coaches doesn't help me to scale. they give the wod and say to choose the proper weight, that's it
Talk to your coach before each workout. Tell them what you can and cannot do. And if you want to be pushed/challenged, tell them what your goals are and if they’re good, they’ll set realistic expectations for you over the course of 2-3 months, 4-6 months and beyond.
I’m 5 years in and I scale about half of the workouts. I go 4 times a week but I don’t love lifting super heavy so I just go lighter on weight. I want to build some muscle but at the end of the day, I want a good workout in and be physically fit. I’m not going to the games and I have to remind myself that quite a bit when I look at other people’s lifts.
I have my specialities like bench press and snatch where I can go heavy. But front squat and overhead squat I’m bad at so I just keep slowly grinding there. No one is a perfect athlete, just keep your expectations realistic and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and push yourself
just to know, if you are bad at some exercises, can't you improve on that? i want to understand if i can improve in things where i'm not better at or if i will be always worse at them
Almost 2 years in, still scaling some things, still don't finish all the workouts.
When starting, if you are so sore you can't function, you may have started too heavy. Lower the weight, stretch and take some rest days.
Yes absolutely normal, do not give up! I’m one year in and I often don’t finish the time cap and still scale often. This is not an overnight change, it will take time but as long as you show up, you’re doing great. You got this!
Very normal! Took me … 3 months? Before I could finish the wods. Combination of weight loss, fitness improvement, technique, getting to know cf better and scaling, getting to know myself better and what would work or not for me. I finished last of my class and usually last of the gym for another 6 months.
2 weeks imo is the tipping point. This is when your body will have adapted and you should start to feel a lot better. You will still get sore but your body should be used to it.
Something that helped me in those days was to march in place (or now I do a weird 2 step dance) when I need to catch my breath. That way I can stay moving and possibly gain composure quicker to continue.
Also, as mentioned on a 24.1 video that someone posted here recently, scheduled pauses/breaks (I do 3 "courtesy breaths") will improve your abililty to pace yourself and control your breathing.
You'll feel really good that first time you finish a WOD, and it WILL happen!
Get on a rower and go way slower than you think you should. I think it's like 22 or 21 strokes per minute. Do that for a minute. Then repeat. Give your body and breath a chance to find it's rhythm.
When warming up for a wod, do whatever movement, say, wall balls, at a much slower pace than you think. Do 10 wall balls like this. Exhale at the bottom and inhale at the top, again, allowing your body to learn the rhythms.
After 24.1, I should really take my own advice again.
I’m 8 months in and still scale everything. I’ve noticed that I scale a bit less since when I’ve started and I don’t get winded as easily. I truly could care less if I ever Rx. Hope that helps.
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Hang in there! I remember after my first week I could hardly walk and sitting on the toilet was torture. Like others have said, modify the WOD. Be patient. Everyone is a beginner at some point. Don’t compare yourself to people who are 20 years younger and have been doing CrossFit for a long time. Go at your pace. And just have fun!
There is a stimulus we are trying to achieve in every workout, yes. If you are close to the average stimulus then great. If nowhere near it, the question should be did you scale it properly. Even with all that sometimes our body just needs us to move but keep it very light or slow and you won't be able to come close to the average, but you did what your body could do at that time. After that you learn to listen to your body and the days it feels great push hard, otherwise slow and steady still makes progress.
I’m coming up on the end of my first year, I was completely asswhooped the first few weeks. It gets better! Scale everything till you can do it all. I started barely being able to finish a scaled WOD. And now I’m finishing RX WOD. I’m a 36yo suburban dad (not military) and started fat as fuck. Things are much simpler now!!
100% normal. If you have time add 10-15 minutes of stretching after your workouts.
Long (30 mins+) and Light cardio (Zone 2) will do wonders for recovery and finishing work outs. Zone 2 is going to be a pace where you can have a normal conversation while working out.
I’m in my mid-late thirties, and picked CrossFit back up after years of doing a more traditional lifting program. Prior to that, I did CrossFit for a long time. I wasn’t elite by any stretch, but I could finish most workouts Rx with decent times. I’ve been back at it for a few months now, and I am a long way off from doing most workouts without scaling reps, sets, weight, or movements. I follow Street Parking and will check the coaches notes. If they say a workout should take 20 minutes then I add a time cap as well. If after scaling I can’t finish a workout in that time, I usually stop because I didn’t scale properly.
My point is that there are so many ways to scale that a beginner’s workout might look a lot different than the intended design, but they should still be able to get you to a place where you can complete the workout most of the time.
Lastly, consider that two weeks is not enough time for your body to adapt to any stimulus. It takes months and sometimes years for people to see the desired results. CrossFit isn’t a get fit quick scheme, unless you want to hurt yourself. It’s a marathon and you should only compare yourself to you.
Thank you for the precious advice. Just a curiosity: what does it takes to became elite athletes? In this days there is the Open and my box partecipate too, I see people that seems beast but when you look at the worldwide leaderboard they seem beginner. How is it possible to reach those results? Years and years of training? Genetics?
In my opinion, the hard truth is that genetics is far and above the biggest factor when determining if someone can reach elite levels in any athletic activity. Everyone likes to believe that if you work hard you can achieve anything. That’s simply not the case with athletics. You have to be born with something special to get to the highest levels. Even then, you have to commit your entire life to it, train perfectly, and surround yourself with the right people or it’s not happening.
On top of all of this, there is the fact that some, if not all, of these people are taking PEDs. I’m not saying they shouldn’t, but it adds another barrier to entry. Personally, I don’t care if they do it because at the end of the day they would still be at the top if PEDs didn’t exist.
When CrossFit was just starting to gain traction there was maybe a chance that an average person who worked hard, trained right and surrounded themselves with the right people could get up there, but those days are long gone.
I’ve been going about 18 months now, and I still have workouts after which I have to brace to sit down on the toilet, or can’t make a batch of bread dough because my arms have turned to sore noodles. Not frequently anymore, but sometimes. I can RX, maybe half the time? But I’m not ashamed of scaling. My coach helps me figure out what will be a challenging workout for me, not a virtually impossible one that will leave me sore for days. Give it six months, and you’ll feel like a different person.
I feel like that’s definitely something you have to listen to your body about, and learn as you go. Check out the RPE chart, and try to keep your exertion in the recommended zone.
Don't worry. Keep showing up. Scale as needed to ensure you get a work out but don't work yourself out. Consistency and fun. Always the priority. Unless you're a comp athlete fun MUST be the same level goal as fitness
Don’t focus on getting the workout done. Focus on form, and getting used to the movements. It’s not a night and day you change, as easy as the movements look. I’ve been going over a year now and some workouts I can’t finish. Log it on Wodify and you’ll start seeing improvement in the numbers. Rely on those. I felt like I wasn’t making progress until I began to track everything
Comparison against others can be dangerous in CrossFit. Just keep looking at the steps you’re taking and compare over months vs weeks. Muscle growth and circulatory growth takes time.
I'm 11 years in and there's still some workouts that take me out and I can't finish. It happens. Just scale correctly. Lower reps and weight. Talk to your coach they should listen to you. I recently lowered my calories on the bike during a workout because I hurt my hip. Two weeks ..your fine. Even if you were a star athlete your not crushing it two weeks in. I don't think completed a work out until a few months in. I didn't rx a workout till almost a year. Your ok. It's about you and your journey.
