“In training, you listen to your body. In competition, you tell your body to shut-up.” – Rich Froning Jr.
If you don’t already know, that’s Rich Froning Jr. pictured above who has been deemed the fittest man on earth for multiple years running. Rich Froning is a professional Crossfit competitor who has set the standards for Crossfit today. I get asked all the time about Crossfit… what I think about it? If I do Crossfit? If it’s appropriate for me? So I’m going to talk about Crossfit and my opinion of it, so you can understand it and form your own opinion.
Most people have heard of Crossfit or know someone who does Crossfit. If you know someone who does Crossfit, you know they take it very seriously. You soon realize that it’s a culture, a way of life where fitness enthusiasts come together to train as a group all with the same goal in mind- to push their bodies to the limit and get as fit as possible. So what does Crossfit entail and why has Crossfit exploded in popularity over the years? Can anyone do Crossfit? Take a look into the growing world of Crossfit and be the judge of whether it’s appropriate for you.
What Is Crossfit?
The term “Crossfit” gets thrown around a lot these days without most people realizing what Crossfit truly is. “Crossfit” is a branded/trademarked term used to imply a certain style and standard of cross-training. The workouts and training principles of Crossfit by design demand results quickly and are commonly used to condition everyone from military Special Forces to elite professional athletes. Crossfit workouts combine strength training, cardiovascular training, plyo-metrics, olympic lifts, power movements, and gymnastics into a single workout (which is cross-training). These Crossfit workouts change daily and are referred to by crossfitters as the “WOD” or the “workout of the day.”
The WOD
The WOD’s are typically based on completing (x) amount of exercises for (x) amount of repetitions for either (x) amount of rounds or in a certain time limit. This is usually done in one large circuit where the person rotates to the next exercise after completing the goal number of repetitions, but it is also sometimes done in a set order by completing (x) amount of repetitions per exercise before rotating (e.g. 20 back squats (4x) as quickly as possible, then 20 push-ups (4x) as quickly as possible, etc…). The WOD’s vary daily and use everything from your own body-weight, to barbells, dumbbells, sandbags, sleds, tires, and kettle bells which is one reason why Crossfit lends results so quickly- it constantly changes and there is constant muscle confusion. Here is a sample WOD to give you a better picture:
WOD
Time/Goal:
3 rounds as quickly as possible
Exercises:
(# signifies the amount of weight used- one for #women/one for #men)
20 x Burpees
10 x Barbell Thrusters #45/#95
20 x Box Jumps
25 x Sit-ups
25 x Kettle Bell Swings #15/#30
Another element that makes Crossfit such a successful exercise program and why it’s so attractive to people is the support system. Crossfit is a community and anytime you have a support system of people behind you with the same goals and passions in mind, your odds of reaching your goals increases tremendously. Imagine the difference in motivation and determination you would experience between working out alone at a gym and working out with a group of people who know your personal best and are pushing you to surpass it each and every single day. So it’s obvious that crossfit works and is designed to get you results fast, but this does not answer the question- Is it appropriate and safe for everyone to do?
To Crossfit or Not to Crossfit? That is the Question…
There’s some disagreement among the fitness community on whether or not Crossfit is appropriate for everyone…just ask a bodybuilder what he/she thinks of Crossfit…lol. On one side of the argument it’s said that “Crossfit” by nature is only appropriate for highly conditioned individuals. The opposed side argues that anyone can do Crossfit because the workouts can be scaled down to each individual’s abilities and needs…but the stigma of “Crossfit” does not lend to that. That would in my opinion just be considered cross-training.
As someone who has participated in “Crossfit” and as a veteran certified personal/group fitness trainer through one of the highest accredited exercise institutions in the country, I am a firm believer that traditional “Crossfit” is not appropriate for everyone. The principles, training techniques, and exercises used in Crossfit can and absolutely should be incorporated into everyone’s exercise program; however, only after it has deemed appropriate by an experienced certified fitness instructor.
It’s always best to consult with a certified fitness trainer before starting any new type of exercise program. My recommendation to anyone with chronic orthopedic issues, cardiopulmonary disease, or limited exercise experience would be to seek personal training before trying Crossfit. This will ensure that you develop and progress through your exercise program at an appropriate and safe speed, which cannot be monitored as closely in a “Crossfit” setting.