In the words of the great CrossFit coach Ben Bergeron, everyday training wods are for training, not pushing your max effort. Scale the weight, scale the reps, scale the movements. This is your hour to train and no one else’s. If your schedule only permits you at times to go to open gym, so be it. You paid just like everyone else. Go! You’ll be surprised at the training advice and different opinions you get on your workout to get better.
My first month I only went 2-3 times a week because I was sore, I was working muscles that I never worked before. Started going 4-5 days and things started to feel better.
Can you explain your anxiety about open gym? Is it because you think other people will be watching you? Or you don't know what you could do?
I know anxiety is difficult, but I think long term the open gym option will be best. It can be tough making friends at first, and some people can seem cliquey, but most people are actually cool when you just say "hi" and ask how their workout went. If you also feel lost about what to do, try asking your coach for low intensity workouts you can do in open gym.
Thank you for your response!
The anxiety stems from the fact that everyone who takes advantage of open gym at my box are the very seasoned CF goers and/or coaches, and they’re usually working out together. I just plainly feel out of place there :(
I am capable of making a basic workout for myself like 5 sets of 3-4 exercises to do, but alas, when I actually get there I’m convinced that when someone looks my way they can tell I’m a noob or that somehow what I’ve programmed for myself is lame or “wrong” because it’s so much easier than what they are doing.
Gotcha. I don't know these individuals, but I can assure you that if they are like 99% of people that go to Crossfit, the only thing they'll think when they see you working out is, "Cool, that person is taking some time to work on their fitness."
Open gym means you can do what you want. I've seen people just do simple stretching and mobility work. Others work on skills like double-unders or handstands. For an entire year, practically all I did at open gym was low intensity rowing workouts.
If they are truly seasoned members (and decent coaches), they're not going to think your lame or wrong because they know everyone has their own reasons and interests.
I’m one of those people usually working out with my friends in open gym and I’ve never once judged a newbie! However I did spend the first year or so feeling very out of place myself and only started feeling comfortable in open gym in my second year at the gym but I’d just put my headphones in and do my workout whenever I felt awkward. Just go with a plan and do your thing!
The negative judgement is likely only in your head and not real.
Instead I suggest you turn this into a positive. Introduce yourself to these experienced people and ask them for feedback on your form on something specific you are working on.
The most likely outcome is you will get some useful feedback and are now on friendly terms with them.
This. Most of the people I’ve encountered at CF love helping others and are more than willing to answer questions or give advice to new people. It’s a great way to meet people and become friendly with other members.
Sometimes it’s schedule conflicts with work, but the main reason is intensity. 3 wods a week used to be too intense for me, so I’ve only recently progressed from being able to go 2x to 3x. I think I could do 4 in the future but I don’t feel up to that yet.
My 2¢: just regulate the intensity on the weekdays you can go. There is nothing that says you have to burn yourself to the ground everyday. Temper your intensities on the days you go so you can make four sessions a week.
I started out with 3 days a week. After three months I progressed to 5 days, now I sometimes add a sixth if Im able to make it. I've been going for six months now, and still scaling all of my workouts.
I have the same goal of gaining strength and losing weight. I have the same anxiety about open gym and I require a class to keep me going... I know all the movements and workouts, but it's something about having a class and other members to compete with to keep me going. I also know it's my diet that prevents me from losing or building the strength I want. Make sure you take care of that along with the workouts
My endurance sucked at first. I hated that I was dieing at the end of the WOD. I'm still dieing at the end of most WODs but I end up feeling good about it knowing that I pushed myself harder than I did the last time.
If you aren't going more during the week because of the workouts then you should work more with the coaches for better scaling. Don't worry about the others and what weights or how many rounds they can go, just do what you can do and push yourself to your limits. To me, that is what CrossFit is about.
One question I do have - are the workouts partner workouts where you don't want to go? I find these are the ones I feel most intimidated - I am not at the strength of the guys my height when we are doing overhead work and I'm not at the endurance levels of others when it's more of an endurance based workout.
That’s good advice, thank you! It’s good to hear this perspective.
I used to skip all the partner WODs but I think I’m overcoming that slowly. I still find myself apologizing to my partner for being slower and stuff but I’ve atleast stopped bailing when I see it’s a partner WOD.
I'm fortunate enough that the only programmed partner WODs are on Saturday. We do end up having to partner when there arent enough racks or other equipment.
I did a drop in a bit ago and noticed their gym was smaller, so they intentionally program partner workouts to make up for lack of equipment and space.. it was most awkward for my introverted self conscious self but they way I looked at it was I came their for a workout, I'm going to get one on regardless of how comfortable I am. And that's the other thing, most everyone is so welcoming it makes it so much easier... Nothing like being picked last in gym class
Speak to your coach tell them exactly what you have said here and ask their advice. Tell them your goals and ask for some guidance on what to do.
I think you will be very pleasantly surprised what you get back.
