Are you thinking about starting at a CrossFit near you? CrossFit has revolutionised the way that people train by combining high intensity interval training (HIIT) with functional movements. We’ve identified 10 benefits that CrossFit provides which may not be possible when completing a workout in a gym.
1. The Community – Team Training
For people who don’t do CrossFit, people often joke that CrossFit is a cult that is hard to leave once you join. Whilst CrossFit definitely IS NOT a cult, the sense of community is a really strong point of difference for CrossFit gyms. In some aspects, CrossFit can be compared to a team sport whereby you feel as though you are part of an environment where everybody is working towards a common goal – to continually improve the version of themselves. Whilst sessions generally only go for 45-60 mins, you will usually find yourself having conversations with other members after the session, or even heading to the pub for dinner after a workout!
2. You will get stronger through compound movements
There is ongoing debate as to whether people should do normal gym movements or CrossFit movements if they want to get stronger. In our opinion, both a normal gym or a CrossFit gym can get somebody stronger but in different ways. At a normal gym, you will generally find yourself conducting ‘isolation movements’ which focuses on one core body part per day. At CrossFit, we focus more so on practical compound functional movements, generally completed at a high intensity. What this means is that you don’t need to worry about the dreaded leg day at the gym, because all body parts will get a workout every day at CrossFit!
3. Your fitness levels will improve
In conjunction with getting stronger at CrossFit, we can guarantee you that your fitness levels will improve. The best part? You will not need to spend hours on end running on a treadmill or walking up stairs to improve your fitness. Through CrossFit’s ‘Workout of the Day’ (WOD), you will complete a 10-30 minute workout which continually tests your aerobic capacity through a combination of different functional movements. Your heart rate will generally hover between 75%-100% of maximum capacity which will ensure that your fitness levels will improve drastically over time.
4. You will become more flexible
A known disadvantage to normal gym & strength training is that it focuses on isolating muscle groups. Continual isolation of a muscle group can eventually lead to immobilisation of certain muscles and ‘stiffness’ around the body. At CrossFit, each class has a dedicated period for flexibility training where your coach will take you through a series of movements to ensure that you continue to loosen parts of your body. In conjunction with this, a number of cross fit movements are centred around gymnastics & mobility exercises, which will inevitably increase your body’s flexibility over time.
5. You will have a dedicated coach in each class
It can often be frustrating when you’re at a gym but don’t know how to use the machine or how to work a particular muscle group. At CrossFit, there are fully trained coaches who will guide you through the process of any movement, modifying these movements where required. You can consider CrossFit to be a more affordable version of personal training, as you will often receive dedicated coaching advice & motivation to get through particular movements and workouts.
6. You will push past mental barriers you never thought were possible
There will be times where CrossFit can be extremely tough. If you were at a normal gym trying to get fit, it is human nature to quit and not push through those pain barriers. It is easy to cheat reps or to sneak a longer break. At CrossFit, the team environment encourages you to push yourself to your limit and to smash through the pain that you are enduring. Within team training classes, you will feel levels of adrenalin that are hard to replicate in other environments which will inevitably lead you to working harder. Trust us, it will hurt at the time, but it feels awesome after!
7. Your motivation levels will increase
Believe it or not, you will actually want to go to CrossFit on a Friday night. The team training environment continually motivates you to become a better version of yourself. In addition to this, the CrossFit community genuinely allows you to enioy yourself at the gym. It is not uncommon for a CrossFit community to go & eat dinner after a Friday night workout OR sneak a few beers in after the session. The social aspect of CrossFit turns fitness from a chore into a hobby!
8. It is time-efficient – not longer than 1 hour
Ever feel like you spend way too long at a gym and don’t achieve anything? We can guarantee that you will not feel that way after a CrossFit session. A CrossFit session generally goes for 1 hour and incorporates flexibility stretches, strength training & a ‘workout of the day’. It is easy to head to a session before work or get a quick workout completed in the evening.
9. You won’t get bored & you can measure progress
At CrossFit, there is a new ‘Workout of the Day’ (WOD) every day. One day you may be rowing & the next day you could be squatting. Expect the unexpected but do know that you won’t ever get bored. The other positive aspect regarding variety of workouts at CrossFit is that you can measure your progress over time. Every 6 months, you will generally encounter a workout that you have completed previously. Most CrossFit gyms record historical performance which will allow you to measure (and celebrate) your progress!
10. The classes breed healthy competition
For those competitive people (which is all of us in some way, shape or form), CrossFit is definitely something you should try. You are not only competing with yourself at CrossFit but you are competing with other members which breeds a healthy competition within the community. This healthy competition often makes you push through the pain barrier in order to ensure that your score is the best on the whiteboard for that day! As much as we don’t like to admit it, it always feels good when we win a workout or achieve a new PR (personal record). We encourage this healthy competition at CrossFit.