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The CrossFit Perception Gap
Bridging the Divide Between Reality and Illusion
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The CrossFit Perception Gap: Bridging the Divide Between Reality and Illusion
Having just completed the 2025 CrossFit Open, now is the perfect time to reflect on those intense weeks—what went well, what could be improved, and how both my clients and I experienced the journey. The Open always delivers a rollercoaster of emotions, making it vital to keep performance in perspective. At its core, CrossFit is about personal growth. It’s you versus you.
CrossFit in Dubai thrives on intensity, competition, and the constant push to surpass limits. Yet within this high-energy environment, a perception gap often forms—sometimes without us even realising. This gap reflects the difference between our current performance and the unrealistic expectations we place upon ourselves, fuelled by daily training comparisons and carefully curated social media content.
This perception gap is not exclusive to CrossFit; it echoes through our careers, relationships, and personal milestones. We often assess ourselves against external metrics and overlook our own progress. In the gym, it might be comparing our score to someone else’s on the leaderboard. In life, it might be striving for an ideal without acknowledging our own achievements.
Bridging this gap begins with honest self-awareness. Rather than obsessing over shortcomings, we should take stock of progress, set achievable goals, and appreciate the process. Whether in CrossFit or day-to-day life, growth stems from consistent effort and a clear understanding of where we’ve come from.
Now that the CrossFit Open is behind us, its lessons remain. Keep pushing, keep learning, and most of all—keep your perspective aligned.
The Myth of “I Should Be Better”
Step into any CrossFit gym in Dubai or beyond, and you’ll hear it: “I should have gone heavier.” “I should have beaten that time.” “I should be doing muscle-ups by now.” The word ‘should’ is a red flag—it reveals a gap between where we are and where we think we ought to be.
This mindset isn’t limited to CrossFit, but it is magnified in an environment where workouts are scored, progress is public, and comparison is easy. Unlike in traditional gyms, CrossFit places athletes side by side, making every session a visible performance. Combine that with the leaderboard that makes performance visible, and the relentless highlight reels on social media, and the illusion of inadequacy grows.
This same internal dialogue appears in everyday life. “I should have a better job.” “I should own a house.” “I should be further along.” Just as in CrossFit, these expectations are often rooted in comparisons that ignore the individuality of our circumstances.
The Reality Check
There’s nothing wrong with ambition. In fact, striving for better is what drives CrossFit and self-development. The problem arises when expectations outpace reality and cause frustration or burnout. Often, this happens when we compare our journey to someone else’s.
Reality in CrossFit is measurable. It’s your current lifting capacity, endurance, and technical skills—developed through consistency, coaching, and time. It’s not what you wish you could lift; it’s what you’ve earned through effort. Yes, visualisation plays a role, but it must be grounded in your actual capabilities.
The illusion is what we absorb from others’ curated success. We see best performances, not the grind behind them. We forget that top CrossFit athletes have spent years mastering the basics and training with discipline. The same principle applies to careers and personal goals: most achievements are built on long periods of quiet, consistent effort.
And here’s the reality check—without putting in the work, high-level outcomes won’t materialise. Whether you want to lift heavier, run faster, or finally get those double-unders, you need to train accordingly. In both CrossFit and life, success is earned through repeated action, not wishful thinking.
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How Do We Close the Gap?
1. Track progress — Reflect on where you began, not just on where others are. Strength, endurance, and technical skill in CrossFit develop incrementally, not overnight. The same applies to mental growth—celebrating small wins creates long-term momentum.
2. Use others as inspiration, not benchmarks — That elite CrossFitter in your box or the influencer on your feed? The influencer hitting PBs daily and making life seem easy? Great for motivation, but their path isn’t yours. Everyone’s journey in CrossFit is different—respect your own pace.
3. Listen to your body and drop the ego — Training near your threshold is useful. Pushing beyond it at the expense of safety, form, or recovery is counterproductive. Injury and burnout don’t build long-term success.
4. Understand social media’s lens — A snapshot, not reality. That epic CrossFit PR post? It likely followed weeks of missed reps and rough sessions. People rarely share the full story, and that’s important to remember.
5. Stay present in your training and your life — Celebrate today's effort. Focus on being fully present during your WOD. Progress in CrossFit, like in life, comes through consistent repetition and patience. It’s never truly ‘overnight’.
I’ve felt the perception gap myself—especially early on in my CrossFit journey. Even now, it creeps in sometimes. But I’ve learnt to pause and remember why I started. For me, CrossFit is about becoming better—physically, mentally, emotionally. Still, it’s easy to lose perspective in a comparison-driven world.
The perception gap is real. But it's manageable. Belief and ambition matter—but without effort, they mean nothing. Whether you're training at your local CrossFit box or striving for growth in life, own where you are, do the work, and results will come.
Fun - HONESTY - Simplicity - Smash Life - Mental Toughness - Hard Work
GYMNASTICS
Handstand Push-ups, Strict, kipping, or somewhere in between—this session breaks down the strength and skill needed to master your HSPU.
