CrossFit. An intense workout that will give you a hard time

Be that as it may, one thing is certain.

CrossFit can really give anyone a workout.

Either way, it's a challenge.

But let's get this straight.

The History of CrossFit

Greg Glassman.

A name that doesn't mean much to many of us.

This former competitive gymnast developed a training method that incorporates a variety of different types of physical exercises and sports.

He had it registered as a trademark under the name as we know it.

CrossFit.

It was established as a company in 1996 and began to develop rapidly, especially in the United States.

In 2001, Greg Glassman along with Lauren Jenai opened a gym and posted CrossFit workout videos on the internet.

It has also been adopted by the military, police and firefighters.

Later, Glassman began creating curriculum to train trainers.

In 2007, the first CrossFit Games competitions were held.

It's like a world championship for the CrossFit community.

By 2018, the number of CrossFit gyms had grown to 15,000 in 162 countries around the world. For various reasons, the number gradually decreased to around 10,000. However, in recent years, the number has been growing again, especially in Europe.

In the recent past, there have been ongoing tussles over the sale of the company's ownership rights.

For us, they are irrelevant.

So much for a brief history of CrossFit, but let's move on!

What is CrossFit?

A brand of training method.

I guess that's how you could sum it up.

It presents itself as both a physical exercise and a sport, or rather a competitive fitness sport.

There are competitions all over the world.

CrossFit incorporates elements from various training methods and sports, such as:

• High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)
• plyometrics
• weightlifting
• self-weight training or calisthenics
• power triathlon
• gymnastics and more

CrossFit can be said to develop the whole body, not only in terms of strength, but also in terms of speed or endurance.

Therefore, it is also suitable for athletes as part of general fitness training.

It is a type of functional training. It includes exercises and movements that are natural to our everyday life. For those who already play sports, absolutely. It includes running, jumping, climbing, throwing, squatting, lifting and so on.

It doesn't matter if we are trained athletes or people who have never exercised before.

CrossFit presents itself as a sport for people of all sizes and ages.

Just for everyone.

It works as a program to improve fitness and health.

The goal of a CrossFit workout is to perform it in the shortest amount of time, with proper technique, and as efficiently as possible.

This means we need to train at a high intensity.

However, even this is relative. For some, low means the limit of physical capabilities for others.

However, nothing must be overdone. Too high an intensity brings with it fatigue to the body.

Because we train at high intensity, we cannot train for long. Energy reserves, especially sugars, drop and fatigue sets in.

Then we stop performing the exercises correctly and there is a risk of injury.

We have to spread everything out properly so that we train intensively, but with the right range of motion in mind.

CrossFit takes into account all aspects of a trainee's fitness and tries to develop them with its training program.

It focuses first on movement and then on increasing intensity.

Those who train intensely improve.

The point of the movements in CrossFit is their functionality.

This means that they have relevance to our daily lives. They are based on movements that are natural to us and that we perform almost every day without even realizing it.

I'm sure we've picked something up off the floor, sat down in a chair and got up again, put things on a raised shelf, and so on.

These are all movement patterns used in CrossFit.

Add to that a load and weights, a specific time interval in which to perform these tasks, and the training unit is complete.

Read the article on how to create your own workout plan.

CrossFit Training

The workout has a lot of variability and combinability of exercises, so there is no risk of boredom even after a long time.

CrossFit includes three categories of exercises:

Weighted exercises. To develop strength skills. These include various push and pull exercises, squats and weightlifting exercises.

Gymnastic exercises. To develop coordination, flexibility, balance and overall movement qualities. These include trapeze exercises, circle exercises, push-ups, lunges or other exercises using your own body weight.

Exercises of an aerobic nature. They serve to develop endurance of various kinds. Running, rowing on a treadmill, jumping rope, etc.

CrossFit uses three types of training.

One involves performing only one exercise. For example, squats in seven sets.

The other uses a combination of two exercises. For example, squats with lunges.

Three exercise combinations are often used. Usually with one exercise from each category. For example, running, squats and lunges.

Each individual workout is a new challenge.

On the CrossFit website, a so-called "workout of the day" is posted daily.

These are usually triple combinations of exercises that need to be done in the shortest time possible, or to do as many sets of a given combination as possible in a given unit of time.

