I often get asked “Is your facility like Crossfit”? This question usually comes from people with little or no experience in the resistance training world. How do they come to ask me this question?
Here are a few things:
1. They read about it online.
2. They see some of the results and think, wow, anyone can jump right in and do what “they” do.
3. Friends that have tried Crossfit.
4. Worries about the ability to do all the things they’ve read about.
First of all, let me go on record as saying I am a Fitness Trainer who is NOT against Crossfit. I truly believe that various stimuli are necessary to achieve results in the fitness arena, no matter what your goals are. There is a WEALTH of information out there on Crossfit and what it does and what it can possibly do for people who are willing to commit to it.
Here are a couple MAJOR differences between Crossfit and Personal Fitness Training:
1. Personal Training is done in a setting that should be specific to your goals and allows for pre-existing conditions in your current health state. Crossfit is purely a group exercise class that uses the WOD (Workout of the day) format. The WOD is formulated by a Crossfit coach prior to the class beginning.
2. Crossfit uses multiple stimuli including Olympic style lifting and plyometrics to effectively work their classes. These lifting and exercise styles do NOT allow for people who have repetitive stress injuries or prior injuries such as surgeries. Personal Fitness Training done properly works towards FIXING stress related issues as well as other injuries to correct the body.
My synopsis in all of this is this. If you are in general good health and do NOT require a lot of coaching, teaching or care in your exercise regimens, Crossfit (WOD) and classes of the like may be a great option for you as they are scripted and timed out. If there are pre-existing conditions in your current health and you need more guidance as well as corrections to your body, then Personal Fitness Training is your best bet.
Personal Fitness Training is an effective tool in making major gains in your current health status. Personal Fitness Training is INDIVIDUALIZED based on your Health Status Questionnaire and an evaluation. This will dictate what course of action is taken with your GOALS. I encourage all who read this who have questions to contact a Certified Crossfit coach or Personal Fitness Trainer. They can best answer any questions, concerns and course of action you can take!
