December 30, 2008What Is Fitness?If you were an animal what type of animal would you be? P90X-er says, "Lion." CrossFit-er says, "Wolf." Average Joe says, "I like being Human." Almost every CrossFit affiliate website will refer you at some point to an article entitled "What is Fitness?", released 2002 in an issue of the CrossFit Journal. Within these pages is a full disclosure of the philosophy behind CrossFit. You could say it's being toted as the CrossFit bible if there were such a thing. The article is a smart idea. Any venture, whether fitness or business should have a mission and clearly defined goals and values. Not just that, the article does pose an important questions that I believe each individual should ask. How should fitness be defined? More to my point here, is the CrossFit definition of fitness the right definition most people should follow? There's quite a bit to summarize here, but essentially CrossFit holds near and dear 3 foundational principles in measuring fitness. The first standard is achieved by becoming as competent as possible on each of ten skills. These physical skills include the following:
The second fitness standard is the ability to perform a wide variety of tasks. On reading the article, it's just another way of saying work your weaknesses more than your strength, and avoid getting stuck in patterns. In addition, it's argued that fitness training should be carried out in a manner that emphasizes physical movement in real world situations, which do not necessarily conform to a predictable set of one-note exercises. Finally, their last fitness standard begins with an explanation of phosphogen pathways. Essentially, what I gathered was that our bodies can be trained for varying levels of activity defined by intensity over periods of time. The pathways are classified in terms of high powered, moderate powered, and low powered activities of which CrossFit presumes to train a balance in all three. I do think these standards for measuring fitness are reasonable and based on solid research. For anyone wishing to achieve a higher level of health, shaping, and conditioning, it makes sense that these are the areas you would want to target in order to measure your gains and maximize time efficiency. I don't know who started the all-around trend prescribed by CrossFit (maybe it was them), but the idea of cross-training and variety will also be the most applicable to the real world. A well-rounded body will surely be less injure-proned! CrossFit's article becomes a little more controversial as it delves into its definition of "health" and its proposed path to becoming "fit". The term health they desecribe as a spectrum that spans from sickness to wellness to fitness. I don't really believe a line can be traced between the three. Instead, health is about an interdependence between nutrition and physical conditioning. After all, you can be well in regards to your eating habits and nutrients, but you may not be physically fit. You can be fit by their definition but what if reaching that type of fitness injures you permanently in the process? A bad back or a busted knee makes their whole definition of fitness moot. My biggest concern with the article is that the CrossFit vision of fitness may only speak to a short time frame. Perhaps their methodology can transform a person into an "elite athlete" - and that may be perfectly appropriate for Olympians and law enforcement professionals - but what about long term health? Athletes are known to retain injuries that last their whole lives. In fact, this is the source of one of CrossFit's greatest criticisms, where it is speculated that CrossFit participants are particularly injure-proned because of its extreme intensity and the types of workouts used. Most people can certainly achieve a high level of athleticism without exercising to the point of vomitting - something that CrossFit even celebrates on their website as a sign of dedication and intensity. So what is fitness? I'm not one to contradict all the arguments presented in CrossFit's article. After all, I've seen success with P90X - an intense program in its own right, and I continue to experiment with what CrossFit has to offer. If anything, it seems most fitness prefessionals agree on HOW we measure a person's fitness level - similar to the three standards examined here. It leads me to think that the true definition of fitness has less to do with performance standards and more to do with our approach for leading a healthy lifestyle. Fitness can be achieved in more than one way, and CrossFit's definition may be short-sighted by encouraging all people to adopt the lifestyle of professional athletes and emergency servicemen. I say balance your desire for being the lion or the wolf with an equal goal of living a long and healthy life. There's a sweet spot somewhere in your fitness endeavors where you can challenge your body to make amazing gains while knowing where to draw the line. My goal is to erase bad habits from the past, become fit in the present, and stay fit in the future. December 18, 2008Tingly Holiday CrossFit"Tingly" because that was the sensation in my left arm about 2/3 of the way through the WOD - not because of any particular holiday magic! San Francisco CrossFit invited crossfitters around the bay area to Sports Basement at Crissy field for a "special" workout followed by drinks and food and a 20% off shopping extravaganza. Here's how it worked.
