Practice makes perfect

Yes, it sounds cliché and overused but remains nevertheless true. It seems obvious for beginners and intermediary athletes who have recently begun their health journey, yet it is most crucial also for advanced and long-lasting athletes/members.

This article is dedicated to you, yes you, reading this thinking you’re not in the slightest concerned.

Brace yourself for another cliché, ‘fitness is a journey’… well, it is. There will be good times, bad times, ups and downs, bumps and bruises. But we keep showing up because we love it, we can’t live without it. And we ultimately know how life-changing and beneficial it is for the body and soul.

Working out not only makes us fitter physically but mentally too. If you don’t know it yet, I invite you to listen to these gems of information from world-renowned Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki[1] on how to ‘strengthen your mind by using your body’ and her Ted talk on ‘The brain-changing benefits of exercise’, whom I stole this perfect quote from, which has stuck with me ever since: “Every drop of sweat counts for building the brain you really want.”

“And so, as we grow and grind through our workout sessions, let us use that big, beautiful brain that we’re nurturing, crafting, keeping healthy and sane by having the best possible approach to our workout sessions daily.”

We’ve all been there. I’m sure you’ve already experienced those sluggish days where you don’t feel like doing anything or working on a movement you hate (which means you need to, potentially a weak movement in your arsenal). Or those times you feel you’re plateauing and it’s ‘too easy’ or not challenging enough. Remember this: getting out of your house/office and heading to the gym is 99% of the job done, once you’re at the box, it’s mostly fun and good times.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

And as such “working out is in the brain of the ‘working outer’” 😉 You know that special feeling, that tingle of euphoria when you get a mechanical breakthrough on a tough movement or a mind to body connection eureka moment and you master a skill that’s been slowing down your progress forever? Well, practice does make perfect, and because all good things come in threes, let’s add ‘trust the process’ to the mix.

But what does that mean when you’ve been going at it for a decade and you’re starting to feel ‘bored’ or ‘annoyed’, even ‘frustrated’…? Is the issue really with the methodology or the coach? Or is it an ego thing? Can anyone really say, ‘boom, done, completed, I’ve beaten the final boss, I’ve finished the life level and am now the ultimate fit guy, I can stop here…?’. Hell no, that’s the beauty of it, you will and should never stop improving, learning, honing your skills. Perfection is in the detail. I for one, can be guilty of all these things every now and then, it’s normal, heck, it’s human. So, what should I do if I don’t really feel concerned or have started isolating myself mentally and physically and struggle to feel connected?

Lead by example

You’ve been doing this for 10 years? Great, so have I. Sometimes feel unmotivated and stuck in a rut? Same here. So, what should I do, coach?

Focus on the unknowable and the flawed. When I follow a class, I still follow and listen to the coach’s tips, progressions, cues and knowledge. Because, yes, you can always learn, improve 1%, discover something new or that you viewed differently, add a minute detail that might change everything. If you’re an old but gold member, do the same.

But more importantly, you are not alone, and the beauty of this sport is you can certainly hold on to that feeling of being in your bubble if you want to, but you will be watched, observed, studied, admired…

If you’re bored, annoyed or frustrated then something is most likely wrong with your approach rather than the coach. Mixity is key, mimicking is crucial… if you feel like you have perfect technique and movement (spoiler you most likely don’t in the grand scheme of things) in comparison to most of the class. Amazing! Take part in the class, show off, allow beginners and other athletes to see how well and how purposeful you move: lead by example!

I hear you’re a down-to-earth person and this is all good and well but it’s all theoretical and difficult to put into practice. Fair enough, I got you.

Here are three ways you can continue to improve, make the most of your session and particularly continue enjoying your fitness experience:

  1. Don’t scale away from intent

      Scaling is crucial for various reasons but don’t scale just out of habit or for the sake of scaling, use it as a useful tool, a weapon to tailor your workout to what you want to get out if (whether focusing on strength, endurance, skill on the day). Choose your battles but go to battle whenever possible! (with yourself).

      2. Work on mobility and details: be goal focused

        CrossFit is general functional fitness. Sure. But at some point, if you want to achieve a specific goal or improve, small details matter and will make the difference between good and great. You’ve been stuck on a movement for years and yet do the WOD every day? Focus on that skill, learn it, practice it. Still can’t overhead squat without losing the will to live ? Maybe it’s time to do more shoulder, hips or ankle mobility and stretching. Always dreamed of handstand walking but you can’t and always scale in the workout ? Here’s a secret, not: Work. On. Handstand walking. Five minutes every few days, as soon as you have a break…

        3. Surround yourself with like-minded training partners

        If you usually train with people that are just enjoying their fitness journey with no particular desire (and there’s nothing wrong with that) to work on a specific movement or “improve” to a higher level, switch it up, workout every now and then with a member who has mastered one of your goals, whether a movement, wanting to go hard and get better or even having fun competing in friendly competitions and events.

