We talk a lot about motivation, strength, transformation, community, and progress. That’s what Premier is all about. Amazing things come to those who show up consistently and seek to be better every day.
But CrossFit is a big name and sometimes there’s pressure that comes along with that…
Too often I hear people talk about how nervous they are or would be to get started in CrossFit:
“Everyone else is so strong and I’m not”
“I’m just going to look stupid.”
“I could never do that kind of stuff that they are doing.”
“People will be looking at me funny and wonder why I can’t keep up.”
“Why can’t I do what she’s doing?”
Maybe these kinds of thoughts hit everyone, but it seems like we ladies deal with it a little bit more. In a fitness world where women stick to the treadmill over the the weight room more often than not, it can be intimidating to start CrossFit and CrossFit style workouts.
After teaching a ladies only class at Premier for two years, Coach Jady has some excellent insight into this.
She says, “For me, when I started, I wasn’t some who was really insecure about how I looked… But then you get around people who are super in shape and can do all these amazing things and you feel the pressure to do what everyone is doing around you. I think a lot of people, women especially, deal with feeling that way.
It’s easy to walk into a class and feel intimated, self-conscious, or insecure about your abilities or strength. You look at the trainer or the girl next to you that looks so strong and you’re sure everyone is looking at you and thinking you look stupid.
But I’m hear to tell you that we’re all in the same boat. Even as a coach, I deal with all the same things. I wonder if I’m enough. I worry that people don’t take me and my class as seriously as the others. I have things I’m strong in and good at, and other things that I struggle with. I’m not really what you’d call a hard core CrossFitter.
But then I remember my journey… Being the school teacher who had gotten out of shape who got fit and then discovered a passion for fitness. I don’t have some extensive fitness background like other coaches do, but I bring something unique to the table and I’ve learned to see the incredible value in that. I can relate to women. I know how to create a safe place for people. I can reach people who might not feel comfortable to jump into the deep in with CrossFit.
So if you think you’re the only one who feels insecure at times, you’re not. As we’re trying new things, striving to get stronger and more fit, and leaping outside of our comfort zones, we sometimes feel self conscious. But this is what I always tell people…
Have you ever had a time when you’ve looked across the room and watched someone workout and thought, “Oh my, they look so ridiculous and stupid.”
And the answer is always no.
Never do we look around and think others look silly or weak or pitiful. So why do we think that people think that of us? So often we get caught up in our own minds wondering how other people see us and what they think about us and if we’re good enough when most of our fears are completely off base.
We’re here to get fit together. We’re here to encourage each other. We’re here to be healthier.”
Jady has been instrumental in helping many people make incredible strides in their fitness. Those who’ve had the opportunity to be a part of her class would tell you how impacted they have been and how that class has provided a place where they feel comfortable working out.
Jady says, “It’s important to go look deeper than just the surface level with those that you work out with. Even the people who look like they can do it all struggle with something. Encouraging each other through the process is an invaluable part of building the community that we have in CrossFit. You never know who needed to hear a simple, ‘Good job!’ or ‘Wow, you really excel at this.’ or ‘I can see the progress you’re making… good job.’ Simple words like that can be far more impactful that we can ever imagine. I’ve seen that first hand. Encouragement dispels insecurity and breaks down the walls between us.”