Walking into a gym for the first time can be intimidating.
Especially when you feel like everyone else knows what they are doing and you don’t.
You might look around and think:
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Am I going to look stupid?”
“What if I can’t do what everyone else is doing?”
“Am I even fit enough to be here?”
I understand why people feel this way.
For a lot of people, the hardest part of getting healthier isn’t actually the workout.
It’s getting through the front door.
You Don’t Have to Know What You’re Doing
One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that people think they need to know how to work out before they join a gym.
You don’t.
That’s literally what you’re paying a coach to help you with.
You don’t need to know how to structure your workouts. You don’t need to know what exercises you should be doing. You don’t need to know how much weight to use.
You just need to be willing to learn.
A good coach should be able to take where you are right now and help you figure out what comes next.
You Don’t Have to Keep Up With Everyone Else
This is another big one.
Your workout should be YOUR workout.
Maybe you’ve worked out for years.
Maybe you haven’t exercised in 10 years.
Maybe you’re strong but have limited mobility.
Maybe you’re brand new and have no idea what you’re doing.
Those people shouldn’t all be doing the exact same thing.
That’s where modifications come in.
At CrossFit Alabaster, we can change:
•The weight
•The number of repetitions
•The movement
•The range of motion
•The intensity
•The amount of rest
•The overall workout
The goal isn’t to make everyone do the same thing.
The goal is to help everyone get a workout that is appropriate for them.
What Should You Expect When You Walk Through Our Doors?
This is one of the reasons we have a No Sweat Intro.
We don’t expect you to walk in and immediately jump into a workout.
We want to sit down and get to know you.
We’ll talk about:
•Where you are right now
•What you want to accomplish
•What you’ve tried in the past
•What your schedule looks like
•What your biggest challenges are
•What you want your health and fitness to look like
Then we can figure out a plan.
Because the right plan for a 35-year-old parent working 50 hours a week may look completely different than the right plan for a 25-year-old single person with a wide-open schedule.
And that’s okay.
You Don’t Have to Be “Fit Enough” to Start
This might be the biggest thing I want people to understand.
You don’t have to get in shape before you start working out.
You don’t need to lose weight first.
You don’t need to build up your cardio first.
You don’t need to practice CrossFit at home before coming to a CrossFit gym.
You don’t need to feel confident.
You just need to start where you are.
That’s our job as coaches.
To meet you where you are, help you understand what you’re doing, make adjustments when necessary, and help you build confidence along the way.
The Gym Should Be the Place That Helps You
Starting something new is always uncomfortable.
But the gym shouldn’t make that harder than it already is.
You shouldn’t walk through the doors and feel like you have something to prove.
You shouldn’t feel embarrassed because you can’t do something yet.
You shouldn’t feel like everyone is judging you.
You should feel like you have a place to learn, improve, and become healthier.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what this is all about.
Not being the strongest person in the room.
Not lifting the most weight.
Not looking like the person next to you.
It’s about becoming a healthier version of yourself.
So if you’ve been thinking about starting but have been intimidated by the idea of walking into a gym, remember this:
You don’t have to have it all figured out before you start.
That’s what we’re here for.
The gym shouldn’t be the hardest part.
