Fitness is undergoing a revolution.
From traditional gymwork when we see avid gym-goers doing endless bicep curls in front of the mirror, to celebrity-endorsed P90X aka “Muscle Confusion” workout, it is not a rare sight to see metropolitants/urbanites engaging in physical activities in one form or another in an attempt to seek refuge in a concrete jungle.
Welcome to the World of Crossfit (CF).
Greg Glassman first established CrossFit in 2000 in Seattle. The aim of CrossFit has been to forge a broad, general and inclusive fitness; to build a program that would best prepare its participants for any physical contingency – prepare them not only for the unknown but for the unknowable.
CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program per-say, but rather a methodology to optimize physical competence in each of the ten recognized fitness domains, such as Cardiovascular and Respiratory endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance and Accuracy.
A typical CrossFit workout (also known as WOD aka “Workout Of the Day” in CrossFit lingo), such as WOD “Fran” will include 21-15-9 reps of thrusters and pull-ups completed as fast as possible. These girls-named WODs tend to be benchmark workouts designed to measure improvements through repeated, regular appearance in a training regime.
CrossFit also attempts to quantify fitness – moving large loads over long distances, and to do so quickly. Collectively, these three attributes (load, distance, and speed) uniquely qualify training movements for the production of high power (or intensity). Intensity is the one variable most commonly associated with maximizing results, which is what many metropolitants/urbanites are famous for achieving.
CrossFit has taken the fitness world by storm, from the first Box (CrossFit lingo for a CF gym) in Seattle in 2000, to 3,400 affiliates by 2012, around the world. With its solid, functional movements, clear results and growing popularity, CrossFit looks like it will remain the fitness champion for many years to come for the city dwellers.
Editorial by Steffan “CrossFit” Fung
