CrossFit is a fashionable sport for a beautiful and toned body

CrossFit is one of the hottest workout trends these days. The audience for CrossFit grew exponentially, and thanks to the American cable sports channel ESPN and the Reebok brand, CrossFit became a Thing to Do - a must-do activity around the world.

The popularity of CrossFit also makes it necessary to discuss the pros and cons of this training direction. However, consider this an opinion and make your own choice.

CrossFit: the formation of elite fitness

The CrossFit WOD is a competitive, intense, and extremely demanding workout on your body. Typically you are working against the clock to complete your WOD. The faster you finish, the “better you will be.” If you're new to fitness and want an easy start, it might be best for you to go in the opposite direction of CrossFit, because the latter will get you started.

CrossFit primarily targets your anaerobic system—the fast-twitch and explosive muscle fibers. The reason CrossFitters huff and puff after every WOD is because they exhaust this system. The stronger you become, the more you raise your lactic acid threshold and are able to tolerate the effects of your work.

All CrossFit exercises require solid skill, precision, and overall strength. You must learn these moves or your safety and results will be compromised!

If you are a beginner or just lifting weights half-assed, then you are NOT doing your body any favors. You will get injured! Yes, CrossFit may be trendy and cool right now, but don't destroy your body for your first WOD.

Pros of CrossFit

1. Strong community

The community of people that CrossFit has is pretty damn impressive. CrossFit has done an amazing job of getting people to get off their butts and start working out.

2. Exciting atmosphere

CrossFit is known for busting your ass! In a CrossFit workout, they'll tell you to take a step forward when you're tired and push you when you want to give up. For some, this is exactly what they need - EXTRA PUSH, or a Super Kick in the Ass!

Walk into any CrossFit gym and you'll hear loud upbeat music and people screaming as they do WODs. The atmosphere is both vibrant and infectious. In general, CrossFit workouts look fun.

3. Competitiveness

Competition is a great tool to add if implemented correctly. It helps motivate you to do an extra set when you see others working as hard as you, or you can set a personal goal and compete against your old results and fitness scores. CrossFit uses competition to help trainees stay motivated and stay on top of their game.

Thus, CrossFit has created a strong training environment that includes competition and hard work. This has led to a strong community that continues to grow and inspire others to workout.

As CrossFit continues to connect and grow, its community will continue to expand. One thing a fitness trainer or boot camp instructor can learn from CrossFit is how to create the type of connection, emotional engagement and unity in their classes to increase results and retention.

CrossFit training programs: nuances and rules

CrossFit is an traumatic sport, so it is important to follow the technique of doing the exercises, as well as take into account the principles and rules of the exercise.

If possible, the first training sessions for any CrossFit program should be conducted under the supervision of a trainer. He will help you choose the right exercises, load and optimal pace to minimize the risk of injury and achieve the best results from your workouts.

If it is not possible to visit the gym even for the first time, then you will first have to familiarize yourself with the theory, and then move on to practice. Consider a number of important rules for CrossFit training:

• It is advisable for beginners to try out several programs, choosing the best one according to their capabilities. You can alternate programs.
• If your goal is to train a specific muscle, then you will need to perform a monotonous set of exercises once a week.
• You need to start your workout with a warm-up to warm up your muscles and ligaments. Warm-up should last 10-15 minutes. Suitable for her are jumping in place, jumping rope, easy running, head rotations, swinging arms, legs, body turns, etc.
• In 20-30 minutes of training you will have to do at least three rounds of exercises.
• Between exercises, rest should be minimal (5-10 seconds).
• To get results, CrossFit training must be regular, at least 3 times a week.

The load needs to be increased gradually so that the body gets used to working and progress is visible.

Select the weight based on your own physical fitness.

Cons of CrossFit

1. Lack of personalization

Yes, CrossFit inspires and motivates people, but experienced trainers may find its lack of personalization frustrating. Personalization is the customization of a training program for an individual.

And while CrossFit tailors its workouts to group classes, there is no one-size-fits-all program for everyone, all the time! Prescribing the same workout for both experienced students and beginners is rather a mistake.

2. No programming

Programming is everything! If you want reliable and safe results, you need to consider people's individual needs and special needs.

Each person is unique and has different strengths and weaknesses. Personalization focuses on your weaknesses, corrects them to build your strength, and prevents future injuries. Personalization is the key to true fitness.

Most, but not all, CrossFit instructors do not code. They simply follow the WOD posted on CrossFit.com and implement it for their clients. There are many problems with this: how would you implement WOD for those who have problems with flexibility? Will Murph help solve the problem? No, it won't help!

