During the ten years I’ve coached CrossFit, and in a lifetime of fitness pursuits, one of the key lessons I’ve learned is that consistency is the most important ingredient for success. Showing up and doing the work day after day will get you further than any supplement or special exercise. This is why we encourage and recognize commitment more than any other trait in our gym.
Consistency Before Intensity
On day one of the CrossFit Level 1 Training Seminar, they teach a foundational charter to ensure the effectiveness of the program – Mechanics > Consistency > Intensity.
This charter gives our coaches and athletes the framework in which we prioritize moving well first, then create the habit of not only adhering to that sound technique, but also attending our fitness classes regularly. Finally, only after this solid foundation has been laid, we encourage increasing intensity through heavier loads, faster movement, or more challenging skills.
Intensity is the pathway to results, but since you have to work through mechanics and consistency first, it’s impossible to make it to the end without a certain degree of commitment.
Why “Commitment” Looks Different Than You Might Expect
Commitment is defined as dedication to an activity or a cause, and it’s an essential requirement to succeed or achieve your goals. This doesn’t mean it has to be the most important thing, but it does mean you need to make time for it.
Life will always put obstacles in your way, so you have to prioritize what’s important to you. In our gym, that looks like setting aside one hour for fitness classes at least 3 days a week. This is simple, but not necessarily easy. It means saying “no” to many of those obstacles that inevitably show up, or at least setting your alarm an hour earlier than you would otherwise.
We Don’t Celebrate Perfection – We Celebrate Showing Up
If someone trains in our gym 3 days a week or more for at least 3 months, we can guarantee results. This isn’t an arrogant or unfounded statement – I’ve seen it work time and time again, without fail. Because of this, while we cheer for our members’ weightlifting PRs or new exercise skills, we also celebrate their commitment to the program.
A Behind-The-Scenes Look at Our Committed Club
Every month, we highlight the group of people in our gym who attended 15 or more classes the previous month. They each receive a special sticker and a shoutout on our social media, plus one of them is chosen from the group to receive a special prize. Our Committed Club is very important to us because it encourages the number one thing that will earn our members the results they want AND that will build our community: commitment.
Stickers Make All the Difference
As a sidenote, we create our stickers through StickerMule, and our members LOVE them! We literally DOUBLED the number of people who made it into the Committed Club each month once we began handing out these stickers. We’ve tried other companies, and none of them have the same quality or customer service that we’ve experienced with StickerMule.
I highly recommend them, plus if you want to increase engagement or provide custom-designed products to your followers, they recently started a giveaway platform called Give. You can upload your own custom artwork, or create giveaways from any of the available products in their marketplace. It’s a great tool for anyone wanting to increase engagement and provide custom-designed products to their followers.
Consistency Builds Confidence Outside the Gym
There’s a quote which I love that applies perfectly to fitness training: “When you are tough on yourself, life will be infinitely easier on you.” People do hard things inside our gym – they learn new skills, lift heavy weights, jump on boxes, and push their body and mind to new levels of strength.
This not only builds muscle, it builds confidence. And the more consistently you do it, the stronger and more confident you will become. This is one of the most important reasons commitment to your fitness is important. Life is going to be hard, so you need to be ready for it. Functional fitness not only prepares you for physical challenges, but mental struggles as well.
What You Can Expect in Your First 90 Days at CrossFit Donelson
Of course it can be scary. Doing something new or challenging can be scary for anyone, even for someone like me, who’s made a career out of doing it. But anything worth doing is going to be difficult, right?
We know how hard and intimidating it can be, so we do our best to make the first few months of your journey here as smooth and supported as possible. I schedule frequent check-ins with our new members, our coaches teach you and help you modify the workouts to meet you where you are, and our other members support and encourage you in every class. Fitness classes are hard, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t also be rewarding and fun. If that sounds like something you think you want to try, reach out and schedule a Consultation with me. I would love to hear your story and see how we can help you.