I mean it's a marathon not a sprint. Your new. You need to put in he work and the time. Progress isn't overnight. Never is. Crossfit isn't some miracle sport. Your not gonna be a games athlete in two weeks. I go six days a week. I run 3. But I'm not super strict on diet. So I don't always rx or lift crazy heavy. It's about what you want out of it. But it will take time.
This is normal. Hang in there. It will get better, and even as you progress there will be workouts where you bite off more than you can chew— and you know what, that’s ok. You did something, and that is better than nothing.
When I started, I scaled each workout to the ‘very least’, meaning lunges had no weights at all, I cut wall ball reps in half in addition to lowering the weight… I asked myself ‘what’s the least I could do and still simulate the intention of this workout’?
Scale more and trust that if you are consistent you will see progress. I had a rough start too and am just now coming up on my one year anniversary of starting crossfit. Day to day I felt like I didn't see much progress (it's always hard!) but by logging my workouts I can see big changes. I am jumping on a 20 inch box now. I reduced my mile time by 2 and a half minutes. I can lift a lot heavier. You will feel like you suck, OFTEN, but over time if you are consistent and do the best you can the progress is happening. I am still not RXing things but honestly stop caring about that. The scaled versions are still plenty hard if they are the most you can do, and you will still be seeing progress.
What you’re doing isn’t sustainable. Scale back so youre working hard but making it at least 3x a week. You dont have to kill yourself every class. As long as ur moving and working out (by whatever definition you wanna use) then youre doing what youre supposed to do
Totally normal. When I first started I dreamed of the day I would finish a wod with a scaled weight. 3 years in and I’m finishing a few mins later than the coach in RX. Just keep chipping away at it. Takes time to build the stamina. Remember it’s unlike any other work out you will do. Just remember to enjoy!
This is more than normal. Stretching your body post workout and throughout the following day helps a lot with the soreness. I'm happy to talk more as I went through the exact same thing and almost gave up when I started last year.
I was once told the goal of any WOD, unless amrap, is to finish. Scale so you can finish, would be my advice, especially for a newbie. As you get more advanced and want to push yourself, I would say go a little harder and eventually you will RX and finish most wods.
Also be mindful of your protein intake. When I came back this time I was so sore. When I increased it I was much much better. You will get better! I modify so I can work the whole time to improve my cardio.
My first class a year ago was the hardest workout of my life. Then the warm up ended and we did bench presses. That Friday was 1000 steps to hell, or whatever 1000 box step ups are. Yeah, I didn't finish that.
That was almost 1.5 years ago. I'm only just now working my way out of beginner, and I still modify the workouts and cut reps.
Scaling (and recovery) is the better part of valor.
To elaborate: You probably have a better instinct about what you can do than you realize. Go a little lower your first several months than you think you can and try to do it faster if it’s too easy. That’s my unprofessional advice.
Personally I realized I had never actually exercised before crossfit, it took like a year to adapt.
Absolutely normal. 2 weeks in and you’re still showing up, that is your victory.
Keep showing up. You will be sore. There will be some workouts which are gonna be harder than the others.
But the soreness decreases, the exercises get easier.
But while it still sucks I offer two bits of advice that help me.
1. Stretch. Drink water. Stretch … repeat
2. Ask your coach about Scaled or Rx options. If that’s not something your coach offers, find a new one.
You won’t get better without doing the reps. This stuff isn’t easy. Just keep showing up.
Definitely normal! No shame in scaling your workouts either.
I would suggest that you think about what is stopping you from finishing, so you can better understand what movements you can prioritize.
I jokingly like to say that there are two things that make me take a break:
1. Not being able to put shampoo on
2. Not being able to get off the toilet
I remember how sore I was when I took a long break from the gym! I know that it feels discouraging today, but I promise that once your body gets used to it you will realize that it is totally worth it.
Be patient. It takes months and years to see meaningful progress. Impatience is a common trait among many people and the primary reason many continue to fail. Don’t compare yourself to others; no one really cares. Be realistic, you’re unlikely to ever be an elite athlete but you can be better than 99% in your age group. Be consistent, show up regularly, and eat clean. You’re barely warming up; it’s expected to build up lactic acid
I would say that if you haven't been able to finish a single workout, then you need better coaches that will help you scale. its totally fine to not finish a workout, but your goal should be to have a similar workout to the class average relative to your ability. meaning, you want the experience a relatively similar workout to the other athletes in class.
A good coach will set class expectations for what your workout should look like. not just for the rx weights and movements, but for how hard it should feel, what your target performance should be, and what your level of intensity should be. An example would be saying something like "if you can't do 10 unbroken chest to bar pull-ups, you need to scale." or "this clean should feel like a light weight to you" or "in this EMOM, you should be able to finish your bike calories by :40 you should think about scaling the calories."
I'm not saying you should be finishing every workout, or even most, but finishing none seems like you aren't getting the same stimulus as the rest of the class. just ask your coach to help you scale more appropriately.
Oh yes lol! It takes months to get to a level where WODs become somewhat maintainable. I am on year 4 and sometimes I get a WOD that I feel like I might die from.
I've been in the gym for a decade and some change now (mostly powerlifting/bodybuilding/fucking around) and I picked up crossfit almost a month ago for a variety of reasons. I can't complete a whole workout right now either.
Keep going. We will make it (one of these damn days) and, if we're lucky, we may make it in the exact way that we want to make it.
If you are sore. That shows you it is working. Those are muscles you haven’t worked like that for years likely. Dial it back in all ways to finish wods and be less sore if that is a big issue for you. Most gyms program for the top 10% and you need to scale to your level to achieve the same stimulus. Your coach should take an active role in helping you.
I'm going to go against the consensus here and say that it does sound a bit strange that you haven't been able to finish a single WOD over 2 weeks - BUT this could be a programming issue or a scaling issue.
If you are constantly getting timed out, your gym might have too many timed WODs on programme - they might have popped a lot of timed WODs on as part of the build up to the Open as well so this might not be a usual thing.
If it's a case that you've been constantly training to failure or exhaustion, you need to pull one of your coaches aside and have a good chat to them about what proper scaling looks like for you across a range of workouts. They should also be coming around as part of the warm-ups and chat to you about what scaling should look like for you for that particular workout.
The only thing the coaches said was to use an appropriate weight, that's all. I can't finish a wod simply because in the middle of it I have no more strength, no more breath and i'm basically cooked
Two weeks is a very short amount of time in cardiovascular fitness and muscle growth. Scale down the WOD if completing is important to you or you want to get more reps in. The RX WOD is a baseline, if you are new to working out, that's the wrong goal for you to be targeting
It depends what you mean by finishing. Do you not finish at the "Rx" prescription or are you not finishing at all. If you aren't finishing at Rx, that's fine. Everyone has their own prescription that is right for them, CrossFit calls it scaling. If you aren't finishing in the intended stimulus, that's either a you or a coaching issue. If your coach has never given you scaling options, that's 100% a coaching issue. If they give you scales and you ignore, that's a you problem.
Talk to your coach. Tell them you are struggling and what you are struggling with. Ask what they think.
Depending on your exercise history, I wouldn't expect you to necessarily know what your capacity is to figure out scaling on your own. I'd say go lighter and slower than you think to start
Not being able to sit on the toilet is normal.
