Shut Up and Train

There’s a quote from strength coach Brooks Kubik that’s been sitting in CrossFit’s archives since 2001, and it’s somehow more relevant now than it was then:

“Do you want to get bigger and stronger? Then do this: stop trying to make training complicated. Forget about this theory and that theory. Don’t over-analyze the situation. Quit wasting time on arid intellectual debates. Leave the theorizing for the rest of the world. Go to the gym and train.”

Sound familiar? It should. Because if you’ve ever spent more time researching workout plans than actually working out, you already know the problem he’s describing.

Would you rather listen to a conversation about this? You can do that here. 

The Noise Has Only Gotten Louder

In 2001, the fitness internet was a fraction of what it is today. Now, there’s an infinite scroll of podcasts, studies, influencers, and training methodologies all competing for your attention and your doubt. High-protein, low-protein. Zone 2. VO2 max. Interference effect. Visceral fat protocols. Sleep optimization before training optimization. The list never ends.

And here’s what happens: people freeze. They don’t know where to start, so they don’t start. Or they start, second-guess themselves three weeks in, and start over with something new. The research becomes the obstacle.

Science Is Catching Up to What CrossFit Knew All Along

Here’s the thing that’s worth saying out loud: the research is starting to catch up. Experts talking about the benefits of high-intensity training? That’s CrossFit. Studies on the most effective way to reduce visceral fat? High-intensity training — CrossFit. The interference effect that critics said would make you worse at everything if you combined strength and cardio? Researchers have since found that not only is it not a problem, but the two actually complement each other and improve you across the board.

None of this should make you feel smug. It should make you feel confident. The thing you’re already doing, or the thing you’re considering starting, is the thing the research keeps pointing back to.

The Proof Is in the Gym

You don’t have to take anyone’s word for it. Walk into a CrossFit affiliate and look around. The people training there, who are regular people with jobs, families, and busy lives, are building real fitness. Not fitness that looks good on paper. Fitness that works.

The military members and law enforcement officers who show up to the most demanding selections and assessments? A significant number of them are CrossFit athletes. Not because someone told them it was the optimal protocol, but because it works, and they need something that works.

That’s the standard to measure against: not the study, not the influencer, not the comment section. The results.

So Here’s the Move

If you’re already training, keep going. Stop second-guessing the programming. Trust the process, show up consistently, and let the results speak.

If you’re on the fence, overthinking your entry point, or waiting until you understand it better or find the perfect plan, stop waiting. Go to CrossFit.com, follow the Workout of the Day, and give it six months. Not six weeks. Six months. Do that before you read another article, watch another breakdown, or ask another question in another forum.

The equipment doesn’t have to be perfect. The gym doesn’t have to be fancy. Some of the fittest people around started training in parking lots and parks with minimal gear and came out the other side changed.

The answer isn’t more information. It’s more reps.

Shut up and train.

About the Author

Stephane Rochet is a Senior Content Writer for CrossFit. He has worked as a Flowmaster on the CrossFit Seminar Staff and has over 15 years of experience as a collegiate/tactical strength and conditioning coach. He is a Certified CrossFit Trainer (CF-L3) and trains athletes in his garage.