Why I Love the Crossfit Methodology & What I’ve Learned
Let’s start with differentiating the Crossfit Methodology from the sport of Crossfit. While there are certainly similarities, there are also some distinctions to be acknowledged. I like to think of it as playing in a basketball league versus playing in the NBA. Basically the same rules apply; however, the execution and goals are slightly to vastly different.
To lay the foundation, I’m sharing this straight from the Crossfit website.
“CrossFit’s methodology is founded on the first precise, scientifically rigorous definition of fitness,and the program produces results that can be measured and replicated. Our methodology is a set of universal principles and definitions that can be applied in many different contexts and that make CrossFit accessible to both athlete and coach.
The stimulus — what CrossFit is: constantly varied functional movement executed at high intensity combined with eating meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no added sugar in quantities that support exercise but not body fat.
The adaptation — what CrossFit achieves: increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains. Pursuing this goal is pursuing fitness, and aiming to maintain your work capacity over your lifetime is pursuing health.
These elements are the basis of the CrossFit methodology, and we’ve precisely and comprehensively defined each element — from work capacity to fitness to health — in quantifiable terms.” The full article can be found here.
While I have an appreciation for the conciseness of the definition in terms of language, you are not alone if you are still wondering what does all of this actually mean and what does it look like in practice. Here’s what it looks like for me. It’s a method of exercise that includes cardio, gymnastic/bodyweight movements and weight lifting. The workouts are varied in movements and in intensity (sometimes by design and sometimes at the request of my body and/or mind). The workouts often consist of only 2-3 movements and typically vary between 10-20 minutes in duration with the occasional shorter and longer workouts.
Only 10 minutes you say? Yes! When I started Crossfit the thought of getting a good workout in 10 minutes seemed preposterous. That thought has been proven wrong time and time again. Keep in mind that everyday is not a 10 minute workout nor is it a 40 minute workout. It’s one of the many things I love about Crossfit. It is fairly predictable and varied at the same time.
If you’re still a little fuzzy, let’s take a look at a classic Crossfit workout, Cindy. In Crossfit there are several girl WODs (workout of the day), which simply means they are all named girl names. (If you looked at the link and are feeling very intimidated, please keep reading. I promise you could follow the Crossfit methodology and never do a girl WOD or there are infinite ways to scale any of them to wherever you are.) It is a 20 minute AMRAP. Anytime you see AMRAP, the goal is to complete As Many Rounds (or repetitions) As Possible in the alloted time. With this particular workout, a round is 5 pull ups, 10 push ups and 15 air squats. So, you would start a timer set to count down from 20 minutes and get to work completing as many rounds as you can before the 20 minutes is up. This workout needs minimum equipment and is scalable in multiple ways to meet you where you are that day.
Now that you hopefully have a little clearer vision of Crossfit, let me share what I love.
The variations of the workouts. When I go into the gym I know the workout will be different from yesterday’s and the day before that. Yes, movements are repeated which provides some comfort in terms of familiarity, and they will show up in different ways depending on what other movements they are paired with or the loading (i.e. weight).
It is measurable. Many of us like the idea of getting better or seeing improvement. You can keep track of your workouts. Take Cindy from above. The first time you do it maybe you get 7 rounds and 8 reps. The next time you do it you will be able to compare it to your previous attempt. If you like to be a little competitive, most Crossfit gyms keep a leaderboard which tracks athletes’ results so you can see where you rank if that is appealing to you.
Any workout can be scaled to meet you where you are. Going back to Cindy, the pull ups can be scaled using a band to assist you on the pull up bar, you can use a box to do jumping pull ups or, if you don’t have access to a pull up bar, you can do bent over rows with a barbell, dumbbells or bands. The push ups and squats can also be modified in numerous ways.
The opportunity to keep getting better. No matter where you are with fitness, movements, or weight on the bar, there is always something you can be working on to improve if you so choose. From the number of completely different movements to the variations of one movement, you could work a lifetime and not master all of them. This doesn’t mean you need to, but the opportunity is there if that is something that drives you and keeps you coming back.
The friendships. This one was a bit unexpected for me. I was a long time solo exerciser and was quite happy being one. Having said that, I have made wonderful friends, including my husband, in Crossfit and there is something to be said for sharing the experience of getting through a workout together. While I have transitioned back to working out solo much of the time, those friendships formed in the gym continue and I am now experiencing the benefits of an online community (more on that later).
Here is what I’ve learned over the years.
Stay in your lane. Using Crossfit to stay fit and healthy is very different from making a living, or hoping to make a living, competing in the sport of Crossfit. It can also look different from the athlete beside you in the gym. Like any other health or wellness goal, it’s important to get clear on what your goal is and make sure your decisions align with those goals.
Scaling is my friend. Scaling can easily be perceived as making something easier; however, when done properly it allows you to work at a rate that keeps the intensity at the intended level of the workout and keeps you safe. Let’s go back to our friend, Cindy. If the pull-up, push-up and/or air squat is challenging, trying to do them as prescribed (i.e. the full movement with no modification) may result in moving through the workout at a pace that misses the intended stimulus. Or perhaps you are dealing with an injury and altering the movement keeps you safe. Another consideration with scaling is maybe we just aren’t feeling it that day. We are not robots and our sleep, stress, nutrition, mental health can vary, so what feels manageable one day may feel insurmountable another. Learning to scale wisely is tremendously valuable.
More doesn’t equal better. I came into Crossfit with the idea that anything less than 30 minutes was really not purposeful. I used to feel the need to spend at least an hour in the gym or working out to get a good workout in. Now the majority of my workouts are completed in less than 30 minutes, my fitness has not suffered and I have given myself the gift of time back in my day. Mind you, in the beginning I still thought more volume meant better results and I was, quite frankly, probably overtraining and working against myself. With the right programming, Crossfit can be one the most efficient workouts you will find.
Programming matters. There are a lot of different programs to follow in the world of Crossfit and finding the right one for you is important. If you are looking for general fitness, the program you seek will probably be different from someone training to be a competitive Crossfit athlete. I encourage you to do your research by either visiting some gyms and asking to observe the class or see what type of trial they offer. This allows you not only to see the programming, it will also give you a feel for the gym culture and coaches which is important too. If you are looking at an online program, read up on it to get an idea of what it looks like and again, look to see what kind of free trial you can do before committing. I personally subscribe to Crossfit Linchpin. Linchpin offers several different versions of the workout of the day, including a limited equipment option and no equipment option. The owner and programmer, Pat Sherwood, addresses real life challenges and offers some really great perspectives around workouts, in my opinion. Full transparency, I do not get anything for endorsing Crossfit Linchpin, I just wanted to share what I have found to be effective and keeps me coming back to the gym. If you are interested, you can sign up for a generous 30 day free trial so you can really get a feel for it.
I know this is longer than my typical blogs so thanks for hanging in there with me. I could easily write more as Crossfit is near and dear to my heart for physical and mental well-being. With the new year upon us, I know exercise may be on many minds. I hope this has provided some helpful insights. Whatever exercise you choose, be safe, have fun with it and keep moving. Questions around exercise? Please reach out to me here.