Crossfit - How long till I can keep up?

[LaMadrilena]

After doing circuit training for around 5 years, and being (at the risk of sounding like a ten-year-old boy) pretty much the strongest in my class, last week I started CrossFit, and the level is so much higher than I imagined!

I'm 40, but there are women of all ages lifting 3 times as much as me, doing a million chinups... I can't imagine any of them ever having been at my level!

Is there any hope for me? I've pulled a muscle in my bum and had to have the bar lifted off me today on not being able to finish a back squat. Should I just give up now?

I really enjoyed CrossFit. I like the exercises, and felt I made massive gains.

however as a mid 40’s woman the reason I gave up (and went back to circuits!) was because they so often have paired workouts. I would slow the poor soul that ended up with me right down- the you go I go, for example, they only got half the work done as I was significantly slower doing my bit.

it’s a shame as I really think I could benefit, but I couldn’t face being the “picked last for gym” kid anymore.

not really answering your question, but I suppose I never felt like I “caught up” and was dragging everyone else down. But I’m a nearly 50’year old unfit woman, I reckon it would have been a least a year, probably 2, before I got anywhere close to the youngsters level, considering they’d been doing it years.

I think you have to just accept that you're a beginner at CrossFit & talk to the coaches about appropriate progressions. So use bands for pull ups/chin ups. Lift as light as possible till you get used to the volume, and so on.

Try to avoid ego lifting! It's hard, I know, when you go from the aerobic focus of circuits, to the much heavier lifting focus of CrossFit. I find this at my gym, when I go from powerlifting focus of my personal trainer sessions (I lift heavy, low reps) to the much greater volume of a strength & conditioning class - adjust the weight etc etc.

If it's a good supportive box, the team work/pairs thing will be OK. I'm significantly the oldest in my gym's S&C classes, & I'm very strong - but I'm slower at SkiErg, cycle whatever in the team work finishers! But who cares, really? We get the work done at the level we can manage, and the joy of group classes or WODs is that you do push a little further than you think you can go.

Can you have a chat with your box's instructors/coaches? The ones I've been to usually are very careful about onboarding new members.

Oh absolutely, after the first 5 minutes I realised the difference and I haven't been pushing too hard I don't think - but this morning for example pushing up from having my bum practically resting on my heels in the squat was just too much by the 4th series! I'm not used to getting so low!

The instructors are definitely on the ball and keeping an eye on me.

I just wasn't expecting such a huge difference, and being the pessimist that I am I instantly start to wonder if there's any point... But I'm not giving up just yet...

Be super careful of getting some injuries if you've gone straight to CrossFit with no weightlifting or PT.

Your form will be wonky and it's fast paced and won't get checked fully, you'll pull muscles you don't even knew you had.

If I was you I'd go back a step, get some individual PT the cross fit places themselves do this.

Slow and steady with the squats, don't damage your QLs that's agony, deadlifts you risk all kinds of nasty pulls if you're not using your lats or hamstrings correctly.

If you do go all in, go on very very low weights, and build gradually. Good luck!!!

Hey @LaMadrilena !

Crossfit is fantastic, but you're definitely hitting the initial doubting stage everyone goes through!

No-one really cares if you're scaling/slower than anyone else, but it is tough to get over that feeling of "being the newby". However, once you do you will progress super quickly. The coaching makes a huge difference, don't be afraid to shout up and ask for help, and even the strongest athletes will occasionally get stuck/fail a lift and need a spot. Just take your time in WODs to make sure form over ego when it's an AMRAP/EMOM etc.

Take things at your own pace and enjoy the journey. Everyone has always got something they need to improve on, whether they're a newby or been training for many many years..

Thanks @2andadog , Im glad its not just me! But I just cant imagine any of the other women being such a beginner as me! Plus theres quite a lot of work in twos, so I always feel a bit useless. I am going to keep at it, at least a couple of months - I felt the same after starting circuits 5 years ago, but caught up pretty quickly...

I've been doing crossfit on and off for around 6 years, there's still quite a lot I can't do. I quickly learnt to accept that everyone is on their own journey and has different goals. When i first started I had never touched a barbell, had no idea about any of the gymnastics movements, but learnt how to do them. 2 kids later my 'goals' have completely changed. If i managed to make the 3 sessions a week I pay for I feel like I'm doing well. Also every gym is different, I've recently moved house so changed gyms, my old gym had crossfit games athletes training there a lot of semi pro/elite athletes. My new gym has a lot more 'normal' people there and the programming reflects that, so not too may difficult movements which people can't do.
It really is a great sport and community and it may seem hard at the beginning but you will quickly learn and get fitter.

I have been doing Crossfit for 5 months now and have improved so much! I absolutely love it.I had never set foot in a gym, lifted a barbell, or done any kind of gymnastics. Running was my only exercise.

I am 41, but there are plenty of similar age people at my box, and the coaches are super supportive and encourage good form, and if you can't do something they give you the scaled version. There are so many different abilities, and everyone is working on their own skills they want to develop, so most people other than the real elites will have weaknesses.

I think the self-consciousness takes a little while to wear off, but I am starting to feel like I belong and see great progress. When I started, I couldn't even attempt toes to bars, but now I'm getting toes to Target. I'm back squatting 70kg and snatching 32.5kg. I've also entered the Turf Games in a team this summer. I would just go consistently, I go 4 times a week, and I would make sure you go to the classes that have a weightlifting element as you can focus on your form.