Health and Fitness Vault: CrossFit - Why Are People Going Crazy About It

Who Are You Calling a Push Jerk?

If you haven’t been incorporating Push Jerks, Pistols, Burpees, and Snatches into your work-out routines, you must not yet be part of the growing number of worldwide CrossFit fanatics pursuing personal fitness through CrossFit’s unique approach. The program of choice for many elite athletes, military units, and police academies, CrossFit is also readily available to “regular” people both through paid group classes and free online content, making it one of the most accessible fitness programs of its kind.

Piece of Cake Lean Meat

The CrossFit model can be summed up in one word: simple. The recommended nutrition plan is easy to follow—lots of green vegetables, lean meats, nuts and seeds, and limited starches. Steer clear of processed foods, skip refined sugar altogether and, voilà: you’re fueling yourself for CrossFit without pressure to purchase supplements or miracle shakes.
The work-outs themselves are described on the CrossFit site as “minimalist,” using simple but effective exercises and fairly basic equipment—some of which novices can purchase themselves to create what CrossFit calls “Garage Gyms.” Online demos help beginners learn good form and proper technique for each exercise, and a posted Workout of the Day (WOD) makes it easy for participants to follow this professional program at home.

Finding CrossFit classes with certified trainers to guide and motivate you is easy, as there are thousands of worldwide affiliates listed on the CrossFit website—almost 200 in Australia alone! Online community content, message boards, and the CrossFit Journal offer additional information and encouragement to participants. There’s a competitive aspect to the program, too, and an annual competition, the CrossFit Games, where participants compete for both glory and cash.

Train Like a Cage Fighter… And a Housewife

Kids, seniors, top athletes—everyone benefits from CrossFit. While adjectives like tough, elite, and taxing might give the uninitiated pause, that wasn’t the case for Matt Garthoff. A Creative Director and competitive volleyball player, Matt joined CrossFit to improve his volleyball game. “I was amazed that I could get a better workout in twenty-five minutes with them than from hours of running,” he says. Forty-year-old Garthoff sees results on and off the court and is surprised at his ability to climb ropes and finish obstacle courses he says he wouldn’t have been able to complete in high school.

He calls the workout “a daily battle” and describes feeling nervous before each WOD. “Who gets nervous before going to the gym?!” he jokes. With proven results for athletes from all walks of life and a huge online presence and sense of community, it’s no wonder that CrossFit and its WODs are an international fitness phenomenon. Want to get your body into shape? Pick yourself up some serious gym equipment first.

Orbit Fitness has one of the best range of treadmills, rowers, ellipticals and more. Try them out today.