Double unders. Snatches. Box jumps. Muscle ups. Wall Balls. C2B pull ups. While these terms may be completely foreign to you, Crossfitters use them daily. Defined as a physical fitness philosophy,as well as a competitive fitness sport, Crossfit has been sweeping the world at an alarming rate. Gyms have increased to 5,000 and Level 1 Crossfit Trainers top off at 35,000.
The founder is Coach Greg Glassman, a personal trainer who started looking for quick, intense exercises to incorporate into his training plans specifically made for police officers. He came up with this formula: CVFM @ HI + Communal Environment = Health. Again we commoners pull from the Crossfit dictionary for translation, I’ll help you.
CV- Constantly Varied. Always changing. Workouts (sorry) “WOD’s” are rarely the same.
FM- Functional Movements. No cardio equipment here-FM refers to body weight exercises to train the body “for daily life”.
HI- High Intensity. Short, intense bursts of movement. Quick workouts.
The communal environment is probably the only part of Crossfit that does not face controversy, and is definitely one of the best aspects of this exercise form. Gym’s (sorry) “boxes” (…yeah I don’t know who thought of that one), are usually on the small side and have a great communal feel to them.
Trainers incorporate HIIT, olympic weightlifting, plyometrics, powerlifting, gymnastics, and calisthenic movements into their WOD’s, which are usually posted on a daily basis. If they are not original variations of the general list of Crossfit exercises, the workouts are pulled from the Crossfit database. Called “Benchmark” and “Hero” WOD’s, these staple workouts are usually landmarks that are done a specified amount of time apart from each other, which “allows you to track your progress, while still not falling into a routine.”
You can read and read all you want about different forms of exercise but the only way to determine if something is right for you is to go out there and try it. Crossfit can be on the pricey side, but they do offer many “on-ramp”, or intro, classes so you can get a feel for the whole thing. The trainers are great with walking you through exercises, and stress the fact that all workouts can be “scaled” (modified) to each individuals specific needs and level of fitness. Research both ends of the I-love-Crossfit spectrum and make a decision that suits you. It could change your life.
“CrossFit is as original as any novel, poem, musical score, recipe OR software (always ones and zeros, therefore never original)…” -Greg Glassman (CrossFit Founder and coach)
