2. WHAT IS CROSSFIT?
▪ CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program with the aim of improving, among
other things, cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility,
power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy.
▪ The program was developed to offer a full-body workout that combines elements of
from high-intensity interval training, Olympic weight lifting, gymnastics,
plyometrics, powerlifting, core training and more to prepare the body for the
unexpected.
▪ It is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any
committed individual regardless of experience. Both beginners and elite gymnasts
can benefit from the workouts.
▪ CrossFit gyms are usually large warehouses (often referred to as the "box") which
offer group classes where an individual may choose to workout anywhere between
three to five times a week.
3. WHERE DID CROSSFIT BEGIN?
▪ CrossFit was founded by former gymnast Greg Glassman. He discovered that
through the use of dumbbells and a barbell, he could get stronger than any other
gymnast he knew who was working with bodyweight only.
▪ In 1995, Glassman established a gym in Santa Cruz, Calif., and that same year, he
was hired to train the Santa Cruz Police Department.
▪ Most of his civilian work had involved private training with individual clients. But as
he began to get overbooked, he started doubling up clients and found that not only
could he make more money (charging a reduced rate to two clients still equaled
more money per hour for him), but those clients also often enjoyed the group
activity. He found that he could still offer enough individual attention to each client
to ensure safe and effective training. Thus the CrossFit community was born.
▪ CrossFit was formally established in 2000. The company’s first affiliate was CrossFit
North in Seattle. By 2005, there were 13 affiliates. In 2012, a mere dozen years after
the company started, there are 3,400 affiliates worldwide.
4. THE HISTORY OF THE WORKOUTS
▪ From its early days, CrossFit sought to create workouts that simulated the feelings
athletes and fighters felt during real competition.
▪ Glassman described in a 2009 discussion, coming off a two-minute gymnastics
routine in front of judges, you felt spent but had to look solid and strong or points
were deducted. The short-duration, high-intensity workouts of CrossFit achieved
that goal.
▪ Athletes often say that the workouts simulate the feeling at the end of a
competitive event; and law-enforcement officers will describe a CrossFit workout as
similar to a foot pursuit and fight with a suspect.
▪ The method is also being adopted by an increasing number of sports teams on both
the high school and college level.
▪ Currently there are five different adaptations of the CrossFit Method — in the park,
for combat athletes, for kids, for seniors, and for soldiers in austere environments.
▪ There are two other programs that are offered in most CrossFit gyms, namely “Boot
Camp”, and “Elements of CrossFit” which are the introductory classes for beginners.
5. A CROSSFIT WORKOUT: “THE FILTHY 50”
▪ The Filthy 50 is a brutal series of taxing exercises that’s likely to seem endless if you’ve never
done it before.
▪ The circuit includes 50 reps of 10 different exercises, all done as quickly as possible.
▪ 50 box jumps with a 24-inch box
▪ 50 jumping pullups
▪ 50 kettlebell swings
▪ 50 walking lunge steps
▪ 50 knees to elbows
▪ 50 reps of push press with 45 pounds
▪ 50 back extensions
▪ 50 wallballs using a 20-pound ball
▪ 50 burpees (dropping all the way to the floor)
▪ 50 double-unders.
▪ This workout does a good job conveying the basics, and the madness, of CrossFit. A first-timer
would only do about 25-30 reps instead of 50.
6. THE CROSSFIT GAMES
▪ The CrossFit Games is the world’s premier test to find the Fittest on Earth.
▪ The CrossFit Games Season has three stages: the Open, the Regional
competitions, and the Games.
▪ First, the online Open invites anyone in the world to prove their
fitness. In March and April of 2014, more than 138,000 people
worldwide competed in five workouts over five weeks.
▪ Second, the top athletes from each region advanced to live
competition. In 17 Regional competitions, 1,500 men and women
competed for fewer than 100 berths to the finals. Only the very best
would advance to the final stage, the CrossFit Games, which takes
place each summer in Los Angeles, Ca.
▪ The Games are a playing field where the fittest athletes are given a
chance to distinguish themselves through consistently exceptional
performances. The Games change every year, and the details are often
not announced until right before each event. Athletes train year-round
for a competition that is almost completely a mystery.
▪ At the end of the Games, the Fittest on Earth have clearly distinguished
themselves.
7. CROSSFIT TRAINING COURSES
▪ CrossFit offers two levels of training qualifications:
▪ Level 1 Certificate Course: Fundamentals of CrossFit
▪ An introduction to CrossFit's methodology and foundational movements. The course
includes classroom instruction on these topics, as well as hands on small group training
for the movements.
▪ These small group sessions are conducted under low intensity with a focus on improving
mechanics. Students have their movement observed and corrected, and engage in
dialogue concerning effective coaching techniques.
▪ Level 2 Certificate Course: Coach's Prep Course
▪ The Level 2 Certificate Course is an intermediate level seminar that builds on the concepts
and movements introduced at the Level 1 Certificate Course.
▪ This course is ideally suited for any CrossFit trainer serious about delivering quality
coaching. Students enhance their understanding of the CrossFit methodology, program
design and implementation, and advance their skills while coaching others in movements
and workouts.
