CrossFit is gaining popularity worldwide. It’s a high-intensity form of fitness with interval training, plyometrics and even weightlifting. Preparing your body about ‘not only for the known but also the unknown’ is CrossFit’s mantra. It is no wonder why it is one of the fastest-growing programs in Australia to encourage people to live their healthiest life.
Are you looking for something that can keep your workout life motivated? Perhaps you’re bored with lifting weights and going to the gym, working out the way you used to.
CrossFit training is probably just right for you. Here’s a list of good reasons why CrossFit training is your best option in 2022.
Understanding CrossFit Training
CrossFit is not just a typical workout. It’s almost a lifestyle, and it comes with a different take on the fitness concept. The CrossFit training is done to support you in preventing plateaus when doing workouts. It aims to increase the necessary power to perform the movements and improve flexibility. It also increases your stamina.
With CrossFit workouts, there are everyday movements added, which means higher weights, longer distances and faster movements. These movements include squatting, lifting, jumping and stretching exercises.
CrossFit is designed to fit your ability level. There’s a prescribed workout every day for each ability level. Even kids have this kind of class to help them build strength, endurance and balance. This workout is built for the community, and it often uses competition, leader boards, scoreboards, gym management software and social media platforms.
Benefits of CrossFit
While it may still depend on your goals, there are plenty of good reasons why CrossFit is beneficial for you. Here are some of its benefits that you should know.
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Enhances Flexibility
CrossFit is known to increase the flexibility and agility of a person as it includes broad jumps, box jumps and jumping rope. Relaxing exercises like yoga stretch combined with CrossFit routines may also improve flexibility. The same goes for performing squats with appropriate form; it helps your hips become more flexible.
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Improves Physical Strength
CrossFit’s goal is to complete many repetitions every time you perform an exercise in a period. The workout’s multi-joint and high-intensity movements could help gain muscle strength and stamina. Having additional weight and stress will also continuously challenge your muscles while working out.
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Helps Manage a Healthy Weight
Proper diet and nutrition have become a part of the CrossFit philosophy. The CrossFit program will encourage you to eat vegetables and meat, seeds and nuts, fruits, little starch and strictly no sugar. You will be motivated to keep intake only to levels that will support the exercise.
While it is not the main goal of CrossFit to lose weight, it could be possible when you consistently do intense exercise combined with a moderate diet.
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Burns Calories
CrossFit lets you burn more calories. Similar to other high-intensity exercises, you continue to burn calories even after your workout as the body uses energy to return to resting level.
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Helps you Train Your Brain
Because CrossFit is an intense and challenging workout, it could help you build grit, determination and perseverance. It could cause you to move forward through your workout.
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Community Support
Along with other workouts, the community is one of the pillars of CrossFit. The program’s culture is to support a friendly competition that can benefit performance in the gym.
Types of CrossFit Exercise
There are hundreds of CrossFit exercises, but these are the common ones.
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Thruster
This CrossFit exercise starts with standing upright. It comes with a weighted bar that you should hold in front of your shoulders. You need to squat to the point where your thighs are parallel to the floor.
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Power Cleans
It’s an exercise that involves pulling the weighted bar from the floor and bringing it up in front of your shoulders. It should be done quickly and forcefully.
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The Snatch
You need to pull the weighted bar rapidly from the floor to direct over your head. Your arms should also be held straight.
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Burpees
This is the only exercise that involves a standing position. You have to quickly drop to the floor and do a push-up, then come up with a squatting position to jump up straight.
Is CrossFit Safe?
You need to be aware that injuries are unavoidable when you do CrossFit. It is likely to happen, especially when you increase the intensity of your workout or the amount of weight you are lifting. Some injuries include knee injuries, back pain, rotator cuff tendonitis, tennis elbow and Achilles tendonitis.
If you’re just new to CrossFit, then it’s wise to consider working with a trained fitness professional. This will ensure that you get to perform the exercise properly and prevent making movements the wrong way, which could lead to injuries.
Also, as a beginner, you need to go at a slower pace and increase the weight gradually until your fitness improves. You should remember that CrossFit is not safe for everyone, especially when you’re injured. Or if you are more than 65 years old. It may be safe or not safe for you to try as you age. That’s why talking to your doctor is always advisable. The same goes for pregnant women. Make sure to talk to your doctor before starting CrossFit.
Key Takeaway
CrossFit is an effective workout for many good reasons. It enhances flexibility and physical strength, burns calories, helps manage a healthy weight and trains your brain. There’s also great community support. However, although CrossFit can cater to all levels of fitness and ages, you may need a recommendation from your doctor if you have health conditions before enrolling in a class. Also, you should seek proper guidance from a CrossFit instructor when you’re just starting so they can help you learn and know more about the proper form to reduce any risk of injury.