I’ve heard a lot about CrossFit over the past few years, but I didn’t get a chance to try it until this past weekend. For readers who aren’t familiar, CrossFit is a form of high‑intensity strength and conditioning typically done at specialized gyms—often called “boxes”—that combine functional movements, weightlifting, cardio and bodyweight exercises into short, intense workouts.
My sister is an avid runner who has been doing CrossFit for the last year and has noticeably gotten stronger and leaner, so I invited myself along to her Saturday partner workout. Their gym runs partner WODs on weekends, which meant we got to share the exercises and motivate each other through the session.
For most of my fitness life I’ve been a “cardio person.” I prefer running outdoors and tend to prioritize long runs over lifting. Still, I’ve been working to include more strength training this year, so I was curious to see what a CrossFit class would feel like. I expected the main workout to be around 20 minutes, which is common, but the Saturday session stretched to about 40 minutes after a thorough warm‑up.
One word to describe the experience: HUMBLING. I like to think I’m in decent shape, but the combination of burpee leap frogs—where you alternate burpees with a partner and then leap sideways over them—and barbell push presses was brutal. The workout did include running in the form of 200‑meter burden runs while wearing a weighted vest or carrying a medicine ball, and those runs actually felt like mini breaks from the movements I wasn’t used to performing.
I walked away with a few clear takeaways:
- I don’t dislike strength training as much as I thought I did.
- I’m not as fit as I assumed—CrossFit exposed weaknesses I hadn’t noticed with running alone.
- Running long distances or logging 30–40 miles per week doesn’t cover every aspect of fitness; strength, power and mobility matter too.
Would I do it again?
Yes—definitely. I enjoyed the short, efficient, high‑intensity format and the community aspect of partnering up. That said, I’m not planning to join a CrossFit gym right now for two practical reasons. First, convenience: the gym is not within easy reach given my current living and transportation situation, so I’d likely only make it once a week. Second, cost: even with a student discount the membership at the local box runs about $160 per month, which is hard to justify if I can only attend sporadically.
Apologies for the extra bad quality iPhone pictures
That said, the visit has motivated me to use more of the free strength training resources available on campus. I’m currently taking a weight training P.E. class twice a week this semester, and I’ve been surprised to find myself enjoying the process of getting stronger. Once the semester ends I plan to recruit a few gym buddies so we can continue attending strength classes or lift together a couple of times per week.
In the longer term, I might work CrossFit into my routine if circumstances change. If you’re curious about trying it, many boxes offer guest passes or trial classes, so you can experience a session before committing.
Questions for you:
Have you ever tried CrossFit? If so, what was your experience like? How do you usually approach strength training—group classes, personal programming, climbing, home workouts, or something else?