        Find your “why”

        I was inspired by my 9-year-old little cousin recently who has started gymnastics and was ecstatic after winning a medal for most improved as well as second place on rings and third place on uneven bars. We have been sending each other videos of his skills and improvements. He is passionate and wants to improve his handstand… I spent 2 days with him over Christmas, every day, every occasion he would just kick-up into a handstand for a few seconds and come back down, wherever whenever, in the kitchen, the living room, the corridor, the dining room. He just did it, without thinking, for the fun of it. 20 times per day. Amusing. Simple. Logical. Efficient.

        Know yourself, understand what your driver is and stick to it. For some, your “why” might be just having fun and get a good sweat with nice people, for others it might be get a taste of friendly amateur competition, it could be what keeps you mentally sane after a long day at work, or you hate working out alone and need people around to motivate and keep you going, maybe it’s aiming to be fit and functional at an older age, or it could also be that lifelong movement or goal you’ve always wanted to be amazing at and play with… Whatever it is, keep it front and centre as your never-ending goal. If you don’t know, look for it, that’s what we’re here for and time is our ally.

        “In summary, as with most things in life: be like a child! Be curious, enthusiastic, passionate, naïve, joyful and relentless.”

        Don’t just always go 100%, it’s impossible, instead play around with your program and cycle, vary it, do traditional CrossFit sessions mixed with bodybuilding, accessory work, isometrics, isolated work, eccentric, skill/mobility, stretching, spend the time working on movements you really want to master.

        Then why not try other fun sports in addition to your general fitness that might help unlock something: do rock climbing, obstacle races, accuracy disciplines, you name it. But if you’re content, you don’t care about that last 1%, that’s not something you want to focus on or in your nature and you’d rather just enjoy the regular programming of 3-5 weekly WODS that’s also fine. In fact, that’s almost pretty perfect.

        [1] https://www.wendysuzuki.com/

        The true cost of CrossFit

        "CrossFit is expensive – I can’t afford it."

        A sentence you hear on a regular basis. And although the cost of a membership is certainly not small, it is vital to introduce context, weigh all the elements and understand what this amount represents. Let’s get one thing right, it should never be a deterrent to start your fitness journey or stop you from aiming to improve your life.

        First, let’s look at the actual cost and what it means. A bit of mathematics (yours truly has never been great at maths, so we’ll keep it basic).

        A CrossFit membership will on average cost around €115/month. That’s 12x€115, i.e. €1380 per year or €3,78/day for typically (it does vary depending on the box) unlimited access to a fully equipped training space. You can access this space either as part of a group or train on your own.

        You get a cool, fun, loving, tight community around you (especially here at White Bull CrossFit), who pushes you on, who motivates you. But you also (hopefully) get a dedicated and committed coach to guide and help you. We keep you accountable and more importantly keep you safe as you progress. Add to that: events, perks, seminars, workshops, free advice, fun times, etc. for basically a Starbucks Late… or half a sandwich… or a quarter of a salad per day (life is crazy expensive now, everything has gone up *weeps silently).

        In contrast, you decide to purchase a 'regular' gym membership (the contracts typically also keep you locked in for a year minimum) because you’re fed up with feeling like poop and being unhealthy, unfit, and unhappy.

        A generic gym costs on average €25-30€/month, i.e. €360/annum, so essentially 1€/day. Yes, let’s not lie to ourselves it is cheaper (a third) … but what do you really get from it? Sure, the space is nice and clean with AC and loads of beautiful high-tech modern machines and equipment (not always!) … yet will you go regularly? Do you have fun there? Does it feel homely and welcoming? Where is the soul, the heart, the family? (he yells standing tall, fist high). More importantly do you have space or feel squashed like a canned sardine…

        Don’t get me wrong, once every now and then I also enjoy going for a solitary, in-my-bubble training session, headphones on, head down and mind-emptying grind… but it gets repetitive and boring fast and that’s if you can get to a machine at peak overcrowded times. I’m not saying either it isn’t possible to create a nice group of gym bros and have fun and push together, but it’s different, harder to get… and more importantly it is trickier to fit in our daily habits and modern professional lives (particularly making contact and creating gym acquaintances).

