The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Crossfitters
1. Be Proactive – Take responsibility for your life
Some things are not within your control but take control of those
that are. Doing Crossfit on a regular basis requires guts,
determination and a commitment. It is also an investment in your
well-being, which transfers outside of the gym. Turn up, push yourself
and be positive.
2. Begin with the end in Mind – Define your mission and goals
Everyone who does Crossfit has strength and weaknesses, some more so
than others. Whilst it is great to nurture your strengths, the greatest
gains often come from addressing your weaknesses. This is one of the
major benefits of Crossfit over a traditional gym. The WoDs are
prescribed and scalable, so unless you ‘WoD pick’, you get an all round
experience. Set yourself a challenge and work for it.
3. Put First things First – Prioritise and do the most important things first
Get the balance right. It is easy to become obsessed with Crossfit
but it needs a balance against other activities – particularly if you
have a family. Don’t be in a rush to attend every session and do listen
to your body. A good diet, adequate rest and sleep are crucial to
continuing to make gains.
4. Think Win-Win – Have an everyone can win attitude
Perhaps the greatest shock to someone who attends Crossfit is that it
is often the person who finishes last who gets the most cheers. The
people you train with quickly become friends. Egos are rare and the
encouragement you give to others is readily reciprocated. The only time
you have to beat is your last time.
5. Seek first to understand, then to be understood
The coaching staff have a complex role to undertake – to teach, to
encourage, to push and to support. The coaching aspect at Crossfit is
one of its greatest attributes. The ‘syllabus’ is extensive so it helps
to listen, to trust and to persevere. It takes years of practise to
achieve competency, so don’t try and coach but give advice when needed –
such as when someone is doing something which may be harmful.
6. Synergise – Work together to achieve more
Partner workouts are an opportunity to work together and plays to
each other’s strengths. Team WoDs and competitions take this further.
Take opportunities to socialise and do some extra events – like
workshops. These are often the most fun.
7. Sharpen the Saw – Renew yourself regularly
There are always improvements to be made, so it is important to
review your techniques and movements on a regular basis. The ‘tekkers’
sessions assist this, drilling good form and allowing the more
experienced Crossfitter the opportunity to fine tune their techniques.
There are always more efficient ways to do things and the opportunities
to learn are always there.
NB – I don’t profess to being an effective Crossfitter but I thought
it would be useful to articulate the Seven Habits as suggested by Sean
Covey (and his late father, Stephen Covey) with a Crossfit bias, as a
reminder of what I feel I should be doing.
Their books expand on the Seven Habits and I would recommend them, especially the Teenager book by Sean Covey.
Source http://kfullwood.wordpress.com
