Cameron Conaway talks about his discovery of Crossfit and why men should embrace this transformation team workout style.
Whether guys have too much pride, like the control of maintaining and establishing their own workouts or simply enjoy the alone time to zone out and hit the weights, it’s clear upon walking into most gyms that women have better embraced the idea of group fitness. While solo training can certainly be the ultimate stress relief and can take you quite far depending on your goals, it also imposes certain limits that a team can better help you surpass. Even bodybuilders renowned for their solo training often have a team around them at the gym. And when it comes to skill improvement and refinement – whether it’s in the deadlift or the armbar – it’s clear that having a team of some sort is crucial.
CrossFit’s official Facebook Page is about 240,000 strong, but the organization shines brightest at the local level. Years ago when CrossFit first erupted and began making national news headlines I was skeptical. I felt that they were using Olympic-style lifts for high repetitions and that this was a sure path to injury. I also felt that their intensity, while great for people like myself, would not be accommodating to those less physically capable and would wreck bodies and then member confidence in the program as a result. Lastly, part of me believed this was all just another fad – something that would be gone in a few months time and replaced with something else. You know, the downward spiral that 99% of other fitness programs flush into. Although some of my concerns over injury were found valid, CrossFit, through its sustainability and willingness to change over the years, has crushed the low expectations I had for it. I’m happy to say that it still thrives. Like my Bikram is Badass piece, I believe CrossFit is a great program that will be around for years to come. Here are five reasons why:
(1) Practicality. The exercises within the workout itself are some of the best in terms of developing what I call “sustainable functional fitness,” that is, being able to move well for a longer period of time. While jumping on an elliptical machine for 45 minutes may get your heart rate going, it does nothing for coordination or flexibility or reaction time or for using your body the way it was meant to be used – as an entire unit. Lastly, as research continues to prove, short and intense workouts (CrossFit’s are sometimes just 20 minutes) are better able to jumpstart metabolism throughout the course of the day. Finally, a short workout is simply easier to fit into a busy lifestyle.
(2) Teamwork. It’s easier to stick with anything when you’ve got a supportive team around you. CrossFit forms teams of people from various backgrounds but because of the intensity of the program there is an intensity of mindset that each member thrives upon. I’ve never met a team of people who workout together that are as motivating and helpful as the CrossFit team. Showing up for your morning workout isn’t just about you anymore – it’s about you inspiring and being inspired by others. It’s a program that makes you think and act beyond yourself. There’s a bit of pressure in this and I think that’s a damn good thing.
(3) Grassroots. CrossFit at the local level is what I believe has kept it going over the years. This wasn’t a national campaign that simply asked you to call the 1-800 number, order the CD’s and workout in the privacy of your home. This was an organization that not only encouraged you to workout, but encouraged you to get out in your community and either start your own or join the existing CrossFit team. Through online networking on Facebook, Twitter and various forums spread across not only their national website but also the websites of each city, CrossFit allowed people who lived in the same community to network, expand their networks and turn these virtual connections into real and meaningful face-to-face interactions.
(4) Smart Expansion. CrossFit allowed their trainers to reach out to various other organizations that could use their approach to fitness. With the boom of mixed martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and kickboxing schools around the nation, CrossFit trainers began establishing relationships with trainees (like martial artists, for example) who already knew the importance of implementing a sound approach to strength & conditioning. These made for long-lasting connections and expanded CrossFit’s reach. Lastly, CrossFit emphasized that they were a group made for anyone willing to give it a go. They put an extra emphasis on getting women involved and this natural move has only added to the longevity of their program.
(5) Workout Variability. Box jumps, sprints, handstand pushups, deadlifts, pullups, squats, power cleans, snatches, rows and Turkish get-ups. These are some of the exercises that athletes like UFC champion Georges St. Pierre and NFL running back Adrian Peterson use to increase their performance, but they are also the staple of the CrossFit program. Not only will doing the exercises the pros do enable CrossFit members to stick with their program, but there is a reason the elite athletes use these exercises: they work. A variety of exercises can keep workouts fresh, but not if they are used day-in and day-out and with the same sequences. CrossFit emphasizes mixing it up. Not only does this keep the body guessing (and therefore improvements coming) but it also reduces the mental fatigue that can accompany sameness.
