What is CrossFit? 3 Great CrossFit Workouts
Australians are not afraid of an intense workout. With exercise programs like CrossFit taking the world by storm, everyday people can now achieve the supreme level of fitness that was previously seen only in professionally-trained athletes. CrossFit is an ideal program for anybody who hopes to hone their physical ability and promote their general fitness.
Initially, CrossFit was primarily found in specialty groups such as police academies, fire departments, and military training programs. Such groups favoured CrossFit because it provided participants with the broad range of athletic skills that they needed in order to accomplish their daily duties. CrossFit is still valued in these programs, and professional organizations across the world are adapting the exercise regimen to their given needs.
However, in recent years, CrossFit has become immensely popular amongst regular citizens. Thousands of gyms offer CrossFit programs to their members. The program is currently most popular in the United States; however, fitness experts and bloggers are constantly broadening CrossFit's reach, and Australians can now take advantage of all that CrossFit has to offer.
The workout program is perhaps most renowned for its great versatility. Numerous different skill levels enable participants to get the most out of their workout regardless of prior physical ability, and this has attracted people of immensely varied backgrounds to the exercise routine. Furthermore, no matter what your particular fitness aims may be, CrossFit enables you to pursue your goals. The regimen encompasses a broad variety of exercises that target essentially all areas of the body; participants can select the given exercise moves that will develop their desired muscles.
Of course, people who prefer a more structured exercise format will still find CrossFit to be an ideal program. Many gyms offer CrossFit 'boxes' which typically meet for hour-long classes on a regular basis. These classes offer group warm-ups, targeted skill development programs, and daily workouts (referred to as WODs) that are scaled to the fitness level of each participant. Even if you do not have access to a gym-based CrossFit program, you can adhere to the WODs prescribed daily on the CrossFit website.
Perhaps best of all, CrossFit can target intense muscle development in a limited amount of time. Most CrossFit workouts are rather short. A common workout might last about twenty minutes, focusing on quick but intense muscle exertion. This is especially ideal for working people who face regular time constraints; CrossFit allows you to achieve a high level of fitness in a fraction of the time of more traditional exercise routines.
Examples of CrossFit Exercises
CrossFit workouts are immensely varied; however, the following exercises are some of the most frequently-practiced CrossFit moves. You will likely encounter these exercises if you choose to participate in a CrossFit program.
Tire Lift
The tire lift helps build strength in the shoulders and back. Participants are presented with a large tire, the size and weight of which has been tailored to the given exerciser's physical strength and experience. Participants squat behind the tire, grasp its bottom edge, and use their entire body to flip the tire forward. The move is repeated a number of times in accordance with the exerciser's personal capabilities.
Burpee
The burpee is a classic move that encourages both cardiovascular development and overall body strength. Participants begin by squatting, pressing their palms flat against the floor. They then kick both feet backwards, jumping into a pushup position with their arms fully extended. To complete a rep, the move is reversed; exercisers jump forward into a squat, then jump upwards to return to a standing position.
Rope Climb
The classic gym exercise that haunted school P.E. classes makes a regular appearance in CrossFit workouts. According to their level of upper-body strength, participants are instructed to climb to a given point on a hanging rope. For added difficulty, participants might attempt the climb with no leg contact or with the feet raised above hip level.
This article was written by the team at Orbit Fitness, Western Australia's biggest supplier of exercise equipment including kettle bells, weight plates, elliptical machines, rowers, treadmills, home gyms and more. They are proudly family owned and operated.