CrossFit Challenge

Before I begin this blog entry, I’d like to address that I haven’t written in awhile due to a new job, moving and a few changes that had me busy for awhile. Albeit, it’s no excuse and I will write more often. This being said, despite not writing, I haven't stopped searching for latest nutritional products, working out or participating in new classes like the CrossFit challenge that a friend of mine introduced me to. And on this note, let me tell you about this great new class I found this summer.

A friend of mine, recently introduced me to a new fitness regime called CrossFit. A true testament of what fitness is all about. A regime that is widely used by police academies, tactical operation teams, military special operations units, martial artists, and athletes. What I experienced in this class was vastly different than what I had been use to. Such as traditional workout routines like, running, weight training, reps, sets, rest and fancy gyms. Rather, this class was held in a garage with a gym like setting. I kid you not. It was actually pretty cool. There was sponge floor, people doing sprints, hammering big old tires with sludge hammers, doing pull ups and chin ups, climbing ropes and doing burpees and they were all writing reps, sets and times on white boards. For those that know me, I’m the typical “I can do it no problem kind of girl.” I’m always up for a challenge. When I attended my first class, I immediately looked at my friend and said, “pshhh, NO PROBLEMO, I can do this.” I dropped my water bottle and mp3 and asked, “where do I start?” So we started…. with what I thought was a workout but to my dismay, it was only the beginning of a warm up…

Lets fast forward a bit to one rainy Saturday to which I thought, cool, a day of rest. But nope, rise and shine and a wakeup call, we all headed to a soccer field and were given a workout program. In one hour, we all completed as many burpees, lunges, sprints and clapping push ups as possible around a mile track-in the rain. I was smack up against the pavement in puddles of water and dirt as I exploded onto the floor for my last push up. At the end of the class, I was lying flat on the grass, soaked, dirty, out of breath and my muscles feeling like rubber. And, I felt like I had the best workout.

I think it’s worth mentioning that when I started, I had a shoulder injury from playing tennis. However, it was quickly rehabilitated after a few classes. I believe it healed as a result of numerous CrossFit classes that strengthened my shoulder muscles. The instructor was great at tailoring each class for individuals with any injuries. I’m happy to say that after I attended a series of classes, I have yet to feel any pain since then. Thanks Chris!

Now, the in on what is CrossFit for those of you that don’t know. I want to start by telling you what Crossfit is not. It is not about specializing as traditional workout routines suggest. Example; isolating muscle groups and working out triceps and biceps on one day and a long stroll for 60 minutes on a treadmill. Rather, it makes use of three different models to ensure the broadest and most general fitness possible. Overall, becoming well rounded and the best at everything. Believe it, it is possible.

CrossFit adheres to three standards and each model is critical and distinct in evaluating overall fitness of an individual or athlete. The three models/standards that make up CrossFit are set below:

1. Ten Physical Skills: One develops and improves their fitness to the extent that it improves each of these ten skills: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance and accuracy.

2. Fitness is about performing at ones best at all tasks and in varying combinations encouraging one to disinvest in rests periods, sets, reps and routine. Every day of training is different.

3. CrossFit requires competency and training in three metabolic pathways. Excluding one of these pathways and not recognizing the importance of these three metabolic engines is arguably a common fault in fitness training.

1. Phosphagen: highest powered activities that last about ten seconds

2. Glycolytic: moderate powered activities that last up to several minutes

3. Oxidative: low powered activities that last in excess of several minutes.

*note: phosphagen and glycolytic pathways are known as anaerobic and oxidative is aerobic.

Have you ever noticed the physiques of the athletes who sprint (majority of training time spent in anaerobic activity) versus long distance runners (time spent in aerobic training)? The difference you’re sure to notice. In a CrossFit Class, conditioning also known as cardio, consist of interval training. Why? Because it is the most effective way without compromising the loss of speed, power and strength as you would performing activity categorized at an aerobic level. Just to back up a bit, aerobic activity (low powered efforts), although effective in losing body fat and required in many sports, contributes to a decrease in muscle mass, strength and speed. Anaerobic activity (explosive efforts), also a very effective fat blaster, is the most effective in dramatically improving speed, power and strength. It is said that anaerobic activity can be used to develop a very high level of aerobic fitness without comprising muscle loss. Having said this, CrossFit combines the two into interval training which is based on mixing bout of work and rest in timed intervals.

Overall, CrossFit combines all the critical elements of models 1-3 described above and molds men and woman into a gymnast, olympic weightlifter and sprinters. After many classes, I felt energetic, fit, flexible and toned. If you are looking at changing things up a bit at the gym and want different results than what you are getting now, try a CrossFit class. I guarantee you will enjoy your workouts and have a new outlook on fitness because of the results it yields, the challenge you undertake, the confidence you build and how fun it is.

* Classes were done at CrossFit Markham