5 Essentials For Your Functional Fitness/ CrossFit Journey

Approaching a new year means a lot of us are setting fitness goals and maybe even planning to try new things. For anyone who has thought about starting Crossfit, Functional Fitness, Cross Training, etc., I’m sure it’s intimidating. BUT! It doesn’t have to be! Here, I’m going to give a quick and easy, picture-filled list of things you need to get going. This is the Ultimate Guide for Beginners! All items listed below are based on my personal opinion, of course.

1. Exercise Clothes

Any will do! Shorts, pants, leggings, sweats, tank-tops, crop-tops, t-shirts - any. will. do! They don’t have to be name brand or fancy at all. A lot of people get caught up with trying to get matching this and that, but don’t sweat that. As long as it’s comfortable and you can move well, you’re golden.

2. Stiff/Hard Soled Training Shoes

In my opinion, you don’t need both Olympic lifting shoes and training shoes to get started. Some people choose to buy both immediately and that’s okay but it’s not an absolute necessity. The most important thing to note is that softer sole shoes, i.e., running shoes, won’t give the appropriate support and traction you need. They’ll be sufficient for the beginning of your journey, but you’ll want to get appropriate shoes because I’m sure you don’t want to just be *sufficient*. You want to thrive! So, get a good pair of shoes.

3. Grips!

You might overlook these because it could seem like fluff, but for the amount of pull-up or ring-row work you’ll be doing (as shown by the heavily used grips pictured above), you’ll want to protect your hands. Sore or injured hands can slow you down, and pull-ups and ring-rows are good for that. Note: Women’s workout gloves could be helpful here, but grips are specifically designed for this kind of work. This will take us to our next essential items.

4. Callus shaver and pumice stone

Again, your hands are going to get worked and you need to take care of them. Calluses are going to be a part of your life and if you don’t manage them, you could rip (yes, you could rip your hand) and have an ugly injury that was technically avoidable. Hand Salve can help with this too.

5. Optional – OMECHA’s Tosan Top/Bemi Bottoms

The Tosan and Bemi are the epitome of women’s weightlifting and crossfit apparel created to lessen pains and bruising that occur with power cleans, front squats, barbell cycling workouts, etc. After doing a few of these movements, assess your aches and pains - the Tosan and/or Bemi could be for you! Even if you don’t find it essential initially, keep it in mind and you may find it useful later on in your journey.

Armed with these items (and a great attitude), you’ll be well on your way to beginning and enjoying your fitness journey. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below. Anything you think is essential that’s not listed here, name it in the comments and you could help someone that needs it!