You’ve heard a lot of people talking about CrossFit, and you’ve decided it’s finally time to see what all the chatter is about. Maybe you’ve called a few gyms and finally decided on one, or maybe you just scheduled your first class. Now you’re completely overwhelmed and intimidated, and you have no idea what to expect.

It’s okay. We’re here to help you! Remember that everyone in that class was a beginner at one point. The CrossFit community is incredibly supportive. You may even come out of the first class with a friend or two.

You’ll Work Out at Your Skill Level

CrossFit workouts are about scaling up, and there are going to be a lot of people in your class at all different skill levels. As long as the instructors know you’re a beginner, they’ll start you out with the basics. You’ll learn the mechanics of each movement, along with proper form.

The Coaches Will Adapt to You

There’s an assumption that your coaches will be loud, intense, and maybe even mean, but that’s almost always not true. CrossFit coaches are great at quickly adapting to each person’s training style. You may see them being loud and tough with one person, but if they realize you don’t react well to that, they’ll be more patient or measured with you.

The Competition is Real

As a beginner, you’re not going to feel the need to compete very much, but more advanced participants definitely will. Be prepared for pals to push each other in class and for people to keep score against one another. For you, the best person you can compete against is yourself. Try to get better with every move and improve with every class after your first one.

You’re Going to be Sore

Following your first few classes, you’re going to be sore in places you’ve never been sore before. You just went through a lot of strenuous activity, so that’s completely normal. Your post-workout recovery should include self-massage or a massage appointment, plenty of water, and a clean, healthy diet. Look up good stretches and self-massage techniques you can do on your own. Remember that unless you feel like you’re injured, soreness doesn’t mean you should skip your workouts for the next week.

Your status as a newbie is probably going to last a while, but that’s okay. You want to learn these moves slowly and at your own pace. Otherwise, you could get injured, which will slow down your progress even more.