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What to Know Your First Time Trying Crossfit
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Crossfit
Crossfit’s workouts can include powerlifting; gymnastics and calisthenic type activities like ring pull-ups and rope climbing; and often cardio in the form of running, cycling, or rowing. You can also expect stretches, push-ups, and a lot of other stuff.
A class will be centered around a WOD, or workout of the day. You will do a small subset of the above, and the goal could be improving your deadlift, or maybe a metabolic conditioning workout.
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A training session
You can get a training session before starting classes. This will depend on your gym (your box) but some offer a free session to teach the techniques.
Boxes also let you sign up for a series of beginner-specific classes before you jump in with everybody else.
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The barbells
Bars come in a variety of weights, from 15 to 45 pounds, and those giant plates are available in sizes going down to 10 pounds.
That means the barbell has about the same shape and size no matter how heavy it is.
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The prescribed (Rx) weights
Nobody expects you to Rx a workout anytime soon. Even at a box full of experienced athletes, very few people are doing the prescribed (Rx) weights or moves every time.
Those numbers are a goal to work up to.
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CrossFit definition
It's a training philosophy that coaches people of all shapes and sizes to improve their physical well-being and cardiovascular fitness through varied and challenging workouts.
Each day, t...
Scalable based on your skill
Every day there is a particular workout prescribed that is completely scalable based on your skill. For example, if the workout calls for barbell squats with 135 pounds but you can only do squats with the bar (45 pounds), then that’s where you’ll start.
CrossFit is perfect for...
- Beginners to weight training: If you have never weight trained before, CrossFit is a great place for you to start, provided you have a great coach.
- People looking for support and community: Every CrossFit gym has a really tight-knit community feel to it.
- Fitness fanatics: The general protocol is 3 days on, 1 day off, but many CrossFitters end up at the gym more frequently.
- Masochists: You’ll often be in situations where you use all your effort to finish a workout and continue to push yourself beyond.
- Former athletes: You get to compete with people in your class and go online to see how you did against the world’s elite CrossFit athletes.
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Crossfit is hardcore
Anyone can do it, but not everyone should do it.
The heart-pounding workouts, sense of community, and amazing results are what keep people coming back for more, but you can...
Crossfit Lingo
Crossfit might as well have its own dictionary.
- Box: Crossfit gyms are called "boxes."
- WOD: Stands for Workout Of the Day. This changes daily and is typically posted on a white board before class or on the Box's website.
- AMRAP: As many rounds as possible in an allotted time that is given by the coach.
- Various names of people you don't know: There are several benchmark WODs in Crossfit that are named after women (Helen, Fran, and Mary, for example).
How to find a good coach
A coach can make or break your experience.
Read their reviews, ask friends for referrals and see if you can try a class or two before you join to make sure it's a good fit.
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Your goals with home exercising
Consider what you're trying to achieve.
- If your goal is general health and well-being, a pleasant stroll is sufficient.
- If you want to lift heavy weigh...
Heavy kettlebells
Two heavy kettlebells are the next best thing to a bar and plates. A weight of between 20 and 24 kilograms (45 to 52 pounds) is recommended.
By using the kettlebells individually or together, you can focus on almost every muscle group by squatting, swinging, pressing, pulling, or pushing them.**
Resistance bands and a stick
Two kettlebells might not be enough resistance for movements like squats and deadlifts. Some resistance or pull-up bands can increase resistance when you do "sumo-style" squats and deadlifts by looping one band around your wide-spread feet and through the handles of the kettlebells.
Add a wooden broom handle, and you have a wide range of new exercises. With a stick and a band, you can do many pulling exercises.