» CrossFit 101

Overview

CrossFit Venn Diagram

The aim of CrossFit is to prepare trainees for any physical contingency - no matter how random, diverse or unpredictable.  Towards that end, CrossFit is carefully designed to impart high competence across multiple fitness domains.  As a result, our trainees enjoy fitness that is unmatched across the broader spectrum of humanity.  To be blunt, nobody else can do what we can do.

For many, increased physical prowess is an end in itself.  But an important side-benefit of CrossFit is improvement in all of the major indicators of health and disease.  Our trainees may not consciously be aware that their insulin responsiveness is improving or that their blood pressure is stabilizing, but these are the inevitable outcomes of our training methods.  Improved health is CrossFit's silent dividend - a dividend that compounds silently and manifests itself in a long life of high quality. 

Nutrition

CrossFit Food Pyramid

We think of nutrition as the molecular foundation of health.  The CrossFit nutrition prescription is rather simple: eat garden vegetables, especially greens, lean meats, nuts and seeds, little starch and no sugar.  Eating this way has two major health consequences.

1 - Stable insulin levels: The foods in the CrossFit grocery list are low glycemic load and eating them means we avoid spikes in blood sugar and insulin.  Stabilizing insulin carries huge benefits, not least among which is reduced risk for diabetes.

2 - Reduced inflammation: Since we avoid grains, we generally consume less gluten.  Gluten causes inflammation which has been linked to cancer, Alzheimer's, Coeliac disease, arthritis, and other things that make you sick and possibly dead.

After following CrossFit's nutritional guidelines for a while you will feel strong, alert, and energized throughout the day.  Sugar cravings and binge eating will become distant memories.  Afternoon grogginess will disappear.  Once unthinkable physical feats will become easy.

How We're Different

Them
Us
Why We're Different
Bicep Curls, Leg Extensions, Tricep Extensions, Stomach Crunches, etc.
Pullups, Pushups, Deadlifts, Cleans, Squats, Running, Throwing, Rowing, etc.
- Functional movements are multi-joint, multi-muscle movements that are useful outside of the gym. Lifting an object off the ground using only your bicep is unnatural to say the least. Since humans are designed to lift things with our legs and hips, we embrace the major lifts like the deadlift, clean and squat. In addition to their utility, these movements prompt your endocrine system to release the hormones that add muscle mass and bone density. Isolation lifts do not have this benefit.
Back and Biceps / Chest and Triceps / 30 Minutes of Cardio
Different and Unknown Workout Everyday
- We avoid routine like the plague, not just because routine is boring, but because varied workouts produce the best results. your body's adaptive response becomes weaker and weaker if you keep giving yourself the same stimulation. You may have experienced this in the form of a "training plateau." Because CrossFit workouts are different in both form and function everyday, our bodies are constantly receiving fresh new stimulation. Consequently we experience consistent and progressive improvement in physical capacity.
40 Minutes on the Treadmill
400 Meter Sprint, Repeated 3 or 4 Times
- Long-duration cardio protocols show up in our workouts occasionally, but in general, CrossFitters prefer short and intense workouts. Put simply, intensity measures how long it takes you to move load, be it your own bodyweight, a barbell, tractor tire or whatever. Short, high intensity workouts improve your cardio much more than long runs on the treadmill and are less damaging to your body.