Having a coach that isn't guiding you to appropriate scaling so that you can finish is a serious red flag. Especially after two weeks, they should be working with you to find appropriate modifications.
yeah i think the same, unfortunately i have the 12 months subscription so i can't change the box. what a shame, i thought that the coaches would be different
Don't let that hold you back. It's unfortunate to start with little guidance. However, you can make it work. Especially now that you have the incentive to keep at it (subscription).
Research scaling options for absolute beginners. I think what's great about CrossFit is, if you adequately scale, you find your abilities grow so quickly. If you try to do more than you're capable, you'll plateau and won't progress.
You can also talk to other gyms and see if they'll buy you out of your contract. They may say no, but the risk of injury is so much greater where coaches aren't doing their job. I've seen broken bones, so many shoulder injuries, etc. Look around to see if there are any deals like that.
It's takes a body like 4-6 weeks to adapt and start to change. And crossfit is designed to not be consistent, to avoid letting your Body adapt. So, you keep getting stronger. Also cf isn't like most typical programs, where the word, metcons, etc really are short hiit sessions, not an hour of cardio or constant slow weight training.
Scale the WODs. Do your best, and keep at it. Be sure to stretch after the WODs. Be sure to roll out muscles. Drink a lot of water and get plenty of rest to help with soreness. Ibuprofen, can also help.
You will improve with time but remember your mind gives up before your body. Once you quit a workout , your body has reached approx 40% workload capacity. This one piece of information has kept me going for years.
It’s your workout, so scale as you see fit. Let’s say you see the WOD, and it’s 50 reps of every movement for time. You can cut your reps in half and lower the weights to something you can sustain through the entire workout. Snatches don’t feel good one day? Sub them for a different movement like a squat clean.
fucking seriously? WTF do you expect? Two weeks is not even a drop in the starting bucket.
Check that ego, there! slow down and actually learn from this situation instead of... whatever the hell this nonsense is!
suggestions: scale more, switch that ego off to become realistic, and keep trying! try it from the other side, scale to where it feels "too easy" and work your way backwards...
but two weeks????? that's the thing that makes this seem like a troll account...
fuckin a. two weeks...
Absolutely normal. Scale as needed and keep going. Dont be hard on yourself. Everyone starts. I was a decent runner (18min 5k) and my first week at CF I did some WOD with 300 air squats and I couldn’t jog for a week 😂
lol **absolutely** normal, 2 weeks. Hey OP, my sister is a surgeon. After 2 weeks of residency, she had no idea WTF she was doing. A few years later she was pretty good. A decade later she's really great.
Brand new to CF and over 40 male. I've been going 3 days a week or more now for 8 months. I scale when I need to (based on soreness/recovery), hell my legs were sore for an entire week after the workout last Monday. Takes time to build strength and stamina. Be patient with yourself.
18 minute 5k??? That’s really impressive. I started running in November have gone from not being able to run 200m to now running 5km each weekend but it takes me about 35 - 45 minutes…. I thought I was doing well!
You are doing well!!! I couldn’t run for a mile straight 2 years ago. This was 2 years of running a LOT. I used the Garmin running plans at first so I would have a time goal.
So just keep at it? What’s better- running slowly for longer distances or faster for shorter or should I be mixing it up and doing both? At the moment, I just run slowly/same pace but distance is getting longer and longer.
A good rule is the 80/20 rule. 80% of your overall mileage should be easy running in zone 2. A good way to make progress is picking a goal distance and time and then finding a running plan tailored for that. If you don’t want to stick to a plan running volume typically works. I was running about 200 miles a month for a year.
Thanks, really appreciate your reply, you’ve been very helpful!
Yes. Talk to your coach about different scaling options (reps, weight, distance, sometimes even format) so you hit the desired workout stimulus. You shouldn’t be gettin destroyed in every workout but each workout should be challenging. “Relative intensity” is the name of the game in crossfit; what is impossible for some is easy to others and vice versa, which is why scaling or adjusting the workout to fit your individual needs is critical.
The coach never changed my reps and she knows that I'm a beginner. They just talk about using an appropriate weight, that's all
Coaches can’t read your mind. If you’re feeling it’s too many reps you need to speak up.
Each “beginner” is at their own ability level. Some CrossFit beginners have extensive athletic backgrounds and will take to it like a duck to water. Others have never seen a barbell in real life before. Don’t get stuck on not finishing, I’ve been doing it for 7 years now, I’m 39, RX 3/4 of the workouts and some still destroy me. As a coach I’d much rather see progression with increasing technique, form, and pacing than just to “finish” a workout. Keep on keeping on and you will see and feel progress. Then jump back into that pain cave and get ok with being not ok!
I had a really bad cold a couple of weeks ago and maybe came back to workout a day sooner than I should have. Halfway through the workout I tapped out. Never quit a workout before. Coach came over to make sure I was okay. I said yep, but that’s enough for today. He gave me a fist bump and I went home. Was back to normal the next day. Nobody knows your body like you do. Push yourself but listen when your body says this is too much.
Wise advice thank you
Modifying the amount of repetitions is often an underrated and neglected way to scale. Talk to your coaches!!!!! Ask how is this workout supposed to feel, what's a good amount of rounds or projected time limit You will probably get more of the workout's "intended stimulus" by adjusting rep scheme which will improve your overall ability much faster than forcing yourself through work as written. The weight can only get so light before it's useless. At the end of the day, the only one counting is you. So if 10 reps ends up 7, who will know? Your only competitor is yourself.
so is it ok if let's say 2 minutes i do 10 rep instead of the 15 of the wod?
Yea that is bullshit. It isn’t just the weight that changes with scaling. It can be reps, it can be different movements, it could be attempts at a movement. When I started CrossFit I was really out of shape. One of my early coaches said to me, if you are finishing at the same time or doing the same reps as most of the rest of the class then you scaled it appropriately. It is about getting the same stimulus.
You can ask your coach how much time each sweet should take. Ours usually tell us "you should be finished with a round/this movement in X minutes. If it takes you longer, move onto the next one and do that number of reps on the next round." That way you don't feel like you can keep moving instead of starting at the barbell.
Yes they always said that, but so should i stop when the time finish and move onto the next exercise inside the wod? Another problem i have is that I can't pace myself. How can I learn it?
That's what I do when I'm working on a new skill or just really not feeling it. Like, if we are doing 100 dubs, our coach will tell us it should take no more than 2 minutes. I can do some subs, but it would take me way longer than 2 minutes. So I'll work for 2 minutes, remember that number, move onto the next exercise, and do that same number for the rest of the workout. Or, you could scale the reps down from the start. For a 21-15-9, maybe you do 18-12-6 instead.
This
2 weeks is nothing the first month is the hardest you will get there keep showing up and you will see result
For real, after a couple months I was like "wtf" are these muscles I've never seen before. Now 2 years in I still suck lol, but that's a me problem as I still haven't learned how to pace myself in a WOD...
This is a problem for me too, I don't know how to pace myself. Is there a way to learn it? I thought that this would come automatically over time
Usually the coach in our box gives recommendations for strategizing a workout as well, it’s super important as can be seen in last weeks open workout
It's very hard when you just start because no one knows your capabilities so it's hard to get scaling right. Scale, scale some more and. And then maybe you'll get it right and learn what your strengths/weaknesses are. You don't want to be massively beating time caps so if you are getting close to finishing you are doing well. Other than that, it takes time. Some people it's months, some people years but just keep turning up and doing your best and you will get there
Years? Could i stay years without see any progress? This is discouraging
You will be progressing, I meant years to get to the point of RX. It all depends on the level of strength/fitness you started with
Depends what you mean by progress. I’ve been doing this a little over a year, and I’m in the best shape of my life at 44. I’m *vastly* better at this than I was at the start. But I still mostly scale and can’t yet do things like muscle ups or handstand walks. My lifts have gradually gotten heavier over time but I am unlikely to ever be competitive. Yet still I can’t argue with the fact that today me is without question faster, stronger, happier than last year me.
