What is CrossFit Training?

You don’t have to frequent gyms, read health & fitness magazines, or run marathons to have come across the term CrossFit.  Many of us have a mental image, or preconcieved idea of what it is.  We went to two local industry experts to find out.  Dragonfly CrossFit and CrossFit South Wake were both generous in providing input.

Here’s the input from Dragonfly CrossFit owners – Marni & Rick Borelli

According to the CrossFit Company, CrossFit is “a regimen of constantly varied, functional movements performed at high intensity in a communal environment leading to health and fitness.  CrossFit seeks to improve work capacity across broad time and modal domains.”

Ask a CrossFit Coach or a CrossFit athlete and they will have many definitions as CrossFit means many things to different people.  One of the most surprising things is the type of people who are doing it.

Ask Rick Borelli, owner of Dragonfly CrossFit, a career trainer and certified CrossFit coach for 15+ years what he thinks of CrossFit and he’ll tell you, “  I have seen people gravitate toward CrossFit that I never would of imagined would be interested in participating. For someone who has dedicated their life to helping others achieve their fitness and health goals, this (CrossFit) is a godsend. Hence the movement we all see now. “

CrossFit is a “movement” sweeping the globe, and as with other movements there will always be the naysayers, doubters and the emergence of the negative.  To which there is no lack of for CrossFit.

When CrossFit is done correctly, all movements are safe and most importantly, will move you in a direction to become the best YOU, you have ever been – whatever your goal.

Rick  adds about the safety of CrossFit, ”There will always be people pushing the envelope and trying difficult things maybe they shouldn’t. The best advice I can give someone looking to try it, is remember why you are doing it and don’t let anyone push you further then you are ready to go.  Find out what kind of credentials the Coaches have and then accept the coaching you need.”

Why CrossFit over the traditional gym you may ask?

For many people, the idea of going to a gym would consist of a few days of “cardio” training or a few days of “strength” training or weight lifting.   Many people struggle with achieving the results they want with this kind of regimen as many people lack the ability to push themselves to a level of intensity that will create real results. That’s one reason people hire personal trainers.

At Dragonfly CrossFit – there are more women than men – including people who haven’t been in a gym for 5+ years or EVER, doing CrossFit.

CrossFit community members range in age from 14 to 60 who have as many varied health goals as their age range may signify.  Some goals include weight loss of 50-100 pounds, improve cardiovascular function, strengthen areas of injury, increase performance and just plain have fun.  So YES, CrossFit could be for you.

A typical 1 hour class will be started with warm-ups for about 10-15 minutes, then you’ll do some kind of “strength” building component like an overhead squat or dead lift, that will be followed by the WOD (work out of the day.) The WOD is typically a series of exercises, which could include exercises like pull-ups, push ups, sit-ups as well as Olympic style movements (snatch, clean and jerk, deadlift) for 10-15 minutes. Its quick and intense, which is why many people love it.  You’ll then stretch and cool down.   There are modifications for every fitness level – everything is scalable.

Education is a big part of CrossFit. When you start, you are not expected to have the knowledge you need.   Contrary to popular belief, you do not need to “train” to do CrossFit. Or get “in shape” before you try it.

CrossFit is an education about movement, fitness, nutrition and community. All of these things require responsibility, common sense, and work to educate oneself using all the tools available in the community.

It’s the team atmosphere that ends up making you better as an individual. It’s camaraderie, that family that you end up building and the energy that you get back from it yourself, that’s CrossFit to us.

What do other people say CrossFit is to them?

Cindy B Member “ For me, CrossFit is a whole new lifestyle both physically and socially.  I’m a mom with three kids. I work full time, so I like the fact I can come in get a short intense workout.”

Lori K. Member “ Crossfit in two words – strength and confidence.  Coming into Dragonfly CrossFit, I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  Over the weeks and months that I’ve been here, I have seen myself grow stronger, and my confidence shoot up much higher. My husband talks about how I carry myself differently now. I love the camaraderie of being here.

Lisa M. “ Crossfit means to me the opportunity to challenge myself to do things I’ve never done before.”

