Reposting this article as a friendly reminder of the Unspoken Rules of CrossFit!
There are many things about CrossFit that set us apart from your everyday Globo-Gym. One of the greatest is community. Some may call it a cult but once you’ve tried it, you realize it’s just like-minded people working hard to stay healthy. And we make some great friends along the way.
There are a few acts that help foster this community that some may not even realize. They are the unspoken rules of CrossFit. But if they’re never spoken, how are we all supposed to know them? I’m going to speak of them in order to foster the wonderful CrossFit Community that we all know and love.
- Your workout isn’t over until the last person has finished. We’ve all been the last one to finish a workout. And if you haven’t, your day will come. There’s nothing worse than a class of 25 people with 24 of those people finished, sitting around, silent, watching the clock as #25 finishes up. Instead, spend that time encouraging that final athlete. Gather around them, cheer them on, do those last 10 burpees with them, encourage them to finish until they have done so. They will finish faster and stronger with the community by their side. Silence = awkward. Encouragement = awesome.
- Don’t clean up your weights until everyone is done. Of course there’s the exception; you have to get to work, your kid needs to be picked up from school, etc. That’s totally fine. But if you’re just going to clean up your weights and then wait around for the coach to stretch you out, don’t do it. Just wait! It’s no fun watching someone clean up while you’re still working through a workout. We all start together. We all clean up together.
- Introduce yourself to someone new. We can all remember the intimidation of our first few classes. Now, you’re a pro. You’re confident that whatever class time you show up to, you’ll see at least a few friendly faces. You are now the advocate for those new members who are nervous to just walk through the door. See an unfamiliar face? Introduce yourself and make a new friend! I promise, this simple act will mean the world to another person. After all, it’s all about the community!