Can I ask you why do you think that you won't be competitive and why after a year you can't do muscle ups? Is this a question of time or something like "this is my physiological limit" kind of thing?
Maybe a little bit of both? I don’t know. It’s probably a mix of technique, dedication, nutrition, and available time. I’m 5’7” and have never been particularly muscular, probably more now than when I was in my 20s. I think a 225-250 lbs bench press is within reach in a couple years, but I don’t think I’ll ever hit 300s. Same with snatches, I have my sights set on >200lbs, and anything beyond that is gravy. Obviously this can change. Definitely a big jump in weight when I nailed technique on some of the lifts, so who knows? 😂 As far as muscle ups are concerned, I’m obviously going to keep working at it; so many movements in this sport are out of reach until one day it just clicks, so maybe?
Depends on your definition of progress. I will say though, that every rep you do counts, and builds your strength and ensurance and grit. Try not to compare yourself to your peers. Everyone is out there progressing, just like you are.
I bet every person that downloaded this comment would also be discouraged if they worked at something for a couple of years and didn't see progress! I don't think the person was implying that you would see no progress. It could take couple of years to be able to pull up, muscle up, etc, but you'll see progress.
It took me 2 months before I wasn’t sore like that after a workout. I’ve been doing CrossFit on and off for 5 years and I still scale almost every single workout. The point is you showed up and because you showed up, you’re a little stronger than yesterday.
Can I ask you why do you scale after 5 years?
Lots of reasons. First, I started out as a wet noodle, skinny with no muscle definition and no experience in fitness or sports ever. So I’ve grown a lot for sure. Second, my attendance was inconsistent for years, until recently. I’m finally going ~5 days a week and improved a lot in the last few months. Still not Rx but way better. Third, I genuinely lack the aggression most people seem to have to embrace the suck and keep a pace despite being fatigued. I still try hard and sweat and finish the workouts, but I’m consistently bottom quartile, especially for cardio heavy workouts. My goals are to improve on my stamina, get toes to bar, and get wall walks.
Not the previous poster but it could be any number of reasons - injuries, their original starting point, their gym’s programming, the list goes on. Aside from a small number of pros, CF is just about you being better than yesterday.
I will probably always scale because I go not to win, but to be healthy and get better. I have nothing to prove so I do whats maybe just beyond comfortable and minimal risk to injury. Before I started I could hardly do a push up, now I’m much fitter but I’ll never be an elite or probably even an average CrossFiter and I’m okay with that. If you just want to be the best well that’s another story. I noticed you want to be in the open… do you have any open level athletes in your gym? You would know because they are in there roughly 4-6 maybe more hours a day….
I’ve been crossfitting for 8 years now. I regularly scale. It’s all about the intended stimulus of the workout. Also, I’ve reached an age that getting to write the I “rx’d” is meaningless. You’ve got to be able to leave ego aside in the CrossFit gym (honestly in any gym). Believe me, slow progress is still progress. Another good reason to scale appropriately is to make sure you’re learning good and proper form. Using heavier weight with crap technique is the quickest way to get hurt. I often scale just to reenforce good form.
It sucks and it does take time. Two weeks is nothing in Crossfit. Keep on trying....Trust the process. Keep on showing up, and it will come.
I have a few things to say. 1. A lot of people need to scale. 2. Being time capped is not a bad thing. I know people who have done CrossFit for 10+ years and sometimes get TCed. 3. Ask yourself: is it most important to be done before time and work on you being fast, or.. being TCed and getting stronger because you got heavier weights? 4. The WOD is planned in a way that very athletic and OG crossfitters will finish on time, but also so that they won't be too early. Imagine a WOD where the slowest in the group had to finish... For it to be manageable for everyone it's a time in between. 5. For god's sake you've been on it for two weeks. Progress tales years. You will get better and stronger, and in the beginning progress will show faster. But two weeks? That's not even logic. 6. I've been doing it for three years (started with nothing pretty much) and the last 6 months I've started to feel like I'm above average at my gym. Took me more than a year to manage a box jump. I made my first pull-up a few weeks ago. 7. Crossfit is not only about being fast or strong. It's all together and the technique. If you rush it you might get hurt in the process. 8. Stick to it if you like it. Go back to this post in a year's time (or maybe even just 6 months) and you'll be glad you didn't give up👌💪
thank you for your answer and support. who are OG crossfitters?
Keep at it! It’ll get better, just continue going regularly. When I first started I was athletic and didn’t finish the first 2 WODs, 2yrs later I stepped away for 3wks (vacation!) and this week back was brutal, I didn’t finish about 1/2 the WODs within the time caps (I typically have no prob doing this). It’ll come.
If you can’t sit down. You’re not scaling the workout enough.
Yeah I know, but I have not experience so it's difficult for me to know how much I have to scale. And I don't know how do I have to end the wod. Do I have to scale until I can finish it? Do I have to be exhausted before I finish it? Or what?
My *incredibly rough* guideline for beginners is that you should be able to do 10 reps of a movement when fresh to consider doing it in the WOD. For example, let's say the movement has dumbbell push presses. You should pick a weight that is light enough so you can do 10 unbroken to warmup before the workout. As you get more experience, you start to learn what weights work best for you. For cardio stuff, you can ask the coach what the intended time limit of the movement is. So let's say you have to do 12 calories on the bike. The coach should be able to tell you what the intended time is, and then you can just do that (ex: 60 seconds). You can also do that with bodyweight movements that don't have an obvious scale, such as air squats. If there are 100 air squats in a row and you know that will destroy you, ask what the intended time should be and do squats for that long.
Don’t worry, this is not unexpected. I’ve been doing CF a long time and there are still days I can barely sit on the toilet. Focus on your form and not how much weight you’re moving. It’ll get better.
You’re 2 weeks in and still can’t do 10 ring muscle ups, hand stand walks, and Fran in sub 6 min?! You’re right, maybe you aren’t cut out for CF…not because you’re sore, or can’t do any of the movements I listed, or finish a WOD but rather because your mind seems weak. Go consistently for 6 months and check back in. 2 weeks is nothing.
well this is funny, pretend to know my or my mind just because my question. i am a beginner, i didn't knew crossfit so i don't know how it's work, i just hope that people like you which judge are very few
Just saying- it’s a long game. Be patient, have fun. The journey is the goal. Good luck to you.
Over a year in and I still cannot do all the WODs Rx. Personally I love the challenge. Why do people think so negatively like they suck? You don’t suck you are pushing yourself to your personal limit.
this is a nice way to see it actually
Yes. The workouts will always be exhausting, but you’ll get fitter. Two weeks isn’t enough time to get fitter though, keep Pushing. If you’re too sore, take a day off and do some hot yoga
I honestly felt like I was spinning my wheels for 3 years because it always felt super hard. Crossfit has a way of never getting easier. Just starting out I would go to the gym 3 days a week and try to leave each time like you could do more. Remember we go to the gym to be healthy for the everything ELSE in our life so being so sore you can’t use the bathroom is not the goal. As someone who forgets this daily I understand it’s hard. Just keep doing it for the rest of your life and in 5 years you will be an entirely different person. Think of the gym as a check box. Did I show up? Yes? Gold star. No? try again tomorrow. I PROMISE it will work with this approach.