        "I got a gym membership, here I come beach body"

        USA today reports[1] that a full 67% percent of gym memberships go completely unused, so essentially €360 thrown out the window, and this doesn’t even consider those who do use their gym memberships but very irregularly.

        As per finder.com[2], 56% use the gym twice a week, 20% go once a week, 6% go once per month and 7.4% go less than once a month. In the USA, a gym membership costs $60, imagine the wasted cost. Statistically, Americans blow $397 million annually on gym memberships that they never use.

        Now it is a fact that Europeans are fitter and healthier than Americans on average, but I am also certain that the same issue exists here. In the UK[3], although 23% of the population have a gym membership, only 12% go regularly, that’s half of the subscribers… The average cost of a monthly gym membership across the pond costs £35, more than £369 million (ie more than £4 billion a year) is estimated going down the drain.

        “It’s not about ‘impossible’ or ‘cannot’ or ‘shouldn’t’. It’s about ‘not wanting’ and ‘will not’ and ’possible but you don’t allow it’."

        "I hate the gym. But I have to stick to it"

        According to NPR[4], traditional gyms specifically target people who don’t enjoy exercising as a strategic bet they will end up staying home, allowing the gym to then accumulate far more members than their facilities can reasonably hold at any given time.  Typically, gyms can accommodate 300 people at a time.

        Example: end 2023, basic fit[5] operated 882 clubs with an average of 3283 memberships per club. Now try visualising 3283 members wanting to go to their local gym on a regular basis, so most days, at the same time in a 300-400m2 space… LOL. But hey, Basic fit group revenue increased by 32% to €1,047 million, you read that right, in 2022 they made €795 million.

        This overselling strategy not only benefits the gym’s bottom line, it also benefits members who actually do go as the costs can be kept down. Because yes, a functional gym costs a lot of money. But what about all those other non-gym members that are subsidising the gyms? What about their health and fitness? Their wellbeing? Their happiness? Who cares, right? Capitalism rocks, dude!

        "I work hard. I want to use my money for cool stuff"

        Second, let’s look at what a typical person will spend. How that affects their everyday life and how a small extra monthly amount (big picture) can really impact your future.

        The annual EC study for household expenses[6] shows that most people spend a good amount of money on “non-essentials”. Of course, expenses grow with the size of the household (a person living alone will spend/need less), the biggest chunk of our salaries go to housing and bills (32%) + essentials (4.9%), let’s take out 17% for food and non-alcoholic beverages and 10% for transport. In addition to that people spend on average:

        Note how low education and health are… but I digress. That’s almost 30% for non-essentials… health is already 3.7% fine, let’s imagine that’s based on a lower/average income of €2000 gross/month (as of April 2024, statutory minimum wage in Belgium[7]), so 1400€ net, 3.7% of that amount is 50€/month… our unlimited monthly membership costs €99… just 50€ more to find.

        I can guarantee that amount could easily be added by 90% of Belgian residents if they chose to prioritise their health, wellbeing; and as a bonus, it’s so much fun so also indirectly their recreational/entertainment time.

        Should health & fitness even be seen as an extra cost or an essential expense?

        Let’s not be disingenuous, it is a fact, adding this activity to your life is quite tricky for some, a single mom with minimum wage and 2-3 children is going to find it way harder to be able to afford any fitness activity cost-wise and timewise. Including this in a packed schedule is a challenge but it is not impossible! Make fitness an essential life-cost.

        How is CrossFit different?

        It is an investment, but one you will undoubtedly (or we’ll swallow our words - gulps) not regret. It will feed into every aspect of your life. For fewer drinks, one uber eats order or one night out less per month you’ll feel amazing and fit every day… (because it does affect the rest of your life… longevity is key)

        CrossFit as a methodology arguably tailors to a more middle-class comfortable earner demographic. But by no stretch of the imagination does it only target super wealthy and snobs’ lesser incomes. As with everything in life, it’s all about perspective, choices, priorities, and goals.

        Ours, as CrossFit box owners (and presumably many affiliate owners around the world) are to create a tight-knit healthy and happy fit community that looks forward to their hour of training as one of the best parts of their day, knowing that it will improve their mental and physical health and impact every single aspect of their daily routine.

        "I don’t have the bandwidth. Time is money"

        The rise of our modern societies has shifted currencies, time is valuable. Nowadays a lot of people might say they’re cash 'rich' but time poor. It is a growing disease that most of us struggle with daily, longing for those rare precious moments of idleness and “me” time… Mindsets seem to be shifting to more flexibility, self-awareness, and emphasis on personal time.

