In part 1 coaches Megan, Cole, and Krista gave their top 5 tips. In part 2 coaches Jamie, Colby, and myself share our top 5.

Jamie

1. The welcoming community makes the initial experience much easier, and also helps with consistency. The other members learn your name, ask if they will see you tomorrow when leaving, ask where you have been if you have missed classes, message you about the workouts and funny names of movements, and ask you about your family or job or vacation.

2. On Ramp was super helpful since everything is a bit overwhelming at first with lots of words I didn't know and movements I had never even heard of.

3. Having a buddy to go with helped me a lot, especially in the beginning. This could be someone from the gym or someone you knew before the gym. I just know that I probably wouldn't have attended half the classes I went to if Ryan (my husband) hadn't been going with me. This person needs to be a good buddy though, not one who makes excuses and misses classes. 

4. Focusing on the reason I was doing CrossFit in the first place was helpful. If I wasn't feeling up to it that day I would tell myself to go in anyway because I wanted to lose weight and be as fit as my gym friends and Rx workouts. 

5. Remembering that it is a process and trusting it helped me and still does. Not worrying so much that my weights were a lot lighter than others and my skills were not as developed so I scaled a lot of movements. I did what I was capable of doing and worked hard so I always got a good workout no matter what. I felt great afterwards and that was what I focused on. Then I started getting better and the skills developed and the PRs began.

Colby

1. Don’t get discouraged! Everyone starts somewhere.

2. Learn as much as you can and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

3. HAVE FUN! Enjoy the journey to becoming the best version of yourself.

4. Be coachable and humble. 

5. Embrace the challenges you face as opportunities for growth and know that you have an entire community around you for support.

Berek

1. Patience
   Building overall health and fitness takes time. On the flip side of that don't rush into volume, heavy weights, and advanced skills, that is a road to burn out and injury. Take your time and build the foundation.

2. Ask for Help
   There is an entire gym community with years of experience. Use your access to that knowledge to help reach your goals. If you have a specific goal in mind ask for help. Consider getting specialized help to accelerate the process (1-1 coaching).

3. Think (Growth Mindset)
   Everyone can improve. Ability is not innate. No matter the skill, if you work hard at it you can get better.
   Don't just go through the motions think about the movements. Practice, analyze, train, breakdown movements. Think about all avenues of your life that will help you be a better more fulfilled person.

4. Consistency
   No matter what you want to improve at, if you are not consistent you will not see the results you want. For example if you want that sweet beach body you can't take the weekends off. If you want that strict pull-up you have to work your upper body strength 3 days a week instead of 3 times a month.
   Habits will help create that consistency. When you don't have to think about the thing you need to do it is easier to do. If you meal prep every Sunday it becomes a habit and becomes easier over time like brushing your teeth.

5. Strength
   Most people need strength more than conditioning. Strength helps prevent injury, prevent physical degradation, and helps you do all the things life throws at you (picking your kids off the ground, putting the kayak on the roof of the SUV, getting up and down off the floor, and staying out of the nursing home). Strength takes years to develop but will stay around longer. Conditioning, while important, can be gained quicker but is also lost quicker.

Do you have any questions or comments about our tips? Let us know. Do you have any tips of your own to share?
berek.bryan@equity.fitness

Interested in giving Equity a try? Check out how to get started.
https://www.equity.fitness/how-to-get-started/

Cheers,
Berek