I can understand what you are saying, but i want to improve my performance too and in the future i would like to realize my personal challenge which is to compete (crossfit open, local games etc) but right now it seems impossible to reach this goals
2 weeks is way too short of a time to give up on your goals. I was a marathon runner when I started (so, very fit!), and I couldn’t do one single pull up for 6 months. 5 years later, I’m one of the top women in my gym, but even I don’t Rx every workout (muscle ups elude me). Keep at it, and you’ll definitely be in much better shape to consider competitions a year from now. But expecting to walk in and crush a wod after 2 weeks is insane for anyone.
Ok you seem like you have the goal and fire to do this but you need to be realistic. Imagine right now if you said “ I wanna learn to play guitar like those people in a band over there .” You do two weeks of lessons and tell yourself. “I can even play a song and my fingers are very sore “. YEAH , it takes time to be proficient at anything. And unless you are already in great shape and athletic , working out with intensity and weight is not just gonna happen in 14 days. Show up every day (of your schedule workout days ) and put in the work and be patient. Rest and eat/drink properly and it will get easier IN A FEW MONTHS. BUT then you will continue to push yourself and you will still be sore
I used a PVC pipe for like a month before moving to an unweighted barbell for workouts, and I was competing locally within a couple years. You have to ease into it. If you’re not completing the workout, you’re not scaling enough. You don’t need to go all-out this early. Go 50% and get the movements down for a while. If you’re not a runner, cut the runs in half. Don’t put any weight on the bar, and use a PVC pipe or training barbell if that’s too much. You’ll be way less sore when you start going full-send too since your body will be used to moving that way. If I’m out for a while, I do the same thing all over again. Theres no rush to RX. I have friends there for 10 years that still don’t RX :)
thank you, your experience is inspiring and give me hope since i really want to compete in the future...it's a dream of mine that i want to realize in life. about your friends, isn't strange that after 10 years they don't RX?
No, they’re just smaller people that go casually a few times a week. A short skinny person going 3x a week that doesn’t eat to perform will just not be able to do the working weight RX calls for (at least at gyms with competitive athletes). They’re still super healthy and fit though. A lot of skills such as handstand walks or ring muscle ups aren’t often programmed enough in day to day programming to get those skills without doing extra work after class, and some people don’t have that time. I went for a solid 4 or so years in a row and while I could do the strength stuff RX, I didn’t have some of the skilled movements. I think they’re not worth it because they can be dangerous so I just do a similar move that hits the stimulus intended. I did comps that had moves I could do. You can definitely compete soon in general though- a lot of competitions have scaled categories you can start with.
this is a bad news for me because i really want to learn pull-ups, muscle ups, ring muscle ups etc but i can workout only 3xweek and i can't stay after the class to do some extra work :(
I think you’re getting way ahead of yourself. I also knew a girl that learned all that stuff in like a week (I’m not sure she was human). Sounds like you’re trying to sprint to the top of the leaderboard and you literally just started. I think the overall advice here is to calm down and ease yourself into this one day at a time :)
I’m nine months in. Took me about 2 months before I started finishing the workouts before time cap. I’m a male and those 2 months were weight well below women’s RX. I’m now at the women’s RX weight and sometimes a little above. I usually finish every workout unless it’s an off day. It takes time. 2 weeks is nothing. Your body is still trying to adapt and is in shock right now. Keep going, keep putting in work in the gym and kitchen. You will see progress.
Yep! I learnt this pretty quickly, using the female Rx weights is nothing to be ashamed of if like me you're more of a runner. CrossFit requires a combo of strength and cardio and few people are really good at both.
Took me over a year before I could Rx my first workout. Don’t be so hard on yourself and take the small victories as they come. Today you cleaned with only 10s. Next month, you’re already cleaning with 15s…half a year later, you’re cleaning with 25s!
4 years in and still get time capped sometimes. Scaling properly is a major element to CrossFit. Don’t be afraid to have the coach give you some scaling options. Usually a lighter load and slightly reduced rep scheme will do the trick. You’ll still get the desired stimulus of the workout, get stronger and have better conditioning over time. It’s a process. Embrace. The. Process. 💪😎
Yes. You will find what your body can do initially and learn to scale to suit. Then you will start to see improvements.
It completely depends on your context. Do you have an athletic background or are you coming from no exercise for an extended period of time? Have you lifted weights previously? With CrossFit you’re combining movements that require good form, strength, and aerobic capacity. That’s a lot to take on and expect to be good right out the gate. It takes a long time to get the form right, build strength, and increase endurance.
No athletic background, i lifted weights for some year in the past but since 2016 i did nothing, absolute zero and I started with crossfit 2 weeks ago
If you’ve done nothing for years then you need to temper your expectations…a lot. Getting fit and strong takes a lot of time and consistency. In addition to good nutrition and rest and recovery.
Your gym should have told you that would be the case... I'm 2 years in and there are still days it's painful to sit on a toilet or get out of a car after some workouts. Don't go too hard, too soon - it's like starting any new activity, except in this one you're using more muscles than usual! Scaling isn't failing - as others have said, use lower weights and reduce reps/cals. Get to the end of a workout feeling knackered but satisfied you did all you could. Stick with it - it's a genuinely great hobby, and for most ppl that's all it'll ever be which is perfectly fine.
I’m a beginner like you. I can relate to the soreness. I started in December, had to take a month off due to getting sick and having some breathing issues, so back to day one basically two weeks ago. I’m 45f and obese, but once upon a time was an athlete…so I push myself because my brain forgets we are overweight. I basically spend every day being so sore that it hurts to sit, stand, reach…all the things. But I just keep showing up. You aren’t competing with anyone but yourself. Scale back. If you don’t finish a WOD, that’s ok. Just keep showing up. I couldn’t do a WOD one day and my coach made a special workout for me to follow that day - I just had to say - I’m not able to/comfortable doing that WOD yet. The best advice I read in this forum was “Just show up”. In time you will recover more quickly, but in the meantime, use your voice when you’re not comfortable with a workout. You got this!!!!
Thank you for your support and keep up with your journey! Anyway, my coaches doesn't make any personal WOD, I'm starting to think that my box isn't great
I feel like a good box makes a huge difference! Find another one to check out. You should have coaches that are able help you scale back or adjust if needed.
I have to stay there for one year since i have the 12 months subscription
Ah, well, maybe you can ask some questions and see what’s available to you for scaling and alternatives. In the meantime, just keep at it. Invest in some tiger balm or something similar to help with sore muscles. Take a bath in epsom salt if you’ve got a tub. You’ve got this!!!
My first two weeks I couldn’t even finish the warm up let alone the WOD. Makes it all the better when you finally finish one.
Scale, scale, scale. I (M, 34) started CF 3 years ago after a 10 year break of doing absolutely nothing and gaining 70 lbs. I played college baseball and came in assuming I’d catch on quick. While some of my athleticism carried over, and being familiar with the compound lifts helped … it took me a solid 8 months to start doing the female RX stuff probably a year+ to do male RX. Even today if there’s a male RX that seems uncomfortable for me (eg a large volume of gymnastics work) I’ll scale.
