Thinking of CrossFit to lose weight, or enhance your strength? You might be wondering how CrossFit compares to traditional gym workouts like weight training, cardio, hiit, or even the popular 7 minute workout. Is CrossFit worth the price and the effort? let’s find out.
The truth is, all of these workouts may benefit you; however, each workout has its own structure and unique goals.
What is CrossFit Training?
CrossFit is more than just a workout. Crossfit addicts know… it’s a lifestyle. There are even Crossfit competitions. But let’s start at the beginning. It consists of combining the elements of optimal nutrition with safe and highly effective exercises.
It does not matter if you want to improve your health and get in shape, shed a few pounds, defy your age, or increase your body’s performance, CrossFit is a full-body workout that can help.
It is an appropriate option for those that are just starting out and those that have years of experience in training and exercise.
It takes the best and most effective exercises and movements that are directly applicable to daily life and combines them to ensure optimal benefits for the individual performing them.
Are you intimidated, or pumped?
CrossFit vs. Gym
In the gym, those that perform exercises and weight training usually are placing an emphasis on losing weight and fat loss by building up the strength in the body and building muscle mass. This is often accomplished by performing certain exercises in repetitions in order to successfully form a set.
CrossFit focuses on meeting general goals that will provide a boost to a person’s overall fitness level. CrossFit workouts focus on performing more repetitions in exercises in order to get more of a workout within a certain amount of time.
Individuals that work out at a gym may or may not enlist the assistance of a personal trainer. CrossFit does add a personal trainer to the regimen.
It focuses on tracking results. While considered to be a bit more challenging than traditional gym workouts, CrossFit is designed to start with a person where they are in their health and work their way up, quickly.
Many view the program as being “all or nothing”; however, others feel as if CrossFit is a highly productive and extremely beneficial means of accomplishing health-related goals faster. Goals like losing weight, getting stronger, or improving your reaction time.
Can I Lose Weight with CrossFit and How Long Does It Take?
According to professionals in the industry, it’s possible to lose a significant amount of weight in a short amount of time with CrossFit.
How many calories does CrossFit burn? On average, you should be able to burn nearly 3,000 calories a week doing CrossFit for just over 5 hours.
This is made possible by the “Workout of the Day” exercises that are a direct part of the CrossFit regimen. These combine the elements of aerobics, strength training, and high-intensity interval training.
Is CrossFit Good for You? Benefits and Disadvantages
CrossFit is known as a highly intense exercise program that focuses on functional movements that are ever-changing. It may or may not include the utilization of weights and other types of equipment found within a gym setting.
It allows you to use your own body weight for the purpose of creating resistance so that power may be accumulated. It is a workout that places an immense amount of importance on strength and on conditioning.
So what’s CrossFit good for? There are several pros and cons of this workout. First, we will outline the benefits, as determined by industry professionals:
- Many people prefer CrossFit as it is possible to achieve specified results in a shorter amount of time. It is intense and it is fast-paced. A workout can be performed – with maximum benefits – in 15 minutes or less, each day.
- By performing CrossFit, you are able to lose weight more quickly than if you engaged in an average gym workout, over a certain amount of time. This is because a CrossFit workout helps to burn a higher number of calories than a traditional workout.
- CrossFit exercise programs will allow you to develop strength at a faster rate than traditional workouts. This is due to the overall intensity of the program. Over the course of just a few weeks, you will discover that you have higher levels of strength and that your body changes and becomes more toned.
- CrossFit exercises help to improve the health of your heart. This is because – as you work out – the heart rate remains elevated. This has a direct impact on your endurance. The heart will be able to handle more and more.
- CrossFit is able to improve your overall health. It positively impacts the respiratory system, your coordination, the body’s amount of flexibility, will increase strength, will improve speed, will help increase stamina, and will build your agility levels.
- By performing a CrossFit program, you will be working the entire body. When working out at the gym, you only work a certain part of the body, over time.
- Individuals that perform CrossFit find that their mobility is drastically improved, over time. This is because of the fact that the exercises are based on regular movements that are performed by the body each and every single day. Not only will this help aging populations, but it will also help those that are required to perform physical rehabilitation therapy.
While highly advantageous, there are a few disadvantages associated with CrossFit. These are as follows:
- If a proper workout is not performed, the body could sustain injuries. The CrossFit program is highly intense. It works the body hard and fast. It is such an overpowering workout that if you do not warm up properly, the muscles may experience strains.
- The workouts could result in inflammation within the body. This inflammation could result in a higher risk for injuries. When doing CrossFit, it is ideal to ensure that you consume foods that have anti-inflammatory properties. Not only will this help to reduce the risk for injuries, it will help to encourage the healing of injuries that have been previously sustained.
- CrossFit exercises may increase your susceptibility to injuries due to performing movements the body is not used to. In order to reduce this risk, participants are encouraged to focus on performing certain movements when they are not training. Examples of these movements include stretching, walking, hunching, and those that are similar in nature.
- It is acceptable to work out regularly when you are in the gym; however, when you perform CrossFit, you must allow your body time to rest. If you fail to do so, you will not have the energy to perform optimally during the workout session.
- If you perform CrossFit, you must have the help of a specially-trained mentor. When working with this individual, you must heed all instructions. If you fail to do so, you will quickly find yourself injured.
- It is easy to perform too hard too fast in order to render results faster. You should avoid doing this. If you do, you will find that you run out of energy faster and that you are more susceptible to injuries.
- We all have abilities. We all have limits. Many that perform CrossFit exercises will purposely push past these abilities and limits. As a result, the body will become injured and your self-esteem will take a hit, too. While CrossFit training is all about exceeding limitations, it is possible to push yourself too much.
How much does CrossFit cost?
In terms of determining if CrossFit training is worth it, you must consider the costs, the time it takes, the results you will experience, and the potential hazards associated with this type of workout regimen. Most people pay anywhere from $75 to $225 each month for training sessions. On the lower end, it is not too expensive; however, the higher-end costs a lot.
Your individual health needs and your budgeting requirements will need to come into play here to determine if you can afford this or not.
Is CrossFit for me?
So, do you think CrossFit is worth it? You are capable of accomplishing many health-related goals in a short amount of time due to the intensity of the exercises.
In terms of results, you will likely find that you are absolutely thrilled at just how many benefits you will experience in performing this type of program.
Finally, there are hazards. These are mostly due to the intensity and the speed that you perform the exercises. If you have a mentor or a coach to help you through the program, you will be able to keep these hazards to a minimum. Additionally, you must limit yourself. It is all about the push, but you have to be careful with the pull, too!
If you would like additional information on CrossFit and other health-modifying programs, contact us today.