Photo credit: Flickr / CrossFit Fever
About Cameron Conaway
“It’s about you inspiring others and being inspired by others. It’s a program that makes you think and act beyond yourself.”
That was beautiful! I do karate (and I am the most unlikely person to ever go into that tough sport but here I am after 3 years!)…Thank you for this article and for being so positive…. I don’t do CrossFit but it sounds interesting…! Although I would agree that the same sort of group interaction is crucial for karate…I kinda stumbled into karate for fitness and self-defense reasons as a complete beginner and now I have found myself leading the opening exercises and essentially the den mother to a bunch of grown men…my sensei is an inspiring man, who is going through a number of challenges these past few weeks and forgot to come to class last week! But the rest of us rose to the occasion and took over and worked each other hard in his absence….you are right when you talk about the value of teamwork!
Leia, you need to try out CrossFit! I started 3 years ago, trying it out on my own, but things didn’t really progress until I joined the local CrossFit box a little over 2 years ago. Sure, the class setting with some seasoned athletes can be intimidating at first, but it really is a life-changer.
CrossFit really “makes you think and act beyond yourself” and influences your everyday life. While you’ll be setting new records at the gym, you’ll be acting out of your comfort zone outside the gym.
As for the class setting, it’s really what makes CrossFit so special. Sure, you can get a more tailor-made workout experience with some private programming, but nothing is as satisfying as working out alongside some really awesome people. The people give you a reason for wanting to go back to the gym, unlike that sluggish, “I don’t feel like going today” feeling you get when working out alone.
For those out there on the fence, check out CrossFit!
You forgot (6) permanent injury to your achilles tendon from high rep box jumps.
Yet another example of The Good Man Project using its platform for misandry and insulting the male sex—-those of us who are never good enough until we submit to feminist cliches. How do we lead a discussion of HIIT and Crossfit? Note your opening sentence: “Guys have too much pride, like the control of maintaining and establishing their own workouts or simply enjoy the alone time to zone out and hit the weights, it’s clear upon walking into most gyms that women have better embraced the idea of group fitness.”
The Man Project just cannot pass up the opportunity for an anti-male insult.
Here is how it works in my gym. “Group exercise” is indeed packed with women, with very few men involved. These are total body fitness classes. Almost all the people inthem are focussed on weight loss and general tone, and perform well, at least in the latter category, They never advance a relatively low level a fitness, and are never seriously strenuous. I have never attended one (and I’ve been at many) which goes beyond an ordinary comfort zone.
Your fatuous claim that men are too proud to train in groups conveniently overlooks the entire ethos of team sports, one of the prime organizing forces for men in this culture. All games in my gym—group activities, right?—are filled with large male majorities. The men are fully cognizant of one another’s training and physical condition.
As for Crossfit, the two major advocates of the site, and of HIIT in general, are both men, and (with the exception of one low level kettle-bell class) most of its followers are men.
It is all too typical of The Good Man Project that a development such as this should be in your eyes first, and above all, an occasion for yet another attack on men as a gender and group.
Stephen, as another GMP writer I take offense with your comments. This is not a magazine with a directed editorial voice. We (contributors) all write what we want, when we want and nobody at GMP has ever edited my content in anyway other than to fix spelling and grammar issues.
I recommend checking out our submission guidelines and making your own voice here as a contributor.
I study Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a lot of the reasons you discuss. I’ve always believed weight training is not well aligned with my personal goals: excellent cardio-health, moderate strength, exemplary flexibility and conditioning. I have no desire to have rock hard abs or ripped biceps.
However, I do like the fact I am always learning new ways to choke punks out.
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Nice piece… crazy what some take from it. I did not know about cross fitt and am going to see if anyone in my rural Lousiana community are involved. Sounds like a great way to grow in fitness as well as growing a sense of community. I’m looking into it. Thanks
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