If you’ve ever wondered what CrossFit is all about, you’re in for a treat. I was once in the same boat, curious about this fitness phenomenon that seemed to be taking the world by storm.
Imagine a fitness program designed to be anything but routine. That’s exactly what Greg Glassman had in mind when he birthed CrossFit in the early 2000s. Glassman wanted to create a fitness regimen that broke the mold, focusing on functional movements that could translate to real-life situations. The goal? To sculpt a well-rounded athlete, someone who could tackle any physical challenge life threw their way.
Constant Variance: CrossFit isn’t your typical gym routine. It’s a dance with diversity. Every day is a new adventure, with workouts spanning the gamut from weightlifting to gymnastics and everything in between.
Functional Movements: Say goodbye to mindless reps on machines. CrossFit is all about movements that matter – squats, lifts, pushes, and pulls – exercises that prepare you for the real world.
High Intensity: Be prepared to break a sweat, and then some. CrossFit workouts are known for their intensity, pushing you to your limits both physically and mentally.
CrossFit workouts, known as “WODs” or Workouts of the Day, are like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re going to get. These sessions blend weightlifting, bodyweight exercises, plyometrics, and cardio into a whirlwind of fitness fun. The best part? They’re short and sweet, usually clocking in at 15-30 minutes, perfect for those of us with jam-packed schedules. But…15-30 minutes is not all you get for your CrossFit dollars. Our classes go for one hour. You will start the class with a warm-up and then work on some strength and/or skills; this is where the coaching really comes to the fore. There is plenty of time for everyone to get feedback and make corrections. And you will finish with some stretching or accessory work. And…because everything is constantly varied, even this formular varies too.
So, what sort of moves can you expect? Well, there are the following:
Olympic lifts (think clean and jerk, snatch)
Powerlifting classics (squat, deadlift)
Gymnastic (pull-ups, handstand push-ups)
Cardio adventures (running, rowing, cycling)
There are lots more too. If you’re already super fit, you are probably already getting excited by the new challenge, but if you have been off the fitness bandwagon for a while, these moves might sound a bit daunting. Don’t worry if this is you. All the moves are able to be adapted to your fitness level and ability. And no one cares if you scale. It’s not unusual for some amazing lifters to scale gymnastics moves (actually it isn’t unusual for almost everyone to scale gymnastics moves). Everyone has different strengths and scaling (which is what we call adapting the workouts) is essential.
The CrossFit games and Instagram have made Tia Claire Toomey and Matt Fraser the faces of CrossFit, and if that is where you want your CrossFit journey to take you, then more power to you. But if you are far from that, there is everything from training for local competitions to simply working on your functional fitness – it’s entirely up to you.
So, if you have been sitting on the fence about trying CrossFit not really sure what it actually is – just give it a try. “What is CrossFit?” is the most common CrossFit question typed into Google and that might be because it’s impossible to describe every aspect of it until you give it go.