“What is CrossFit?  An Affiliate Owner’s Perspective”

John Harper from CrossFit South Wake, was our other expert, and had this to say:

Being exposed to CrossFit for almost a decade now, I am still sometimes taken aback when people who are ‘into fitness’ have never heard of CrossFit.  I think to myself, “it’s been on ESPN for over 3 years and you can’t go into most urban and suburban areas in the United States now without finding multiple CrossFit Affiliates. So what gives?”  Why don’t people fly into CrossFit Affiliates?  The #1 response I receive is that it is too hard, but that is far from the truth.  CrossFit is infinitely scalable, meaning almost anyone motivated to changing or enhancing their fitness level can participate.

Whether someone stops by my ‘box’ (that’s a “gym” to us CrossFit folk), or asks in casual conversation when they see me in and around Holly Springs, I always find myself having to give the best oral representation of a fitness regimen that needs to be tried to be really understood. I feel it is our duty as CrossFitters (affiliate owners, coaches, and members) to educate the public to the benefits of our fitness regimen.  So, here goes this affiliate owner/CrossFitter’s first attempt……

The ‘regular’ gym experience:

Who’s had this experience? You’re at the typical gym standing on a treadmill, elliptical, or riding a stationary bike (going nowhere) staring at a TV.  People not on the ‘cardio’ equipment are most definitely listening to their headphones or making small talk with other members. Of course, that’s better than sitting on a couch, I guess, but unless you’re a very motivated person every time you walk into your gym, there is gross inefficiencies throughout that gym daily.  Just ask any of my members who have come from the typical “Globo Gym”.  They will tell you that the biggest difference is the coaching, period.

The ‘CrossFit’ experience:

You first WOD:  There is very little equipment.   A pull up apparatus, Olympic bars/plates, boxes, mats, tires, logs, rowers, medicine balls, and little else. Members in your ‘class’ approach you with smiles on their faces and introduce themselves and ensure you that, although the experience you’re about to have will be hard, it will be nothing like any workout you’ve ever completed in the past.  Then the coach takes you through a warm up that is, by design, harder than some workouts you’ve done recently, and instructs the movements of the WOD in detail and requires you to perform these movements to ensure you understand what is expected.  Next, everyone begins getting prepared as if they are going onto an NFL field or professional competition, but these people are normal:  short, tall, heavy, skinny, young and old.  Crazy, right!  Then the coach cranks up the music and begins the countdown and yells out 3-2-1 GO!  The next 5-25 minutes (depending on the WOD) is a whirlwind as you fight through the workout as the coach is checking in to make sure you and the others are doing Ok and proper form is adhered to.   You are then hit with this euphoria that you had when you played high school or little league sports, you actually like it, and the ‘experience’ was unlike any other workout you have ever participated. You, like most, go back for more, and the rest is history…you’re now a CrossFitter.

A typical CrossFit Workout of the Day (WOD) is less than an hour and is broken up into a warm-up (~15-minutes), the WOD (~5 mins – 20 mins) and the extra credit cool down ~15 minutes.  Results are recognized faster. Even if you have a personal trainer, it is very difficult to simulate the intensity that accompanies a CrossFit WOD due to the environment.

There are very good, if not great, definitions of CrossFit on the CrossFit main page (www.crossfit.com).  I encourage you to check them out and watch the videos. There are a myriad of reasons behind why we are so drawn to CrossFit’s allure from the adrenaline rush of competition, testing oneself, to community and camaraderie.  We, as humans, are drawn to social settings as much as we are drawn to a challenge.  The fact that CrossFit provides that niche—competitive, fun, and results—that most gyms do not, is a defining factor in why so many walk in a CrossFit Affiliate and never leave.

Individuals come into my CrossFit Affiliate and the reactions are almost always the same throughout their experience:  Within a week – “I didn’t think I could do this, but I can!”, within a month – “This is so much fun!” and within 6 months – “I love this stuff, I’m getting good at it, I’m doing things I never thought I could, and cannot imagine life without CrossFit in it!”

CrossFit is a fitness regimen wrapped in a very welcoming environment that preaches community, hard work, family, and fun.  Are all CrossFit Affiliates the same, no, but most do a very good job of promoting a healthy lifestyle by constantly pushing the fitness envelope in an enticing atmosphere through the CrossFit philosophy.

So, I know what you’re thinking, this is all great, but what is it really like?  Well, the only way to find that out is to try out the ‘boxes’ near you and find the best fit.  Most CrossFit Affiliates offer a free trial period for those new to CrossFit, so it’s a no-brainer if you’re looking to shock your current fitness regimen or begin anew.  Remember, CrossFit has no machines…..why not?……because we are the machines!