The CrossFit Series: Part One - An Introduction

Every August, 40 men and 40 women compete for the title of fittest man and fittest woman on earth. The workouts are beyond anything you can imagine in a contest that is known as a true test of fitness. There is only one winner, but in the end, they’re all still united in the family that is CrossFit.

You might be wondering what CrossFit is and how it can accurately test fitness. The answer is simple. CrossFit is a compilation of functional movements that target all aspects of an athlete’s stamina and strength. A functional movement is defined as quickly moving large loads for long distances. This means that you aren’t going to be doing bicep curls or bench press for an hour in your local gym. Instead, CrossFit demands an intensity that only comes from adding a combination of cardio and strength-based exercises.

“A Crossfit workout accomplishes in 30 minutes what a normal weight room workout would accomplish in an hour and 15 minutes,” said Ned Engelbride, a student at the University of Maryland.

The exercises you perform range from things as simple as a pushup to an overhead snatch (which you might not have heard of but it will be explained in due time). The very first workout you would perform if you walked into a CrossFit box is the “Baseline.” The workout is not as easy as it sounds.

Here is “Baseline” broken down:

1) 500-meter row (on a rowing machine)

2) 40 air squats

3) 30 sit-ups

4) 20 push-ups

5) 10 pull-ups

As fast as you possibly can.

While some might think that push-ups, pull-ups and air squats are easy, remember this is just the baseline. Most people haven’t tested their ability to perform bodyweight exercises continuously for the amount of time it takes to complete workouts like “Baseline.” The beauty about CrossFit though, is that every workout from then on will never be the same and will never repeat unless you’re retesting for a better score.

“Every workout is fast paced, high intensity and works most of the main muscle groups,” said Joe Messore, a student UMass Amherst.

There are hundreds of workouts available with weights or just your bodyweight like the baseline. Every workout can also be scaled. That’s the main reason CrossFit is becoming known as the sport for life. While you might not be able to do a pull-up, maybe you can do a ring row, and if you can’t do a ring row, then maybe you can do jumping pull-up. There’s always another easier option for every workout that I’m going to be talking about in this series. Every piece of this series will break down the sport of CrossFit and the athletes who have had the most success within this true test of fitness.