How Good Is CrossFit?

CrossFit competitors are some of the fittest people on the planet. CrossFit promotes overall muscular and cardiovascular fitness, as opposed to just focussing on huge biceps or marathon runs. So why do we constantly hear horror stories about it? Why are so many of us told to avoid CrossFit training? Why do the British Army, people who are essentially paid to keep fit warn against it? Well I’m going to shed some light on this. We may even lift the lid on some of the benefits, but also some of the pitfalls of CrossFit. Let’s do this!

What Is CrossFit?

Ok so before we get into let’s have a look at what exactly CrossFit is. CrossFit utilises the whole body in a series of exercises grouped together to form one workout. It is essentially a brand name for circuit training. It uses old circuit training ideas, but grouped together in certain ways to form a workout. The workouts can be structured in a variety of ways.

• EMOM (every minute on the minute)
• AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)
• RFT (rounds for time)

There are also Tabata and Ladder exercises too.

Cross-Fitters love to test themselves against others. They often post their times and/or rep counts on forums. They then challenge each other to beat their scores.

In terms of what a typical CrossFit workout might look like, let’s give some examples. We will look at exercises that could be used and also show some examples of some actual real workouts.

Common exercises in CrossFit are good old-fashioned push-ups and pull-ups. They also throw in burpees, double-unders (utilising a skipping rope making two rotations in one jump). As well as kettle bell swings, lunges and squats.

The ways in which these exercises are knitted together into a workout varies. Often, in CrossFit, people will follow a prescribed workout of the day (WOD). Here are a few examples of some WODs:

Angie:

For Time

Complete the whole workout and check your time against the standard.

Candy:

5 Rounds for Time

• 20 pull-ups
• 40 push-ups
• 60 squats

With this workout you go straight through and complete five full sets, setting the best time you can. I recently timed myself on this workout and managed a pretty respectable 17 minutes, 26 seconds. Not bad for a first attempt!

Helen:

3 Rounds for Time

• Run 400 metres
• 21 kettlebell swings
• 12 pull-ups

You may have noticed that all these workouts have girls’ names. Well apparently, that’s just because they wanted them to sound like weather systems?!

It’s not all bodyweight!

There are other workouts that use rowing machines and various kit and aren’t named after your sister or girlfriend! The above gives examples of some WODs you can try. There are also ‘Hero’ workouts named after various CrossFit legends.

One of the most famous of these is the ‘Murph’. Named after Lieutenant Michael Murphy, a US Navy SEAL who was killed in Afghanistan. One of the few who probably does count as a true hero. For those interested, the Murph workout is as follows:

• 1 mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 squats
• 1 mile run.

Have a go and let us know how you get on with it! Post on social media with the hashtags #ToughsHIIT #MurphWorkout.

But Is It Good Or Bad?

Lets get back to the question of ‘how good is CrossFit’. Or indeed, how bad? When utilised correctly and as part of a structured training program CrossFit workouts can be fantastic. They are a great way of introducing HIIT training into your workout routine. They also build overall body strength and stamina, improving cardiovascular health and general fitness.

So, what are the downsides and why do the British Military warn against recruits keeping fit with CrossFit workouts?

Because of their nature, many of the WODs work the entire body. Consistent training in CrossFit can result in injury due to limited recovery. When working out it’s always best to try to focus on different areas of the body. This ensures you recover fully from previous workouts. A HIIT workout focussing on legs on Monday could be followed by an upper body resistance session on Tuesday. Thus giving the lower body plenty of time to recover.

Unfortunately, with CrossFit, this recovery time is limited. This is because many of the workouts target the whole body. Because of this there isn’t enough recovery time before the next workout, often the following day.

Would I Recommend CrossFit?

Using some of the CrossFit WODs in a structured training program is a great way of training. They will certainly help to develop overall cardio and muscular fitness. Try a WOD the day before a rest day to really beast yourself. Just remember to give yourself plenty of time to recover the following day.

With regards joining a CrossFit club and regularly training in this way I would approach with caution. Make sure you are getting enough rest and recovery. Always ensure that you don’t put yourself in a position where all your hard work gets undone. The last thing you want is to acquire stress related injuries or damage.

As always, for more information make sure you check out our ToughsHIIT workouts on the Workout page. Visit us on YouTube to see the full range of workouts, training ideas, tips and advice.

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