Bar Muscle-ups, Let’s get airborne—build the power, timing, and technique to glide over the bar with confidence. Expect floor, low bar and rig work drills to sharpen your balance, strength, and control while upside down.
HYBRID FITNESS
This week's session focuses on working with time-based intervals. We have 5- and 3-minute work windows, which incorporate all the elements contained within Fitness racing. This should give you a sense of the event's flow, as well as an understanding of how the stations build upon each other.
MOBILITY
In this weekend's session, we’ll graduate mobility into functional strength integration. Expect to reinforce the new range of motion with low-load, high-control strength movements that challenge core engagement and joint stability. The session will blend mobility with resistance-based exercises, emphasising tempo and control to solidify motor patterns. You’ll also work on movement transitions—such as those used with lunges, hinging movements, and rotation—to build coordination and strength across multiple planes, helping your body move more efficiently and with less discomfort.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting is cleans this week. Working on the speed under the bar - Overhead complex of push press and pause split jerks. Power clean hang, hang clean, split jerk. Finishing off with some heavy back squats.
The Monday Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Nad al Sheeba
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Wednesday - Indoor Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Thursday - Endurance Strength
A strength class focused on key movements for endurance athletes to help avoid injury, build speed and develop strength.
Time: 06:30 am
Location: This is a paid class session at InnerFight HQ. If you're interested to join, email winning@innerfight.com
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride. This ride always begins with 18 - 20km at 30kph before a longer segment with various formats. Expect the main group to ride around 34kph, slower groups will break off and form. Anyone is welcome to join.
Time: 04:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.
Sunday - Long Run
A run where we start and finish together. Up to 2hrs long depending on people needs.
If you're interested to join, reach out to Dan Bagley, db@innerfight.com
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Mushrif Park, location below (Cafe Peloton car park)
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be running blocks of 8 mins at a 7/10 Tempo effort, each with a 3 min recovery. I recommend walking the recovery to ensure that your HR comes down and allows for quality running throughout the session. We will repeat this sequence 3x.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we will be running 400s at 5km and 1km pace.
Wednesday
Session: LRC Intervals
There is no in person LRC session today, Unlimited Clients, there is a session in your TrainingPeaks still. Enjoy!
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
This week we will be running "hills" on the canal bridge at the end of the beach track. After you have run easy there you will run 20 mins of continuous hill efforts. Return to Common Grounds for 7am coffees.
Sunday
Time: 5:29am
Location: InnerFight
Session: Long Run
Today we will host a community long run from InnerFight.
Monday:
A start to the week we know you will like! Heavy Barbells and an epic engine workout that will have your lungs and your shoulders screaming, but don't worry, you get 2 mins rest each round!
Strength:
Deadlift every 2:00 x 6 - 3 reps
Conditioning:
In a 4-minute window with 2 minutes Rest x 5
30/25/20 cal assault bike
20 db hang snatch (1 x 55/35)
AMRAP Wall Walks
Tuesday:
All Pulling gains in the strength part of today, before we get into a sprint with your partner, how much are you willing to push when your legs want to give up? Today we will find out!
Strength:
A) EMOMx 10 - 2/3 Pull Ups
B) Every 90 sec x 6 - 10/10/8/8/6/6 Per Arm Dumbbell bent-over row
C) Every 75 sec x 6 - 30 Sec Max Inverted Rows
Conditioning:
FOR TIME in pairs:
150 wall balls (Shared)
Olivara run (Together)
Wednesday:
Cleaning today, the Squat Clean kind! We back this up with intervals involving the barbell some gymnastics, the rower and the ski!
Strength:
EMOM x 8 - 2 Squat Cleans
Conditioning:
3 Rounds:
In a 3 minute window
15 hang Power cleans (40/30)
12 Pull ups
AMRAP Cal row
Rest 2 mins
In a 3 minute window
15 hang squat cleans
12 TTB
AMRAP Cal Ski
rest 2 mins
Thursday:
Push focus with some core stability and posterior work. 4 Rounds to get through in the conditioning, how long do you think you will take?
Strength:
A) Every 90 sec x 6 - 2 push press (1 sec pause in dip)
B) Every 75 sec x 8 alternating - 5 barbell floor press / 8 DB RDL @30X1
C) EMOM x 8 alternating 20 sec Dual KB OH hold / 10 banded Russian KB swings
Conditioning:
4 rounds for time
20 Dual KB Sumo Deadlift
15 Box Jumps
Friday:
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 5 - 5/5/3/3/3 Front Squat @21X1
building
Therapy is good for you! See you on the floor!
The CrossFit Perception Gap: Bridging the Divide Between Reality and Illusion
Having just completed the 2025 CrossFit Open, now is the perfect time to reflect on those intense weeks—what went well, what could be improved, and how both my clients and I experienced the journey. The Open always delivers a rollercoaster of emotions, making it vital to keep performance in perspective. At its core, CrossFit is about personal growth. It’s you versus you.
