By Mackenzie Kelly
The amount of information surrounding Crossfit is staggering, making it practical to write multiple posts on it. Crossfit is a program that was designed to be a fun and useable form of fitness, regardless of who you are. It was not created to focus on one specific variable of performance; instead components of endurance, strength, speed and stability were all mashed into one over-arching principle: complete optimization. This makes Crossfit a great alternative to traditional programs, which are generally just focused on a single component of performance at a time. Although the workouts can be grueling, most components are scalable, which is why any one can complete some form of the workout. It is also great that Crossfit focuses on mobility and flexibility as a core foundation, something that is lacking in the majority of strength and bodybuilding regiments. Walking into a Crossfit gym, you will instantly notice no standard exercise machines found in a commercial gym, but instead tires, sandbags, rings and ropes. These are all functional implements that work multiple parts of your body at one time. Little to no stress is put on isolated movements or individual muscle groups because that really does not translate into anything other than hypertrophy.
Crossfit has become a god-send for many people who were not into fitness prior to its introduction. The brand has been marketed beautifully and its community-like settings give a feeling of belongingness. A huge number of people have become involved with fitness and transformed their lives because of Crossfit. This is one of the reasons why it is so great; people actually want to do it. The workouts are fun, difficult and can produce benefits in multiple areas of the physical and physiological. There are many components of Crossfit that are not so glamorous, which will be expanded upon in a future post, but nothing is more obvious than its disrespect for proper form. Because so many people have got involved and jumped right in with Crossfit, many lack a sound foundation. Training is provided at many Crossfit gyms, but whether those trainers are qualified or even know what is going on is another question. As was said, this will expanded upon later, so enough for now. Here is some additional information on what Crossfit is and why it is a great alternative or addition to your traditional training program.
A complete Crossfit program combines pieces from aerobic conditioning, gymnastics, strength training, Olympic lifting and anaerobic conditioning and creates its own beast. For the most part, participants will start out by warming muscles up through dynamic stretches and fascial rolling (foam rolling). Generally an exercise is broken down and worked on (for example, a snatch) prior to the workout. The workout is called the Workout of the Day and a different one is designed each day. For the most part they are very strenuous, but they can be scaled in different ways to allow most anyone to complete it. After finishing the WOD, participants will either stretch or cool down.
Crossfit markets its self to all people; prior training experience or not. This is great, but a little experience will without a doubt be an asset. The intensity of the WOD is very high and it is not worth injuring yourself over if you can not complete it properly. Take your time and work with people that support you, not push you into an injury. As you get more and more comfortable with the workouts, you will without a doubt begin to see your overall fitness improve. Regardless if you are a housewife, teenager, football player or an executive, Crossfit really can add a whole new dimension into a fitness program. Many people choose to stick only to doing Crossfit workouts, which is fine, but Crossfit is not “training”. A wall will eventually be hit, and that is why Crossfit is best combined or shuffled with other fitness cycles.
A new but very popular player on the scene, Crossfit seems to be the choice program for people looking to improve their life through fitness. No one can be locked out of a Crossfit gym, unless it is by his or her own choice, which is very refreshing. There are very few programs out there that are that accepting. If you are looking to change things in your routine or looking to jump on board with something completely different, Crossfit should definitely be in your considerations. The next Crossfit post will go into the Good and the Ugly aspects, but for now, take a chance and try it out.
Bio: Mackenzie Kelly is a fitness model, personal trainer and fitness coach. In her free time, she writes about health and fitness to educate others. Her personal blog about health and fitness can be found at: www.mkellyfitness.com.