The Murph involves running 1 mile, 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, and another 1 mile. Remember that a WOD consists of strength and strength exercises mixed together into one high-intensity interval, so implementing a random WOD will not meet anyone's specific needs.

3. Lack of scalability

Is it wise to use a WOD on a newbie who lacks strength? CrossFit instructors can reduce WOD based on fitness level, but is Fran really a good fit for someone's first workout? Fran includes 3 rounds of 21-15-9 reps for 43kg thrusters and pull-ups.

Basic crossfit workout exercises

CrossFit training exercises performed with your own weight are used as basic exercises.

Burpee

This exercise consists of several movements connected in a chain, each of which is a complete exercise in itself.

Starting position: squat down and reach your hands to the floor. Push off with your feet and jump into a plank position - your body should take a horizontal position, supported on your hands and toes. From the plank, perform a push-up. Then return your jumping legs to the starting position - a squat. Rise up and jump up, clapping your hands above your head. After landing, come back into a squat and so on. All stages of this exercise should be performed at a fast pace.

Push-ups with cotton

These CrossFit exercises allow you to work your chest and arm muscles.

Starting position: lying down (plank), place your hands shoulder-width apart or slightly wider. The body should be straight, like a plank, tense, without arching in the lower back. By bending your elbows, lower yourself down as much as possible, keeping your body line straight. When lifting, make an explosive effort and throw your body up so that you have time to make a clap with your hands. You need to land with your arms slightly bent at the elbows, performing springy movements.

Explosive Squats

The exercise helps to work the muscles of the legs and buttocks.

Starting position: standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down, pushing your pelvis back until your thighs are parallel to the floor, while making sure that your knees do not extend forward beyond your toes. The weight of the body should be on the heels. At the moment when you need to get up, jump up with all your might. Your arms should be raised above your head at all times.

Jumping Lunges

Starting position: stand straight, feet hip-width apart. From this position, take a wide step back with your right foot. As you inhale, lower your right knee almost to the floor, making sure your back remains straight. When performed correctly, both legs form a 90° angle at the lowest point. As you exhale, jump out with all your might and change legs as you jump - left behind, right in front. Lower your left knee to the floor again.

"Jumping Jack"

An exercise from an army training course that is used to train endurance. When performing it, the main load falls on the thigh muscles. Additionally, the abdominal and calf muscles are involved. During regular training, flexibility develops and coordination of movements improves.

Starting position: stand straight, place your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides. Inhale and as you exhale, jump as high as possible. In this case, you need to spread your legs wider to the sides, raise your arms sharply above your head and clap. Return to the starting position by inhaling. Repeat the jump again while exhaling. When performing it, it is very important to monitor your breathing and pace.

Cross lunges or curtsey squats

This exercise allows you to effectively work out the gluteal muscle group. Thanks to the cross-position of the legs, the muscles receive an excellent stretch in the lower phase of the exercise.

Starting position: stand straight, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, toes apart. When moving, your knees should always point in the same direction as your toes. Shift your weight to one leg, and take a long step back diagonally with the other, towards your supporting leg. As a result, the supporting leg is in front, the toe of its foot is directed outward, the second leg is behind in a cross pattern, its toe is directed forward.

Squat down, bending the knee of your working leg until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Make sure that your knee does not extend beyond your toes and that the weight remains on your heel throughout the exercise. Using the knee of your supporting leg, stretch your working leg towards the floor, but do not touch it. As you inhale, rise up, straightening your legs.

A comment

Alexey, 34 years old, has been doing CrossFit since the end of 2021:

— I really like CrossFit because the loads and exercises are functional. That is, you make those movements that can really be useful in life. CrossFit develops strength endurance, agility, allows you to easily carry heavy bags from the supermarket to your home, and walk long distances without fatigue, thereby increasing your quality of life.

CrossFit is also very interesting and fun, because the classes are group, there is always a competitive element, and you can always compare how you perform a complex with how others do it, and, for example, force yourself to push yourself.

In the crossfit gym they will always cheer you up, help you put away your equipment, everyone is always very friendly and helpful. Due to the fact that the complexes are different every time, you never get bored, you want to come again and again, perform them through sweat, pain and suffering, after completing them, collapse on the floor satisfied, catch your breath, drink water and go to rest in a great mood.

Options for ready-made programs

The choice of a ready-made program depends on the goals of the student.

For burning fat

If a man needs to lose weight, the program should include both strength and dynamic fitness techniques. You need to exercise at one-day intervals.

What does a weekly training look like:

Perform 2-3 circles during class.

For weight gain

To increase weight by increasing muscle volume, you can take into account the following training:

Do 2-3 cycles during your workout.