Hi friends,
It’s officially been a year and a half since I immersed myself in the CrossFit world. From the start of this CrossFit journey until now, I’ve learned so much about myself and what I’m capable of—and it all started with a drop-in class in August 2023.
My Fitness Journey
However, before I tell you the full story of my year in CrossFit, I need to start with the fitness journey that got me here. My fitness background all started with swimming: I had been in and out of competitive swimming for about 10 years. I had learned to swim in primary school and the sport just followed me for the remainder of my high school days into university. I was never the best swimmer but kept at it because of routine and the personal fulfillment it brought me. However, after quitting the sport for good in 2022, I felt lost. I sought out anything that would give me the same level of exhaustion and feeling of fulfillment I got after I worked really hard in practice or hit a PB in a swim meet.
At the time I was an avid consumer of all things Natasha Oceane and aspired to have her fitness level for myself. So, the only way I saw this possible was through her fitness training programs. I had purchased MOVE, which was her functional fitness program that had lots of athletic components that, looking back on now, were very similar to CrossFit. I was doing all of her workouts in a local commercial gym, however, without realizing it, I was missing the element of community and competition that I received from competitive swimming. So yes, Natacha’s program was challenging and I did see results, but something never felt quite right. I often felt unmotivated in the gym and wasn’t pushing myself to my full capacity.
How I Discovered CrossFit
In August 2023 I went to Happy Hour Crossfit here in Nassau Bahamas for a drop in class. It was a planned friend hangout that I agreed to join. At this time, my fitness life still consisted of following Natacha’s programming at my local commercial gym. Although I can’t remember the exact workout, I most certainly remember how I felt afterward. I was absolutely exhausted! For the first time since competitive swimming, I felt such a level of accomplishment because I did something hard, and survived. And I wanted to do it again! Not long after that I reach back out to the gym and sign up for a membership. The first month was absolutely atrocious. I was sore every single day, but I just kept coming back and challenging myself. You’ll notice that that’s a theme of mine in life, I love to do what challenges me.
But, what truly made me keep coming back was that community aspect. I mentioned earlier that without realizing it, I was missing the community element of competitive swimming. In CrossFit, you meet so many amazing people who constantly push you to be the best version of yourself. You show up every day and feel so motivated to do these hard things because they are also there doing these hard things alongside you. And let me not get started on the competition element! I love some good competition and CrossFit provides that. I saw this quote recently that stated that “CrossFit is where retired athletes go to die”. And honestly, I understand why. It has all the elements a former athlete has been craving: competition, community, and challenge.
My Growth Over My First Year
The biggest area I’ve seen the most growth has been my mindset. I have always been someone who I believe is not afraid of a challenge, but being in CrossFit has elevated this for me. I said this in a previous blog post but CrossFit has given me so much confidence. I have overcome so much self-doubt and have been able to place so much stock in my own abilities. And this confidence has far exceeded the walls of the gym. I have been able to start my own business and take on big personal challenges. With the CrossFit workout usually being the hardest part of my day every other obstacle seems very simple and attainable. I have definitely learned resilience and overcoming all self-doubt.
My body has also seen a big change. I was never someone who worked out for aesthetic benefits, however, it would be wrong to negate the physical transformation my body has seen since starting CrossFit. I have lost lots of body fat and placed on a whole lot of muscle. Not only that I realized just how strong I was. In my first year, my one rep bench press was at 135lb, one rep squat at 205 lbs., and one rep deadlift at 265 lbs. It is absolutely insane to me that I was able to achieve so much strength in such a short amount of time. Being around a community of people who have very similar goals and life visions really pushes you. For the first time, I started to track my macros and focused on fueling for performance.
The Community Aspect
I have to talk about the community aspect of CrossFit at least one more time. Mainly because this was so impactful for me. I have met some of the most amazing people on this journey. Being a community is the main reason I couldn’t stop going. There’s nothing like waking up every day excited to go to the gym and see your friends. I truly believe that the only reason I’m able to do any of these tough workouts is because of the community at Happy Hour CrossFit. Trust me, there is a major difference between doing these workouts by yourself vs. with others who are also in the trenches with you.
Closing Thoughts & My Tips For Beginners!
Consistency is absolutely key! With anything in life, the secret to long-term and sustainable growth is consistency. I have definitely seen this play out as I’ve journeyed through this first year of CrossFit. I’ve only been able to see the results that I have through consistency, showing up every week, and putting in the effort to learn new skills and challenge myself has all built onto one another. If you’re considering starting CrossFit I would say to just go for it! Most gyms have a drop-in feature where you can try out a class. Give it a go and see where it takes you. And if you’re completely new to the sport don’t compare yourself to others! You are on your own journey and that should be celebrated and cherished. Focus on honing your skills and form and you’ll be amazing!
In the short year that I’ve been there, CrossFit has most certainly impacted my life for the better. I am more than happy to continue to share this journey with you as I grow in the sport that has already taught me so much. To keep with my journey in real time feel free to follow me on Instagram! If you have any questions about CrossFit feel free to drop them in the comments, I’d be more than happy to answer them for you.
Much love,
Alexa
