What is Crossfit

“CrossFit is a strength and conditioning programme built on constantly varied, if not randomised, functional movements executed at high intensity” – Founder Greg Glassman

 

You haven't heard of CrossFit? Let me tell you about CrossFit.

CrossFit is a lifestyle in which you are prioritizing your health. The ability to do many different things at a high level of intensity.
I think it's the absolute best way to help you reach your fitness goals.

For me, it's making me happy. A fun way to get fit with a lot of people. The last person finishing is the just as important as the first one.

It's this team atmosphere that ends up making you better as an individual. It's camaraderie, that family that you end up building and the energy that you get back from it yourself, that's CrossFit to me.
You come to a CrossFit gym everybody knows your name, everybody loves you and you're a part of something bigger than just getting a workout.

CrossFit gave me that something extra that I kinda needed in life.

It's my outlet, I love it. It's my passion. It's commitment. CrossFit is a sport now.

I like the challenge, I compete with myself, I'm healthier, I am stronger. Even though I was sore, I was, you know, getting a little discouraged, you know ... I felt accountable because my community, or I felt accountable to my class because they were looking for me there.

Finding CrossFit and then having to work really dang hard for whatever your goal is ... whether its to compete or just get a damn pull-up. I love it 'cause the workout's different everyday, I can come in and I don't know what I'm doing.

Everyone is welcoming, everyone is cheering you on. They don't let you quit even if you wanna quit.
We all share this experience, which is emotional. It doesn't look emotional, it looks like people working out ... but it's emotional. I mean it's raw, it's intense, it's incredible, it's freakin' awesome. I'm  gonna keep doing it for a long time, I hope.

CrossFit, to me, is a fitness program where the reward for doing well is the ability to express your fitness in everyday life in as many different planes or as many different activities that you can possibly imagine.

People walk through the door and say, 'Hey, where's all the machines?' We're the machines!

Source: http://journal.crossfit.com/start.tpl

 

Seven Habits of Highly Successful Athletes

They say a habit takes 21 days to form. That’s three weeks of constant, recurrent, focused activity – or inactivity. The differences between good and bad habits lie in the details, but they both exist as an end to the same means: repetition.

“We are what we repeatedly do,” Aristotle said, once upon a time. Essentially, we are our habits. For  athletes, those habits determine their game, their success, their production, their relevance. Elite athletes carefully develop the habits that define them well past the 21-day qualifying point.

Most of us aren’t built to be elite athletes, at least not genetically, but our choices are within our control, and can elevate our game at any level. Choosing to adopt these seven habits of successful athletes is a sure-fire way to find success for yourself. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.

THE LIST:

1. They set attainable goals and track them

As athletes, we all have ambitious goals. We want to win that 3-on-3 tournament next month. We want to compete in that triathlon at the end of the year. We want to hoist that trophy at the end the season. That victorious moment is a driving force we all share.

Successful athletes have those goals, but they also create their own moments of victory in parallel to their pursuit of the endgame. While they’re training for that championship, they’re simultaneously working toward attainable goals to check off their list.  While they’re training for that marathon, they’re also working toward that six-minute mile. While they’re pursuing that Gold medal, they’re also locking down tournament MVPs.

Achieving a goal, no matter the size of the prize, is a powerful incentive. It’s a reminder that following through pays off.

2. They discipline and reward themselves

It’s a simple concept, just a matter of application.

Motivation is all about incentive. What’s the payoff? What’s the punishment? Successful athletes make it a point to take themselves seriously, and that means calling themselves out and holding themselves accountable.

Didn’t get out of bed this morning for that run? Skipped breakfast? That’s ok, but yeah, you’re grounded. Ran an extra mile at the end of practice today? Grounding revoked.

 

3. They sleep

An even simpler concept. Successful athletes make sure to clock at least seven hours of sleep every night to aid in rest and recovery. For optimal performance, sleep is crucial in maintaining energy and endurance.

 

4. They feed their competitive nature

Average isn’t okay for elite athletes. The successful ones go out there and compete every time, no matter who they’re with, what they’re doing or where they are. Competition is fuel to athletic fire, and the best in the game are out there burning it up every day.

Successful athletes are constantly pushing to be better than the guy next to them, better than they were yesterday, better than the standard. Pushing forward with intensity and a competitive drive keeps you on your toes and dynamic as an athlete.

