CrossFit is Functional
Functional movements in the gym are those that replicate movement in real life or sport. For example, nearly every day in life, you bend over and pick something up. We ‘practice’ that with a movement like the deadlift. Now think for a moment – when’s the last time you did a bicep curl during your normal day? Can’t remember? Neither can we. That, in our definition is NOT function – neither are flys, lateral raises, tricep kick backs, or any other isolated joint movement for the purpose of making one muscle bigger or stronger. Are those movements bad? No. But in terms of the functionality of your body, don’t really have a place in training (unless you’re rehabbing an injury).
CrossFit is Intensity
How much work can you do in a given period of time? The more you can do, the fitter you are, and the higher the intensity of your training. To get this intensity, we we push it right to the edge of “the cliff”… and practice staying there. This ‘red zone’ is extremely risky. One false move, and you’re off the edge… pukie, injury, extreme soreness. But when you’re not close enough, it usually means your results are compromised. CrossFit will challenge you to train in that zone. It’s neither easy nor simple, and is something that takes desire, commitment, and practice. One thing to remember, intensity is determined by your ability to hold good form – we never recommend speed at the expense of form.
CrossFit is Variety
In CrossFit’s definition of fitness, being functionally capable across a broad array of fitness related skills is of primary importance. These skills include strength, flexibility, endurance, stamina, speed, power, agility, balance, coordination and accuracy. If you want to be good in ALL of these areas, variety is a must. To get this variety, we use movements and training techniques and skills from the sports of weightlifting, gymnastics, and metabolic conditioning. We also sprinkle in the use of kettle bells, plyometrics, medicine balls, calisthenics, and sprinting. CrossFit specializes in NOT-specializing. Any athlete from any sport can use CrossFit as a training method, and return to their sport better, faster, stronger, more capable.
I’m not that fit. Is CrossFit for me?
The only difference between the training needs of an elite athlete and an ‘average joe’ is weight, volume, and speed. What does that mean? Essentially it means that all the movements we do in CrossFit are universal in their ability to improve performance. Making an adjustment in a workout for a beginner (something we call ‘scaling’ a workout) means reducing the total reps or rounds, reducing the distance, eliminating the clock, reducing the weight, and/or reducing the complexity of a movement. This is something we do all the time and we’re really good at it at JT’s CrossFit.
Is CrossFit a workout or a sport?
Great question! CrossFit has been called ‘The Sport of Fitness’. Why? Because even though it’s done in a gym with movements that look like fitness movements, doing CrossFit involves risk – similar to the risks that you incur when you play soccer, basketball, or run a triathlon or marathon. The comparisons don’t end there. CrossFit looks a lot more like a sport than just a workout.
