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One of the biggest things I’ve noticed since becoming a coach is that many people are reluctant to try new things.
To slow down.
To learn something new.
To not be good at it right away.
Or in simple terms…
To sit with adversity for a moment.
We live in a world of instant results, and whether we like it or not, that mentality rubs off on us. Everything is faster, easier, and more convenient than ever.
And honestly… why wouldn’t it be?
But there is a lot of value in constructively exposing yourself to the fire every now and then.
Sitting in the discomfort of not being good at something.
Putting in the work toward a goal, realizing how long it truly takes, and learning to embrace the journey rather than chasing the instant outcome.
This is where we thrive inside the CrossFit box.
And it’s a big part of what makes what we do so different from what fitness looks like in most other places.
Most gyms focus on one thing: make people sweat and send them on their way.
At CrossFit Ares, we care about something much bigger than that.
We care about developing capable humans.
One of my favorite journal articles is titled:
“Coaching the Mental Side of CrossFit”
And it’s absolutely true.
What we understand—and lean into—is that fitness is much more than physical.
It is just as neurological and personal as it is physical.
Being a healthy, capable human in the real world requires more than just strong muscles.
It requires:
These things come from learning new skills and exposing yourself to challenges that require focus, patience, and persistence.
In other words, doing things that are not easy.
A lot of people wonder why we spend time learning movements like:
From a pure fitness standpoint, there is nothing inherently magical about these movements.
But the journey required to learn them is incredibly powerful.
That journey looks like:
Repeated failure.
Being uncomfortable.
Feeling frustrated.
Trying again.
Over and over again.
And then one day…
You get it.
Those moments build something much deeper than fitness.
They build resilience.
The reality is, humans don’t experience this type of challenge very often anymore.
It’s uncomfortable to not be good at something.
Especially as adults.
We grow up.
We get jobs.
We build families.
We settle into routines.
And slowly, we stop putting ourselves in situations where we might fail.
But life never stops presenting challenges.
So the real question becomes:
When challenges show up…
Do you want to be the person who avoids them and backs down?
Or the person who faces them head-on?
I know the type of person I want to be.
This message is really meant to be two things.
There is a reason we challenge you with movements and workouts in the gym.
There is a reason we teach double unders and Olympic lifts.
There is a reason we ask you to practice things you might not get right away.
And there is a reason we never judge you when you struggle with them.
Because that is exactly where growth happens.
When you encounter these moments in the gym, don’t think you are behind everyone else.
You are exactly where you need to be.
This process is intentional.
Because the goal isn’t just to give you a workout.
The goal is to help mold you into a stronger person than when you first walked through the door.
I see it all the time.
Avoidance.
Negative self-talk.
People doing everything except the hardest thing in the world…
Sitting in the discomfort of not being good at something, and continuing to try anyway.
But when you learn to embrace those moments, something changes.
Your confidence grows.
Your resilience grows.
And suddenly the challenges that life throws at you outside the gym start to feel a little smaller.
If you'd like to read the CrossFit Journal article referenced above, you can find it here:
https://library.crossfit.com/premium/pdf/CFJ_Amundson_Goals.pdf
And if this topic interests you, I highly recommend the book The Comfort Crisis. It explores the idea that humans grow when we intentionally expose ourselves to discomfort and challenge—something we experience regularly inside the gym.
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