The thing I hate hearing the most, and ironically the thing I hear almost every time I tell someone I own a CrossFit gym...
is this:
“Oh, I’m not fit enough to do CrossFit.”
“I could never do that.”
or any version of “CrossFit looks terrifying.”
Every time I hear it, something inside me aches. Not because they’re wrong, but because they have no idea how close they already are to being capable of CrossFit. The frustration I feel comes from knowing the truth:
The only way to become fit enough to do CrossFit… is by doing CrossFit.
And more importantly:
You don’t start CrossFit to be good at it. You start CrossFit to become who you want to be.
And I get it, trust me, I do. CrossFit looks intimidating. It looks loud and fast and full of people doing things that seem impossible. But here’s the part people never see:
Most of us walked in having absolutely zero idea what any of those movements were.
Including me.
When I started, I had no intention of handstand walking, doing bar muscle-ups, climbing a rope, or lifting a barbell over my head. The words clean or snatch could’ve been sandwich orders for all I knew. None of it existed in my world.
What I did know was that what I was doing wasn’t working.
I was frustrated with wandering around a regular gym, bouncing from machine to machine with no clue what to do next. Annoyed with hiding in the back of overcrowded classes doing the same routine every time. Fed up with wanting to feel strong but not knowing how to get there.
So I walked into my first CrossFit class.
I was nervous, like, what the hell am I getting myself into nervous.
But here’s what surprised me:
I felt welcomed. I felt supported. I felt like I belonged.
Not because I knew what I was doing. I absolutely did not.
But because the people around me were just like me, humans who wanted to get in shape, learn something new, and feel better in their own skin.
The coach broke down the whole class. Explained everything. Demoed every movement. Gave me a version that made sense for my body on that day.
I touched a barbell for the first time.
Hung from a pull-up bar for the first time since maybe elementary school.
Moved in ways that were unfamiliar… but exciting.
It wasn’t what happened in that class that changed me.
It was how I felt.
I felt capable.
I felt encouraged.
I felt challenged in the best possible way.
And above all, I felt supported.
I walked out sweaty, confused, and wondering what just happened… also more excited than I’d felt in years. Because something new woke up inside me, this spark of confidence, capability, and curiosity.
And I wanted more of it.
So when people tell me they could never do CrossFit, or that they need to get in shape first, that’s the hardest part for me. Because I know something they don’t:
You don’t have to get ready. You just have to show up.
CrossFit isn’t a test.
It isn’t a competition.
It isn’t a checklist of skills you must have before you walk through the door.
It’s a process.
A journey.
A place to start.
Most people begin by learning how to squat correctly… how to pick something up safely… how to move their body in ways that build strength and confidence.
The intimidating stuff?
That’s just the advanced chapter, something you may explore one day, or maybe not at all. That part doesn’t matter.
What matters is that you show up.
CrossFit meets you exactly where you are.
Not the fittest version of you.
Not the confident version of you.
Just… you.
And from there?
Everything becomes possible.
Here I am 17 years later still doing CrossFit...for the longevity, for the challenge, for the strength and for how if makes me feel. I feel the same way today as I did 17 years ago...nervous and excited for what I am capable of next.
If any part of this message spoke to you, even the nervous part, this is the perfect moment to step into a class and experience what I felt on day one.
This week is Bring a Friend Week at WildFire CrossFit, and I want you to come in as my friend.
Let me show you what CrossFit really feels like, especially WildFire CrossFit,
supportive, welcoming, encouraging, and tailored to exactly where you are today.
No expectations.
No prerequisites.
No need to “get in shape first.”
Just show up
Exactly as you are.
I’ll be here waiting to welcome you in. Ready to coach you, support you, and help you see what you’re truly capable of.
Come experience CrossFit the way it was meant to be:
with a community that believes in you long before you believe in yourself.
Here is the link to register for Bring a Friend Week.
Coach Tiffany
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