Breaks are of course allowed.

For example, we start with a 400m run, then do 10 squats with a certain weight and finally 20 crunches.

For example, we do 3 sets in the shortest possible time or as many sets as possible in 20 minutes.

The combination of exercises is constantly changing and in the community of exercisers everyone can contribute their ideas.

The exercise should not take more than one hour.

During it, we focus on developing a particular component of fitness, such as strength, endurance or coordination or dynamics.

The warm-up is the foundation of any workout, so even in CrossFit it starts this way.

This is followed, for example, by strength development. That's when various push-ups, exercises with weights, dumbbells or push-ups are used.

On another day, this part of the workout can be used to develop skills. A certain movement is practiced, for example jumping rope, jumping on a mat, etc.

We can also include interval runs, which are used to develop endurance. We have to cover a certain distance repeatedly, several times in a row, in a certain amount of time.

This part is followed by the main part of the training.

The aforementioned WOD - Workout of the Day.

It doesn't mean that we have to do a CrossFit workout every day.

It depends on our performance and previous training and what we want to achieve with this workout. So what is our goal.

If we are complete beginners, there is no need to overdo it and twice a week is enough.

After four to six weeks, the body will adapt to the load.

It will get used to a certain amount of load and we can add more.

We start by training three times. Gradually, if our body allows it and we feel up to it, we can train up to five times a week.

However, we should always think about the recovery of the body and give it time to rest.

If we want to do CrossFit competitively, we will also have to do about ten workouts a week. In such cases, however, it is necessary to train several times a day, adjust our diet and daily routine and spend more time on recovery.

Here, however, CrossFit becomes more of a lifestyle.

You might be interested in this article about fitness and how to stay fit.

CrossFit and its effect on our body

It is impossible to talk about the advantages or disadvantages of this training method.

Just like any other, CrossFit has its effect on our body and thus on the development of physical fitness and mental state.

It has its supporters and opponents.

So what speaks in favour of the positives of CrossFit?

First of all, its all-round focus. It develops our overall physical fitness. It is not just for someone who is only into CrossFit. Of course there are such people, because it is a sport in which there are also various competitions.

It's a good complement to a single-minded workout. If someone is only dedicated to developing strength, the other components of fitness may be insufficient for them.

CrossFit develops all the components of physical fitness. Endurance, strength and speed.

The variability of the workouts is another positive factor that gives its supporters the benefit of the doubt. Every workout is different and the likelihood of stagnation is low in this case.

It also has an effect on the psyche. No one knows in advance what awaits them in the next training session. Thus, there is no risk of boredom and each training session is a challenge.

CrossFit forces us to give our best. We are limited by time, so we have to train with high intensity and there is no room for long breaks.

This is what drives us forward in every workout.

It's designed for almost everyone. It doesn't matter if we've done any training before, if we're top athletes, or if we've never been to a workout before. CrossFit can adapt its program to anyone or everyone can adapt it to their performance level.

For kids, it's mainly a playful workout, without strength exercises and such, of course.

Many gyms are popping up all over the world. The advantage of CrossFit is that you can train practically anywhere.

At home, outdoors in a fitness center, wherever we want.

All in all, there are a lot of positive things about it:

• Variability of workouts
• increasing overall fitness
• general training focus
• adaptability of workouts to every age and fitness level
• there is room for exercise almost everywhere
• workouts are almost never the same
• positive effect on the psychological state

There have been and are various controversies about the harmful effects of CrossFit workouts on our body.

It is necessary to realize one thing.

We don't train to harm ourselves, so we shouldn't overdo it.

In CrossFit, as in other training methods, injuries can occur. By properly setting and creating a training plan according to performance, proper technique of each exercise and not overestimating our own abilities, we eliminate this risk.

To avoid injuries and possible side effects of training, it is a good idea to use the services of specialized CrossFit coaches.

They will teach us the correct technique of exercises, how to eat properly or train and recover.

Simply everything that is needed when it comes to CrossFit.

We can join the CrossFit community and create training units.

And of course, before we start, we should also consult with our doctor if this sport is suitable for us.

Calculate your intensity level and heart rate for training...

You can also read an article about cardio training.