Too many people mistake competition for comparison. Successful athletes know the difference. One will make you, one will break you.

 

5. They take instruction and criticism constructively 

Successful athletes can take advice and apply it usefully to their game. Coaching is crucial in sports, but absorbing the information they provide is even more important.

The best athletes are willing to make adjustments and set their pride aside to better themselves and their teammates.

 

 

6. They let things go

They follow the 24-hour rule. 24 hours after a failure, the misstep has long since moved into nonexistence. Bye-bye blunder.

Holding onto negativity can be detrimental to athletes. Mentally, it’s crippling. It gives pitchers the yips, it turns a basketball into a brick, it makes a wide receiver’s fingers all buttery.

The successful ones take 24 hours to reflect on what went wrong and then they let go of that heavy weight and move on without flinching.

7. They aren’t afraid to fail

The most distinctive habit of a successful athlete is their ability to stare a challenge in the eye and attack it without hesitation. The fear of failure builds the walls of that box you’re supposed to be thinking outside of and seals you up inside. When you’re scared of failing, the best option is to avoid trying at all – right?

Chicken.

Fearing failure is a mental state successful athletes don’t acknowledge. Everyone will fail at one point or another – it’s inevitable. The best athletes are fully aware of this, but attach no value to it. They fall and they get up. The ends outweigh the means. Success outweighs failure.

Plus, chicks dig scars.

Source By: Morgan Urtso Seven Habits of Highly Successful Athletes

Rope Climbs: Benefits, Technique, and Performance

Rope climbing has been an immense physical strength test for decades. To this day it has been used as a strength test in the military as well as in gymnastics to build strength. This week in gymnastics class we will be focusing on rope climbs.  Rope climbs are a total body workout. It is an effective exercise for the arms, upper back, core, grip strength, and legs. Beyond muscular strength, rope climbing increases the cardiovascular system and builds muscular endurance. The rope may be intimidating to you, but all it takes is a little self-confidence. There are two types of ways to climb the rope that we will learn.  One, which is called the S wrap or Spanish wrap (safer lock method). The other is the Russian Wrap (faster method, widely used in competition.  Keep in mind that when we think about climbing the rope, as Carl Paoli says; think about doing knees to elbows and then standing up.  Now, once we are able to perform a climb, great, but let’s talk about how we can make these better.

To improve your rope climb, think about 3 things: 

1.  Shoulder strength- This is super vital for that body weight climb. Performing lifts such as overhead press, snatch, clean and jerk, and strict pull ups will help build the strength to climb the rope at speed. 

2.  Fingertip pushups: This movement requires the hands, back, chest, and forearms to work together improving grip strength. 

3.  Time yourself climbing the rope: This will help increase power and dynamic strength for longer and more climbs. 
If you have never tried to climb the rope, now is the time to learn! Let’s increase that pulling strength and get you up there! 

Source http://pbcrossfit.com/article/lindsay-renteria

Crossfit Workouts For Beginners

Here I'm gonna talk about some Crossfit workouts for beginners. Beginners at Crossfit may find all this talk about the "Workout Of The Day", sumo deadlifts and kettlebell swings a little confusing if they haven't heard of them before.
The Crossfit workouts are basically like this: Each day, a workout is prescribed by the trainer, called "Workout of the day", or WOD. Every person at the Crossfit gym performs this same workout, the goal is usually to finish the workout in as short a time as possible or do as many reps or rounds as possible.
You don't need to worry if you're a beginner and think you can't handle a Crossfit workout, because the workout is scalable to pretty much any fitness level. The trainer can help you find an easier variation of every exercise that is performed.
Most of the exercises are easy to perform, it's the speed and lack of rest in between sets that is most challenging. If you've been in the gym a lot and are able to put up respective numbers, you may still find yourself drained in a matter of minutes of doing a Crossfit workout, that's how I felt in the beginning.
If you're still afraid of dipping right into a Crossfit workout, then here are some Crossfit workouts for beginners that you can practice with:

1. Squats. Any variation of squats will do. Doing them with no weight in the living room of your house will give you plenty of practice. Just make sure to watch your form. There are also plenty of variations that you will learn at Crossfit.

2. Shoulder Presses. If you have a barbell, or dumbbells, then you can practice doing shoulder presses in order to gain a bit of strength before trying Crossfit.

3. Crunches. Any form of crunches will do, since they all do pretty much the same thing. Planks are also excellent to strengthen your core.

4. Push ups. Regular push ups will do just fine, but if you want to get a bit of preparation for the speed of Crossfit workouts then you may want to try the clapping push ups. They are pretty much the same, except that you push much faster and then clap your hands once in between reps. Warning: you might fall on your face, that's what happened to me once when I tried clapping my hands two times.

And finally, I would recommend trying to get into good cardiovascular shape, preferably doing high-intensity, anaerobic cardio exercises since these are a major part of Crossfit.
So these are a few Crossfit workouts for beginners that you can practice with, but like I said before I don't think you need to worry about anything since the exercises are scalable so you can just show up at a Crossfit workout and start.

Article Source:

CrossFit and the Paleo Diet Provide the Ideal Fitness Combination

CrossFit and the Paleo Diet complement one another. CrossFit is an intense type of fitness training that is designed to improve your overall fitness. The Paleo Diet is focused on quality, non-processed food to ensure you're as healthy as you can be. As such, the pairing of this training and food lifestyle is the ideal fitness combination.

CrossFit and the Paleo Diet
CrossFit originally promoted the Zone Diet which is based on precise measurements of carbs, proteins and fats. However this diet is very difficult to adhere to because of the need for specific measurements.

In contrast, the Paleo Diet does not require you to measure your food intake, and is focused on the consumption of quality food. Also known as the Caveman Diet, it eliminates the frustration that comes with trying to measure out food portions.

The Rules of the Paleo Diet
In simple terms, the approach is:

• Do not eat processed food


• Consume only quality food


• There's no limit on the amount of food that can be eaten

The approach is based on the philosophy of only eating foods that people ate in the Paleolithic era. That means there are no processed foods which eliminates all fast foods, sweets and anything unnatural from your diet.

However there are a number of benefits to this diet. For example, there is no limit to the amount of seafood or lean meats that you can consume. The same €no limit€ rule also applies to fruits and vegetables.

The focus is on eating quality, natural foods which means that processed foods, cereals and grains, dairy products and legumes are not part of this diet.

The belief is that humans survived the Paleolithic era eating foods that were not processed and it contributed to the long-term survival and evolution of humans. This type of eating has several aspects that must be followed for it to provide the health (and weight loss) benefits that are attributed to those who follow it.

The Seven Key Components of the Paleo Diet

1. You can eat large portions of animal meat (protein) without hesitation, as long as it's unprocessed.
2. Obtain your carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables, and not the alternative sources such as pasta.
3. Acquire necessary fiber from non-starchy fruits and vegetables. Again, there is no limit to the amount that can be eaten.
4. Include some mono-saturated fats such as avocados, Brazilian nuts and canola oil, as well as polyunsaturated fats such as salmon and oil, and equal amounts of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats.
5. Eat foods that have low sodium, and elevated potassium levels. Salt is not something that is part of this diet but foods such as bananas provide a great snack for CrossFit participants.
6. You should have an alkaline loaded diet which means that approximately one-third of your diet should be vegetables.
7. Consume foods with elevated levels of plant phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Foods such as broccoli and lettuce are essential components to meeting the food requirements of the Paleo Diet.

These seven rules will put you in a position to achieve superior health, reduce the risk of lifelong illness and lose a large amount of weight.

When you combine CrossFit and Paleo it provides you with the opportunity to maximize your training and health which leads to exceptional results, and reduced WOD times.

CrossFit participants find they are able to workout longer with greater focus and intensity. And they don't feel hungry as their bodies are fueled with quality, unprocessed food.

The Paleo Diet is the best nutrition for anyone participating in CrossFit.

Source Simon Wood / My Crossfit WOD

Everything You Need to Know About CrossFit

Looking to take your fitness to a whole new level? Sick and tired of your boring workout at the gym--the same one you've been doing for the last six months? For those that want to take their level of fitness to the near-superhuman, CrossFit is the workout that will get you there!

What is CrossFit?

CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness regime that has become popular all around the world. The workout became popular in 2000, and now more than 7,000 gyms teach it.

The workout is a combination of three things:

1. High-intensity aerobic exercise
2. Gymnastics
3. Olympic weightlifting

The purpose: push your body to its limits and beyond. The workout pushes your strength, your flexibility and your endurance--both muscular and cardiovascular. By the time you stagger out of your intense workout, your entire body has been put through its paces.

