So you’ve opened up Google and did a search for “CrossFit Fort Lauderdale.” You (luckily for me!) stumbled upon RoxFire Fitness. You liked what you saw on the website and came and took a class. You had the best workout, you got hooked and signed up! Besides this being my dream scenario as a gym owner, it’s super fun for me to watch new CrossFitters get really pumped about rediscovering their fitness with our program.

Yet, as you start to come to class and get into the groove of things instead of things becoming more clear, you might find that you are inundated with words and phrases and directions you’ve never heard from before. Have no fear, Coach LJ is here. I’m super corny in all the right ways but I want to provide you with a few tips on what can help make your first few months of RoxFire the most fun CrossFit Fort Lauderdale has to offer.

1. Drink water, a lot of it.

For most folks when they start CrossFit, they’ve never sweated so much in their life. Literally. This is ultimately a good thing – it means you’re making the effort, working hard and your body is trying to keep you cool. It can be the rookie of rookie mistake to forget your water bottle and it happens all too often with newer clients. If you’re coming from a globo gym setting, where you didn’t break near as much sweat it can be annoying to remember to tote around a water bottle. However, you gotta stay hydrated or your body will not like you very much.

2. It’s Always Too Early To RX.

When you see a workout written on the board you’ll notice there are suggested weights and movements that are listed as “RX.” This is shorthand for ‘as prescribed.’ Essentially that means that there is a specific intention and desired stimulus of a workout we’re looking for based on the loading of the weight and the difficulty level of a movement in the workout. It’s my job as a Coach to help you find the right scaling option, so that the most advanced athlete to the biggest newbie are all getting the same stimulus. This doesn’t mean anything negative about you, other than you are where you are at with your current fitness level. You’ll be working just as hard as my most advanced fire-breathing athlete, just in a way that you can handle. So it’s important to listen to your Coach and your body about what the intended stimulus of the workout is when making the right option for you to get the best workout possible.

3. Gains will happen, but you can’t out train a bad diet.

This one is relatively simple: you’re going to see results from our programming. That’s guaranteed, especially if you’re someone who doesn’t work out all that much and you start doing CrossFit with us. You’ll definitely notice an initial gain of more toned muscles and less body fat. However after a certain point, you will need to make sure your diet is your priority so that you can continue making progress. Abs are built in the kitchen. Most fitness professionals believe that it’s 80% diet and 20% working out that gives you the aesthetic body of your dreams. Pull me aside and let’s talk nutrition if you have any questions on how to optimize your diet.

4. Chase better movement as opposed to better numbers.

I’m a very competitive guy. I like to win and come in first. I imagine a lot of you are like that, too. However, sometimes we can get too focused on the end result that we forget the journey. I started CrossFit because I wanted to be in better shape and feel confident about my body – that’s a great goal, right? But it’s a slow process and it requires dedication – and trying to cut corners to be the best, never works for anyone. When you start CrossFit, don’t worry so much about what this or that person is doing or what their numbers are. As your Coach, I’d rather see you have a beautiful bodyweight squat then a crappy looking squat full of bad mechanics at 500 pounds. If you perfect the squat with no additional weight, the gains in getting where you want to go will become that much easier once you start adding plates to your barbell. Making sure your body is moving safely and well should take priority over anything else as that is what is really going to help you get where you want to go as efficiently and without injury as can be.

5. You will have fun, damn it!

My goal is to give you the best and most fun place to do CrossFit Fort Lauderdale can provide. I know there are a ton of gyms out there and I’m super thankful if you choose to train bold and live wild with me. Know that I’m never going to be one of those gyms pushing you to your limits day in and day out or forcing you to chase after a record or athletic notoriety. My goal is to make you feel like a superhero every single day. And that means that 90% of the time, we should be having fun while working out. So when you get frustrated because you’ve hit a wall with a certain movement or mobility you need to work on or you’re just having a bad day, remember that you’ve got a whole family at the gym to help pick you up and keep moving!

I hope these few tips give you some additional ideas on how to maximize your experience doing CrossFit at RoxFire. As your Coach I’m here for you with whatever you want to discuss pertaining to your fitness and how we can give you the best time possible. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to ask for clarity if something is confusing. You should feel very empowered to speak up at RoxFire and I will do my very best to provide the kind of support and guidance you deserve. Just know I’m super pumped and proud of you for taking this next step towards becoming the best you can be.