What Exactly is CrossFit?
When you are looking into your exercise options and you are wondering what is CrossFit Training, you may have come across the basic definition that it is constant varied and functional movements at a high intensity. But that does not really tell you much about what exactly is CrossFit and the benefits of taking it up. In this blog we take a look at some of the most asked questions about it like what is the definition of CrossFit, when was CrossFit started, what are the advantages to it, what the classes look like and when was CrossFit training invented and by who.
CrossFit Definition
When looking for a CrossFit definition you get something along the lines of ‘a high-intensity fitness program incorporating elements from several sports and types of exercise’. It is more than just a fitness program though if you look further into what exactly is CrossFit. Those who adopt CrossFit use it as a lifestyle change, to exercise yes, but also for sound nutrition coaching, and for a community and culture looking to support each other and work out together. The CrossFit meaning is not just about weight loss either.
The classes can help you with that but also help with strength, flexibility, fitness, endurance and more. People who are bored with other programs, people who need more of a challenge, but also beginners at any fitness level can take part and see great benefits. When exploring what is CrossFit training you will see that there are aspects of different sports and fitness areas and classes that combine them into a high-intensity workout. Each day is different and the movements are functional.
When was CrossFit Invented?
When exploring when was CrossFit invented you will see the beginnings in 1996 when the idea of the company was conceived by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai. Then in 2000 CrossFit Inc was formed. The first affiliated gym came in Washington and then 12 more by 2005. Today there are almost 15,000 worldwide. In 2020 Eric Roza former Datalogix CEO and owner of a CrossFit gym in Colorado bought the company.
CrossFit Mission, Vision and Values
What is different from CrossFit boxes or gyms is that they have core mission statements and a vision that ties into the main CrossFit values, but each gym might have something different about it. If you are looking at a CrossFit gym near you explore their mission statement to make sure it suits you and what you are looking for. In general, you will see things like wanting to improve the fitness and health of each member through advocacy, education, training and research, wanting to support its community locally and globally through policy and philanthropy and being a place of integrity and honour, welcoming everyone.
Benefits of CrossFit
A lot of people looking in from the outside might wonder why is CrossFit so popular? The truth is whatever your health and fitness goals and wherever you come from, as a complete couch potato or an athlete looking for more, you can see many benefits of CrossFit exercises. You might want to learn some new moves, enjoy a different routine each day, have a more intense workout, lose weight, maintain your current fitness and so on, CrossFit is the answer. As well as the obvious CrossFit benefits of weight loss there is more to look forward to. If you are asking when do you start seeing results from CrossFit then that is in just a couple of weeks.
As well as physical benefits you can also enjoy the mental benefits of CrossFit. Feel better about yourself, have more confidence in how your body moves, its strength and how it looks. Learn to love yourself. Be a part of a community that supports you and welcomes you whatever you are looking to achieve. You are capable of more than you realise and that is why CrossFit is good for you mentally as well as physically. Reach new goals you never thought you could and one of the main benefits of CrossFit, enjoy being part of a family.
What is the Purpose of CrossFit
What is the purpose of CrossFit? To provide a community of people in a safe environment where you can learn about nutrition or best CrossFit diet and learn effective exercises that help improve or maintain your physical fitness. It is not just a gym. It is a program for every person to reach whatever health goals they have. What is the point of CrossFit is different for one member to another. For an athlete, it might be to build strength. For people who are overweight, it might be to lose weight. That then changes as you achieve your first goals and set new ones.
What Does a Typical CrossFit Workout Look Like
When looking into what is a typical CrossFit workout you will find that there are a lot of variations and types of exercise that vary from one box to another. But every class is made up of four elements. They are;
- Warm-up – Prepares you for the WOD so you do similar movements but less intensely.
- WOD (workout of the day) – Sometimes referred to as a metcon, the metabolic conditioning aspect of the class. The WOD takes up just 5 to 15 minutes of the session and is high intensity.
- Strength or skill training – Might focus on weight lifting and certain sets of repetitions or a skill focus like handstand walking. Often the skill or strength appears in the WOD too
- Cooldown or stretches
CrossFit Classes last 45 minutes to an hour and each day is different. There is no monotony with CrossFit! Answering what is a typical CrossFit workout is hard because while there are common exercises and styles there is no one size fits all. If you look at somewhere like CrossFit Revenant you will see this. We offer a variety in the classes we offer as well as in how they are taught so that members all find something for them. A few typical exercises you might see include;
- Deadlift – The deadlift is great because it works several groups of muscles the lower back, glutes, core muscles as well as the upper back and arm muscles.
- Burpees – Originally a 4 count movement it is now a six-count movement you perform several times in a row that includes three jumps, a push-up and two squats.
- Barbell Thrusters – Good strength exercise for both lower and upper body strength and is also great for upping your metabolism.
- Shuttle runs – Running continuously back and forth between two markers at a set pace that can be varied in distance, intensity and duration.
- Murph – Named after Lt Murphy a Navy Seal, the Murph involves a 1-mile run, then 200 pushups, 100 pullups and 300 squats weight free and then ends with another 1-mile run.