In a single sentence: ‘CrossFit is a strength and conditioning system built on constantly varied, if not randomized, functional movements executed at high intensity.’
The word ‘functional’ here means ‘taken from life itself’. In CrossFit, you do not do movements which make one muscle group or a single joint work. Instead, you do movements that make multiple musclegroups and joints of the body work all together, just like the movements you do in real life.
These moves include standing, sitting, throwing, lifting, pushing, pulling, climbing, running and punching, all of which are natural. As the folks from CrossFit say: ‘They are part of our design.’
But how these movements are formed?
First, they divided humans’ natural moves into two: ‘Arboreal’ and ‘Terrestrial’.‘Arboreal’ moves consist of the moves our ancestors’ practiced, known as brachiating, (swinging through the trees with relatively straight arms).‘Terrestrial’ moves consist of bipedal moves made on the ground while using their hands to use weapons.
Second, they looked for areas of sports which expressed these moves coming from human nature, mainly gymnastics and weightlifting, as what is referred to as ‘sub domains’. Climbing and throwing express these moves perfectly. These types of sports and their techniques are the strong foundation on which CrossFit is today.
While gymnastics is known to be the best way for developing agility, balance, coordination, accuracy, flexibility, trunk control and upper body strength, weightlifting is the same for overall strength, power, speed and explosive hip extension.
In CrossFit; the word ‘functional’ means ‘the most representative of natural movement’. Therefore, the exercises in CrossFit are multi-joint compound movements which represent the natural movements of man.
The criteria that are used in the selection of movements are:
· Range of joint motion
· Uniqueness of line of action
· Length of line of action
· Strength of line of action
· Commonness of motor pattern
· Demands on flexibility
· Irreducibility
· Utility
· Foundational value
· Neurological value
· Measurable impact on adherents
· Potential for metabolically induced discomfort
CrossFit movements are chosen based on these criteria. They are chosen to represent the range of natural movements found in man in the best possible way. CrossFit folks say that their movements are the ‘alphabet’ from which more complex and natural movements are formed.
Some of the most common movements include:
· Deadlifts
· Squats
· Pull-ups
· Running and lunging
· Push-ups and dips
· Presses and jerks
· Cleans and snatches
· Rope climbing
· Sit-ups
· Jumping
· Throwing
· Pressing to handstand
· Muscle up
· Clean&Jerk
· Wall ball
· Thruster
CrossFit’s vast clinical experience suggests that these movements are not only safe but also absolutely essential to health and fitness. It is also CrossFit’s belief that unnatural movements will not only waste your time, but they also possess a high risk of injury. The movements here have been developed by the CrossFit officials via Black-box model, which emphasizes experiential or empirical results rather than being based on theories which, as they say, saved them a great deal of time. Also, they believe that these moves triggerneuroendocrine activity in the body, though it has not yet been scientifically proven.
The mixing of the movements is of the utmost importance. Since nature provides unforeseeable challenges, the exercises must be unforeseeable as well to go in line with nature. The aim is developing the capacity for high performance for facing a broad range of unforeseeable challenges or demands that the life can bring up.
Among the moves are those which are shaped via a pairing of two different exercises. Usually, one exercise is chosen from weightlifting and the other is chosen among the classic gymnastic exercises. Thrusters and deadlifts are two good examples to these. These movements are called ‘functional couplets’.
Functional couplets make outstanding CrossFit workouts when used as timed circuits. Time circuits consist of two types of exercising:
1. Task priority: The athlete attempts a predetermined number of rounds for best time
2. Time priority: The athlete works to complete as many rounds as possible in a predetermined time period
Either way, a total of one hour, including warm-up and cool down, is more than enough.
A typical CrossFit gym’s toolbox includes:
· Gymnastic rings
· Barbells
· Bumper plates
· Dumbbells
· Parallel bars
· Pull-up bars
· Medicine balls
· Rope
· Mats
· Kettle bells
· A giant tire
· Sandbags
These valuable types of equipmentare not so hard to find. Some can easily be found in an average high school gym. Also, they are an important part of military physical training. But, the importance is how to use them. As they say; ‘The magic is in the movements’.
CrossFit officials also argue that their movements help people to rehabilitate from injury and sickness. What’s more is their belief in CrossFit as the future of physical therapy.
The workouts are sometimes criticized for not emphasizing on cardio itself. In regards to ‘’Cardio’’, the workouts do not have a separate cardio section, which arises questions. The answer is simple: The ‘’cardio’’ is built into the workouts themselves. CrossFit’scardiorespiratory perception is that the aerobic benefit of an activity is based on how much the workout can represent the real action itself. For example, running is a better aerobic preparation for close combat, but pull-ups and thrusters are even better.
All that being said, CrossFit is a new system of working out which is said to be resemble life. Therefore,it is more beneficial than other systems that include unnatural movements.
