CrossFit is one of the fastest growing forms of exercise that has become popular with people of all ages and abilities. One of the most popular questions we get asked by prospective members is ‘What is CrossFit? In short is a fun way to get fit with a vibrant mix of weightlifting, gymnastics and cardio workouts.
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many leading sports programs. It is used by military units and police academies to get their new recruits up to the required fitness levels. Olympic athletes have used CrossFit to complement their training regimes.
The CrossFit methodology is built around constantly varied functional movements done at high intensity, and combines cardiovascular activities, weightlifting, and gymnastics in as many ways as possible. While CrossFit serves many elite training programs, it is designed for universal scalability and is ideal for everyone from grandmothers to professional athletes.
This means that CrossFit is great for everyone, regardless of age, gender or current fitness levels.
Workouts are often referred to as ‘WODs’, meaning ‘Workout of the Day’. A typical WOD will include some of the following elements:
- A CrossFit warm-up, which can involve stretching, mobility or practice with low weights.
- Gymnastics, including exercises on a weightlifting rig and exercises done on the floor.
- Weightlifting, with exercises taken from classic Olympic weightlifting technique.
- Cardio exercise, often with running
Sessions are typically 45 minutes to one hour in duration. The mix of these elements means that Crossfit is great for overall fitness and ensures variety to keep all participants motivated and ensure they reach their own personal goals.
