What do you think of when you hear the word, “Crossfit”? Do you think, “that sounds hard” or “those people are crazy”, or “you’ll get hurt doing Crossfit”? What if I were to tell you those are all true. It is hard, most crossfitters are crazy for challenging their bodies and for pushing themselves to the absolute max, and there is a chance of getting hurt if you don’t take the time to learn proper form and body mechanics. Crossfit consists of constantly varied movements performed at a high intensity level. All crossfit workouts are based on a mixture of weightlifting, gymnastics, running, rowing, and more. Crossfit is for every age group, and all workouts can be modified to fit any fitness level or disability. Crossfit can also be extremely beneficial to any high school athlete looking for the edge on their opponent.

I started doing Crossfit the summer after freshman year at Crossfit Aggieland in hopes of making the varsity basketball team sophomore year. After a summer of hard, consistent work I made the team. I came into the school year as one of the stronger and better conditioned athletes thanks to Crossfit. My vertical increased, and I didn’t get tired on the court. I have never been the most talented player, but I was always the player willing to go the extra mile, to work the hardest and most consistent. Throughout my sophomore year, I found myself going to the 5am Crossfit class 3-4 times a week, along with having practice after school and extra work in the weight room after practice. I was focused on improving my strength and conditioning to better improve the basketball team.

I also became very involved with the powerlifting team this year as a junior. I’m the 130 pound girl who is repping 130 pounds on bench press, and is squatting and deadlifting two times my bodyweight. None of that would be possible if it weren’t for Crossfit and the trainers at the gym (commonly referred to as “the box” in the Crossfit community). I’ve overcome many injuries from basketball and a bad back injury, but I have taken advantage of the opportunities granted to me at Crossfit Aggieland to strengthen the muscles surrounding my injuries and to become healthy again, and to continue competing at my top level.

I strongly believe that as an athlete you will never reach your full potential if you do not have a strong work ethic in the classroom, field or court, or in the weightroom. I strongly believe that if you want to achieve greatness you can not slack off in any of these three places. It’s not enough to want something, you have to work for it. From belonging to a couple different sports throughout high school, I’ve noticed a common theme. Many athletes hate the weight room, actually a lot of athletes hate the weight room. Having a consistent weight routine (or a consistently varied weight routine, like crossfit) is extremely beneficial in athletics. Workouts in the weight room make the difference between good and great teams. Lifting increases strength, endurance, and overall conditioning. All three are crucial in any sport. The weight room can not be overlooked when looking for a successful career in athletics or to have a successful season.

I’ve heard many people say, “I’ll never be able to do that”, “That’s a lot of weight”, “Well, what does it matter? I’m good at this so it’ll compensate for that weakness.” What a terrible mindset. You can do anything you set your mind to, if you just try. It takes time to learn weightlifting form, new movements, and to get up to speed on the intense cardio, but it is worth it. I know many who are intimidated by entering a Crossfit box, but once they do it, they usually end up saying, “wow, I was not expecting that at all!”. Crossfit is an amazing tool that gives athletes an opportunity to further their success, if they take advantage of it.

Once someone tries it and feels the high of accomplishment after a tough WOD (Workout of the Day), they want to keep coming back. Any athlete would know, the feeling of accomplishment and the feeling of pushing your body past it’s limits is the most satisfying and addicting feeling. I strongly recommend Crossfit to anyone looking to improve their fitness while having a good time. Crossfit Aggieland offers a free week to anyone who is interested in Crossfit and wants to try it out. They also have a free community WOD at 10am on Saturday mornings. You can find more information on crossfitaggieland.com Look into it, you won’t regret it.