CrossFit in Dubai thrives on intensity, competition, and the constant push to surpass limits. Yet within this high-energy environment, a perception gap often forms—sometimes without us even realising. This gap reflects the difference between our current performance and the unrealistic expectations we place upon ourselves, fuelled by daily training comparisons and carefully curated social media content.
This perception gap is not exclusive to CrossFit; it echoes through our careers, relationships, and personal milestones. We often assess ourselves against external metrics and overlook our own progress. In the gym, it might be comparing our score to someone else’s on the leaderboard. In life, it might be striving for an ideal without acknowledging our own achievements.
Bridging this gap begins with honest self-awareness. Rather than obsessing over shortcomings, we should take stock of progress, set achievable goals, and appreciate the process. Whether in CrossFit or day-to-day life, growth stems from consistent effort and a clear understanding of where we’ve come from.
Now that the CrossFit Open is behind us, its lessons remain. Keep pushing, keep learning, and most of all—keep your perspective aligned.
The Myth of “I Should Be Better”
Step into any CrossFit gym in Dubai or beyond, and you’ll hear it: “I should have gone heavier.” “I should have beaten that time.” “I should be doing muscle-ups by now.” The word ‘should’ is a red flag—it reveals a gap between where we are and where we think we ought to be.
This mindset isn’t limited to CrossFit, but it is magnified in an environment where workouts are scored, progress is public, and comparison is easy. Unlike in traditional gyms, CrossFit places athletes side by side, making every session a visible performance. Combine that with the leaderboard that makes performance visible, and the relentless highlight reels on social media, and the illusion of inadequacy grows.
This same internal dialogue appears in everyday life. “I should have a better job.” “I should own a house.” “I should be further along.” Just as in CrossFit, these expectations are often rooted in comparisons that ignore the individuality of our circumstances.
The Reality Check
There’s nothing wrong with ambition. In fact, striving for better is what drives CrossFit and self-development. The problem arises when expectations outpace reality and cause frustration or burnout. Often, this happens when we compare our journey to someone else’s.
Reality in CrossFit is measurable. It’s your current lifting capacity, endurance, and technical skills—developed through consistency, coaching, and time. It’s not what you wish you could lift; it’s what you’ve earned through effort. Yes, visualisation plays a role, but it must be grounded in your actual capabilities.
The illusion is what we absorb from others’ curated success. We see best performances, not the grind behind them. We forget that top CrossFit athletes have spent years mastering the basics and training with discipline. The same principle applies to careers and personal goals: most achievements are built on long periods of quiet, consistent effort.
And here’s the reality check—without putting in the work, high-level outcomes won’t materialise. Whether you want to lift heavier, run faster, or finally get those double-unders, you need to train accordingly. In both CrossFit and life, success is earned through repeated action, not wishful thinking.
How Do We Close the Gap?
1. Track progress — Reflect on where you began, not just on where others are. Strength, endurance, and technical skill in CrossFit develop incrementally, not overnight. The same applies to mental growth—celebrating small wins creates long-term momentum.
2. Use others as inspiration, not benchmarks — That elite CrossFitter in your box or the influencer on your feed? The influencer hitting PBs daily and making life seem easy? Great for motivation, but their path isn’t yours. Everyone’s journey in CrossFit is different—respect your own pace.
3. Listen to your body and drop the ego — Training near your threshold is useful. Pushing beyond it at the expense of safety, form, or recovery is counterproductive. Injury and burnout don’t build long-term success.
4. Understand social media’s lens — A snapshot, not reality. That epic CrossFit PR post? It likely followed weeks of missed reps and rough sessions. People rarely share the full story, and that’s important to remember.
5. Stay present in your training and your life — Celebrate today's effort. Focus on being fully present during your WOD. Progress in CrossFit, like in life, comes through consistent repetition and patience. It’s never truly ‘overnight’.
I’ve felt the perception gap myself—especially early on in my CrossFit journey. Even now, it creeps in sometimes. But I’ve learnt to pause and remember why I started. For me, CrossFit is about becoming better—physically, mentally, emotionally. Still, it’s easy to lose perspective in a comparison-driven world.
The perception gap is real. But it's manageable. Belief and ambition matter—but without effort, they mean nothing. Whether you're training at your local CrossFit box or striving for growth in life, own where you are, do the work, and results will come.
Fun - HONESTY - Simplicity - Smash Life - Mental Toughness - Hard Work
The Monday Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Nad al Sheeba
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Wednesday - Indoor Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Thursday - Endurance Strength
A strength class focused on key movements for endurance athletes to help avoid injury, build speed and develop strength.
Time: 06:30 am
Location: This is a paid class session at InnerFight HQ. If you're interested to join, email winning@innerfight.com
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride. This ride always begins with 18 - 20km at 30kph before a longer segment with various formats. Expect the main group to ride around 34kph, slower groups will break off and form. Anyone is welcome to join.