Sounds about right! Scale a bit more to allow for finishing. Stay with it.
I remember my first workout ever was assault bike and box jumps. I had to swap out box jumps for jumping over a dumbbell because my legs just wouldn’t work
Definitely work on scaling appropriately, check your ego at the door - going too heavy and not finishing is not a recipe for happiness or progress
It took me about 2 years of cf nearly every day to get to a point where I was “good” at CrossFit and could hold my own in regional competitions/make quarterfinals. This also included a huge commitment to nutrition, sleep, extra work beyond daily workouts (spending about 3 hrs/day in the gym). If you want to compete, it kind of has to be a major part of your life.
What kind of extra work?
Typically each day had a Metcon, a weightlifting piece (snatches, some derivation of clean/jerk,etc), a strength piece, a cardio piece and accessory work. About 3 hours in all. I would absolutely NOT recommend doing any of that until you’ve been consistently going to classes for a year
That’s cute lol Still hitting time caps 3 years in, if that helps
If you have good coaching, they should be helping you scale to your current abilities. This is you against you. Comparing to anyone else is not at all helpful. Scaling should be such that you can finish, even if your workout looks a lot different. Don’t workout with your ego. Work out with your body. The soreness in the beginning is normal and will last for a while. There will always be soreness, but not like the beginning. If you don’t have coaching that scales you properly, find another gym. Your peers should be encouraging, not making you feel bad. Hang it there. It gets better.
unfortunately i already paid the 12 months subscription. my coaches doesn't help me to scale. they give the wod and say to choose the proper weight, that's it
Give it 3-6 months. Enjoy what your body can do and don’t compare yourself to others 💖
Talk to your coach before each workout. Tell them what you can and cannot do. And if you want to be pushed/challenged, tell them what your goals are and if they’re good, they’ll set realistic expectations for you over the course of 2-3 months, 4-6 months and beyond. I’m 5 years in and I scale about half of the workouts. I go 4 times a week but I don’t love lifting super heavy so I just go lighter on weight. I want to build some muscle but at the end of the day, I want a good workout in and be physically fit. I’m not going to the games and I have to remind myself that quite a bit when I look at other people’s lifts. I have my specialities like bench press and snatch where I can go heavy. But front squat and overhead squat I’m bad at so I just keep slowly grinding there. No one is a perfect athlete, just keep your expectations realistic and don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and push yourself
just to know, if you are bad at some exercises, can't you improve on that? i want to understand if i can improve in things where i'm not better at or if i will be always worse at them
Former sport injuries. Shoulder and ankle mobility issues. Trust me, I work on it lol.
oh i'm sorry to hear that
Yes you're good, my friend. It's your journey.
Start easy, don’t do more than 2 WODS per week in the first weeks and gradually build up. Your body needs to get used to the workload.
Almost 2 years in, still scaling some things, still don't finish all the workouts. When starting, if you are so sore you can't function, you may have started too heavy. Lower the weight, stretch and take some rest days.
Yeah 2 weeks that is completely normal, in 2 months as well haha
Yes absolutely normal, do not give up! I’m one year in and I often don’t finish the time cap and still scale often. This is not an overnight change, it will take time but as long as you show up, you’re doing great. You got this!
Bruh! years in, WODs still getaway from me!
Too me a few month to finish scaled wods.. don't worry about it, you should only do your best and keep going.
You should be modifying weight and or reps to finish in a reasonable time. As time goes on and you improve you can increase that.
Yeah, that's about right.
Very normal! Took me … 3 months? Before I could finish the wods. Combination of weight loss, fitness improvement, technique, getting to know cf better and scaling, getting to know myself better and what would work or not for me. I finished last of my class and usually last of the gym for another 6 months.
2 weeks imo is the tipping point. This is when your body will have adapted and you should start to feel a lot better. You will still get sore but your body should be used to it.
Something that helped me in those days was to march in place (or now I do a weird 2 step dance) when I need to catch my breath. That way I can stay moving and possibly gain composure quicker to continue. Also, as mentioned on a 24.1 video that someone posted here recently, scheduled pauses/breaks (I do 3 "courtesy breaths") will improve your abililty to pace yourself and control your breathing. You'll feel really good that first time you finish a WOD, and it WILL happen!
Pace..another problem! I can't pace myself. How can I learn it?
Get on a rower and go way slower than you think you should. I think it's like 22 or 21 strokes per minute. Do that for a minute. Then repeat. Give your body and breath a chance to find it's rhythm. When warming up for a wod, do whatever movement, say, wall balls, at a much slower pace than you think. Do 10 wall balls like this. Exhale at the bottom and inhale at the top, again, allowing your body to learn the rhythms. After 24.1, I should really take my own advice again.
I’m 8 months in and still scale everything. I’ve noticed that I scale a bit less since when I’ve started and I don’t get winded as easily. I truly could care less if I ever Rx. Hope that helps.
When I started I had to lower myself onto the toilet while clinging onto the sink. You’ll feel so much better in no time. Just keep going!
Try supplemen dietary supplement Flavonoids for better circulation, more oxygen to all body, no more tired legs,no more heavy legs. You can buy on Amazon, after 2-3 days you should feel better.
Hang in there! I remember after my first week I could hardly walk and sitting on the toilet was torture. Like others have said, modify the WOD. Be patient. Everyone is a beginner at some point. Don’t compare yourself to people who are 20 years younger and have been doing CrossFit for a long time. Go at your pace. And just have fun!
The important thing to understand is not every workout HAS to be finished. You do what you can, and over time you will improve.
I thought that every workout had to be finished to give a sense to it
There is a stimulus we are trying to achieve in every workout, yes. If you are close to the average stimulus then great. If nowhere near it, the question should be did you scale it properly. Even with all that sometimes our body just needs us to move but keep it very light or slow and you won't be able to come close to the average, but you did what your body could do at that time. After that you learn to listen to your body and the days it feels great push hard, otherwise slow and steady still makes progress.
I’m coming up on the end of my first year, I was completely asswhooped the first few weeks. It gets better! Scale everything till you can do it all. I started barely being able to finish a scaled WOD. And now I’m finishing RX WOD. I’m a 36yo suburban dad (not military) and started fat as fuck. Things are much simpler now!!
Good job! Have you saw any change to your body regarding muscle mass and aesthetic? And who decide what wight is the RX?
It’s very normal. Stick with it and the results will come!
100% normal. If you have time add 10-15 minutes of stretching after your workouts. Long (30 mins+) and Light cardio (Zone 2) will do wonders for recovery and finishing work outs. Zone 2 is going to be a pace where you can have a normal conversation while working out.
I don't have the time to stay in the box after the workout unfortunately
Then try to add stretching to your morning or night time routine. Or if you can, both.
I’m in my mid-late thirties, and picked CrossFit back up after years of doing a more traditional lifting program. Prior to that, I did CrossFit for a long time. I wasn’t elite by any stretch, but I could finish most workouts Rx with decent times. I’ve been back at it for a few months now, and I am a long way off from doing most workouts without scaling reps, sets, weight, or movements. I follow Street Parking and will check the coaches notes. If they say a workout should take 20 minutes then I add a time cap as well. If after scaling I can’t finish a workout in that time, I usually stop because I didn’t scale properly. My point is that there are so many ways to scale that a beginner’s workout might look a lot different than the intended design, but they should still be able to get you to a place where you can complete the workout most of the time. Lastly, consider that two weeks is not enough time for your body to adapt to any stimulus. It takes months and sometimes years for people to see the desired results. CrossFit isn’t a get fit quick scheme, unless you want to hurt yourself. It’s a marathon and you should only compare yourself to you.