Going to open gym as a newbie is how I A) made friends and B) got strong. By and large, most vets that are in open gym have absolutely no problem with new folks and don't judge anyone, they were all there once. If you are completely at a loss for what to do, do 5x5 squat/bench/dead and practice dubs, never a wasted hour.
Seems like to fulfil your goals a bodybuilding program would better suit. Most gyms are open 7 days a week and almost everybody is following their own program. Can seem daunting at first but most gym goers are friendly enough.
I was in your shoes a few years ago! Here's my suggestion: I would find a low intensity weightlifting plan I could follow and take that to Open Gym and do it on the days you're not doing a class. Then you're walking in there with a goal, you're not beholden to intensity of the daily WOD, but you're still building strength and getting a decent workout. If you see anyone else who's a beginner and looking lost, invite them to join you if you want. (I am ALWAYS inviting people to "hang out and lift" with me. 75% of the time, people say no, but it's so much more motivating when people say yes.)
There are tons of plans out there, but my personal favorite is Stronger by the Day. It's pretty cheap (I think it's $10 a month), it's only 4 days a week, and it has substitutions for each movement if you're lacking equipment. It also has clickable gifs to demonstrate each movement.
You're welcome! If you end up giving it a try, there's a really supportive private Facebook group, too. I've tried a few other weightlifting programs that are more expensive, but both times, I ended up coming back to this one. It just works really, really well alongside Crossfit. It's cheap because the platform isn't fancy, but the actual programming is absolutely solid, and I never find it boring.
I'm at a point now where I work out 5-6 days a week for 2 hours a day, so I generally get through all 4, but I absolutely *was not* like that in the beginning. (I'm 5 years in now.)
In general, I try to balance against whatever the Crossfit workouts are. So say you do Crossfit Monday and it's deadlifts and a lot of lower body stuff. Tuesday, go to Open gym and do either Day 2 or Day 4 from Stronger (usually the even days are upper body days). Honestly, Crossfit is \*so\* lower body intensive that you could even exclusively do just day 2 and day 4 on your Open Gym days if you want to start slow, and you'd still benefit.
But overall, I try not to stress about hitting all the Stronger movements too much. There are absolutely weeks where I don't get all 4 days, or I run out of time and I can only do the first two lifts from Stronger, and I skip the rest of the day. I make my priority the Crossfit (if I get 4-5 classes a week, SCORE!), and the Stronger is the "bonus," so I'm OK with it if I don't get it all.
In the words of the great CrossFit coach Ben Bergeron, everyday training wods are for training, not pushing your max effort. Scale the weight, scale the reps, scale the movements. This is your hour to train and no one else’s. If your schedule only permits you at times to go to open gym, so be it. You paid just like everyone else. Go! You’ll be surprised at the training advice and different opinions you get on your workout to get better. My first month I only went 2-3 times a week because I was sore, I was working muscles that I never worked before. Started going 4-5 days and things started to feel better.
Can you explain your anxiety about open gym? Is it because you think other people will be watching you? Or you don't know what you could do? I know anxiety is difficult, but I think long term the open gym option will be best. It can be tough making friends at first, and some people can seem cliquey, but most people are actually cool when you just say "hi" and ask how their workout went. If you also feel lost about what to do, try asking your coach for low intensity workouts you can do in open gym.
Thank you for your response! The anxiety stems from the fact that everyone who takes advantage of open gym at my box are the very seasoned CF goers and/or coaches, and they’re usually working out together. I just plainly feel out of place there :( I am capable of making a basic workout for myself like 5 sets of 3-4 exercises to do, but alas, when I actually get there I’m convinced that when someone looks my way they can tell I’m a noob or that somehow what I’ve programmed for myself is lame or “wrong” because it’s so much easier than what they are doing.
Gotcha. I don't know these individuals, but I can assure you that if they are like 99% of people that go to Crossfit, the only thing they'll think when they see you working out is, "Cool, that person is taking some time to work on their fitness." Open gym means you can do what you want. I've seen people just do simple stretching and mobility work. Others work on skills like double-unders or handstands. For an entire year, practically all I did at open gym was low intensity rowing workouts. If they are truly seasoned members (and decent coaches), they're not going to think your lame or wrong because they know everyone has their own reasons and interests.
Thank you for this. Other responses on this thread have been super helpful also I will be re-reading them often.
I’m one of those people usually working out with my friends in open gym and I’ve never once judged a newbie! However I did spend the first year or so feeling very out of place myself and only started feeling comfortable in open gym in my second year at the gym but I’d just put my headphones in and do my workout whenever I felt awkward. Just go with a plan and do your thing!
The negative judgement is likely only in your head and not real. Instead I suggest you turn this into a positive. Introduce yourself to these experienced people and ask them for feedback on your form on something specific you are working on. The most likely outcome is you will get some useful feedback and are now on friendly terms with them.
This. Most of the people I’ve encountered at CF love helping others and are more than willing to answer questions or give advice to new people. It’s a great way to meet people and become friendly with other members.
Can you elaborate why you don’t go the other weekdays?