Time: 04:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.
Sunday - Long Run
A run where we start and finish together. Up to 2hrs long depending on people needs.
If you're interested to join, reach out to Dan Bagley, db@innerfight.com
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Mushrif Park, location below (Cafe Peloton car park)
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be running blocks of 8 mins at a 7/10 Tempo effort, each with a 3 min recovery. I recommend walking the recovery to ensure that your HR comes down and allows for quality running throughout the session. We will repeat this sequence 3x.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we will be running 400s at 5km and 1km pace.
Wednesday
Session: LRC Intervals
There is no in person LRC session today, Unlimited Clients, there is a session in your TrainingPeaks still. Enjoy!
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
This week we will be running "hills" on the canal bridge at the end of the beach track. After you have run easy there you will run 20 mins of continuous hill efforts. Return to Common Grounds for 7am coffees.
Sunday
Time: 5:29am
Location: InnerFight
Session: Long Run
Today we will host a community long run from InnerFight.
Monday:
A start to the week we know you will like! Heavy Barbells and an epic engine workout that will have your lungs and your shoulders screaming, but don't worry, you get 2 mins rest each round!
Strength:
Deadlift every 2:00 x 6 - 3 reps
Conditioning:
In a 4-minute window with 2 minutes Rest x 5
30/25/20 cal assault bike
20 db hang snatch (1 x 55/35)
AMRAP Wall Walks
Tuesday:
All Pulling gains in the strength part of today, before we get into a sprint with your partner, how much are you willing to push when your legs want to give up? Today we will find out!
Strength:
A) EMOMx 10 - 2/3 Pull Ups
B) Every 90 sec x 6 - 10/10/8/8/6/6 Per Arm Dumbbell bent-over row
C) Every 75 sec x 6 - 30 Sec Max Inverted Rows
Conditioning:
FOR TIME in pairs:
150 wall balls (Shared)
Olivara run (Together)
Wednesday:
Cleaning today, the Squat Clean kind! We back this up with intervals involving the barbell some gymnastics, the rower and the ski!
Strength:
EMOM x 8 - 2 Squat Cleans
Conditioning:
3 Rounds:
In a 3 minute window
15 hang Power cleans (40/30)
12 Pull ups
AMRAP Cal row
Rest 2 mins
In a 3 minute window
15 hang squat cleans
12 TTB
AMRAP Cal Ski
rest 2 mins
Thursday:
Push focus with some core stability and posterior work. 4 Rounds to get through in the conditioning, how long do you think you will take?
Strength:
A) Every 90 sec x 6 - 2 push press (1 sec pause in dip)
B) Every 75 sec x 8 alternating - 5 barbell floor press / 8 DB RDL @30X1
C) EMOM x 8 alternating 20 sec Dual KB OH hold / 10 banded Russian KB swings
Conditioning:
4 rounds for time
20 Dual KB Sumo Deadlift
15 Box Jumps
Friday:
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 5 - 5/5/3/3/3 Front Squat @21X1
building
Therapy is good for you! See you on the floor!
GYMNASTICS
Handstand Push-ups, Strict, kipping, or somewhere in between—this session breaks down the strength and skill needed to master your HSPU.
Bar Muscle-ups, Let’s get airborne—build the power, timing, and technique to glide over the bar with confidence. Expect floor, low bar and rig work drills to sharpen your balance, strength, and control while upside down.
HYBRID FITNESS
This week's session focuses on working with time-based intervals. We have 5- and 3-minute work windows, which incorporate all the elements contained within Fitness racing. This should give you a sense of the event's flow, as well as an understanding of how the stations build upon each other.
MOBILITY
In this weekend's session, we’ll graduate mobility into functional strength integration. Expect to reinforce the new range of motion with low-load, high-control strength movements that challenge core engagement and joint stability. The session will blend mobility with resistance-based exercises, emphasising tempo and control to solidify motor patterns. You’ll also work on movement transitions—such as those used with lunges, hinging movements, and rotation—to build coordination and strength across multiple planes, helping your body move more efficiently and with less discomfort.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting is cleans this week. Working on the speed under the bar - Overhead complex of push press and pause split jerks. Power clean hang, hang clean, split jerk. Finishing off with some heavy back squats.
The CrossFit Perception Gap: Bridging the Divide Between Reality and Illusion
Having just completed the 2025 CrossFit Open, now is the perfect time to reflect on those intense weeks—what went well, what could be improved, and how both my clients and I experienced the journey. The Open always delivers a rollercoaster of emotions, making it vital to keep performance in perspective. At its core, CrossFit is about personal growth. It’s you versus you.
CrossFit in Dubai thrives on intensity, competition, and the constant push to surpass limits. Yet within this high-energy environment, a perception gap often forms—sometimes without us even realising. This gap reflects the difference between our current performance and the unrealistic expectations we place upon ourselves, fuelled by daily training comparisons and carefully curated social media content.
