Unless you have been living under a rock or haven’t stepped foot in a gym in the past decade, chances are you have heard of CrossFit. CrossFit has skyrocketed to a nationwide fitness epidemic. This is due to its original, yet very intense, approach to getting in shape. So, what is CrossFit and who is it for?
According to CrossFit . com “CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units, champion martial artists, and hundreds of other elite and professional athletes worldwide. Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist. The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience.”
So, in simple terms, CrossFit is for anybody and everybody. It is designed to get you into shape quick and provide you with a fitness level that you can utilize in everyday life. So regardless of sex, occupation, build, or even age, CrossFit can benefit you when in it comes to living a healthier lifestyle.
So, you know in general what CrossFit is, but why the craze? It is more of what the CrossFit lifestyle involves that makes it addictive to all different kinds of people. Everything from the names of the workout of the day or “W.O.D”, name of the exercises, to the style of dress. You do not step into a CrossFit gym, you step into a CrossFit “box”. Do not expect to dress flashy and leave with little sweat stains, you dress in light, loose clothing and look forward to a sweat shower. And even though you are battling the clock and not weight, you are not necessarily competing against your fellow CrossFitters. There is more support in the box than there is competition.
Below are some examples of a CrossFit W.O.D:
- The Murph: Run 1 mile, perform 100 kip pullups, 200 pushups, 300 body squats, run one more mile. You do this for time. (Also can be done in a weighted vest)
- The Fran: Three rounds of 95lb thrusters and kip pull-ups for time.
Rd one: 21 thrusters, 21 kips. Rd two: 15 thrusters, 15 kips. Rd three: 9 thrusters, 9 kips.
- G.I. Jane: 100 burpee pull-ups for time
The intensity, environment, and overall experience a person gets from CrossFit is addicting. A lot of things have come and gone in the fitness world, but it seems CrossFit is here to stay. They have their own games dubbed “The CrossFit Games” where the elite CrossFit athletes perform in front of a personal and now televised crowd. And now Reebok and Crossfit have formed a relationship where you can now buy your favorite CrossFit gear! The fact that CrossFit has gotten a lot of people off their butts and into a gym says a lot to anyone who loves health and fitness.