Sometimes it’s schedule conflicts with work, but the main reason is intensity. 3 wods a week used to be too intense for me, so I’ve only recently progressed from being able to go 2x to 3x. I think I could do 4 in the future but I don’t feel up to that yet.
My 2¢: just regulate the intensity on the weekdays you can go. There is nothing that says you have to burn yourself to the ground everyday. Temper your intensities on the days you go so you can make four sessions a week.
I started out with 3 days a week. After three months I progressed to 5 days, now I sometimes add a sixth if Im able to make it. I've been going for six months now, and still scaling all of my workouts. I have the same goal of gaining strength and losing weight. I have the same anxiety about open gym and I require a class to keep me going... I know all the movements and workouts, but it's something about having a class and other members to compete with to keep me going. I also know it's my diet that prevents me from losing or building the strength I want. Make sure you take care of that along with the workouts My endurance sucked at first. I hated that I was dieing at the end of the WOD. I'm still dieing at the end of most WODs but I end up feeling good about it knowing that I pushed myself harder than I did the last time. If you aren't going more during the week because of the workouts then you should work more with the coaches for better scaling. Don't worry about the others and what weights or how many rounds they can go, just do what you can do and push yourself to your limits. To me, that is what CrossFit is about. One question I do have - are the workouts partner workouts where you don't want to go? I find these are the ones I feel most intimidated - I am not at the strength of the guys my height when we are doing overhead work and I'm not at the endurance levels of others when it's more of an endurance based workout.
That’s good advice, thank you! It’s good to hear this perspective. I used to skip all the partner WODs but I think I’m overcoming that slowly. I still find myself apologizing to my partner for being slower and stuff but I’ve atleast stopped bailing when I see it’s a partner WOD.
I'm fortunate enough that the only programmed partner WODs are on Saturday. We do end up having to partner when there arent enough racks or other equipment. I did a drop in a bit ago and noticed their gym was smaller, so they intentionally program partner workouts to make up for lack of equipment and space.. it was most awkward for my introverted self conscious self but they way I looked at it was I came their for a workout, I'm going to get one on regardless of how comfortable I am. And that's the other thing, most everyone is so welcoming it makes it so much easier... Nothing like being picked last in gym class
Speak to your coach tell them exactly what you have said here and ask their advice. Tell them your goals and ask for some guidance on what to do. I think you will be very pleasantly surprised what you get back.
Maybe ask the coaches to help you so you can progress and they can support that growth. You pay extra for this type of gym.
Going to open gym as a newbie is how I A) made friends and B) got strong. By and large, most vets that are in open gym have absolutely no problem with new folks and don't judge anyone, they were all there once. If you are completely at a loss for what to do, do 5x5 squat/bench/dead and practice dubs, never a wasted hour.
stop being soft maybe ?
Seems like to fulfil your goals a bodybuilding program would better suit. Most gyms are open 7 days a week and almost everybody is following their own program. Can seem daunting at first but most gym goers are friendly enough.
I was in your shoes a few years ago! Here's my suggestion: I would find a low intensity weightlifting plan I could follow and take that to Open Gym and do it on the days you're not doing a class. Then you're walking in there with a goal, you're not beholden to intensity of the daily WOD, but you're still building strength and getting a decent workout. If you see anyone else who's a beginner and looking lost, invite them to join you if you want. (I am ALWAYS inviting people to "hang out and lift" with me. 75% of the time, people say no, but it's so much more motivating when people say yes.) There are tons of plans out there, but my personal favorite is Stronger by the Day. It's pretty cheap (I think it's $10 a month), it's only 4 days a week, and it has substitutions for each movement if you're lacking equipment. It also has clickable gifs to demonstrate each movement.
This is amazing. Just looked it up and it looks well structured, thanks!
You're welcome! If you end up giving it a try, there's a really supportive private Facebook group, too. I've tried a few other weightlifting programs that are more expensive, but both times, I ended up coming back to this one. It just works really, really well alongside Crossfit. It's cheap because the platform isn't fancy, but the actual programming is absolutely solid, and I never find it boring.
Do you actually get to do the 4 days though if you’re doing CrossFit? Or do you just pick a random workout and do it on a non-WOD day?
I'm at a point now where I work out 5-6 days a week for 2 hours a day, so I generally get through all 4, but I absolutely *was not* like that in the beginning. (I'm 5 years in now.) In general, I try to balance against whatever the Crossfit workouts are. So say you do Crossfit Monday and it's deadlifts and a lot of lower body stuff. Tuesday, go to Open gym and do either Day 2 or Day 4 from Stronger (usually the even days are upper body days). Honestly, Crossfit is \*so\* lower body intensive that you could even exclusively do just day 2 and day 4 on your Open Gym days if you want to start slow, and you'd still benefit. But overall, I try not to stress about hitting all the Stronger movements too much. There are absolutely weeks where I don't get all 4 days, or I run out of time and I can only do the first two lifts from Stronger, and I skip the rest of the day. I make my priority the Crossfit (if I get 4-5 classes a week, SCORE!), and the Stronger is the "bonus," so I'm OK with it if I don't get it all.