The demand for a fitness program designed to fit people of various skill levels has risen over the years. There are hundreds of programs that promise amazing results, but few are advertised for people of any fitness level. Elderly, overweight, and simply out of shape people often resort to personal training in order to get a workout program tailored for their body.
Other companies boast supplements or drastic diet changes as the key to their programs, and state that the best results will only be obtained by following the regimen exactly as it is presented. For this reason, picky eaters and those who don’t use supplements are often unable to find success with the extreme diet programs found online.
Crossfit has been introduced as a clear, and smart alternative to less universal fitness programs. Advertised as a data driven fitness regimen designed for universal scalability, the program has received a myriad of both praise and critique.
What Is Crossfit?
Crossfit is a fitness regimen that utilizes constantly varied functional movements performed at relatively high intensity to obtain results. Developed by Greg Glassman, the Crossfit program is driven by data and can be tailored for any person. Load and intensity are scaled but the actual program never changes. The philosophy is that the workout needs of people with various levels of fitness differ in intensity, not kind.
The program provides many different resources for its members, including:
- “WOD”(workout of the day)- provides a daily workout for members to use as part of their routine.
- The Crossfit Journal, an online database of fitness articles written by Crossfit trainers and coaches- a forum for members to learn and contribute to discussions about their Crossfit journey
- Crossfit Gyms- people can join gyms in various locations and take group crossfit classes
The program also advertises “substitutions” for workouts. If a person can’t physically do one of the workouts, there is a list of acceptable substitutions on the Crossfit website. Members may scale down a workout according to the list or choose a new workout entirely. The program claims to work just as well, regardless of how many substitutions a person makes.
How To Join
A person can join Crossfit in a few different ways. The first way is to join a local affiliate. There are over 13,000 local, independent affiliates worldwide. The affiliates provide members with a coach who act as a guide for the program. Coaches provide equipment, motivation, technical expertise, and overall guidance to help new members acclimate to the Crossfit regimen. A list of credentialed coaches can be found on the Crossfit website.
Crossfit.com provides a web-based and personal way to join. Potential members can start their journey on their own by doing the WOD workouts on the website. The website also provides an “Exercise and Demos” page, allowing members to learn the basic movements most commonly seen in Crossfit workouts.
Finally, new members can enroll in a Crossfit Training course at a Crossfit gym nearest to them. The website provides a list of Crossfit gyms where new members can join various levels of training courses and begin their journey with a group of similar people. The courses are taught by certified Crossfit trainers who provide hands-on training in a group environment.
Crossfit Critiques: The Plateau Problem
The Crossfit program has been criticized for a variety of reasons. Some reviews argue that the WOD’s are too intense to be considered safe for average people. The website cautions that the Crossfit.com workouts are extremely demanding and that even atheletes in top physical condition tend to find them challenging. For this reason, the website urges members to utilize their substitution list and scaling formulas to tailor the workouts to their individual needs.
The program has also gotten negative reviews due to its approach to diet. The Zone Diet, which encourages members to carefully measure and record the intake of any food they eat, is recommended to all beginners. The website recommends members complete 4wks of the Zone Diet, which is characterized by “systematic self-observation” that is designed to provide insight on what a person’s body needs to become healthier. The major critique on this diet is that a person must measure and weigh their food before every meal. This strict approach to dieting has been seen as very inconvenient and too time consuming for the average person.
Perhaps the most universal critique of the Crossfit program is the tendency for its members to plateau after a relatively short amount of time. Beyond a certain point, the body adapts to short, high intensity workouts and random physical stress is not enough to cause an impact. Many Crossfit reviews report amazing results in the beginning of the program, followed by a gradual plateau that can be very difficult to come out of.
CrossFit Review – Bottom Line
The answer to this question varies depending on who is asked. For a person who is very goal oriented and likes following a strict routine, the Crossfit program provides all the right options. Meals are measured for accuracy and workouts are given to members with specific guidelines to achieve maximum results.
For a person who prefers a more relaxed routine, Crossfit may not make the cut. The strictness of the Zone Diet alone has caused many members to look for alternative options for their fitness journey. In addition, the “plateau effect” that many members experience has left people feeling stuck, without a way to continue growing in physical health.
The Crossfit program should be tested independently. Any program with mixed reviews is difficult to judge without actually trying it. Anyone looking for a new workout routine should try the program out for themselves and find out if Crossfit’s strict, yet universal regimen is a good fit for them.
