Cross Your Fit And Hope To Die: Assessing The Latest Fitness Rage

Is your workout getting a little stale? CrossFit workouts have been growing significantly in popularity over the last few years, and for good reason.

CrossFit will not only put your fitness to the test, but it'll also introduce you to a level of strength and muscular conditioning you may have never known before. In fact, many of the people who "cross" over find that this type of exercise is all they'll ever need.

But before you plunge into this high-octane, heart-pounding style, make sure it's a good fit and worth your while.

So let's see if it is!

What Exactly IS CrossFit?

CrossFit is a strength training program that has been used for awhile now by the police and military, but over time has pushed its way into the mainstream fitness market.

The multifaceted approach that CrossFit takes includes and draws from a wide range of different activities like weight lifting, sprinting, gymnastics, powerlifting, kettlebell training, and plyometrics. Due to comprehensive and diverse nature of CrossFit, this golden goose of workout methods can work for a wide variety of fitness types and goals.

What can you expect a workout to look like? CrossFitters move through a series of different exercises, performing one immediately after the other, while mixing in some cardiovascular training with hardly any rest.

Expect to lift, sprint, row, climb, jump … expect to do it all, in one workout.

Sounds like hard work, doesn't it? But the results are pretty quick in coming, and at the end of the day you'll be stronger, more agile, more coordinated, more balanced, more flexible, and full of endurance.

And CrossFit's schizophrenic nature is a good thing, because the body responds best to new and challenging activity for both burning fat and building muscle. Your muscles and metabolism have their work cut out for them.

Watch out everybody, that girl's fitness is schizophrenic!

Are YOU A CrossFitter?

Does all that sound like a rockin' good time? If it does, chances are you are a CrossFitter at heart. But if you're still not sure, let's delve in a little further to see if it's your thing.

The first thing to remember is that you don't need to be in expert in all the fitness fields used in CrossFit. Like other fitness activities, there are different skill levels so there's no reason to be scared, everybody has their weak areas anyway. Plus, good CrossFit trainers can tailor workouts to each client so you're set up to succeed.

At the most basic level, CrossFit is designed to improve overall fitness, increase your metabolism, and encourage strength development. But CrossFit workouts can also be adapted based on what your specific goal is. For example, if you're really focused on burning fat, you can keep your workouts as fast-paced as possible with little rest and lots of reps to maximize your metabolism. Alternatively, if you're on the muscle mission, you can also slow the pace up a bit, so you can focus on lifting heavier and promoting muscle development.

Now, if you're looking to compete in a bodybuilding show, CrossFit might not be for you. Though a great physique can be had from CrossFit, training for a show usually requires a different workout protocol to maximize results.

And no, you can't incorporate a kettlebell into your posing routine.

Crossing Over

If your interest is piqued, then let's go over how to start implementing CrossFit into your current routine. If you've already got some good workouts and don't want to scrap them, consider adding a dedicated CrossFit day to your routine. For better results adjust your current workouts to be full-body oriented, since this will closely match the style of CrossFit.

Or if you're ready to go 100% CrossFit, I would suggest doing the one day on, one day off approach. This means you will alternate between workout days and rest days. A schedule like this will help you adjust to CrossFit safely and prevent overtraining.

And if you still need a little inspiration, I've provided a sample CrossFit workout below to get you started. This workout is best suited to an intermediate and advanced trainee with ample fitness experience.

Remember to complete this workout with as little rest as possible - good luck!