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Well, it's not really magic, is it?
CrossFit by definition is: “constantly varied, functional movements, performed at relative high intensity”
At the Shed, it's a little bit more than that, if you allow it to be.
Let's break down what we really do in a brief 3 min interval below...
Functional movement(Multi-joint):
Need to pick something up? That’s a deadlift. Need to sit and(hopefully)get back up? That’s a squat. Need to reach or put something on a shelf? That’s a push press. We train functional movements because that’s what life demands, and it is essential to independent living. Especially as we age.
Constantly varied:
Strategically varied, new workouts programmed every day. Different movements, rep schemes, weights, and time domains. The stimulus keeps your body guessing.
Relative intensity:
Intensity is the best way to get results from your workouts. In CrossFit, we focus first on moving efficiently, then on increasing intensity. Intensity is relative, which means the aim is to work hard within the limits of your current physical ability.
Scalability :
The way we train is also scalable to a point where your grandparents could do it. Everyone in a CrossFit class completes the same workout, modified to their unique ability level so they get the right stimulus from the workout. We do this, not only to keep you safe, but to make sure we master movement first and get you stronger in those vital full range of motion movements, before progressing.
Injury prevention:
An un-informed/misguided theme of CrossFit as an injury prone method is not only false, but in fact the complete opposite..
What many people who have yet to experience a professional CrossFit class have been exposed to , (social media, you-tubers looking for a rant or views etc) creates a false depiction of how effective the crossFit methodology truly is.
You will rarely find a more organised , specialised, focused, COACHED group class environment. Coaches hold themselves to a high standard of movement knowledge and coaching cues to make sure members stay safe, but also progress. They are also taught in scaling, how to work with the elderly or less experienced athlete.
Scientific data sheds more light on the above. In this study presented above, 400+ Brazilian CrossFit participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their injuries in the last 12-months while doing CrossFit. (Ref https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31778434/)
Turns out that injury rate per 1000 training hours was not substantially different than in other comparable sports such as powerlifting and conventional strength training. In fact, street running has been reported to induce more than double the amount of injuries per 1000h of training. Not to say "running is bad", but being a specialist in anything, leaves room for overuse in certain muscle groups and neglecting others etc. It's the nature of each "sport".
Then, another important factor to consider, is the difference between PAIN and INJURY.
In general, "pain", or niggles here and there are sensitised in our modern society. Most people, if not everyone, have some form of "pain", "niggle", or "stiffness". These are not injuries, but rather "incidents". More often seen, in individuals who are inactive. We need to accept that it's also part of ageing, BUT by exercising and more specifically doing CrossFit, we can best mitigate the risk of living with pain. Pain is really a "request for change". our method or medicine though, is not painkillers or FAD diets, rather:
- Movement quality
- Strengthening
- Proper diet & sleep
- An uplifting community and environment
Injury on the other hand, is a physical state that prevents you from occupying your role in society. For this, you need to seek out a healthcare professional. Even then, we can assist in recovery and making sure you are as strong as possible in your journey to wellness.
To sum it up, we take pride in movement quality, and better movement leads to less injury, certainly not more. The health benefits of training, both strength and cardiovascular work, FAR outweighs the risk of injury in any form of training.
"IF WE DO NOT KNOW IT WORKS, IF WE CANNOT PROVE IT BASED ON MEASURABLE, OBSERVABLE, AND REPEATABLE RESULTS, WE WILL NOT TRY TO SELL YOU ON IT. NO SNAKE OIL OR FITNESS HACKS HERE. MAKE THE CHOICE EACH DAY TO BE CONSISTENT WITH BOTH EXERCISE AND NUTRITION AND YOU WILL GET RESULTS."
Nicole Carroll, Chief Brand Officer Cfitt
Community:
The Shed is not only a box where you come for novel workout. It's a space where you will meet new people, often ones who will go to war with you, everyday!( We often do...)
The Shed is a place where we are all equal, without any social status. The leveling quality allows our community to meet people who we would really never come in contact with , within our various daily "jobs" or responsibilities.
It’s not unusual to miss a day and get two or three text messages asking why you didn’t show up to class.
This is pretty unique. It is something we would like to protect and encourage for as long as we will be around!
We all know life is often challenging, many of these challenges we face are unknown to each other. We we get together to grind it out, we tend to forget about these hardships, if only for a minute or two. For some, working out alongside their friends, accomplishing something together after each session, could serve as a "gateway drug" to keep fighting, to keep trying, to keep living life to it's fullest! Long live this culture of positivity, there are enough negative nancys out there. We "ain't got no time for that" right?
As one of our members once explained, deciding to be nice, takes the same amount of energy as negativity, so, might as well!
There you have it team, we hope you enjoyed our first short post. Let's keep working to be better than yesterday. Remember, your past you, doesn't need you! Let's go! #BetterThanYesterday
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