The more I do CrossFit, the more I realize the mental game is much more important than the physical game. Sure, you have to be in shape, but being in shape is an equalizer — the mental game is what will set you apart from others and allow you to win CrossFit competitions and just win your daily CrossFit WODs.
I woke up on Thursday with a plan to do CrossFit workouts that were simple but involved a barbell and burpees. No part of me wanted to do any of it. I was sore and just not feeling it. So, I didn’t. I just rowed and ran, a modified CrossFit Hero WOD Jerry, if you will. And I felt really good afterwards.
This was both a mental and a physical break. I could have done by planned CrossFit workout, but it would have sucked because my head wasn’t in the game. So why bother?
The Main Advantage to Doing Your Own CrossFit Programming
- You can adjust your CrossFit programming to suit your needs. I adjust my CrossFit programming on a daily basis it seems. I get up and assess where I’m at. Towards the end of the week, I’m spent, and my CrossFit workouts often change. I believe this is the best part of doing your own CrossFit programming and of working out by yourself. Instead of constantly pushing and tweaking your body and pushing your mental game, you can take breaks. Breaks become especially important as you get older.
If you attend a CrossFit box, know when to take mental breaks from CrossFit. It’s okay to do a different workout than everyone else. It’s okay to let your mind rest, so you can attack the next workout. Doing your CrossFit workouts constantly half-heartedly is not going to benefit you in the long run. Breaks allow you to come back stronger and attack CrossFit workouts when you need to.
My Journey to the CrossFit Games 
I havent signed up from Crossfit yet, but I get this. I’ve been working out 5 days a week (rest days on Wednesdays and Saturdays) for the last 7 weeks (but the last 6 full weeks consistently, that first week I was just getting back in the swing of moving again after an entirely too long break from exercise). I still have a long ways to go to where I want to be but after 6 solid weeks and staring down the start of week 7 this morning it is daunting and dragging me down mentally. I made a commitment to myself to do this for a full 12 weeks on a particular program to see where I end up in 3 months (but plan to continue on my road with fitness and I may join Crossfit at that point), but I’m just not feeling it. I feel like I’m plateauing and not seeing much results (but my hubby swears otherwise) but bottomline is I’m tired and spent and kind of disillusioned with my progress at this point. But maybe I’m just hitting that normal bump in the road and need to muster up some mental foritude and need to push through it. I was so badly out of shape due to drinking daily (just over 3 months sober, WOOT!) now that all my excess fat went to my belly and I started back out on this journey at a 38 inch waist. My goal is to get back to a 27 inch waist (whenever I get there…) and I’m roughly at 34 inches now… so I need to just keep going.
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I just finished reading a great book for women athletes. It’s called ROAR. by Stacey Sims. I think you would get a lot out of it. As both a swimmer and a swim coach, I think it should be required reading for anyone who trains themselves or trains women athletes of all ages.
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I read that book too! https://crossfitmomm.com/2018/03/11/roar
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What did you think of it? I found it very informative.
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A lot of the information I already knew, but there was a lot of new information too.
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Same. It was really good. It mainly made me more aware of my workouts in relative to my hormones and how sometimes when I’m feeling crappy at the gym, this is why.
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I got a lot out of it too. For me, it was more the differences between men’ and women’s bodies, like the wider hips and how they affect the workouts.
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