Crossfit is unlike any fitness phenomenon that has emerged in recent decades. What sets it apart from the rest of athletic disciplines is that it is an all-inclusive sport where all participants, from amateur to professional, are considered Crossfit Athletes. Such a mentality is part of what makes Crossfit so successful and addictive. Crossfitters treat each other like family.
Boxes (Crossfit gyms) only have a few dozen members unlike more mainstream gyms that have a few hundred or even a few thousand members. Such a small circle enables athletes and coaches to build better more personal relationships, which result in a finely tuned and versatile Crossfit athlete. Finding a dynamic such as this one in commercial gyms out there is a rarity.
It is often said that Crossfit is the only sport in which the loudest cheers are for the last person to finish. Such a supportive attitude of all its athletes, regardless of athletic ability, is what drives so many Crossfitters to improve rapidly over such a short period of time.
Crossfitters tend to treat each other like family. This isn’t just from box to box either. Boxes often have guidelines and even encourage members of other boxes to stop by and workout with them (called a “drop-in”). It’s akin to members of a church fellowshipping with members of another church.
- In addition to the face-to-face interaction, many Crossfitters connect with one another via social media. It’s how they share WODs, post personal records, show videos of the lifts and movements they are practicing, and follow major competitions in the sport, such as the Crossfit Games (think the Super Bowl of Crossfit on a global scale).
A side effect of the massive Crossfit community is the throwdown. A throwdown occurs when a group of boxes get together and compete against one another in a series of WODs for bragging rights. The throwdown has expanded into major Crossfit competitions such as:
- The Crossfit Games
- The Crush Games
- The Granite Games
- The Monster Series
- The Garage Games
- The Firebreather Challenge
- The Grid League (like the NBA/NFL of Crossfit)
There are way more competitions out there as well. These competitions are on a larger scale, meaning that competitors can compete for large sums of money (The Winner of the Crossfit Games wins $275,000), in addition to bragging rights.
If you’re looking to get started on a fitness regimen, to make some new friends (worldwide, I might add), and you don’t want to just be thrown into the world working out without help and support, give Crossfit a try.
If you want to try a WOD at home here’s one. It’s a sprint work out, meaning that you will go as hard and fast as possible until the repetitions are complete. It follows what’s known as a 21-15-9 format meaning that you complete 21 reps of air squats (bodyweight squats) then 21 reps of push ups then 15 reps of air squats and 15 push ups, etc. until complete.
Some helpful hints:
- When squatting, keep your feet flat, back straight, and break 90 degress. Butt almost to the ground and knees over toes. Don’t cheat yourself.
- When doing pushups, keep your back straight, arms tucked into your sides, and go all the way down and all the way up. Chest to deck.
“Invisible Fran”
For Time:
21-15-9
Air Squats
Push Ups
Post times to comments. I usually fall in the 2-4 minute range.
Accounts to follow:
Twitter: @crossfit, @crossfitgames, @ColossusConner (mine)
Instagram: @crossfit, @crossfitgames, @beautifully_strong_13 (mine)
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