A simple web search can find both sides of the coin; pro and anti-CrossFit articles are a dime a dozen, so it may be hard to determine whether or not CrossFit is for you. But for the same reason you should try any sport before you knock it, give it a whirl before completely throwing it out the window like that S Club 7 CD you used to listen to everyday until your mom told you that you’ll never be British no matter how hard you try.
- Look at What You Can Achieve
The way an infomercial sells a product, show people what the product can do. Whether you’d like to be a ‘ninja warrior’, power lift or fitness model, something that is not lost on CrossFit-ers for the most part is being strong and looking strong.
If a diet can show you how thin you can be, use examples of how _____ the person can be, depending on what their fitness goals are.
- You’ll meet People
A common complaint after graduating post-secondary school or reaching your mid to late 20s is the lack of opportunity to meet friends. Unlike simply going to the gym to break a sweat, CrossFit is more like a team or community than a bunch of people gathered in one place to grunt and lift heavy things.
Almost like a trainer, you’re more likely to have peers motivating you during your work out.
- The Events!
Not only can CrossFit be great training for events like Tough Mudder and the aforementioned Ninja Warrior, there’s also the ultra-popular CrossFit Games that are so huge they’re sponsored by Reebok.
Therefore there is a sense of competitive spirit with the fitness regimen and definitely room for advancement in this seemingly jobless world of ours. Plus everyone there is probably going to look good.
- It’s Not like What You’ve Heard
There have been quotes floating around like “It’s like the Mafia, you don’t know unless you’re in it.”
While I’d prefer to think that it isn’t quite like a crime syndicate, CrossFit does not require you to speak to a certain amount of people or do anything special at all. In fact, you could likely just go to the gym and do your own thing without even being spoken to…assuming you have paid to be there and aren’t just some drifter.
1 .You Can Eat More!
Weight training comes with the added benefits of being able to eat more of what you want (within reason) more often. Enter CrossFit. If you have a friend that’s a foodie remind them that the more they work out the more they can indulge or, simply having a cheat day to cram their face once per week.
So, does CrossFit burn a lot of calories? You bet. A study by Kennesaw State University analyzed one of the workout routines labelled ‘Cindy’, and found that it burns 261 calories in just 20 min. Granted, one can assume there can be some bias in a study like this, perhaps that the athlete was in pristine condition, but still that is a hell of a lot of calories for 20 minutes spent not doing cardio.
Comparatively, about 10 minutes of walking equals just under 50 calories.
In summary, CrossFit can do wonder for your body, confidence, endurance and even social life. It does come with added risk of injury, so don’t go H.A.M. if you’re only a beginner. It’s one of those types of activities where you can look stupid if you don’t ask for help, so let’s try to avoid embarrassing ourselves.
