February, 2010

Common Interest — 0 Comments
5
Feb 10

What are the CrossFit Games?

Having finally gotten my hands on a copy of “Every Second Counts” and anxiously awaiting every new episode of this years CrossFit Games, I can’t help but be awe-struck by the amazing feats of athleticism shown by all the athletes. The sheer test of will and determination in the face of tasks that would cripple the average person are nothing short or amazing. Thus it is with utmost respect and admiration that I have to question whether these athletes can claim to be “the fittest humans on the planet”.

Now, hear me out…

Is CrossFit a broad, general and inclusive training program that aims to increase our overall capacity to do work? Yes.

Does it produce phenomenal athletes that crush your average gym rats at most tasks? Yes.

Do these athletes, who train functional movements and olympic lifts,succeed when given a completely random task that they have never trained or practiced?…?

My point is this, if CrossFit claims to produce athletes, nay, warriors that should be ready for any challenge thrown at them, then I am of the opinion that the Games should be a test of this theory. If the row/steak-drive/row workout was any indication of the effect of throwing a foreign task into the mix, throwing random, untrained tasks into the mix can cripple even the most elite of athletes.

My greatest psychological benefit from CrossFit is the mental clarity that comes with knowing that I am suitably prepared for any task that gets thrown my way. It is the randomness of life that makes it interesting. What goes on in the world is beyond most people’s control. What goes on inside your mind, and your physical world is what CrossFit trains us for.

Are the CrossFit Games a true measure of a person adaptation and capacity to perform in the 10 general physical skills? Yes, but we are still testing people on trained activities. Until we see a test of true randomness, I argue that we haven’t seen the fittest man/woman on the planet yet.

My suggestion for an upcoming games: Air drop the athletes into a foreign environment with some basic supplies and a map. Throw some random tasks in along the way… first one to cross the line wins.

Just my .02 cents.

Fitness — 0 Comments
5
Feb 10

P90X vs. CrossFit

Why is it that every time I start telling people about CrossFit, people immediately ask “Is that like P90X?”

No, CrossFit it is not P90X, and though there are a few similarities, the end goals of the two programs are very different. Let’s take a look at why:

P90X

Functional Movements…check
Muscle Confusion (a.k.a. constant variance)…check

And here is where the similarities generally end. Yes P90X gives you a great full body workout, and yes you will probably lose some weight following this program, but for the average person (who this program is aimed at) ANY program that gets you to move your body vigorously will work. Their “muscle confusion” brand of what CrossFitters call constant variance is just based on your bodies natural stress adaptation process. P90X is enough of a change to people’s daily lives that they will shed some pounds, but a program like this will only take you so far in terms of getting “fit”.

A new player to the game is a program called HustleFit, which is less hyped up than P90X, but offers workouts that are delivered to your email inbox daily that you can do right in your office. No gimmicks or equipment required.

CrossFit

Functional Movement…check
Constant Variance…check
Intensity…check

And here is the main difference: CrossFit’s end goal is to get you as fit as possible. Somewhere along the path to getting superfit, looking good and feeling good just happens. But because CrossFit’s programming includes heavy lifting, and HIGH INTENSITY, you will continue adapting and changing your body well beyond the limits of P90X.
Intensity is really the key. Intensity, and stimulating a Neuro-Endocrine Response (NER), is what actually cause your body to CHANGE. By trying to produce as much power from your body as possible using functional movements, you are by definition increasing the intensity. By increasing your workout intensity, you are also increasing the level of NER.

What does this mean to us?

NER is a high-brow way of saying your hormones. Testosterone, Human Growth Hormone, estrogen, progesterone, and a handful of other chemical compounds in your body that facilitate CHANGE in your body. These tiny molecules are responsible for growing, hearing and repairing the human machine. Firing these processes up means your body is functioning in overdrive. You hair starts growing faster, your nails get longer, and most importantly, your recovery time started dropping.

The key is intensity, and is where programs like P90X fail. Intensity is directly related to the amount of power you’re producing, and thus if your methodology doesn’t include moving heavy loads, you can only improve your power output up to a certain limit.

Bottom line: Ditch the cute outfits and DVD’s and start moving heavy stuff!. Dont be afraid to sweat.