I remember the first time I walked into a CrossFit gym—my genuine first reaction was, “What the fuck!” People were flying around on rings and bars, jumping over things, and throwing heavy weights over their heads. I wanted to do all of it, but I had no idea of the process that lay ahead.
This gave me the idea of mapping out my timeline so you can have a better idea of what to expect in yours. Lets delve in shall we.
I wasn’t a natural, so most things felt pretty alien. I couldn’t squat to parallel, I couldn’t hold a bar overhead in a snatch, and my kipping technique was hilarious. But that’s how it is for 99% of people who start CrossFit. Every rep feels different for different reasons, but you just have to keep getting reps in. Slowly, things start to feel more consistent, and you begin connecting the dots.
The key here? Be coachable. This is what keeps you safe as movements become heavier and more complex.
In my opinion, this is where the process actually begins. It’s like learning to drive—you’ve passed the test, but now it’s time to clock in the hard miles.
At this stage, your movement patterns are more consistent, and your intensity has progressed across the board. You’re in the vicinity of challenging movements like muscle-ups on the bar and rings, and you’re lifting heavier loads. In this period, I went from struggling to snatch 30kg to snatching 95kg—but I was heavily focused on lifting, training five days a week with a coach.
Now that you’ve built some strength and fitness, you’ll probably want to improve everything at once. But remember, you’ve only just passed your test—you need more miles on the clock before big changes happen. Stay hungry for progress but patient with the process.
A good amount of time has now passed, and meaningful differences have occurred. I’m stronger, fitter, and have most complex skills fully unlocked. I can use them under fatigue in a workout while maintaining relatively good movement standards. This is where I’ve learned to push hard in every session.
Hundreds of training hours mean hundreds of hours of experience to look back on, helping me make better choices with pacing and intensity. For you, this is the phase where your strength and fitness can take big leaps forward. You might even push into the elite realm if you’re chasing high-level competition—but that comes with big sacrifices, the biggest being time away from the things you enjoy daily.
If you’re like me—someone who loves doing cool, difficult things while socialising with like-minded people—just keep going. By now, you’ve become one with the process. You know how it works, and you simply repeat it over and over again. And the best part? You enjoy it a lot more because you trust that whatever you're chasing will arrive at some point. It’s inevitable—as long as you keep putting in the work.
Had fun writing this and taking a trip down memory lane. A lot of scrapes, bumps, and falls. A few tears battling self-doubt. Plenty of missed reps. But also, valuable friendships, personal achievements, and the realisation that I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat to be where I am now.
Thank you, CrossFit.
From me to you—I wish you the best of luck on your journey and the challenges that await.
Get after it!