        Be it a by-product of Covid times, let’s not forget how slowing down felt as opposed to our busy over-stimulated hectic lives. Is it really that difficult to squeeze some walking into our daily lives, and maybe a few functional movements? Make it your special little hour, 2 to 3 times a week, boom, done, dusted. Andale!

        “CrossFit has entered the conversation… imagine you can get an intense, complete, and full (coach-led and guided) workout in 1h […] you WILL become fitter and healthier.”

        Less can be more. Quality over quantity

        The World Health Organization[8] prescribes 150-300 minutes of aerobic physical activity or at least 75-150 minutes per week of vigorous-intense aerobic activity throughout the week for adults aged 18 to 64 years… that’s not that much for long-term health.

        Start by walking a lot more daily as a starter (be it walking, jogging or gym) and sprinkle 75-150min of vigorous-intense activity (aka CrossFit) in there. It is a small investment for health, longevity, and keeping diseases, illnesses, and degenerative issues away and diminishing their impact and consequences.

        It’s about consistency and regularity. Not killing yourself in an overcrowded, impersonal gym for 1-month, 24/7 to get that beach body for the summer (which you will instantly lose as soon as you get back to your routine, soz), it doesn’t work. You cannot replace an unhealthy lifestyle with bursts of short periods of mad health dash.

        Any busy parent who already juggles with social, professional, and family life will argue it is very difficult or almost impossible to find 20-30mins per day. CrossFit has entered the conversation… imagine you can get an intense, complete, and full (coach-led and guided) workout in 1h just twice or three times a week instead of 5h-6h.  150min or 2 days and a half vs double that if you go the traditional route – you save 5 days, and you WILL become fitter and healthier. Bam, see you later!

        "You don’t know my life. Staying fit is IMPOSSIBLE"

        'My schedule is insane, and I have no time at all’. We have classes early morning, lunch, and late evening… It is 100% guaranteed one option can work. Cancel that lunch once a week, go for drinks 1h later, take that extra 1h for yourself after dropping the kids off… “

        'My boss won’t let me', it would be difficult for him to argue/go against your well-being and choose to be healthy if you prioritise that. Send him a study that shows working out in the day will increase your productivity and lead to better results. Or consider choosing a boss and a company that supports your health and wellbeing. You owe it to yourself (after all, you only get one life, and you won’t be buried with a chest of gold).

        Stop a second and think about your day, the accumulated coffee or cigarette breaks, talks… Statistically that’s at least 1h in total over a day. We won’t even mention the 4-5h daily average of time spent on our phones. We apparently check/open our phones more than 2000 times per day. Take those 3 hours you spend bingeing on your favourite series or movie, the 1h listening to a podcast or music , the 1h you spend chatting,  the 2h on social media… the 2h spent playing a game, scrolling, procrastinating… by all means we are not trying to say this should change or be replaced or isn’t important… but accumulate this through a whole week, every day, surely changing those habits just 2 days out of the 7 days isn’t that much of a sacrifice or a stretch of the imagination, right?

        Still not convinced? Open your phone and check your screen time. Look at the statistics to see how many hours you “lose” every day, it’s scarily eye-opening…

        Get off your backside and do it!

        There you have it, it’s not about 'impossible' or 'cannot' or 'shouldn’t'. It’s about 'not wanting' and 'will not' and 'possible but you don’t allow it'.

        It might not be much but the ‘mutuelles’ in Belgium even pay you back between 40 to 100€ per year if you practise any physical activity in a club or gym. Take that, highest paying taxed country in the world… ha!

        Where there’s a will… there's a way. And we’ll be there to help you find it and stay on it (until a second covid hits, please God no).

        See you at the box!

        [1] https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2016/04/27/your-gym-membership-good-investment/82758866/

        [2] https://www.finder.com/unused-gym-memberships

        [3] https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6765171/Britons-spend-4-billion-year-unused-gym-memberships-new-survey-reveals.html

        [4] https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/12/30/373996649/why-we-sign-up-for-gym-memberships-but-don-t-go-to-the-gym

        [5]  https://corporate.basic-fit.com/docs/Basic-Fit%20reports%20annual%20results%202023?q=60MqVkXIagkh909R9IYQIh

        [6] https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Household_budget_survey_-_statistics_on_consumption_expenditure

        [7] https://www.fairworkbelgium.be/en/faq/what-salary-am-i-entitled-to/

        [8] https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity