Crossfit has been a major player when it comes to a full-body workout for over twenty years now. It has attracted millions of participants including celebrities such as Brad Pitt and Jessica Alba.

So, over twenty years after its inception, how has CrossFit managed to keep its momentum where other exercise fads have been and gone? Well, there are good reasons why CrossFit is being considered the best full-body workout for athletes and anyone else looking to improve their athletism.

In this article, we’ll take a look at exactly why Crossfit should be the new secret ingredient in your full-body workout plan.   

What Is CrossFit?

CrossFit was created by the controversial Greg Glassman in 2000. Some would say it’s a fitness regimen, others say it’s a lifestyle. But, at the heart of CrossFit is a variety of functional movements being performed at a high intensity.

The functional movements incorporated into CrossFit aim to reproduce everyday movements such as lifting things, squatting, jumping, and stretching. However, in CrossFit they’re done with additional weight and explosiveness so not only do they make moving through your day-to-day life easier, they make for a great workout too.

CrossFit workouts are varied, and each WOD (workout of the day) incorporates different movements to provide the ultimate full-body workout. One of the key reasons for changing each workout is that you’re always shocking the body into adapting to something new. 

As mentioned earlier, CrossFit is often seen as an all-encompassing lifestyle. There is a strong element of community and friendly competition within the CrossFit community. This could well be the reason why CrossFitters find it easy to stay engaged with the sport.

A Full Body Workout for Strength

CrossFit has helped to develop some of the most impressive-looking athletes out there. This is because it is focused on explosive strength exercises. CrossFit incorporates bodyweight exercises with Olympic-based lifts. These functional movement patterns are perfect for developing strength gains.

Some of the most frequently used strength-focused exercises you’ll encounter during a CrossFit class include:

  • Clean-and-press
  • Deadlifts
  • Squats
  • Handstand Push-ups
  • Muscle-ups

While certain exercises might seem intimidating at first, CrossFit classes accommodate all levels of fitness. There are clear paths of progression to help you master each exercise. You’ll impress yourself when you learn how quickly your body adapts to each of the complex movements.    

Improve Your Cardiovascular Health

One of the reasons CrossFit is such a good workout for athletes is the focus on cardiovascular fitness. While it’s all well and good to build an aesthetically pleasing body, looking after your cardiovascular health is paramount for overall health and longevity.

Cardiovascular disease is responsible for 1 in 4 deaths in the US. And the best way to help prevent it is to invest in your cardiovascular health.

CrossFit uses a similar principle to HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Put simply, exercises are performed for multiple reps and the rest time between sets is kept low. This means that the workouts help to improve both aerobic and anaerobic fitness.

When many people try to improve their cardiovascular health they often opt for steady-state cardio. Most commonly jogging or cycling. This helps to improve cardiovascular health. However, the intensity and frequency of CrossFit will get your heart rate up and have you breathing harder than any amount of time on a treadmill.          

CrossFit for Improved Mobility

One of the greatest things about CrossFit is how the functional fitness you’ll develop carries across to the rest of your life. One of the key, and often most overlooked, aspects of fitness is mobility. Growing well into your old age requires a certain amount of focus on suppleness.

A lot of the movements in CrossFit, specifically the Olympic lifts require full-body mobility. CrossFit will help to improve mobility in key areas of the body such as the hips and shoulders. 

Maintaining full mobility throughout the body is increasingly difficult as many jobs require sitting at a desk for the majority of the day. However, reduced mobility means an increased chance of injuries, even from carrying out simple tasks. 

Increased mobility means being a more functional human! You’ll say goodbye to your rounded back and your tight hips. You’ll enjoy the benefits of a neutral spine. Everyday movement will feel loose and free, just as it is meant to. 

CrossFit for Explosive Athleticism

If you do strength training you get strong. If you’re a powerlifter you get really strong. But these kinds of training don’t necessarily do much for explosiveness.  Have you ever seen NFL players sprint? You can’t get that raw explosive power from just lifting weights in the gym.

The kind of explosive athleticism that allows you to sprint up hills and smash out multiple muscle-ups does not come easy. It requires a combination of strength and stamina. CrossFit focuses on this kind of power. Performing multiple explosive reps for multiple sets trains the nervous system to fire, and fire fast and hard.   

The advantage of possessing explosive athleticism is that it creates a well-rounded kind of strength. You’re going to get stronger, but your overall fitness is going to improve dramatically too.

It’s Time to Build a Better and Stronger You

Is CrossFit the ultimate full-body workout? Probably.

Many people looking to get fit find that their initial enthusiasm fades after the first month of repeating the same workout. CrossFit keeps everything mixed up so every training session feels fresh and exciting.

You’re going to be challenged every time you step into the box, but you’re going to be surrounded by an encouraging community of people looking to reach their potential.

If you’re looking for the perfect full-body workout plan that incorporates explosive athleticism, cardio, strength, and mobility then it’s time to look into CrossFit.

If you’re ready to start your CrossFit journey or just looking for a new training ground then contact us at Magmile CrossFit today.