I just finished training my grandparents through their 10th CrossFit session, and it had me thinking.
It had me thinking about how many people are intimidated by CrossFit because they believe they need some prerequisite level of fitness before they can start.
My grandparents, being in their 70s, as you can imagine, were those people.
And honestly, I think a lot of that fear comes from a misunderstanding of what CrossFit actually is.
CrossFit Isn’t Just for People Who Are Already Fit
If your only exposure to CrossFit has been watching people lift heavy barbells, walk on their hands, or do muscle-ups, I can understand why you’d think, “I need to get in shape before I can do that.”
But that’s not the point of CrossFit.
CrossFit isn’t an exercise regimen reserved for people who are already in shape. The methodology is designed to make everyday people healthier, stronger, and more capable.
You don’t need to be able to do a pull-up before you walk through the door. You don’t need to know how to lift a barbell. You don’t need to be able to run a mile without stopping.
That’s what the training is for.
Everyone Can Do the Same Workout—Differently
Over the years of training people, I’ve seen just about every age and skill level complete a CrossFit workout.
One of the things people often don’t realize until they actually take a class is that the workout isn’t one-size-fits-all.
A good CrossFit coach modifies the workout to fit the person in front of them.
That means a 20-year-old former gymnast might be doing ring muscle-ups while, in the exact same class, a 76-year-old grandmother does ring rows and the newly-minted dad next to her does pull-ups.
They’re all training the same movement pattern and working toward the same intended stimulus. They’re just doing the version that’s appropriate for them.
That’s one of my favorite things about CrossFit: it’s infinitely scalable.
Have an injury? We can substitute a movement that trains a similar muscle group or function.
The prescribed weight is too heavy? We go lighter.
Coming back postpartum or returning after a long time away from exercise? We can reduce the reps, adjust the movements, and build you back up.
We meet you where you’re at.
My Nana Didn’t Realize She Was Already Doing CrossFit
Which brings me back to my grandparents.
About six sessions into training them, my Nana said something along the lines of:
“I do feel like I can do more, but I could never do what you have your CrossFit classes do.”
I felt a little smirk creep onto my face.
Because little did she know, what I had them doing was what our CrossFit classes do.
They may not have been using the same weight, completing the same number of reps, or even performing the exact same variation of a movement as some of our regular members.
But what I program for my grandparents isn’t fundamentally different from what our 20-year-olds are doing in class.
The prescription varies by degree, not kind.
That’s the piece I think gets lost when people see CrossFit from the outside.
You see the person doing muscle-ups. You don’t see the person five feet away doing ring rows.
You see someone deadlifting 300 pounds. You don’t see the beginner learning the same movement with an empty barbell.
You see the finished product without seeing all of the different starting points in the room.
”But I’m Really Out of Shape.”
That’s okay.
Seriously.
Being out of shape isn’t a reason you can’t start. It’s quite literally a reason to start.
Your first workout doesn’t need to look like someone else’s 500th workout.
Maybe you can’t do a pull-up yet. Maybe running 400 meters sounds awful. Maybe you’ve never touched a barbell. Maybe it’s been 10 years since you’ve followed a consistent workout routine.
That’s where you’re starting—not where you have to stay.
The coach’s job is to figure out what you can safely and effectively do today and help you progress from there.
Over time, the weights get heavier. The movements get more challenging. Things that used to leave you exhausted become your warm-up.
That’s the process.
You Don’t Get in Shape to Start CrossFit
So if you’ve been interested in trying CrossFit but keep telling yourself:
“I’ll try it once I’m in a little better shape…”
I want you to remember my grandparents.
In their 70s, they walked into their first session thinking CrossFit was something they would never be able to do.
Ten sessions later, they’re already doing more than they thought they could.
They just didn’t realize they’d been doing CrossFit the entire time.
You don’t get in shape so you can start CrossFit.
You start CrossFit so you can get in shape.
And wherever you’re starting from, we’ll meet you there.
Mckenzie Cushard
CF-L3, NSCA-CPT, USAW-L2
Owner of CrossFit Renegade