This perception gap is not exclusive to CrossFit; it echoes through our careers, relationships, and personal milestones. We often assess ourselves against external metrics and overlook our own progress. In the gym, it might be comparing our score to someone else’s on the leaderboard. In life, it might be striving for an ideal without acknowledging our own achievements.
Bridging this gap begins with honest self-awareness. Rather than obsessing over shortcomings, we should take stock of progress, set achievable goals, and appreciate the process. Whether in CrossFit or day-to-day life, growth stems from consistent effort and a clear understanding of where we’ve come from.
Now that the CrossFit Open is behind us, its lessons remain. Keep pushing, keep learning, and most of all—keep your perspective aligned.
The Myth of “I Should Be Better”
Step into any CrossFit gym in Dubai or beyond, and you’ll hear it: “I should have gone heavier.” “I should have beaten that time.” “I should be doing muscle-ups by now.” The word ‘should’ is a red flag—it reveals a gap between where we are and where we think we ought to be.
This mindset isn’t limited to CrossFit, but it is magnified in an environment where workouts are scored, progress is public, and comparison is easy. Unlike in traditional gyms, CrossFit places athletes side by side, making every session a visible performance. Combine that with the leaderboard that makes performance visible, and the relentless highlight reels on social media, and the illusion of inadequacy grows.
This same internal dialogue appears in everyday life. “I should have a better job.” “I should own a house.” “I should be further along.” Just as in CrossFit, these expectations are often rooted in comparisons that ignore the individuality of our circumstances.
The Reality Check
There’s nothing wrong with ambition. In fact, striving for better is what drives CrossFit and self-development. The problem arises when expectations outpace reality and cause frustration or burnout. Often, this happens when we compare our journey to someone else’s.
Reality in CrossFit is measurable. It’s your current lifting capacity, endurance, and technical skills—developed through consistency, coaching, and time. It’s not what you wish you could lift; it’s what you’ve earned through effort. Yes, visualisation plays a role, but it must be grounded in your actual capabilities.
The illusion is what we absorb from others’ curated success. We see best performances, not the grind behind them. We forget that top CrossFit athletes have spent years mastering the basics and training with discipline. The same principle applies to careers and personal goals: most achievements are built on long periods of quiet, consistent effort.
And here’s the reality check—without putting in the work, high-level outcomes won’t materialise. Whether you want to lift heavier, run faster, or finally get those double-unders, you need to train accordingly. In both CrossFit and life, success is earned through repeated action, not wishful thinking.
How Do We Close the Gap?
1. Track progress — Reflect on where you began, not just on where others are. Strength, endurance, and technical skill in CrossFit develop incrementally, not overnight. The same applies to mental growth—celebrating small wins creates long-term momentum.
2. Use others as inspiration, not benchmarks — That elite CrossFitter in your box or the influencer on your feed? The influencer hitting PBs daily and making life seem easy? Great for motivation, but their path isn’t yours. Everyone’s journey in CrossFit is different—respect your own pace.
3. Listen to your body and drop the ego — Training near your threshold is useful. Pushing beyond it at the expense of safety, form, or recovery is counterproductive. Injury and burnout don’t build long-term success.
4. Understand social media’s lens — A snapshot, not reality. That epic CrossFit PR post? It likely followed weeks of missed reps and rough sessions. People rarely share the full story, and that’s important to remember.
5. Stay present in your training and your life — Celebrate today's effort. Focus on being fully present during your WOD. Progress in CrossFit, like in life, comes through consistent repetition and patience. It’s never truly ‘overnight’.
I’ve felt the perception gap myself—especially early on in my CrossFit journey. Even now, it creeps in sometimes. But I’ve learnt to pause and remember why I started. For me, CrossFit is about becoming better—physically, mentally, emotionally. Still, it’s easy to lose perspective in a comparison-driven world.
The perception gap is real. But it's manageable. Belief and ambition matter—but without effort, they mean nothing. Whether you're training at your local CrossFit box or striving for growth in life, own where you are, do the work, and results will come.
Fun - HONESTY - Simplicity - Smash Life - Mental Toughness - Hard Work
Monday
Time: 5:59am & 5:59pm
Location: InnerFight
Session: LRC Tempo
This week will be running blocks of 8 mins at a 7/10 Tempo effort, each with a 3 min recovery. I recommend walking the recovery to ensure that your HR comes down and allows for quality running throughout the session. We will repeat this sequence 3x.
Tuesday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Session: Track Tuesday
This is your chance to run fast with the wider IFE community and coaches. This week we will be running 400s at 5km and 1km pace.
Wednesday
Session: LRC Intervals
There is no in person LRC session today, Unlimited Clients, there is a session in your TrainingPeaks still. Enjoy!