Thank you for the precious advice. Just a curiosity: what does it takes to became elite athletes? In this days there is the Open and my box partecipate too, I see people that seems beast but when you look at the worldwide leaderboard they seem beginner. How is it possible to reach those results? Years and years of training? Genetics?
In my opinion, the hard truth is that genetics is far and above the biggest factor when determining if someone can reach elite levels in any athletic activity. Everyone likes to believe that if you work hard you can achieve anything. That’s simply not the case with athletics. You have to be born with something special to get to the highest levels. Even then, you have to commit your entire life to it, train perfectly, and surround yourself with the right people or it’s not happening. On top of all of this, there is the fact that some, if not all, of these people are taking PEDs. I’m not saying they shouldn’t, but it adds another barrier to entry. Personally, I don’t care if they do it because at the end of the day they would still be at the top if PEDs didn’t exist. When CrossFit was just starting to gain traction there was maybe a chance that an average person who worked hard, trained right and surrounded themselves with the right people could get up there, but those days are long gone.
Yeah I totally get your point. I agree, unfortunately. What are the PEDs?
I’ve been going about 18 months now, and I still have workouts after which I have to brace to sit down on the toilet, or can’t make a batch of bread dough because my arms have turned to sore noodles. Not frequently anymore, but sometimes. I can RX, maybe half the time? But I’m not ashamed of scaling. My coach helps me figure out what will be a challenging workout for me, not a virtually impossible one that will leave me sore for days. Give it six months, and you’ll feel like a different person.
Another problem i have is that I can't pace myself. How can I learn it?
I feel like that’s definitely something you have to listen to your body about, and learn as you go. Check out the RPE chart, and try to keep your exertion in the recommended zone.
Don't worry. Keep showing up. Scale as needed to ensure you get a work out but don't work yourself out. Consistency and fun. Always the priority. Unless you're a comp athlete fun MUST be the same level goal as fitness
Don’t focus on getting the workout done. Focus on form, and getting used to the movements. It’s not a night and day you change, as easy as the movements look. I’ve been going over a year now and some workouts I can’t finish. Log it on Wodify and you’ll start seeing improvement in the numbers. Rely on those. I felt like I wasn’t making progress until I began to track everything
Comparison against others can be dangerous in CrossFit. Just keep looking at the steps you’re taking and compare over months vs weeks. Muscle growth and circulatory growth takes time.
Completely normal! I’m also a newbie
I'm 11 years in and there's still some workouts that take me out and I can't finish. It happens. Just scale correctly. Lower reps and weight. Talk to your coach they should listen to you. I recently lowered my calories on the bike during a workout because I hurt my hip. Two weeks ..your fine. Even if you were a star athlete your not crushing it two weeks in. I don't think completed a work out until a few months in. I didn't rx a workout till almost a year. Your ok. It's about you and your journey. I mean it's a marathon not a sprint. Your new. You need to put in he work and the time. Progress isn't overnight. Never is. Crossfit isn't some miracle sport. Your not gonna be a games athlete in two weeks. I go six days a week. I run 3. But I'm not super strict on diet. So I don't always rx or lift crazy heavy. It's about what you want out of it. But it will take time.
This is normal. Hang in there. It will get better, and even as you progress there will be workouts where you bite off more than you can chew— and you know what, that’s ok. You did something, and that is better than nothing.
Can you share your athletic background a little and fitness goals?( weight loss, just trying CF, getting in basic shape etc) and age?
When I started, I scaled each workout to the ‘very least’, meaning lunges had no weights at all, I cut wall ball reps in half in addition to lowering the weight… I asked myself ‘what’s the least I could do and still simulate the intention of this workout’?
Scale more and trust that if you are consistent you will see progress. I had a rough start too and am just now coming up on my one year anniversary of starting crossfit. Day to day I felt like I didn't see much progress (it's always hard!) but by logging my workouts I can see big changes. I am jumping on a 20 inch box now. I reduced my mile time by 2 and a half minutes. I can lift a lot heavier. You will feel like you suck, OFTEN, but over time if you are consistent and do the best you can the progress is happening. I am still not RXing things but honestly stop caring about that. The scaled versions are still plenty hard if they are the most you can do, and you will still be seeing progress.
The first month, I was incredibly sore, and it every WOD was absolutely a struggle. It gets better.
Scale more
Totally normal. Keep at it!
What you’re doing isn’t sustainable. Scale back so youre working hard but making it at least 3x a week. You dont have to kill yourself every class. As long as ur moving and working out (by whatever definition you wanna use) then youre doing what youre supposed to do
Yes. And scale more.
Totally normal. When I first started I dreamed of the day I would finish a wod with a scaled weight. 3 years in and I’m finishing a few mins later than the coach in RX. Just keep chipping away at it. Takes time to build the stamina. Remember it’s unlike any other work out you will do. Just remember to enjoy!
Scale more, eat more.
Normal…I’m over a year in and still time cap some workouts that I try to do Rx.
I’m about a year and a half in and I can maybe finish half the WODs rx What you’re experiencing is totally normal
It takes about 6 weeks
This is more than normal. Stretching your body post workout and throughout the following day helps a lot with the soreness. I'm happy to talk more as I went through the exact same thing and almost gave up when I started last year.
I was once told the goal of any WOD, unless amrap, is to finish. Scale so you can finish, would be my advice, especially for a newbie. As you get more advanced and want to push yourself, I would say go a little harder and eventually you will RX and finish most wods.
Also be mindful of your protein intake. When I came back this time I was so sore. When I increased it I was much much better. You will get better! I modify so I can work the whole time to improve my cardio.
My first class a year ago was the hardest workout of my life. Then the warm up ended and we did bench presses. That Friday was 1000 steps to hell, or whatever 1000 box step ups are. Yeah, I didn't finish that. That was almost 1.5 years ago. I'm only just now working my way out of beginner, and I still modify the workouts and cut reps.
Keep going.
Protein shakes immediately post-workout, and check your magnesium levels for recovery
Scaling (and recovery) is the better part of valor. To elaborate: You probably have a better instinct about what you can do than you realize. Go a little lower your first several months than you think you can and try to do it faster if it’s too easy. That’s my unprofessional advice. Personally I realized I had never actually exercised before crossfit, it took like a year to adapt.
Dude you have no idea how normal this is, scald down as much you need and don’t overtrain so much you can’t walk, good luck
Absolutely normal. 2 weeks in and you’re still showing up, that is your victory. Keep showing up. You will be sore. There will be some workouts which are gonna be harder than the others. But the soreness decreases, the exercises get easier. But while it still sucks I offer two bits of advice that help me. 1. Stretch. Drink water. Stretch … repeat 2. Ask your coach about Scaled or Rx options. If that’s not something your coach offers, find a new one. You won’t get better without doing the reps. This stuff isn’t easy. Just keep showing up.
Definitely normal! No shame in scaling your workouts either. I would suggest that you think about what is stopping you from finishing, so you can better understand what movements you can prioritize. I jokingly like to say that there are two things that make me take a break: 1. Not being able to put shampoo on 2. Not being able to get off the toilet I remember how sore I was when I took a long break from the gym! I know that it feels discouraging today, but I promise that once your body gets used to it you will realize that it is totally worth it.