The Anatomy of a CrossFit Class

The class begins with a warm-up--an absolutely essential part of the program. Without the warmup, the risk of injuries is much higher.

Following the warmup is an activity training segment, in which participants learn and practice one specific movement (i.e. handstand push-ups).

The WOD (Workout of the Day) takes up the majority of the class, pushing participants through a fast-paced workout that targets various muscles at a time. The workout is changed on a daily basis, so there's little risk of participants being bored.

Finally, the class ends with stretching and cooling down.

Why CrossFit?

There are four main reasons:

1. Muscle Confusion: With the random ever-changing workouts, your muscles will never quite adapt to a single movement--ensuring continued muscle growth.
2. Variety: Never get bored with your workout. Not only does each session offer a variety of movements, but you're just too exhausted to feel boredom.
3. Fitness to the Extreme: No matter who you are--athlete, bodybuilder, Average Joe--you can take your fitness to the next level and beyond. The workouts are supremely intense, so you'll push every part of your body every time.
4. Cheap: The workouts are meant to be done either at a CrossFit gym or at home, and there's a wide range of instructional materials and video that can help you get your WOD.

Is CrossFit for You?

Are you someone interested in going beyond just your traditional workout? Do you have a specific fitness goal that you want to reach in record time? Is your goal to push past your current limits and find your true potential as an athlete? If so, CrossFit may just be the right workout for you.

However, be warned:

• CrossFit does increase your risk of injury, particularly among beginners.
• Certain injuries are more common among those who do CrossFit, including shoulder injuries, Achilles injuries and joint problems.
• CrossFit is extremely intense, and not everyone is able to do it.
• Those with health problems should avoid very vigorous forms of exercise.

The fact that you are doing high-intensity multi-joint exercises means that the workouts are going to be much more dangerous. If you've never done strength training before, the Olympic-style movements will increase your risk of injury. Newbies should stay away from this workout until they have a base of strength training.

If, however, you have been lifting weights and training for at least a few months to a year, it may be a good idea to look into CrossFit.

Source

Toning Workouts for Women - What are some of the Most Effective Workouts

There are currently tons of toning workouts for women out there that have been created for women who wanted to have a sexy body. 

 

 Due to the increasing demands for toning workouts for women, there are a lot of programs that have been created specifically for those women who wanted to have a sexy body. But not all of the available toning workouts for women can guarantee fast results. 

 

People who are searching for the best toning workouts for women have different reasons why they wanted to get into such programs. The main reasons why most women wanted to perform these exercises is either they just want to live a little bit healthier or they want to lose weight and improve the overlook of their bodies. 

 

Toning workouts for women are not designed to develop big muscles, what it does is firm a woman’s muscle to make her look healthy, strong and beautiful. There a many types of toning workouts for women that can guarantee good and fast results which helps improve her body. To make the workouts more effective, it should be combined with a healthy diet.

Among these effective toning workouts for women that have been proven to be effective are yoga, pilates and aerobic. 

Yoga, which is one of the sought after toning workouts for women, performs gentle exercises that stretches, exercises, tones and flexes a woman’s body muscles. This kind of exercises is tiring but it allows the muscles to relax and get toned as well as increasing the flexibility of a woman’s body. 

 

Another good toning exercise is pilates, which focuses on controlling a woman’s body muscles. This kind of exercise is also recommended for pregnant women to help them in giving birth and consciously trains them in moving their muscles and tones them easily. Attaining flexibility is among the goals of such exercise because it helps a woman to properly move her body to become flexible. 

All toning workouts that are specifically designed for women requires a woman to have a proper alignment and centering, which makes pilates exercises to be very helpful as it promotes these proper postures and teaches a woman to center her body and provide a better core for her body movements. It will also help women to move from one position to another by controlling their muscles. It also helps a woman’s overall concentration because it encourages them to concentrate while performing the routines aerobic is also an effective workout for women as it is a good way of losing weight and helps women to have their muscles easily get toned. Such exercise includes energetic music that will encourage women to follow its faced paced workout routines. 

Choosing one of these great toning workouts for women and combining it with healthy diet will guarantee you of having a sexy body in no time. 

Andrea Ager- CrossFit Tabata

CrossFit Athlete Andrea Ager performs an insane Tabata workout consisting of an array of staple CrossFit movements, and also takes a minute to chat about Tabata and CrossFit in general.
It's a killer one :)