Friday
Time: 5:59am
Location: Common Grounds
Session: The Coffee Run
This week we will be running "hills" on the canal bridge at the end of the beach track. After you have run easy there you will run 20 mins of continuous hill efforts. Return to Common Grounds for 7am coffees.
Sunday
Time: 5:29am
Location: InnerFight
Session: Long Run
Today we will host a community long run from InnerFight.
Monday:
A start to the week we know you will like! Heavy Barbells and an epic engine workout that will have your lungs and your shoulders screaming, but don't worry, you get 2 mins rest each round!
Strength:
Deadlift every 2:00 x 6 - 3 reps
Conditioning:
In a 4-minute window with 2 minutes Rest x 5
30/25/20 cal assault bike
20 db hang snatch (1 x 55/35)
AMRAP Wall Walks
Tuesday:
All Pulling gains in the strength part of today, before we get into a sprint with your partner, how much are you willing to push when your legs want to give up? Today we will find out!
Strength:
A) EMOMx 10 - 2/3 Pull Ups
B) Every 90 sec x 6 - 10/10/8/8/6/6 Per Arm Dumbbell bent-over row
C) Every 75 sec x 6 - 30 Sec Max Inverted Rows
Conditioning:
FOR TIME in pairs:
150 wall balls (Shared)
Olivara run (Together)
Wednesday:
Cleaning today, the Squat Clean kind! We back this up with intervals involving the barbell some gymnastics, the rower and the ski!
Strength:
EMOM x 8 - 2 Squat Cleans
Conditioning:
3 Rounds:
In a 3 minute window
15 hang Power cleans (40/30)
12 Pull ups
AMRAP Cal row
Rest 2 mins
In a 3 minute window
15 hang squat cleans
12 TTB
AMRAP Cal Ski
rest 2 mins
Thursday:
Push focus with some core stability and posterior work. 4 Rounds to get through in the conditioning, how long do you think you will take?
Strength:
A) Every 90 sec x 6 - 2 push press (1 sec pause in dip)
B) Every 75 sec x 8 alternating - 5 barbell floor press / 8 DB RDL @30X1
C) EMOM x 8 alternating 20 sec Dual KB OH hold / 10 banded Russian KB swings
Conditioning:
4 rounds for time
20 Dual KB Sumo Deadlift
15 Box Jumps
Friday:
Strength:
A) Every 2 mins x 5 - 5/5/3/3/3 Front Squat @21X1
building
Therapy is good for you! See you on the floor!
GYMNASTICS
Handstand Push-ups, Strict, kipping, or somewhere in between—this session breaks down the strength and skill needed to master your HSPU.
Bar Muscle-ups, Let’s get airborne—build the power, timing, and technique to glide over the bar with confidence. Expect floor, low bar and rig work drills to sharpen your balance, strength, and control while upside down.
HYBRID FITNESS
This week's session focuses on working with time-based intervals. We have 5- and 3-minute work windows, which incorporate all the elements contained within Fitness racing. This should give you a sense of the event's flow, as well as an understanding of how the stations build upon each other.
MOBILITY
In this weekend's session, we’ll graduate mobility into functional strength integration. Expect to reinforce the new range of motion with low-load, high-control strength movements that challenge core engagement and joint stability. The session will blend mobility with resistance-based exercises, emphasising tempo and control to solidify motor patterns. You’ll also work on movement transitions—such as those used with lunges, hinging movements, and rotation—to build coordination and strength across multiple planes, helping your body move more efficiently and with less discomfort.
WEIGHTLIFTING
Weightlifting is cleans this week. Working on the speed under the bar - Overhead complex of push press and pause split jerks. Power clean hang, hang clean, split jerk. Finishing off with some heavy back squats.
The Monday Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: The Loop Cafe, Nad al Sheeba
Track Tuesday
Our weekly on track speed session! For any level of runner looking to build their run speed, threshold and Vo2max fitness and run with the best running community in Dubai.
Time: 05:59 am
Session Length: 1 hour
Location: Dubai Sports City Sports Park
Wednesday - Indoor Ride
Our community program is delivered via TrainingPeaks for AED 750 p/month. If you're interested to have a plan to follow, email tw@innerfight.com
Thursday - Endurance Strength
A strength class focused on key movements for endurance athletes to help avoid injury, build speed and develop strength.
Time: 06:30 am
Location: This is a paid class session at InnerFight HQ. If you're interested to join, email winning@innerfight.com
Friday - Coffee Run
Our weekly tempo run. Sessions are built on an RPE scale and accessible to all levels of runner. We start together, run hard then finish together and chat about it over a coffee and breakfast.
Brief time: 05:54 am
Start time: 05:59 am
Start Location: Common Grounds
Saturday - Long Ride
Our weekly endurance ride. This ride always begins with 18 - 20km at 30kph before a longer segment with various formats. Expect the main group to ride around 34kph, slower groups will break off and form. Anyone is welcome to join.
Time: 04:59 am
Location: Bottom of the Stick, Al Qudra.
