Warrington Parker offers affiliate owners and coaches tips on how to keep athletes coming back.
A little more than two years ago, I attended my first CrossFit class. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. My friend, who suggested I go, called it “bootcamp.” He said he loved it because it lasted an hour, there was some stretching, and the workouts were short. That’s all I knew about CrossFit. Nothing more.
I also knew I needed some form of exercise badly. I was 44 years old. I had played rugby until I was 41. I had barely exercised between the ages of 41 and 44. I had gained enough weight—well, a lot of weight—so I could no longer run without pain. From rugby, my back was so stiff I could barely bend over to pick up things. I felt old. I felt stuck. No team sports. Lifting weights alone would not fix things, and running any long distance was out of the question.
Today, I find myself thinking about what it was like as a CrossFit beginner and what made me come back time and again. In this article, I share those thoughts in hopes that a view from a “consumer” will help affiliate owners, coaches and other beginners.