What's Up with CrossFit? Part II

Okay, round one we spent some time discussing the basics behind CrossFit and it's purpose/design.  To refresh, CrossFit is the style of training (or sport) that is focused on creating a well-rounded athlete.  It is designed to train in various methods, though most specifically focusing on 5 parts: Diet, Metabolic Conditioning, Gymnastics, Olympic Lifts, and Sport.  Eating a proper diet disperses proper energy throughout the body, and trains the body to utilize the proper nutrients.  Metabolic Conditioning helps build endurance through the aerobic and anaerobic pathways.  Gymnastics focuses on functional control and flexibility.  Olympic Lifts develop the ability to produce and control power.  Sport applies all these techniques in a competitive atmosphere, keeping training fresh, and providing motivation to push yourself.

That being said, I've been involved with a CrossFit boot camp for a few weeks now, and to be honest, I'm liking what I see.  More than anything, the greatest differences I've seen have been in the equipment and setup of the training sessions.  With most traditional training methods, you'll find machines and dumbbells, with the occasional bench press or lat pull.  To be fair, I'm not knocking traditional training methods.  I still use them.  Remember, training is all based on the individual and their goals.  Most of what we use are vinyl or leather-covered medicine balls, jump ropes, plyo boxes, and kettle bells.  The setup for these boot camps has been based primarily on completing reps for time, not a set number.  It's been a great challenge for me (remember the "sport" part?) because each set I want to get more and more reps in.  Another benefit to this style is the universality.  Whether you are an elderly woman (which we have in our group) or a young, strapping lad (a thank you), you can get a great training session from it.  Whereas I might be able to complete 50 kettle bell swings, the elderly lady in our group probably won't make it.....but she will do as many as her body will allow in 60 seconds.

The challenge is always to push yourself, the training individual, to new heights as you train.  You should always seek to progress.  Maybe 15 reps was difficult the first attempt, but now it's too easy.  By instituting a time scenario rather than a specific number, it's all about beating the clock......providing an infinite level of increasing challenges.  Now there are plenty of "traditional" trainers who use the reps for time method, but I find this is a big push in the CrossFit world.  

What's been most interesting in my study of the world of CrossFit is the culture it created.  There is virtually an entire vocabulary based around CrossFit, ie "WOD's", benchmark workouts with womens' names, and an overzealous desire to know whether foods/drinks fit the Paleo diet.  I know that runners tend to think/speak alike, as do soccer players and golfers.  However, I don't think I've seen any other sport that has accepted it's culture with such intensity.  I almost feel a bit lost hearing the discussions that happen around the gym.  Either way, it's fun to watch.

I'm sure there is so much more that I have yet to discover about the world of CrossFit, but until those thoughts burst from my mind, you can chew on these two posts for now.  I'll be sure to post any new information I can find in the future.  Until then...

Stay Strong,

Chad

What's up with CrossFit? Part I

So I'm diving into the world of CrossFit, because honestly, I haven't had enough experience with it quite yet to make an educated decision on whether I like it or not.  Yesterday I was watching the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and I was thinking about Weapon X (the dude that has pretty much all the cool powers mixed into his body).  I thought about how beast mode that guy could really be if only he were a good guy, and not having to be slain by Wolverine.  I mean think about it, having all the greatest mutant powers in one guy...okay, enough babbling.  There is a point here:  I love to learn about all types/styles of training.  I like looking into anything and everything I can get my hands on for the purpose of taking what I like from each and creating a stronger, more diverse program for my clients.

Probably 8 of 10 members who come into the gym these days grab a towel and head straight for the treadmill or elliptical, where they will remain for the duration of their stay.  Unfortunately, though they are burning off those cheeseburgers for the day, they're not getting the greatest training.  Now before you throw something at your computer screen, let me explain.  Great training programs include a mixture of exercises that challenge more than one system in our bodies.  Now all you marathoners out there, you probably like the treadmill, and that's great.  However, should you desire to be a more well-rounded, stronger athlete, you need more.  This is the idea behind CrossFit.

"The aim of CrossFit has been to forge a broad, general, and inclusive fitness" (CrossFit Training Guide, pg, 3).  Ultimately, CrossFit is designed to create a well-rounded athlete.  Not necessarily one who will be the world's greatest powerlifter, cyclist, or gymnast, but instead an athlete that can cycle, run, swim, stretch, and lift more than the average Joe.  It is a style of training (some refer to it as a sport) that is designed to prepare the athlete for any physical contingency.  This means it's programming and design is built around training for the unknown, as well as the unknowable.

Upon gazing in from the outside, having just stepped in the shallow end of the CrossFit industry, I see plenty of things that I like about it.  If you are looking for a specific type of training (ie Cycling, Marathons, Body Building, Specific Strength Growth) or are not a fan of the group fitness setting, I would suggest finding a personal trainer (ps-I can help with that) and working one-on-one, where you can be catered to specifically.  If you're looking for a program that's all-inclusive, or you're just looking to try it out, maybe you should give CrossFit a try.  Stick around, I'll give you more information about what's up with CrossFit in the upcoming posts.  As always, should you have any questions, comments, concerns, or you would like to talk about training, feel free to contact me.

Stay Strong,
Chad