When you first walk into a CrossFit gym, everything is new. You’re learning what a “thruster” is (spoiler: it’s a front squat and a push press combined, and yes, it’s as hard as it sounds). You’re figuring out where the pull-up bars are. You’re trying to remember everyone’s names while simultaneously trying not to look completely lost.
This phase is important. Necessary, even. You have to learn the language before you can speak it fluently.
But here’s what most people don’t realize: learning the basics is just the beginning. The real journey—the truly transformative part of becoming an athlete—starts when you begin to know yourself.
Not who you think you are. Not who you want to be. But who you actually are as an athlete, right now, in this moment.
THE EASY WINS: TRACKING NUMBERS ON THE BAR
Let’s start with the obvious stuff because it matters and it’s incredibly motivating.
Today you back squat 95 pounds. Next month, 135 pounds. Three months later, 155 pounds. This is tangible progress. You can see it. You can measure it. You can celebrate it.
These numbers are your foundation. They tell you that you’re getting stronger, that your body is adapting, that the work you’re putting in is paying off. Never discount the power of adding weight to the bar. It’s one of the most satisfying feelings in fitness.
But here’s the thing: strength is only one piece of the puzzle.
THE DEEPER DIVE: KNOWING YOUR CAPACITY
After you’ve learned what movements are called and where the equipment lives, you get to ask more interesting questions:
How many burpees can I do in one minute?
How many wall ball shots can I string together unbroken with a 14-pound ball?
What’s my threshold pace on the rower before I blow up?
How long can I hold on to the pull-up bar before I have to drop?
These aren’t arbitrary questions. They’re the building blocks of self-knowledge as an athlete. And this self-knowledge is what separates someone who just shows up from someone who truly understands their performance.
Think about it. If you know you can do 15 wall balls unbroken when you’re fresh, you have data. You have information you can use. When you see a workout with 90 wall balls, you can create a strategy: six sets of 15. Or maybe five sets of 18 if you’re feeling good. Or nine sets of 10 if you know the wall balls come right after thrusters and your legs will be smoked.
Without that self-knowledge? You’re guessing. You might go out too hot and crash. You might pace too conservatively and leave effort on the table. You’re flying blind.
THE GAME-CHANGER: PACING AND STRATEGY
Here’s where it gets really fun.
When you look at a 30-minute workout and you can predict—based on actual knowledge of your capacity—what pace you should start with, how you’ll break up each movement, where you’ll need to rest, and where you can push… that’s when you’ve become a true athlete.
You see “21-15-9 thrusters and pull-ups” and you don’t just see movements. You see a puzzle to solve. You know:
– You can do 10 thrusters unbroken when fresh, maybe 7 in the second round, and you’ll have to go singles in the final round
– Pull-ups you can do in sets of 5 throughout, with a quick shake between sets
– The transition between movements is where you’ll catch your breath, so keep moving but don’t rush
This isn’t something you’re born knowing. This is earned knowledge. This comes from paying attention, from tracking your performance, from actually thinking about your training instead of just surviving it.
HOW TO START KNOWING YOURSELF
1. LOOK AT THE WORKOUT BEFORE YOU START
Don’t just show up and do whatever’s on the board without thinking. Take two minutes to look at the workout and ask: “How many reps do I think I can do unbroken? How should I break this up?”
Write it down if you need to. Make a prediction.
2. CHECK YOUR PREDICTION AGAINST REALITY
After the workout, review. Did you do more reps than you thought? Fewer? Could you have pushed harder, or did you go out too hot?
This isn’t about beating yourself up. It’s about gathering data. You’re a scientist studying the most interesting subject possible: yourself.
3. APPLY WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED
The next time that movement or that workout structure comes up, use your data. If you thought you could only do 5 toes-to-bar at a time but you actually did 8, adjust your strategy next time. Start with sets of 8.
If you went out at a pace you thought was sustainable but you crashed hard in the last 10 minutes, file that away. Next time you see a similar workout, start more conservatively.
4. EMBRACE THE SPECIFICS
Get specific with your self-knowledge. Don’t just know “I’m good at running.” Know “I can hold a 7:30/mile pace for a mile, 8:00/mile for a 5K, and I need to stay slower than 8:30/mile on longer efforts or I blow up.”
Don’t just know “wall balls are hard.” Know “I can do 20 unbroken when fresh, 15 when moderately fatigued, and 10 when I’m deep in a workout.”
The more specific you are, the more powerful your self-knowledge becomes.
5. TRACK BENCHMARK WORKOUTS
When “Fran” (21-15-9 thrusters and pull-ups) comes up, write down your time and your breakdown. When it comes up again in three months, you have a baseline. You know what you did last time. You can make informed decisions about what to do this time.
This is how you actually measure progress that goes beyond just “weight on the bar.”
6. TEST YOUR LIMITS REGULARLY
Once a month, test something. How many burpees in a minute? Max unbroken double-unders? How long can you hold a plank? How many calories can you row in 2 minutes?
These tests give you fresh data points. They keep you honest. They show you what’s improving and what needs work.
7. BE CURIOUS, NOT JUDGMENTAL
This is crucial. You’re not gathering data to beat yourself up about what you can’t do. You’re gathering data to understand what you CAN do, so you can do more of it.
If you discover you can only do 3 pull-ups unbroken right now, great! That’s your starting point. That’s valuable information. Now you can work with it.
THE COOLEST PART OF BEING AN ATHLETE
You know what’s truly amazing? When you look at a workout on the board and you know—really know—what’s possible for you.
You see “100 wall balls for time” and instead of thinking “this is going to suck” (okay, you still think that), you also think: “I can do this in sets of 15 for the first 60 reps, then sets of 10, and I’ll finish strong with quick singles. I’m aiming for under 8 minutes.”
And then you do it. Maybe you hit 7:45. Maybe you hit 8:30 because your legs were more tired than you realized. Either way, you learn. You gather more data. You become even more self-aware.
And the next time? You apply what you learned. You adjust. You improve.
This is the journey. This is what it means to truly know yourself as an athlete.
THE INVITATION
So here’s my challenge to you: start paying attention.
Look at today’s workout. Before you start, predict how you’ll break it up. After you finish, review how it actually went. Write it down. Remember it.
The next time that movement comes up, apply what you learned. Push a little harder. Try one more rep. Test your limits.
Because one of the coolest things about being an athlete isn’t just getting stronger or faster (though that’s great too). It’s looking at a workout and knowing what you’re capable of—and then shooting for a little more.
That’s when fitness transforms from something you do into something you are.
That’s when you become an athlete who truly knows themselves.
And trust me, there’s nothing more powerful than that.
—
Ready to start your journey of self-discovery as an athlete? Join us for a class and let’s figure out together what you’re truly capable of. The best part? You might surprise yourself.