You look across the gym floor and see “Bill” lifting X weight and say to yourself, “I’m like Bill, I can lift that!” You don’t realize Bill has been at the gym for 4 years.⠀
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The next thing you know, you’ve got X weight on your bar and you’re struggling to maintain form; overall mechanics decrease, your focus shifts from quality to simply “getting the weight up”, and your workout and training has now shifted into more of a competition.⠀
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⚠Avoid this trap!⚠
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When starting out and in the first 12 months in the gym, you are in a highly cognitive phase of training and improvement. Your PR’s are mostly due to neurological changes, for example. You’re learning!⠀
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CrossFit brings a ton of new information; movements, skills and patterns that you simply haven’t been doing before – but are essential to overall longevity and quality of life.⠀
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🙌🏻Squats⠀
🙌🏻Presses⠀
🙌🏻Pulls⠀
🙌🏻Bending⠀
🙌🏻Endurance⠀
🙌🏻Balance⠀
🙌🏻Coordination⠀
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As we start to understand all the information by attending each class moving through the weeks, we continue moving and improve at a rapid rate.⠀
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During this phase, it’s important not to blunt your progress with too much weight or loading. Give your mind and body a chance to learn WITHOUT the struggle of excessive weight.⠀
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Instead, focus on quality. Learn. Practice. Move.⠀
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The weight will come. And you will have built a solid base to lift that weight safely, effectively and with intensity. THIS is when the rewards of your efforts show!⠀
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✅Long-term health and fitness⠀
✅Body composition goals⠀
✅Sport-specific rewards i.e. marathons, etc…⠀
✅Feeling amazing!⠀
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Takeaways:⠀
🌟Start light with the weight and progress slowly⠀
🌟Reduce reps or rounds volume to keep up the intensity⠀
🌟Focus on movement quality⠀
🌟Err on the side of “too easy” (I know this is hard because we want to push!)⠀
🌟Impress with how awesome you can make the movements look⠀
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Build yourself the right way – start slowly, create solid habits and movement patterns and you’ll put yourself on a track toward long-term, sustainable health!
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And if you’re looking for help along the way don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re always here to help dial in your goals and re-define your plan of attack!
