Two Keys for Proven CrossFit Results: Part 2
Last month, we looked at the first key to achieving results through CrossFit. While intensity is held in high esteem and needs to be improved upon, it actually may not be the most vital key to CrossFit’s effectiveness. Step into one of the more than 13,000 CrossFit affiliates around the globe and you will see some recurring themes. You’ll see athletes of all different fitness levels attacking some pretty daunting WODs. You’ll see lots of open space and what looks to be an adult’s jungle gym. However, the most important theme you’ll see is likely going to be a community of people that finds joy in other’s successes. It is this community of people that is the ultimate key to seeing the results in CrossFit. Why? Because it is this group of people that keeps you coming back.
We’ve already determined that CrossFit is tough. While there has been an explosion of affiliates, it still doesn’t change the fact that training in this way is a massive challenge. There are many great athletes that train solo on occasion; and while being by yourself for a tough workout can be cathartic, it is also difficult to sustain that drive day in and day out. Why is that though? There are plenty of reasons that make community training great, but three specific factors can really help you reach the fitness goals that you have set for yourself.
ACCOUNTABILITY
The first factor is simply the accountability. The Loud City crew is second to none when it comes to holding each other accountable. There is a unique bond that is forged when a group works, sweats, fights, and grinds their way through a tough workout. That bond gets stronger and stronger with each workout, and it becomes obvious when one of the key athletes of the group isn’t there. Knowing that a gym buddy is expecting you, or even reaching out to you after a string of absences helps you find that motivation to get to class.
The camaraderie formed through the mutual challenge helps us grow closer because it reminds us that we are all there for the same purpose. There is a good chance that many of us share the same “why” and we want to help fellow athletes live up to it. This leads to a family like atmosphere that will ultimately help you show up, even when you maybe don’t feel like going.
MOTIVATION
The second contributor is the motivation. As a coach, the most rewarding thing I get to witness is when the class is cheering on a single athlete. It’s an amazing feeling to see people do things they never thought they could do until the person next to them to encourages them to complete that set, rep, mile or round. The physical benefits of training are well known, but being a part of a like-minded group of growth mindset people is equally beneficial. When you train with the right people, or in the right class, you gain a level of encouragement that can lift you to a level that may not be reached during a solo session.
All of the cheers, high-fives, and fist bumps create a positive feedback loop that helps you come back. The positivity motivates you to be that cheerleader for someone else too. The end result is ultimately an atmosphere of achievement. There are people from all different walks of life that motivate, and get motivated by one another. We all want to see each other be our best, and we can become our best when we are poured into by the community of people around us.
RELATIONSHIP
The last factor, and maybe the most important, is the relationship that you form with each other when training in a community. Technological advancements have allowed people to be better connected than ever before in history. We have social media and email that helps us keep up with friends and family. The news travels in seconds and is immediately at our fingertips. However, new research shows that Americans are as lonely as ever. In fact, nearly 50% of Americans report either always or sometimes feeling alone. The American Psychological Association has even gone as far to declare that loneliness could be greater threat to public health than obesity. This is unacceptable. We focus so much on seeing people’s visible results that we tend to pay no mind to the internal battle that some people could be facing.
The foundation of Loud City is relationship. The gym was born out of friendship and the overall goal of the gym is to see people thriving in all areas of life. Yes, this means we want to see people improve their fitness, however, we want to see people grow in all aspects of life. The athletes of Loud City consistently host community nights, volunteer for different causes, and help one another carry the weight that comes in life. Being connected to others is a fundamental need for each of us, and the relationships we form in the gym do not have to stay within the walls of the building.
Hopefully all Loud City athletes feel the many benefits of being a part of our community. It really doesn’t matter if you’ve been at the gym for a week, or since the first weights were lifted, there is a love and care for each person that walks through the doors. This love and care is the fiber that holds Loud City together. Show up, motivate each other, and pour into each other’s lives. Keep bringing the intensity, and keep being great citizens of the Loud City community. If you do these two keys, the results will follow.
“The magic is in the movement, the art is in the programming, the science is in the explanation, and the fun is in the community.”
-Greg Glassman
Sources:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8294451-cigna-us-loneliness-survey/