CrossFit is a fitness and conditioning system developed by Coach Greg Glassman through many years of watching, working with, and coaching all types of people – from those considered “normal and average”, to top athletes. Coach Glassman's idea – take what worked best from the sports and movements that create the most versatile athletes (gymnastics and weightlifting), and throw the rest out. Actually, the system really created itself - if a workout or an exercise proved functional and got great results (ie- challenged you to the bone), it stayed in the system. If not, well, you get the picture. CrossFit is what remains - bar none, the most effective fitness and conditioning system in the world!
One thing that makes CrossFit unique is that it addresses the fact that the fitness needs of an "Average Joe" are identical to that of a top athlete – the only difference being intensity (speed & weight) and volume. In all cases, the best results come when training included functional movement (that which replicates real life movement), at high intensity and with constant variety. Any exercise program that meets these three criteria can be considered “CrossFit,” from shoveling dirt, hauling rocks and cutting down trees to weightlifting, pull ups, and sprinting.
CrossFit has been called "The Sport of Fitness" because it re-introduces personal athletic achievement and performance to training. The mindset at the start of each workout is to be stronger, move faster, more efficiently, with better form than ever. This is why even after years of training CrossFit style, scores and times in workouts continue to drop and athletes continue to improve. It’s hard, fun, exciting, challenging, and will push you to be your absolute best
CrossFit’s specialty is in not specializing, and its workouts elicit a maximal neuro-endocrine response from your body by taxing your body to its core with variety, intensity, and multiple joint, full-body, functional movements. To aid in this effective response, the workout of the day changes day-in, day-out to maximize the adaptation response from your body. You often won’t see a workout repeated for six to twelve weeks, if at all.
-reprinted with permission from CrossFit LA
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