Here’s what you need to know about CrossFit.
CrossFit has been viewed as a cult, a group of crazy people doing dangerous things, and much worse. Many detractors like to say that fitness – doing workouts for times and scores – is not a sport and doing so is dangerous. Even more, say that barbell movements should not be used for conditioning purposes. Maybe they think using light bands, 5” step-up platforms with pink dumbbells is the optimal way to train? I wish they would explain what is dangerous about coaching people through an air squat progression, moving to weighted squats then progressing to a clean. It does take time and knowledgeable coaches to do so.
Maybe that’s the issue? I don’t know.
CrossFit has three main tenants:
- The first one is utilizing functional movements. These are things we do every day of our lives like climbing stairs or lifting a bag. Performing basic functional movements is a necessity for everyday life, independence, and more importantly longevity.
- The second tenant of CrossFit is to constantly change the movement, reps, sets, time domains and intensity levels. This means you won’t get acclimated to the training movements, you can work on weaknesses that may be avoided in another setting. This also prevents boredom which leads to a lack of motivation.
- The third tenant of CrossFit is the relative intensity level. This is the “hard” part of the work. The training is challenging because if it wasn’t, the results would be sacrificed. A very important aspect of training intensity is for the individual to work out according to their abilities and not others. Using the appropriate weights, equipment, loading and number of reps need to be addressed according to the need of the individual to elicit the appropriate response. This is where our knowledgeable coaching is a necessity. We guide each individual during every class to make sure the specific workout is challenging but not overwhelming.
In the end, we are just a bunch of people trying our best to stay fit and have fun.
And as we celebrate the 13th year of building a fit community in the Brighton area, we couldn’t be more grateful for those who have become a part of our family.
Can’t wait to see you at the gym!
