The Five Stages of CrossFit

CrossFit is a movement based on complete body health and fitness. In CrossFit, diet, strength training and cardio come together to get you fit for the demands of life. Everyone has to get started somewhere in CrossFit, but unlike martial arts, there are no belts. CrossFit trainers have devised a classification system to help people understand where they are in within the CrossFit community.

  1. Pre-CrossFit

    • According to Traver Boehm, owner of CrossFit Pacific Coast, those in the Pre-CrossFit stage will be exploring exercise but still not leaving their comfort zone. They will also not be concerned with nutrition. Boehm’s advice for people in this stage is to start asking critical questions about your fitness, health and workouts. He also recommends checking out a CrossFit gym.

    Infancy

    • In the infancy stage you’ve joined a CrossFit gym, however you’re still terrified of working out. At this stage, and at every following stage, form is way more important than strength. To prevent injuries, concentrate on form first. This is also a great time to get acquainted with the CrossFit nomenclature, as this program essentially has its own language. Your team is everything in CrossFit, get to know them and they will help you get through the hardest workouts, on top of motivating you to make it to the gym in the first place.

    Adolescent Growth Spurt

    • During this stage CrossFit starts becoming very enjoyable. You’re still getting sore from workouts but much less than when you just started. It’s at this point that you start to feel integrated into the CrossFit culture and have difficulty having a conversation that doesn’t revolve around fitness and diet. The weights that you’re using for various exercises will increase rapidly during this phase.

    Adulthood

    • At this stage, you’ve understood the workout strategy and you know when to push harder and when to take it easy. At this stage, Boehm recommends to become aware of your weak areas and work on improving them. It’s also the time to start giving back to the CrossFit community by helping out those who are just starting out. You’ve developed a lot of knowledge and know what works for you; share that with others.

    Mastery

    • Mastery is less a stage to achieve as it is a process of continued learning. There’s always more to improve, and at this stage you'll start to recognize the intricate details of CrossFit. At this point, you’ve learned the techniques long ago and you’re now expressing them based on your own physicality.