You’ve found yourself the perfect CrossFit gym and a great CrossFit trainer. But what are you doing to avoid the lifting mistakes you see around you every day at the gym?
CrossFit is taking the fitness world by storm. And so are these mistakes.
Unfortunately, if done improperly, CrossFit can lead to knee injuries, back injuries, other problems and even costly lawsuits. While the extreme nature of the program is perfect for fitness fanatics it can be intimidating for beginners who are trying to learn what to avoid.
“It can kill you,” CrossFit co-founder Greg Glassman told the New York Times in 2005. “I’ve always been completely honest about that.”
But there’s no better way to bulk up fast, cut calories, and get ripped.
Plus, we love doing CrossFit. We can’t get enough of it!
In 15 short years, CrossFit has become the largest gym chain in history.
CrossFit enthusiasts are easy to spot due to their commitment to fitness and their love for the techniques. Some of us strive to be in better shape and accomplish more simply because of their example.
So let’s do it right! Overcoming lifting mistakes will allow you to avoid embarrassment, injury, and downtime in your exercise regimen.
Let’s find out what the 8 worst lifting mistakes you can make in CrossFit are.
Here goes:
1. You’re Going Too Fast!
Slow down.
We love your enthusiasm but pace yourself. Going from zero to 100 miles an hour when starting CrossFit is a recipe for disaster.
The pros know that you need to build a base and work to steadily increase reps and weight. Remember, we are in this for the long haul.
Most importantly, if you go too fast too soon you are risking injury, embarrassment, and disappointment.
Plus, studies show that a fitness program is much more likely to stick long term when people steadily incorporate simple, sustainable activities into their lifestyles
You may need to slow down on those reps too. Going too fast leads to lifting mistakes.
Bad form is a major mistake newcomers and long-timers alike can make in CrossFit.
2. Bad Form
We all have been guilty of this one. You’re so excited to squeeze out a few more reps that your form suffers.
Unfortunately with CrossFit and the heavy weights and power-lifting aspects of the sport, skimping on form can be dangerous.
Remember those horror stories about CrossFit injuries? These were people who could not perform the exercises with proper form.
Relax, and easy does it when it comes to form. Plus, the gains you are looking for only come when doing the exercises properly.
Speaking of relaxing. How’s your sleep?
3. You’re Not Getting Enough Sleep
Sometimes new CrossFit enthusiasts are so pumped with adrenaline and fired up for their next workout they neglect one of the most important aspects of training: Getting proper sleep.
With all that work, and all that your body needs to do to rebuild muscle and repair, getting proper zzz’s is more important than ever when performing CrossFit.
Follow these tips for better sleep and you’ll be dreaming of power reps in no time.
-Use the bedroom for only sleep (okay and sex too)
-Watch your caffeine intake
-Remove distracting devices (like computers and smartphones) from your bedroom
-Create a great sleep environment. Sleep experts agree that cool, dry, and dark works best
What also works best for CrossFit is taking time between workouts.
4. Overtraining
It’s true. You can have too much of a good thing.
We love CrossFit so much that many of us want to be in the gym all the time. We either go too often or spend hours upon hours on our new workout routines in single sessions.
Spacing out work done to each body part, and incorporating rest will help your overall progress. Spending too much time just slows your gains.
Another enemy to your gains is failing to pay attention to your fuel.
5. Bad Nutrition Leads to Lifting Mistakes
One of the biggest mistakes a new CrossFit enthusiast can make is skimping on nutrition. You’re getting in the best shape of your life and performing feats of strength you barely would have believed just a few short weeks ago.
But your body can’t keep up unless you supply it with proper nutrition.
The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition advises how important nutrition is for every athlete:
“By taking steps to eat healthy, you’ll be on your way to getting the nutrients your body needs to stay healthy, active, and strong.”
Remember, you’re going to need to wash all that healthy food down too if you want to avoid lifting mistakes.
6. You’re Not Staying Hydrated
Drinking plenty of water before, during, and after your workout is essential for hitting the fitness goals you started CrossFit to reach. And you need plenty of water to keep safe when doing this extreme sports regiment.
Pro Tip: Drink water even when you’re not thirsty.
You shouldn’t lose more than 2 percent of body weight in fluid during any exercise session or your performance will decrease.
You can weigh yourself before and after each workout just to check your progress.
Speaking of before each workout. How’s your warm up?
7. Skipping Warm Up
A warm-up and cool-down may add a few minutes to your exercise routine, but they also might reduce stress on your heart and other muscles.
We get so worked up to start, many of us skip warmup. This makes our bodies more prone to injury, and less able to hit top performance.
Take some time to stretch and get the blood flowing before each session while tying your shoes and getting ready.
Shoes? You mean the ratty old sneakers I’ve been lugging around all year?
8. You Have the Wrong Gear
You need good gear.
This is true for every fitness regimen but even more so with CrossFit. Without the proper gear paired to your skill level and physical needs you’re risking injury and improper form.
For instance, too many athletes bring their super cushioned running shoes to the gym when doing CrossFit. You need a different shoe that can handle the lifting, running, climbing and jumping that a typical CrossFit workout contains. One of our favourite shoes here at Best CrossFit shoes is the Reebok Crossfit Nano. Some top-quality CrossFit shoes at a very reasonable price. And the best part is that Reebok takes customer reviews seriously and keeps putting out new and improved versions.
While there are a number of options in gloves, attire, and equipment, taking care of your sneaker selection especially will help with stability and performance when doing your regular CrossFit workout.
Got it? Perfect, then it’s time to gear up. Of course, you’ll also want to consider a weight belt.
No more mistakes! Check out our great gear reviews to make the perfect selections.
Have your Say about Weightlifting Mistakes
What are your thoughts about these lifting mistakes people make during CrossFit? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.
Also be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other lifting enthusiasts, like yourself find this useful resource.
Anne Calderson
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I can see that I also do some of this mistakes, such as lifting too fast! Do you have any tips on how to improve that, Jackie?