Do I Need to Get Fit Before Starting CrossFit?

“I need to get fit before I start CrossFit.”

We hear some version of this all the time, and I get why.

If most of what you’ve seen of CrossFit is people throwing heavy barbells around, doing pull-ups or lying on the floor after a brutal workout, it’s pretty easy to think you need a certain level of fitness before you walk through the door.

But you don’t.

Getting fit is the reason you start CrossFit. It’s not the entry requirement.

You’re not expected to keep up with anyone

One of the biggest misconceptions about CrossFit is that everyone walks into class and does exactly the same workout, with the same weights and movements.

That’s not how a well-coached CrossFit class works.

The workout might be written on the board for everyone, but how each person does it can be completely different.

A movement can be changed, The weight can be reduced, The number of reps can be adjusted, The distance can be shortened, The difficulty can be scaled up or down.

The goal is to find the version of the workout that is right for you today.

That means someone who's been training for six years can be doing the same class as someone who's been training for six days — and both can get a great workout.

What does “scaling” actually mean?

Scaling is simply adjusting a workout to suit your current ability.

If the workout has pull-ups and you can't do a pull-up yet, we'll give you another pulling movement.

If the prescribed barbell weight is too heavy, we'll make it lighter.

If running isn't suitable for you, we might use a bike or rower instead.

And if you're coming back to exercise after years away, we're not expecting you to train at the same intensity as someone who's been consistently training for years.

That's where coaching comes in.

A good coach isn't there just to start the clock and yell encouragement.

They're there to help you choose the right movements, weights and level of intensity so you're challenged without being completely out of your depth.

“But I'm really unfit…”

Good.

Well, maybe good isn’t quite the right word 😁 but it certainly doesn’t mean you can’t start.

We've coached plenty of people who hadn't exercised properly in years.

People who were worried about being the least fit person in the room.

People who weren't confident lifting weights.

People who needed to stop and catch their breath more often than everyone else.

People who thought CrossFit probably wasn't for someone like them.

The important thing is that you start from where you are.

You don't need to prove anything on your first day, nobody is expecting you to break records.

The first few weeks are about learning how things work, getting comfortable with the movements and gradually building your fitness.

Trying to “get fit first” usually just delays things

Here's the other problem with waiting until you're fit enough.

What exactly counts as fit enough?

Do you need to be able to run 5km?

Do 10 push-ups?

Lose 10kg?

Train at another gym for three months?

There's no magic fitness level where suddenly you're ready for CrossFit.

And if you've struggled to get into a consistent exercise routine already, telling yourself you'll spend the next few months getting fit on your own probably isn't solving the problem.

For a lot of people, the structure is exactly what they've been missing.

You have a class time, there's a workout already planned and there's a coach there to help you.

You don't need to work out what exercises to do or wander around a gym wondering if you're doing them properly.

You just have to turn up.

What if everyone else is fitter than me?

Some people will be, some won't.

But they're also usually far less interested in what you're doing than you imagine.

Most people are too busy getting through their own workout and everyone who has trained at CrossFit Prolific for years was a beginner once.

That's a big part of the community we've built here in Merewether.

You'll find people with different backgrounds, ages, fitness levels and goals all training alongside each other.

Some want to get stronger, others want to lose weight.

Some want to improve their fitness, others used to play sport and want to feel athletic again.

Plenty simply want to stay healthy, have some fun and be able to keep up with their kids.

You don't need the same goal or the same ability to train together.

So, should I get fit before starting CrossFit?

No.

If anything, that's doing it backwards.

Start at the fitness level you're at now.

We'll help with the rest.

At CrossFit Prolific, we've been coaching people from around Newcastle for close to a decade, and you absolutely don't need CrossFit experience or a certain level of fitness to get started.

You just need to start.