The CrossFit Games, sanctionals and CrossFit competitions are what the world sees, but it is not the best representation of the benefits of the CrossFit methodology. The CrossFit training methodology originated 35 years before the first CrossFit Games took place. It was created with the goal to bring real, structured, progressive athletic training to everyone, not just professional athletes. Using the core beliefs of CrossFit brings great results, and when it is done right, it promotes health and longevity.
So what is the CrossFit methodology?
Constantly varied, functional movement, performed at high intensity – push, pull, hinge, squat, build strength & your aerobic system. Work on and constantly refining your technique, and then go out and use your fitness, and enjoy living life strong and pain-free.
90% of our gym members are people that do not have ambitions to compete. They come to CrossFit because they want to be healthy, look better or be better at their main sport. They want to improve their general physical preparedness, so that they can be better in their every-day life priorities – being a better parent, manager, rugby player etc. They want to avoid injuries with age, boost their energy, and feel good about themselves. This methodology is usually the un-sexy stuff that we don’t see in competitions, because they are EFFECTIVE: Strict work, dumbbells, running, sandbags, burpees, wall balls, hollow rocks, squats, presses etc.
CrossFit as a sport:
A competitive CrossFit athlete dedicates their life to training, and they usually sacrifice everything: injuries, pain, food, sleep, leisure time, parties, family, friends, hobbies and work. The regular person does not need to be working on olympic lifting, walking on their hands, inversions, kipping gymnastics. They don’t need to be red-lining workouts, working to failure, force feeding, supplementing, and spending hours in the gym.
The main difference between CrossFit as a sport vs. As a methodology is the INTENSTITY of the exercises, not necessarily the kind.
This is why we believe in, and strongly encourage coaches, and gym programmers to have different programmes in their community, each with their own specific goals, based on the needs of your members. We run these programmes simultaneously, because the kind of workout is the same (most of the time), and it just varies in repetitions, load, and stimulus.
Don’t judge CrossFit by the top athletes in your gym, but by the people who are there to LIVE a better, more fulfilling life.
