A letter to an aspiring CrossFit athlete
Written by Conquer Athlete Coach Jason Leydon, CSCS
Dear Aspiring CrossFit Athlete,
I remember my first time walking into a box—raw plywood walls, chalk in the air, and barbells rattling against the floor. I felt equal parts inspired and overwhelmed. Two decades later I’ve coached podium finishers, military operators, and weekend warriors, and one truth keeps surfacing: longevity beats flashes of brilliance every single time. The sport rewards consistency, humility, and deliberate progression. It punishes ego, impatience, and sloppy recovery. Consider this letter your roadmap for the seasons ahead.
First, master the fundamentals.
Moving well under light load is sexier than collapsing under a personal-record attempt. Drill the basics—air squat, strict pull-up, perfect hollow, braced hinge—until they’re bulletproof. Quality movement compounds like interest; every flawless rep today earns dividends when the work gets heavy, fast, and complex tomorrow.
Second, chase capacity systematically, not emotionally.
The whiteboard warrior who red-lines daily will trend toward plateaus, injuries, or burnout. Anchor your training to principles: progressive overload, energy-system balance, and thoughtful variance. Map your week so each session has intent—strength, skill, aerobic build, threshold work—not just a mash-up that “looks spicy.” If your program can’t explain the why, it’s entertainment, not training.
Third, treat recovery as training.
Sleep seven to nine hours like it’s the biggest set of the day. Fuel with unsexy basics—proteins that lived a life, colors that grew in soil, carbs that keep the engine humming. Hydrate before you’re thirsty. Guard joint integrity with mobility and accessory work the same way you guard your phone battery; let either drain to zero and performance dies.
Fourth, build a resilient mindset.
A mixed-modal season is longer and messier than the highlight reels suggest. You’ll have bad days, missed lifts, and leaderboard nosedives. Good—adversity is data. Review, adjust, and show up again. We don’t chase perfection; we chase the next measurable inch of improvement. Celebrate small wins ruthlessly—they string together into a career.
Fifth, cultivate your support system.
Coaches, training partners, physical therapists, family—success in CrossFit is a team sport disguised as effort. Surround yourself with people who hold you accountable to the boring work and call you out when ego sneaks in. Iron sharpens iron, but only when both blades are willing to grind.
Finally, play the long game.
Your goal isn’t to peak year one in the Open; it’s to be fitter tomorrow then you are today. Your nervous system, connective tissue, and psyche adapt slower than motivation, so layer stress only as fast as you can recover. That means strategic deloads, off-season general physical preparation, and periods that bias weaknesses without abandoning strengths. Patience isn’t passive—it’s active trust in a plan rooted in principle.
Remember: progress is measured in years, not workouts—so invest in future you for the long haul.
If you honor these tenets, you’ll not only rise through the ranks—you’ll stay there. The leaderboard forgets quick peaks; it remembers athletes who show up year after year. Become that athlete.
Chalk up, breathe, and get to work. Stay hungry.
In Strength,
Jason Leydon
Head Coach, Conquer Athlete
P.S. Reach out to the Conquer Athlete team at help@conquerathlete.com and let’s work your mindset and grit alongside your physical training.
