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.

Related Topics

• What are the CrossFit Games?
• No time for the gym? No equipment? Try HustleFit
• Why we shouldn’t use mirrors when working-out

I have been stock piling a list of topcis that I’m going to cover on this site, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I am looking to change the general feel of this space. While my heart is in writing lengthy article-like posts, I plain and simply don’t have the time right now. So I will be using this site as more of a running feed of the fun things I find on a day to day basis. My posts will become much more frequent… but also much shorter. If I find time I’ll dive into a topic more thoroughly, and especially if someone asks me a question. So keep them coming!

While we’re on the topic of not having enough time, I want to share a link with you to a program called HustleFit. As I realize most of you can not share in my luxury of working (read: living) in a fully equipped fitness facility, you are going to love this program. The methods used by HustleFit are geared specifically towards people who have limited access to weights etc., but more importantly, limited time.

Let’s be honest here for a second. Most people, working anything close to a normal 9-5 has very little time left in their day to make it out to a gym for their hour long routine… or even their sub-20min CrossFit WOD. Sometimes all you have is a few minutes between work, fuelling and sleep. This is where a program like HustleFit shines. The workouts that get emailed to you daily are designed to be done in your office, or in a hallway, or in your living room, bathroom, park…, ______(fill in 6′ x 6′ piece of object-free real-estate here). You get sent a link to some videos on how to properly perform the movements and they also throw in a bang-on nutrition tip every once in a while. And best of all, there is no equipment required!

I really can’t say enough good about how this program is structured. Many of principles I use in my own gym have been distilled down to what will work within the limits of normal life. The methods are sound, and based on intensity as the goal of each workout. Plus I love the animal names.

Related Topics

• P90X vs. CrossFit
• The Law of Attraction
• Why we shouldn’t use mirrors when working-out