In our days Crossfit became a phenomenon all over the world. Even a lot of people who weren’t physically active before, got obsessed with it and started doing it. What is it exactly though? Why did people get so obsessed over it? Is it a good or bad form of exercise?
First and foremost anything that has to do with working out the body is a positive action. However every form of exercise is different. Therefore it requires a specific type of person to use Crossfit as it can be seen as something trendy for everybody. Crossfit is actually a circuit-type workout, where the individual has to do different exercises one after the other with less or no rest in between them in order to complete one full cycle. The two differences that distinguish Crossfit from other circuit workouts are that they are very challenging with really heavy weights and secondly, that it’s a company. That is the reason why so many people got obsessed with it. Reebok, which is the brand responsible for marketing Crossfit, did an excellent job on that and attracted thousands of people.
Now attracting all these people is both good and bad at the same time. Don’t get me wrong; I mean Crossfit is a great form of exercising. Also as a sport it improves many skills such as balance or agility for example, and it’s also very competitive as they time athletes to determine who will be the big winner. On the other hand, it’s not the appropriate exercising method for someone who has just got into fitness. It has many difficult challenges like lifting really heavy weights (Olympic lifting), tire lifting, handstand walking and many more without resting between the exercises. Some people even say that they start off slowly with simple tasks. But that’s not Crossfit because the real Crossfit is about competing with others in hardcore exercises, with timing. If you take it slowly then you are not a Crossfitter. In order to handle this level of fitness, you need to have been working out for a few years before you master the fundamental skills of a Crossfitter. However this form of exercise will improve your physique both in muscle mass and endurance to endure all the stress that your body has to go through.
Additionally, many people have been sayings certain things about Crossfit which are simply not true. Crossfitters say that Crossfit is specifically a functional training method due to people in charge keep telling them this. However some exercises like Olympic lifting are not functional at all. Functional Training means that you train like the body functions in everyday life’s tasks. However there are some exercises that are functional such as rope climbing or even vertical jumps. Learn the differences first and then have an opinion about claiming that it’s true.
Finally what bothers me the most is the ‘kipping’ while doing normal body weight pull-ups or muscle-ups. I really have no clue why they even teach this to people. According to the bio-mechanics, the correct execution of this exercise is pulling oneself upwards and then lowering back to the starting point. That way the exercise works pulls the muscles of the body, which are the muscles of the back and biceps. This is why it’s called a pull up. I know that’s how they show it to people and that probably won’t change, but I’ve always felt the need to say it, because some people think that it’s the next generation of pull ups and muscles ups, but it’s just wrong.
So if people want to try Crossfit out, they should start first with the basics of fitness, and proceed to Crossfit in the future. Also they have to understand that Crossfit it not a complete Functional Training. When people consider these thoughts, then they will realize what Crossfit really is about. Therefore they will learn how to use it correctly and get the most put of it.
Crossfit is not a bad way of increasing your health in terms of exercising, but people misunderstood the way it works and can’t be blamed for knowing so little. It’s simply because of the marketing. However I do blame them on doing something before researching about it. Every person has his/her weaknesses and strengths, so find the proper training that suits your body and your needs.
Share this article to inform more people and tell us your thoughts in the comments below: Are you a Crossfitter? What got you into crossfit? Are you considering the above statements? Do you also use any other ways to get healthy and fit?