Gifts for the New CROSSFIT Athlete in your life
Starting any new fitness routine is a great feat that needs to be rewarded for both new, experienced, young, and old. Each style of workout tends to require its own unique equipment to help participating in the activities easier. Crossfit is the same in this regards, although its workout routines are a mashup of all the other fitness disciplines. This leads Crossfit athletes to inevitably grow a large collection of various fitness items to help in all aspects of a Crossfit workout from Olympic Lifting to Gymnastics.
I recently started my Crossfit journey at GreatWoods Crossfit, just over a year ago and below are the majority pieces of personal equipment that I have bought that has helped me day to day in my workouts. Below you will find equipment that will help any newcomer to Crossfit, most of the items on this list I have in my own collection.
Rogue Fitness SR-1 Bearing Speed Rope
one of the first things any new Crossfitter is going to realize once they get into the gym is that jump rope is not just for the playground. There are numerous workouts that include jump roping, either as single or double-unders. Using the gym ropes can get you by, but to really learn the movement you need a decent rope that is sized exactly to you that you can get used to. This rope allows for that with the added benefit of having ball bearings giving you greater possible rope speed to finally hit those double-unders.
Bear KompleX 2 and 3 Hole Carbon Hand Grips
Gymnastic bar and ring work are a staple of any Crossfit athlete. Pull-ups, chest to bars, and eventually muscle-ups will take a toll on any athletes hands. These grips provide protection for even the toughest hands while aiding in the ability to grip the bars allowing for more reps.
Rogue Wrist Wraps
Lifting weights is a staple in Crossfit and inevitably those wrights will end up above your head. These straps help support the wrists as the weights get heavier during over head movements such as a split jerk or even during a bench press.
Bear KompleX Compression Knee Sleeves
Knee sleeves are made of usually neoprene and provide support and compression to the knees during many Crossfit workouts. These make a great addition to any athlete that uses their knees when they workout. In a side note, my knees are not the best and knee sleeves help keep my knees warm and loose during longer workouts and support my knees during workouts like squats when they are constantly bending under weight.
Bear KompleX 4" Straight Weightlifting Belt
Think of this as the wrist strap for the waist. When lifting weights it is sometimes useful to give extra support to the lower back. Weight belts do just that, and these ones happen to look cool while doing it. The Bear Komplex weight belt can also help you generate more force during lifts to help increase you one rep max. For me these belts really help support my back during lots of different lifts or when I’m starting to get tired and need just a little help to finish.
Liftgenie Thumb Adhesive Weightlifting Tape
When learning most Olympic weightlifting moves,you will eventually learn to do what is called a “hook grip”. This is where you wrap your fingers around the bar and grab onto your thumb, giving you a stronger grip on the bar, allowing you to lift heavier weight. The down fall is that your thumb can be slippery, and it can get injured being rubbed on the knurling on the bar. Using a thumb tape helps give a better grip and helps to protect your thumb.
RipFix by Winnies - Hand Repair Cream
Anyone that is in the Crossfit community knows about the hand rips that come from doing gymnastic work. As new athletes will soon lean, long work on the bar or with the rings, doing workouts such as Murph, will lead to ripped hands. Using grips, like the ones above, do help reduce the occurrence of hand rips but they do not eliminate it completely. This salve will help sooth and keep the sensitive, injured, skin moisturized as it heals.
Bear KompleX Military Grade Tactical Backpack
Now that the new Crossfit athlete is stocked up on all the essential gear for daily workouts they will need a way to transport it to and from the gym and competitions. This Bear Komplex backpack is one that I wish I had. This backpack is designed with Crossfit and the required equipment in mind, while I went with a generic military style backpack like this. Any Cross-fitter would be ecstatic to walk into the gym with this bag.
Bear KompleX Military Grade Weight Vest
Now this piece of equipment is more on the advanced side of thing. This is a weighted vest that is designed to mimic that of a military plate carrier (used to protect vital organs during war). It is used during some hero workouts such as Murph where the athlete (if able) completes the entire workout wearing the weighted vest.
5 in 1 Foam Roller Set
After all the intense workouts are done proper stretching and recovery is needed. This kit provides essential equipment to help alleviate tight muscles all over the body to help reduce the chance of injury. I use a foam roller almost daily and the other pieces in this kit weekly depending on where I need to stretch out.
Well, there you have it. This is a great list for anyone new to crossfit that wants to outfit themselves for success. This list is also great for any family member or friend of a new Crossfit athlete that you want to get a gift for. This list is not the end all be all, but it is a great start. let me know what you think down below in the comments or what you would add.