Sunday - Long Run
A run where we start and finish together. Up to 2hrs long depending on people needs.
If you're interested to join, reach out to Dan Bagley, db@innerfight.com
Time: 05:59 am
Location: Mushrif Park, location below (Cafe Peloton car park)
The CrossFit Perception Gap: Bridging the Divide Between Reality and Illusion
Having just completed the 2025 CrossFit Open, now is the perfect time to reflect on those intense weeks—what went well, what could be improved, and how both my clients and I experienced the journey. The Open always delivers a rollercoaster of emotions, making it vital to keep performance in perspective. At its core, CrossFit is about personal growth. It’s you versus you.
CrossFit in Dubai thrives on intensity, competition, and the constant push to surpass limits. Yet within this high-energy environment, a perception gap often forms—sometimes without us even realising. This gap reflects the difference between our current performance and the unrealistic expectations we place upon ourselves, fuelled by daily training comparisons and carefully curated social media content.
This perception gap is not exclusive to CrossFit; it echoes through our careers, relationships, and personal milestones. We often assess ourselves against external metrics and overlook our own progress. In the gym, it might be comparing our score to someone else’s on the leaderboard. In life, it might be striving for an ideal without acknowledging our own achievements.
Bridging this gap begins with honest self-awareness. Rather than obsessing over shortcomings, we should take stock of progress, set achievable goals, and appreciate the process. Whether in CrossFit or day-to-day life, growth stems from consistent effort and a clear understanding of where we’ve come from.
Now that the CrossFit Open is behind us, its lessons remain. Keep pushing, keep learning, and most of all—keep your perspective aligned.
The Myth of “I Should Be Better”
Step into any CrossFit gym in Dubai or beyond, and you’ll hear it: “I should have gone heavier.” “I should have beaten that time.” “I should be doing muscle-ups by now.” The word ‘should’ is a red flag—it reveals a gap between where we are and where we think we ought to be.
This mindset isn’t limited to CrossFit, but it is magnified in an environment where workouts are scored, progress is public, and comparison is easy. Unlike in traditional gyms, CrossFit places athletes side by side, making every session a visible performance. Combine that with the leaderboard that makes performance visible, and the relentless highlight reels on social media, and the illusion of inadequacy grows.
This same internal dialogue appears in everyday life. “I should have a better job.” “I should own a house.” “I should be further along.” Just as in CrossFit, these expectations are often rooted in comparisons that ignore the individuality of our circumstances.
The Reality Check
There’s nothing wrong with ambition. In fact, striving for better is what drives CrossFit and self-development. The problem arises when expectations outpace reality and cause frustration or burnout. Often, this happens when we compare our journey to someone else’s.
Reality in CrossFit is measurable. It’s your current lifting capacity, endurance, and technical skills—developed through consistency, coaching, and time. It’s not what you wish you could lift; it’s what you’ve earned through effort. Yes, visualisation plays a role, but it must be grounded in your actual capabilities.
The illusion is what we absorb from others’ curated success. We see best performances, not the grind behind them. We forget that top CrossFit athletes have spent years mastering the basics and training with discipline. The same principle applies to careers and personal goals: most achievements are built on long periods of quiet, consistent effort.
And here’s the reality check—without putting in the work, high-level outcomes won’t materialise. Whether you want to lift heavier, run faster, or finally get those double-unders, you need to train accordingly. In both CrossFit and life, success is earned through repeated action, not wishful thinking.
How Do We Close the Gap?
1. Track progress — Reflect on where you began, not just on where others are. Strength, endurance, and technical skill in CrossFit develop incrementally, not overnight. The same applies to mental growth—celebrating small wins creates long-term momentum.
2. Use others as inspiration, not benchmarks — That elite CrossFitter in your box or the influencer on your feed? The influencer hitting PBs daily and making life seem easy? Great for motivation, but their path isn’t yours. Everyone’s journey in CrossFit is different—respect your own pace.
3. Listen to your body and drop the ego — Training near your threshold is useful. Pushing beyond it at the expense of safety, form, or recovery is counterproductive. Injury and burnout don’t build long-term success.
4. Understand social media’s lens — A snapshot, not reality. That epic CrossFit PR post? It likely followed weeks of missed reps and rough sessions. People rarely share the full story, and that’s important to remember.
5. Stay present in your training and your life — Celebrate today's effort. Focus on being fully present during your WOD. Progress in CrossFit, like in life, comes through consistent repetition and patience. It’s never truly ‘overnight’.
I’ve felt the perception gap myself—especially early on in my CrossFit journey. Even now, it creeps in sometimes. But I’ve learnt to pause and remember why I started. For me, CrossFit is about becoming better—physically, mentally, emotionally. Still, it’s easy to lose perspective in a comparison-driven world.
The perception gap is real. But it's manageable. Belief and ambition matter—but without effort, they mean nothing. Whether you're training at your local CrossFit box or striving for growth in life, own where you are, do the work, and results will come.
