Why You're Still Average at CrossFit (And How to Fix It)

Warning: This might sting a little. We still love you.

Let’s just call it like it is: You’ve been doing CrossFit long enough that you feel like you should be better by now. Stronger. Fitter. More technical. Less confused every time overhead squats show up.

And yet… here we are.

And to be fair—being “average” at CrossFit isn’t easy. You had to show up, learn the ropes, fight off your first kipping pull-up-induced identity crisis, and probably leave a few ego bruises on the floor. That’s progress. But eventually, the beginner gains stop showing up just because you did. And if you're still training the same way you were on day one? You're not stuck because you're bad—you're stuck because you're coasting.

This isn’t a rant from a coach who thinks everyone should be elite. It's the opposite. This is for the people who say they want to get better — who talk about chasing Rx workouts, improving their lifts, or leveling up their engine — but feel stuck, confused, or frustrated that it’s not happening.

We hear it all the time.

— “I feel like I’m plateauing.”

— “I’ve been doing this for a while, but I’m not really improving anymore.”

— “I’m training hard, but I don’t know if it’s working.”

This blog is a mirror. Not a judgmental one — just a clear one.

If you train for fun, community, and health — and performance isn’t really your goal — cool. You’re not who this is for. You’re doing great.

But if you're saying, “I want to get better,” and deep down you know you’re coasting through the same bad habits? These are the things that are likely holding you back. And the sneaky part is, most of them have probably become so normal that they’ve just blended into your training DNA.

The good news? Every one of them is fixable.

Let’s rip the bandage off. With love, obviously.

1. You Avoid the Stuff You’re Bad At

You saw rope climbs and handstand push-ups programmed and magically remembered your laundry needed folding. Coincidence? We think not.

If you keep ghosting the movements you struggle with, you’re guaranteeing they’ll never get better. “I’ll work on it when I have time” is code for “I’m going to keep skipping it until it becomes a problem I can’t ignore.”

Fix it: Show up on the days you want to skip. Practice what makes you uncomfortable. If you gave up on double-unders after three weeks of frustration, it’s time to start again—and stick with it.

Pro Tip: Pick one weakness per month and commit to touching it 2–3x a week—before class, during open gym, or as a skill session on its own. Little touches, often, beat long sessions you never actually do.

2. You Show Up, But Float Through It

You take class consistently. That’s great. But if you’re just showing up, doing the workout, and leaving without a goal, a plan, or feedback—don’t confuse motion for progress.

The real magic of coach-led classes and the CrossFit community isn’t just showing up to sweat—it’s using the guidance, accountability, and shared drive to push past plateaus. This is what sets it apart from doing random YouTube workouts or generic bootcamps where exercise is organized but progress isn’t guaranteed.

If you're not talking to your coach about where you're trying to go, not tracking how you're doing, or not adjusting anything when you're stuck... that’s not training, that’s just exercising.

Training has intention. It builds toward something. Exercise is just movement without a map.

Fix it: Have a goal. Talk to your coach. Ask for help. Treat your hour in the gym like it’s building toward something.

Pro Tip: Tell your coach one thing you want to improve this month. Then check in weekly. It’s wild how fast things start moving when someone’s actually keeping score.

3. You Don’t Respect Technique

Power cleans that look like reverse curls. Snatches caught somewhere near your forehead. Footwork that would confuse a tap dancer. But hey, at least you hit the RX weight, right?

Wrong. “I’ll clean up my form later” is the long road to injury, frustration, and a long-term relationship with plateaus.

Sloppy lifts that “feel fine” at 70% don’t magically clean up at 90%. They just hide bad habits until the weight exposes them.

Fix it: Stop chasing PRs on sloppy reps. Strength built on bad form is just a time bomb.

Pro Tip: Record yourself moving once a week. Review it like game film—or better yet, with a coach. Your eyes will catch what your ego won’t.

4. Your Recovery Habits Suck

You train like a savage, then recover like a frat boy during finals week. Five hours of rest, caffeine for breakfast, and “recovery” that mostly involves lying on your floor watching Netflix.

Foam rolling for 90 seconds while scrolling TikTok doesn’t count as mobility. Sorry.

Your body will eventually call in the bill—and that bill usually shows up as nagging injuries, brain fog, or stalled progress.

Fix it: Get real sleep. Eat real food. Treat recovery like part of your training plan—not a bonus round.

Pro Tip: Set a sleep goal the same way you’d set a lifting goal. Track your hours for a week—you’ll see why you’re still sore by Thursday.

5. Your Nutrition Is an Afterthought

Protein bar for breakfast. Energy drink for lunch. A gallon of water chugged at 8pm “to catch up.” Vibes and willpower might get you through a WOD, but they won’t fuel long-term progress.

Your body is literally trying to do miracles in class. Maybe don’t feed it like it’s a raccoon digging through a dumpster behind Taco Bell.

Fix it: Eat like someone who trains. Real food. Enough of it. Repeat.

Pro Tip: Start with protein—get 25–30g in every meal and build from there. Dialing in one thing is better than tracking none.

6. You're Too Proud to Scale

We get it. Scaling feels like losing. You see “Rx” and think anything less is a cop-out. But let us gently remind you: moving poorly just to say you did it “as written” isn’t impressive. It’s risky—and unproductive.

Doing workouts as written when your movement isn't there yet isn’t commitment—it’s just ego in a weight vest.

Scaling isn’t a step back—it’s the fastest route forward. You’ll move better, recover better, and actually get the intended stimulus of the workout. It’s more effective, more sustainable, and yes—more fun when you’re not just surviving the WOD.

Fix it: Leave your ego in the cubby. Scale smart. Progress demands quality.

Pro Tip: Ask your coach what the intent of the workout is—and scale to match the intention, not the leaderboard.

7. You’re Obsessed with Metcons and Avoid Strength Work

You’re here for the sweat. You want the burn, the gasping, the feeling of almost dying. But ask you to slow down and build a stronger squat? Suddenly it’s “boring” or “not the same.”

Guess what? Your conditioning will only go so far if your strength stays weak.

Fix it: Embrace the barbell. Strength is the multiplier for everything else.

Pro Tip: Treat strength work like skill work—log your weights, focus on tempo, and show up even when it’s not flashy. Quiet consistency builds scary capacity.

Bonus: The stronger you get, the lighter those Rx weights start to feel. Suddenly, what once felt impossible becomes your warm-up.

Final Word:

Being “average” isn’t a moral failing. It’s just a result of habits. And those habits can be changed.

Whether you’re chasing podiums, prepping for your first Murph, or just want to feel good lifting groceries and toddlers—this stuff applies. The clearer you are on your goals, the more important it becomes to train in a way that actually supports them.

So no, this blog isn’t about elitism or trying to shame anyone into being a Games athlete. It’s about helping you bridge the gap between where you are and what you say you want.

Break the habits. Rewire the DNA. Get back to training with purpose.

And lucky for you, that’s kind of our thing.

Stay Dope.