Performance vs Aesthetics

For many, the initial goal is to lose weight, and improve their appearance, and while there is nothing wrong with wanting to look and feel your best, it’s important to remember that these goals are just one part of the puzzle.

No matter where you start in your training journey, it’s important to remember that health, performance, and aesthetics are all interconnected.

We should know, that big muscles mean nothing if they cannot be used properly. The same goes for "small" deprived ones....(only chasing the scale down while losing vital muscle mass in the process). Training functional movement increases quality of life by making everyday activities easier because life is all about movement, right?

That remains our primary focus. Best of all, by doing one(CrossFit), you get the other(physical appearance) along with it!

If you can commit to rocking up for 3/4 classes per week, sleep 6-8 hours per night, drink water, don't smash 3 big Big Mac's per week, and refrain from comparing yourself to Instagram models, you can become FUNCTIONAL & look great as well!

It works like this, training for performance can cause some serious aesthetic results, but training for aesthetics will not necessarily provide someone with performance results.

Let's use an example. If a "CrossFitter", an Irishman and a sedentary human had to all 3, run from a Jack Russel.......

The sedentray man does nothing.

The Irishman body-builds.

The CrossFiter trains functional movements, constantly varied at high intensity.

Chances are good that the sedentary man will tear a hamstring on the pull-away, the Irishman could run the hill.. but will run out of gas....., but the "CrossFitter" could run the hill, jump the fence, swim the lake & climb the tree while carrying the Jack Russel in the suitcase position at the same time...If that makes any sense!

What are some of the more basic movements that we try to train , in order to run this race of life as fast and as LONG as we can? Here is a short list of the some of the basics below:

1.) Squat- It is often hailed as the king of lower body exercises by many and not without reason! Squatting is the basic movement that can be seen in everyday life. Everyone squats daily.

2.) Carry - Walking with weights while keeping a tight core to avoid any lateral spine movement. We carry weights, bags, odd objects etc to engage the core and not to mention the amazing benefits of building grip strength & stability!

3.) Lunge-When things fall down you, lunge to pick them. Bending with your back will only lead to eventual back pain. The same applies to tying your shoe, it is much better to save your back by lunging to tie your shoes.

4.)Push -You can train push in horizontal direction (push up, burpee etc) or vertical (overhead pressing). We reach daily to grab or place objects.

5.)Pull- A pull can be performed in both horizontal (rows) and vertical positions (pull ups). Brilliant for the posterior chain as well as improving posture.

6.)Hinge -When you maximally bend at your hips with little bend in the knees you have a hinge. A hinge is used when there are very heavy weights on the ground and a lunge isn’t possible. We can train hinging with movements like (Deadlifts, Kettlebell swings,Olympic lifts, Ball cleans etc)

In the words of Dr Peter Attia, “As Centenarian Decathletes, we are no longer training for a specific event, but to become a different sort of athlete altogether: an athlete of life.” With CrossFit training , people are getting something that they did not even know they wanted or needed.