Definition:
Cross·Fit
ˈkrôsˌfit/
noun
trademark
noun: CrossFit; noun: Cross Fit
a high-intensity fitness program incorporating elements from several sports and types of exercise.
"I thought I was strong until I tried to do CrossFit"
Everyone knows about CrossFit, your friend does it, your aunt, your brother, uncle, daughter, neighbor etc. So you've heard of it. And for some weird reason it gets a bad rap for injuries. All weightlifting can be dangerous if you don't take the time to do it right, and if you join the right gym you will be in good hands. After I stopped playing college volleyball, I was looking for a challenge, and I found it!
It's totally not what I imagined. I fell in love with CrossFit, and here's why.
1. CrossFit classes are 60 minutes, no more no less. You are in and out. And classes are flexibly offered all day long.
2. Someone conveniently does all of your programming for you, so outside the gym, I never had to worry about what I was doing in my next workout.
3. The classes are filled with different kinds of people, what I enjoyed most was the age and coed nature. My classes have been filled with people 16-70 years old and each workout is designed in a way it fits everyones needs. After playing sports, I'm used to working out in a group environment.
4. Most of the workouts are 15-30 minutes long. Don't mistake that for being easy, in those minutes you RED LINE, balls to the wall.
5. Community! I've now been to six CrossFit gyms, and each one had an awesome little community who encouraged each other.
6. I can do pull-ups. Like, multiple pull-ups...That's a big deal, for me!
People typically want to know what our workouts look like. Workouts change each day and my favorite workouts usually include: squats, deadlifts, wall balls, pull-ups, kettle bell movements and overhead presses. If you are into weights, you will love CrossFit. As defined by the CrossFit experts at crossfit.com,
"CrossFit is constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity. All CrossFit workouts are based on functional movements, and these movements reflect the best aspects of gymnastics, weightlifting, running, rowing and more. These are the core movements of life. They move the largest loads the longest distances, so they are ideal for maximizing the amount of work done in the shortest time. Intensity is essential for results and is measurable as work divided by time—or power. The more work you do in less time, or the higher the power output, the more intense the effort. By employing a constantly varied approach to training, functional movements and intensity lead to dramatic gains in fitness."
Overall, CrossFit saves me time and money. That's the hype, and that is why people love it. It's hard work, and you get real results. Most CrossFit gyms range from $100-$150 a month for a membership, but that is way cheaper than paying a personal trainer. Doing CrossFit, you have a personal trainer built right in. As an ex athlete, it's nice to not have to create my own training programs anymore.
When I lived in Durango, I went to CrossFit Durango, they are second to none! And if you are in the area, I would highly recommend going and at least trying a workout. They have incredible coaches!!
I'm in Albuquerque for the next month working out at Cantina, join me if you're around!
Watch me do 120 burpees, 24 thrusters, 24 power snatches, 24 push jerks, 24 hang squat cleans, and 24 overhead squats in 31 minutes...