No doubt you have seen CrossFit on the internet, with lots of videos going about. Here in Singapore, CrossFit has been on a rise and gaining popularity fast, with tonnes of people eager to hop on this bandwagon. But what is CrossFit you may wonder, isn’t it the same as a normal gym with weights, just with more shouting and people doing absurd exercises? Well, not exactly, and you’ll find out exactly why.
CrossFit incorporates high-intensity exercises with weights and is being advertised as the sports of the fitness industry. In the United States, there are even annual CrossFit games being aired on sports channels such as ESPN where people would tune in to watch athletes move weights around. The general goal of CrossFit is to help people improve their physical well-being through cardiovascular fitness and weight training in an environment that is both intense yet encouraging.
CrossFit exercises involve routines that are suitable for all ages and the difficulty can be scaled up or down according to one’s fitness levels. There are many classes structured for CrossFit, ranging from introductory class, foundation courses, and finally regular class. Typical lessons would last for around 45 minutes and workouts will vary according to the day. You can expect some exercises ranging from jump variations, lunges, pull ups, push ups, deadlifts, squats and variations of weighted exercises. In a sense, CrossFit can be thought of as a cardiovascular version of normal weight lifting.
The one difference between CrossFit and other gyms is that CrossFit is more than a place for you to work out. It is more of a community where people come together to train and encourage each other. Everyone in a CrossFit class usually knows each other and you can expect a lot of cheering and encouragement in each session. Coaches in the gym mean that they’ll be able to train under watchful eyes to ensure proper form at all times and minimise the rate of injury during your workout sessions.
One thing to take note of is that CrossFit can be extremely expensive, especially in Singapore. Don’t expect the rates for each class to be the same as your typical gym entrance fees. Class are usually in the range of $10-30 per class and you can expect the hours of your training to be scheduled as opposed to a free an easy open gym concept. However, if you can get past these downsides, CrossFit is definitely a sport you should try once in your life.