Fun - HONESTY - Simplicity - Smash Life - Mental Toughness - Hard Work
The CrossFit Perception Gap: Bridging the Divide Between Reality and Illusion
Having just completed the 2025 CrossFit Open, now is the perfect time to reflect on those intense weeks—what went well, what could be improved, and how both my clients and I experienced the journey. The Open always delivers a rollercoaster of emotions, making it vital to keep performance in perspective. At its core, CrossFit is about personal growth. It’s you versus you.
CrossFit in Dubai thrives on intensity, competition, and the constant push to surpass limits. Yet within this high-energy environment, a perception gap often forms—sometimes without us even realising. This gap reflects the difference between our current performance and the unrealistic expectations we place upon ourselves, fuelled by daily training comparisons and carefully curated social media content.
This perception gap is not exclusive to CrossFit; it echoes through our careers, relationships, and personal milestones. We often assess ourselves against external metrics and overlook our own progress. In the gym, it might be comparing our score to someone else’s on the leaderboard. In life, it might be striving for an ideal without acknowledging our own achievements.
Bridging this gap begins with honest self-awareness. Rather than obsessing over shortcomings, we should take stock of progress, set achievable goals, and appreciate the process. Whether in CrossFit or day-to-day life, growth stems from consistent effort and a clear understanding of where we’ve come from.
Now that the CrossFit Open is behind us, its lessons remain. Keep pushing, keep learning, and most of all—keep your perspective aligned.
The Myth of “I Should Be Better”
Step into any CrossFit gym in Dubai or beyond, and you’ll hear it: “I should have gone heavier.” “I should have beaten that time.” “I should be doing muscle-ups by now.” The word ‘should’ is a red flag—it reveals a gap between where we are and where we think we ought to be.
This mindset isn’t limited to CrossFit, but it is magnified in an environment where workouts are scored, progress is public, and comparison is easy. Unlike in traditional gyms, CrossFit places athletes side by side, making every session a visible performance. Combine that with the leaderboard that makes performance visible, and the relentless highlight reels on social media, and the illusion of inadequacy grows.
This same internal dialogue appears in everyday life. “I should have a better job.” “I should own a house.” “I should be further along.” Just as in CrossFit, these expectations are often rooted in comparisons that ignore the individuality of our circumstances.
The Reality Check
There’s nothing wrong with ambition. In fact, striving for better is what drives CrossFit and self-development. The problem arises when expectations outpace reality and cause frustration or burnout. Often, this happens when we compare our journey to someone else’s.
Reality in CrossFit is measurable. It’s your current lifting capacity, endurance, and technical skills—developed through consistency, coaching, and time. It’s not what you wish you could lift; it’s what you’ve earned through effort. Yes, visualisation plays a role, but it must be grounded in your actual capabilities.
The illusion is what we absorb from others’ curated success. We see best performances, not the grind behind them. We forget that top CrossFit athletes have spent years mastering the basics and training with discipline. The same principle applies to careers and personal goals: most achievements are built on long periods of quiet, consistent effort.
And here’s the reality check—without putting in the work, high-level outcomes won’t materialise. Whether you want to lift heavier, run faster, or finally get those double-unders, you need to train accordingly. In both CrossFit and life, success is earned through repeated action, not wishful thinking.
How Do We Close the Gap?
1. Track progress — Reflect on where you began, not just on where others are. Strength, endurance, and technical skill in CrossFit develop incrementally, not overnight. The same applies to mental growth—celebrating small wins creates long-term momentum.
2. Use others as inspiration, not benchmarks — That elite CrossFitter in your box or the influencer on your feed? The influencer hitting PBs daily and making life seem easy? Great for motivation, but their path isn’t yours. Everyone’s journey in CrossFit is different—respect your own pace.
3. Listen to your body and drop the ego — Training near your threshold is useful. Pushing beyond it at the expense of safety, form, or recovery is counterproductive. Injury and burnout don’t build long-term success.
4. Understand social media’s lens — A snapshot, not reality. That epic CrossFit PR post? It likely followed weeks of missed reps and rough sessions. People rarely share the full story, and that’s important to remember.
5. Stay present in your training and your life — Celebrate today's effort. Focus on being fully present during your WOD. Progress in CrossFit, like in life, comes through consistent repetition and patience. It’s never truly ‘overnight’.
I’ve felt the perception gap myself—especially early on in my CrossFit journey. Even now, it creeps in sometimes. But I’ve learnt to pause and remember why I started. For me, CrossFit is about becoming better—physically, mentally, emotionally. Still, it’s easy to lose perspective in a comparison-driven world.
The perception gap is real. But it's manageable. Belief and ambition matter—but without effort, they mean nothing. Whether you're training at your local CrossFit box or striving for growth in life, own where you are, do the work, and results will come.
Fun - HONESTY - Simplicity - Smash Life - Mental Toughness - Hard Work
One-Hour Workout: Revving Your Swim Engine
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