Roughly a year and a half ago, one of my closest friends—you know, one of those friends who are always up for something fun, always ready to try something new—joined a CrossFit (Cannon CrossFit, to be exact). Over the course of time, trust me, I (along with the rest of his friends and family) have noticed the very positive changes CrossFit has made to his life, his emotional well-being, to his overall health and to his physique. Yes, it is impossible not to notice how seriously chiseled and ridiculously fit he is now when we see him.

That is if we see him, because CrossFit…it’s not just a workout, people—it’s a lifestyle. While everyone is aware of the CrossFit sensation, they might not be aware of what happens when you lose (lovingly, of course) one of your close friends to it. True story: I wanted to interview my friend about this story in person, but he was at CrossFit.

1. Friday nights are no longer for going out. Yep, that’s right, Friday nights are now school nights because Saturday mornings are for CrossFit. So if you want to see your friend, you best make an early night of it, because they’ve got some serious chiseling to do.

2. You may have been friends for decades, but you will no longer know about anyone they talk about or any of the people in their Facebook photos—unless you also go to CrossFit or start stalking their new gym friends on social media.

3. If you thought your friend, significant other, or sibling was competitive before joining a CrossFit, just wait. You haven’t seen anything yet.

4. You will start to feel really—and I mean really—out of shape around them. I snapped the picture at right of us trying on t-shirts. I mean just look—abs everywhere.

5. You will no longer understand anything he says. WODs? Burpees? Pukie? Start learning some CrossFit lingo or start practicing your 'Say what?' face.

6. Get ready to make some new friends, as your CrossFit friend will be part of a team, one that tends to operate more like a family. Should you wish to remain part of your friend's life, embrace them (Hi Lauren, Sam, Aaron, Heather, Mindy and Karl, a.k.a. "Team Cannonball") as they are here to stay (and they like costumes, so they can't be all bad).

7. Of course, these are minor inconveniences compared to the importance of supporting your friend in their fitness journey. So this biggest surprise may be that you learn to love Crossfit, too.