Beginners and Practice
Synapse is focused, more than anything, on learning. Even our name, Synapse, is a term for the connections between neurons in the brain, which are responsible for learning. When we examine how beginners learn, one of the most important steps is repetition. A new student does not need to go fast or create intensity quite yet. They simply need to move in the correct way, over and over again. Beginners need PRACTICE. There is no need for a new student to have a score. They have no need to compete. They need to understand that the primary focus is learning.
Embrace the Struggle
Most of our workouts are supposed to be a challenge. They're supposed to ask more of you than you would do on your own. Sometimes, when an individual is required to put a score on the board, the student will choose the less challenging route. He or she will shy away from the struggle, and instead choose something more comfortable. We have a philosophy that some days are practice days and some days are competition days. Some days we test how fast we can go. Other days, we're simply trying to get stronger. On the days we're trying to get stronger, improve technique, improve efficiency, etc, we WANT to struggle. That's what makes us better. We don't want the pressure of posting a score to deter you from embracing the suck.
Competition within the gym
We work hard to create a community at Synapse. We know that when the clock starts, and the music's turned up, the intensity gets higher, and we get a little competitive. This is good. Competition can fuel us to get better; however, when the workout stops, the competition does too. Some days we do better than our neighbor, and others they do better than us. That's the beauty of CrossFit- we can't all be great at everything. When the focus turns into beating each other, it takes away from the community, and it takes the focus away from quality. The emphasis turns into "How can I beat Suzie" instead of "How can I get better." This can be dangerous for the quality of community in our gym AND for our quality of movement.
Focus on the self
When you compete in CrossFit, you can't exactly BEAT another person. All you can do is go the fastest you can go, lift the most you can lift, and hope that it ends up being more weight or faster than the next competitor. Get in the habit of simply doing the best you can, the fastest you can, the most efficient YOU can, regardless of who is around you, regardless of what score you get at the end of the workout.
We still suggest that everyone keeps track of their workouts, weights, and accomplishments in a workout log. Knowing where you are, where you're progressing, and where you're not, is extremely important for your long term success in CrossFit. Be proud of your progress and your success, and support your neighbor in theirs. Every accomplishment matters, but to be honest, to US, beating each other doesn't. Instead, be the best YOU that you can be.