The CrossFit Hype Breakdown

Are you in or are you out?

If you walk into your local gym or coffee shop and start a casual conversation about CrossFit, you’ll find that most people either love it or hate it. CrossFit started as a blog in 2003 and has grown exponentially since then. At first, it was considered a fitness “fad”, but most fads go out of style and CrossFit has done anything but go out of style!

Today there are over 5500 CrossFit affiliate gyms, and around 35,000 certified instructors. Obviously, there is something to this fitness regimen! Thousands of people swear by it, and we have also seen visual proof that it tightens and tones the entire body. So what is CrossFit?

CrossFit is type of fitness regimen that uses “constantly varied functional-movements at high intensities done in a communal environment to equal health”. Its approach to fitness stems from a theory that one should prepare for the “unknowable”. The belief is that variety in workouts (such as alternating short/middle/long distance training and low/high intensity training) will help keep the body from adapting and hitting a plateau. A CrossFit enthusiast doesn’t simply want to just be good at weightlifting. She wants to be good at sprinting, rowing, boxing, climbing, and overall strength! This is where controversy comes into play from scientists who study physiology and exercise. It’s true you can’t be the world’s strongest man and the fastest marathon runner. However, maybe there is a place in the fitness world for someone who trains in all realms of fitness and can reach personal maximal benefits. Some examples of exercises that are common in CrossFit workouts include cycling, rowing, running, swimming, squats, clean and jerks, snatches, rope climbs, tire flipping, power cleans, and bench presses.

CrossFit experts say that a variety of people have tried this regimen and reaped the benefits. Olympic athletes, cyclists, runners, obese people, older people and young people alike are fans of CrossFit. However, one of the biggest arguments against CrossFit is the number of injuries that afflict those who adopt a CrossFit regimen. The best way to remedy this and avoid injury is to listen to your body and not push too hard. Listen to the trainers or research the correct form for the exercises to ensure you’re doing them correctly.

CrossFit Breakdown:

1. Constantly Varied, High Intensity Movements

2. Community Environment and Teamwork

3. CrossFit Diet (Clean Eating)

4. WOD – “Workout of the Day”

5. Atypical Gyms-Less Machines, More Ropes, Plates, and Bars

6. Not About Being an Athlete, but Becoming an Athlete

7. Reaching Your Greatest Potential 


Source: CrossFit-Forging Elite Fitness

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Allison Gentry

Allison attended East Tennessee State University where she graduated with a Bachelors in Exercise Science. She earned her certification as a personal trainer through Aerobics & Fitness Association of America. Allison is currently in her final year of study in the pursuit of a Doctorate in Physical Therapy. In her free time she participates in extreme obstacle course racing, having completed one Tough Mudder and a Trifecta of Spartan Races.

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1 Comment

  1. Thanks for laying out the basics. I remember hearing about Crossfit for the first time as a kinesiology undergrad in 2003. 11 years later and it seems like everyone knows about it.

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