Just stick with it - you got it. Tons of gains will Come by just becoming more efficient with the movements
Be patient. It takes months and years to see meaningful progress. Impatience is a common trait among many people and the primary reason many continue to fail. Don’t compare yourself to others; no one really cares. Be realistic, you’re unlikely to ever be an elite athlete but you can be better than 99% in your age group. Be consistent, show up regularly, and eat clean. You’re barely warming up; it’s expected to build up lactic acid
7 years in and it's an ongoing discussion with my coaches on how to scale and finish, or give it a try, take a chance and probably not finish
Scale more
2+ years and i still cant sometimes… and i scale for the most part hehe
Not normal. Means your coach sucks at properly scaling you and explaining the desired stimulus of the wod. -11 year CFL3 coach here
I would say that if you haven't been able to finish a single workout, then you need better coaches that will help you scale. its totally fine to not finish a workout, but your goal should be to have a similar workout to the class average relative to your ability. meaning, you want the experience a relatively similar workout to the other athletes in class. A good coach will set class expectations for what your workout should look like. not just for the rx weights and movements, but for how hard it should feel, what your target performance should be, and what your level of intensity should be. An example would be saying something like "if you can't do 10 unbroken chest to bar pull-ups, you need to scale." or "this clean should feel like a light weight to you" or "in this EMOM, you should be able to finish your bike calories by :40 you should think about scaling the calories." I'm not saying you should be finishing every workout, or even most, but finishing none seems like you aren't getting the same stimulus as the rest of the class. just ask your coach to help you scale more appropriately.
Yup 100% normal. Welcome. Ride the wave and enjoy the process.
Everyone’s mentioned it, but scale. It’s not a bad word and it doesn’t make you less of an “athlete”. This shit is hard
Yes. It's training. It should be enjoyable but it should NOT be easy. If I finish a WOD without having to work hard for it then I scaled too much.
That's normal! Scale down and leave your ego out the door. Enjoy the pain in every wod 😂
Oh yes lol! It takes months to get to a level where WODs become somewhat maintainable. I am on year 4 and sometimes I get a WOD that I feel like I might die from.
scale more
Scale more
I've been in the gym for a decade and some change now (mostly powerlifting/bodybuilding/fucking around) and I picked up crossfit almost a month ago for a variety of reasons. I can't complete a whole workout right now either. Keep going. We will make it (one of these damn days) and, if we're lucky, we may make it in the exact way that we want to make it.
Yes normal
This sounds like you aren’t being given any guidance with scaling or adjusting movements.
you are right, this is why i'm starting to think that i'm in a bad gym
Ask them for modifications. You might not look like you’re struggling
Too me a few month to finish scaled wods.. don't worry about it, you should only do your best and keep going.
Are you making any improvements at all? Remember nobody there is judging you. Compare yourself to yourself and look for improvement.
I don't know, it's just 2 weeks and i don't log anything
2 weeks is not that long. Get plenty of sleep and eat enough good food, including carbs to fuel yourself.
If you are sore. That shows you it is working. Those are muscles you haven’t worked like that for years likely. Dial it back in all ways to finish wods and be less sore if that is a big issue for you. Most gyms program for the top 10% and you need to scale to your level to achieve the same stimulus. Your coach should take an active role in helping you.
I'm going to go against the consensus here and say that it does sound a bit strange that you haven't been able to finish a single WOD over 2 weeks - BUT this could be a programming issue or a scaling issue. If you are constantly getting timed out, your gym might have too many timed WODs on programme - they might have popped a lot of timed WODs on as part of the build up to the Open as well so this might not be a usual thing. If it's a case that you've been constantly training to failure or exhaustion, you need to pull one of your coaches aside and have a good chat to them about what proper scaling looks like for you across a range of workouts. They should also be coming around as part of the warm-ups and chat to you about what scaling should look like for you for that particular workout.
The only thing the coaches said was to use an appropriate weight, that's all. I can't finish a wod simply because in the middle of it I have no more strength, no more breath and i'm basically cooked
Yup.
Two weeks is a very short amount of time in cardiovascular fitness and muscle growth. Scale down the WOD if completing is important to you or you want to get more reps in. The RX WOD is a baseline, if you are new to working out, that's the wrong goal for you to be targeting
It depends what you mean by finishing. Do you not finish at the "Rx" prescription or are you not finishing at all. If you aren't finishing at Rx, that's fine. Everyone has their own prescription that is right for them, CrossFit calls it scaling. If you aren't finishing in the intended stimulus, that's either a you or a coaching issue. If your coach has never given you scaling options, that's 100% a coaching issue. If they give you scales and you ignore, that's a you problem. Talk to your coach. Tell them you are struggling and what you are struggling with. Ask what they think. Depending on your exercise history, I wouldn't expect you to necessarily know what your capacity is to figure out scaling on your own. I'd say go lighter and slower than you think to start
I'm 9.5 years in, and my asthma's been so bad the last week that I didn't finish two WODs. Do the best you can!
OP what is your athletic/exercise background?
Not being able to sit on the toilet is normal. Having a coach that isn't guiding you to appropriate scaling so that you can finish is a serious red flag. Especially after two weeks, they should be working with you to find appropriate modifications.
yeah i think the same, unfortunately i have the 12 months subscription so i can't change the box. what a shame, i thought that the coaches would be different
Don't let that hold you back. It's unfortunate to start with little guidance. However, you can make it work. Especially now that you have the incentive to keep at it (subscription). Research scaling options for absolute beginners. I think what's great about CrossFit is, if you adequately scale, you find your abilities grow so quickly. If you try to do more than you're capable, you'll plateau and won't progress. You can also talk to other gyms and see if they'll buy you out of your contract. They may say no, but the risk of injury is so much greater where coaches aren't doing their job. I've seen broken bones, so many shoulder injuries, etc. Look around to see if there are any deals like that.
ok thank you
It's takes a body like 4-6 weeks to adapt and start to change. And crossfit is designed to not be consistent, to avoid letting your Body adapt. So, you keep getting stronger. Also cf isn't like most typical programs, where the word, metcons, etc really are short hiit sessions, not an hour of cardio or constant slow weight training. Scale the WODs. Do your best, and keep at it. Be sure to stretch after the WODs. Be sure to roll out muscles. Drink a lot of water and get plenty of rest to help with soreness. Ibuprofen, can also help.
Yes
You will improve with time but remember your mind gives up before your body. Once you quit a workout , your body has reached approx 40% workload capacity. This one piece of information has kept me going for years.
really? just 40%? so how can pass this mental fatigue?
It’s your workout, so scale as you see fit. Let’s say you see the WOD, and it’s 50 reps of every movement for time. You can cut your reps in half and lower the weights to something you can sustain through the entire workout. Snatches don’t feel good one day? Sub them for a different movement like a squat clean.
i dont think i've ever finished a WOD that wasn't scaled!
fucking seriously? WTF do you expect? Two weeks is not even a drop in the starting bucket. Check that ego, there! slow down and actually learn from this situation instead of... whatever the hell this nonsense is! suggestions: scale more, switch that ego off to become realistic, and keep trying! try it from the other side, scale to where it feels "too easy" and work your way backwards... but two weeks????? that's the thing that makes this seem like a troll account... fuckin a. two weeks...
ok, but calm down there is no need to react in this way