CrossFit has gained a reputation for itself as an intense training style that pushes your body to its limits. And it can absolutely be that, if you want it to complete a full CrossFit workout. But you can also ease incorporate CrossFit exercises into your routine that get your whole body moving and get you to really work up a sweat.
CrossFit is a fairly new sport that has had a lot of success in the last few years, as you really see results and classic CrossFit training gyms involve a ‘community’ and ‘team’ workout environment.
What is CrossFit?
Greg Glassman and Lauren Janel founded CrossFit, branded as fitness regime, in 2000. The official CrossFit website says, “CrossFit can be used to accomplish any goal, from improved health to weight loss to better performance. The program works for everyone— people who are just starting out and people who have trained for years.”
CrossFit is advertised as the “sport of fitness”.
CrossFit workouts incorporate high-intensity functional movements and encourage people to push themselves in workouts. It also encourages them to live the CrossFit lifestyle outside of the gym that also focuses on sound nutrition, in addition to the effective workouts.
How to get started with CrossFit training
To get started with CrossFit training, you can attend an introduction class at a proper CrossFit class. It is important to find a coach and environment that makes you feel comfortable and confident!
As a first approach, you can start with these exercises (even at home!):
- It is important to begin each workout up with a dynamic warm-up, including functional movements and stretches that will get your body ready for high-intensity exercises.
- Follow the CrossFit structure for a skill or strength work day.
- Include a workout of the day, where you’ll focus on a number of reps or in a time crunch for a particular exercise.
- Next, lead into some of the many CrossFit workouts for beginners that for example may include: treadmill sprints, Tabata push-ups and lunges, lateral jumps, and knee-tuck jumps.
- Stretch it out and cool down post-workout.
You can also start out by simply doing functional movements at home, getting your body used to moving in ways it may not be already used to. This gives you the ability to scale your workouts and exercises from there, and to join a CrossFit class when you feel confident, ready and that it would really benefit you.
If you are a beginner and want to get a CrossFit workout in but you are short on time at home you can, for example, do a bodyweight circuit of pull-ups, push-ups and squats with the proper warm-up and cool-down.
Benefits of CrossFit
“Whether your fitness goal is to help you maintain your current fitness level, get just 1% fitter, lose weight, do a pull-up, or be able to lift a certain weight, CrossFit can help you reach it,” says Kyra Williams a certified personal trainer and CrossFit Level One Trainer.
CrossFit can also help boost your confidence, teach you that you are capable of more than you give yourself credit for, and it offers you a great place and community to meet people. Also, it never gets boring and it’s great if you’re short on time!