12/11 Myth Busting Monday

Last year's Row'd Royalty crew during their 10K row. 
It's holiday party season! Holiday parties can be fun and totally stressful. I recently attended one, where every time someone asked me what I did, they declared that they could not do CrossFit once they learned I owned a CrossFit gym.
When I asked why, I heard a range of reasons from, "I need to get in shape first," to, "It's too dangerous and I don't want to get hurt," to "I'm not strong enough," to "I'm intimidated." Have your friends or family said these things to you? How do you respond?
Let's start with, "I need to get in shape first," or "I'm not strong enough." Why do people think this? CrossFit is DESIGNED to get you in shape and make you strong. I've never heard someone say they need to get in shape before they go to any other gym. True Spirit CrossFit is all about getting people in shape and making them stronger. We start everyone with 5 private training sessions (Foundations) so that we can assess their current fitness and teach them how to move with proper technique. Then we modify, scale, and adapt every single workout, every single class for every single person. In fact, with appropriate scaling, you will get in shape FASTER than if you tried to do everything as prescribed. The CrossFit progression of mechanics, consistency, intensity (which is what we follow) allows for a safe, injury free and effective way to get in shape. 
How would you respond to, "It's too dangerous and I don't want to get hurt?" The most common reason people get hurt is because they try something they are not yet ready for. Which, of course, is why our coaches modify, scale, and adapt every single workout, every single class for every single person. Remember when you started and we taught you the Olympic lifts? For how many months did we have you go from the hang with light weight before we had you pull from the floor? This is why we require strict pull-ups before you do kipping ones. This is why you do 3 or 5 rep maxes before you ever try a heavy single. This is why you jump to shorter soft boxes. We are lucky enough to have had only a few injuries in our gym, and every single injured person admitted they were doing something different that what our coach advised them to do. 
The other most common reason people believe they can't do CrossFit is because they are intimidated. I blame ESPN and YouTube for this. However, it's like people saying they can't play flag football because of the NFL. The videos and images people see of professional CrossFitters are nothing like the folks in our gym. In fact, the scaling we do is what makes the workouts achievable by everyone. Our goal is not to create an army of people who can do handstand push-ups, muscle-ups and snatch 200 pounds. Our goal is to help people build a powerful body, mind and spirit through fitness, fun, and friendship. 
I learned my lesson at the last holiday party. Next time someone asks me what I do, I will respond with, "I help people find their power." 
Share your responses in the comments. What do you say when you hear these reasons?

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We are a Reebok Recognized CrossFit Affiliate which means Reebok likes how we do CrossFit. One of the benefits of being a Reebok Recognized CrossFit Affiliate is access to special deals, like the one for today. Use the promo code GREEN to get 50% off everything. WOOHOO! Time to do some Christmas or Hanukkah shopping. Enjoy! Click on the image below to shop the sale. Remember to use promo code GREEN. 
Also here are the last shipping dates for Reebok this year: 
Standard Shipping: 12/6
Expedited: 12/18 
Last day for guaranteed Christmas arrival: 12/21