My team was all guys, two of whom pulled off 185 lbs. (insane!) the whole way, and the rest of us did 95 lbs. I felt like I was holding back the team because my shoulders were pretty weak on this brisk SF evening. If you're curious, it's kind of like doing an inverted handstand - or at least it feels like the same muscles being used. The pressure on my left wrist is what started my arm tingling. Nothing like cutting off your circulation with about 50 pounds! The event reinforced how friendly the folks are at San Francisco CrossFit. It was good to do something team based and chat with some folks over some wine and cups of meat. December 15, 2008My 3rd CrossFit ClassThe day was absolutely gorgeous with a perfect view of the Golden Gate Bridge. I decided to take the 8:30 AM Saturday class this time at San Francisco CrossFit. I'm still doing P90X, so it's a little tricky mixing in these additional workouts in between my standard stuff, but I figure more variety can only be a good thing, right? Even though it was sunny out, we've been getting hit with a cold spell here in San Francisco. That being the case, I was glad to take some extra time warming up and getting my blood pumping. Warmup included jumping rope, a brief run, and some practice squats. I added in about ten minutes prior from my own warmup repertoire. The WOD (workout of the day) was just two exercises done 5 rounds. 5 Back Squats at maximum weight and max reps Pushups between squat sets. Altogether, it wasn't one of the more challenging workouts, especially since I went easy on the squats to make sure I learned the form correctly. There were about 20 people attending class, and we all ended with some sprints to round things out. One observation I had this time around is the way CrossFitters measure their results. Like in this case, out of the 5 rounds we took our lowest number of pushup reps to use as our "baseline". I noticed something similar at LaLanne, where we counted total reps over the entire WOD. It seems to me that you could get a more competitive "score" by simply pacing yourself in order to maximize reps over the entire workout, rather than expending all your energy the first few rounds. It's a sound theory, I think, if the goal is to "beat the next guy", but is that the goal or is the objective to push yourself as hard as possible no matter what? I'm liking San Francisco CrossFit quite a bit. The people are friendly, and there are plenty of them to meet. I'm going to check out an event this Wednesday at the sports basement that should have crossfitters visiting from all over the bay area. Should be fun! December 12, 2008Jump Rope Double Unders (Power Jump)When I grow up, I want to be this... Insane? Achievable? I'm not sure, but I want to be able to do it! As you've already probably figured, double unders are when you swing the rope twice beneath your feet with each jump. I gave it a try when I was checking out San Francisco CrossFit, and it's definitely a challenging feat in coordination and endurance. I pretty much bought a jump rope the next day so I could give it some more practice. Then, I came across this Buddy Lee video! Although, a lot of people are associating this sort of jump rope workout with CrossFit at the moment, jumping rope has been a training technique for boxers and other athletes for ages. Most people (myself included) are unaware of the versatility of doing jump rope workouts. In my mind, it looks akin to plyometrics with added speed and controlled impact. A lot of people in the online forums seem to think jumping rope is the best way to lose those final few pounds around your waste and other trouble areas. Anyway, I just couldn't resist sharing the video. I wonder how long it'll take me to get anywhere near something like that? December 11, 2008LaLanne Fitness Class - San FranciscoI'm still on a mission to discover as much as I can about CrossFit - a relatively new fad in fitness. I put together a blog posting recently in regards to the free intro session at LaLanne Fitness in San Francisco. Although I'd left with a relatively positive experience, I made note of some disappointments, like not getting a true instructional experience. To my surprise, Chris LaLanne, the owner of LaLanne Fitness, stopped by my website and offered another opportunity to revisit his crossfit center and participate in an actual class. If the sensation I felt after my intro workout was "lung burning", you could say this time I felt like someone had stuck a red hot branding iron down my throat. (I realize these are the kinds of comments that make my workout lifestyle seem insane, but bare with me!)
With doing three rounds of Rows, Wall Ball, Sumo Deadlifts/High Pulls, Box Jumps, and then Push Presses, it wasn't surprising that I was beyond winded by the end of round one - and then I had to do two more. I probably should have paced myself on starting out the gates... but I didn't. I started off pretty strong, and my numbers dipped by the time I finished it off.
On a side note, my siblings seem to be worried about my continued involvement in crossfit. To be honest, I'm not ready to stop checking things out yet. Perhaps it's the challenge that draws me, or maybe it's like having an eating disorder where I just love feeling on the verge of vomitting. My instincts tell me there's still more I need to find out, though, so that's enough in my book. So long as I know that my brother and sister will be there in case I need a fitness intervention, I think I'll be OK! December 3, 2008San Francisco CrossFit ReviewAfter my adventure at LaLanne Fitness, I decided to make my way to San Francisco CrossFit, the other CrossFit center in SF. I'd describe the experience as "quality and casual intensity". I suppose that and "unpretentious" - a lot closer to the stripped outdoor crossfit gyms you see in online videos.
It seems that Kelly, the founder of San Francisco CrossFit, used to be a manager at Sports Basement. He made a deal with the folks there to use the rear cargo space for crossfit, since it seemed empty most of the time. Sounds like a win-win to me. Kelly gets his crossfit business possibly rent free, and he draws a crowd of hardcore fit people everyday who can shop conveniently next door. We started out with jumping some rope for warm up, then practicing kettle bell swings and wall ball throws. The workout of the day (WOD) was 3 rounds of:
20 X Wall Ball (Squat and Throw) My time was about 8 minutes, 40 seconds. I proudly finished with the fastest time, but since it was my first day, I used a lighter ball and kettle bell than the other men, and I apparently stink at Double Unders so I substituted with 60 X Single Unders. Oh wait... what I'm supposed to say is "I'm only in competition with myself..." At the end, the group finished off with bar hanging, leg swingy things that work your arms, back, and abs (sorry, can't remember the name). We also had some solid stretching to finish off the hour. The trainer was knowledgeable, encouraging, and instructive - all good things, I believe. Everyone in the class was quite friendly, too, and didn't waste much time before introducing themselves. Overall, it was a solid one-hour workout, taken at a pace that gets your body sweating it out. At $20 per drop-in, I think it's worth going back - in fact, I think I'll try adding it into my routine once a week. You can also pay $150 per month for unlimited class time. I figure for the price, I can learn some new moves from certified trainers, and I can meet new people from the local fitness addict community! It was definitely an improved second sampling of crossfit culture. I should also mention one glaring downside, which is the limited scheduling for group classes. Basically, there's just morning (6am, 7am) and evening (6pm, 7pm) classes during weekdays to accomodate typical working stiffs, with an added noon time class 3 days a week. Sundays are out completely, and Saturday is a modified schedule. It could be hard getting your schedule to work. I know it was a struggle for me to drag my butt out of bed and drive to one of the early classes today. November 19, 2008LaLanne Fitness San Francisco Free 1-Hour SessionLaLanne Fitness is one of only a couple fitness centers in San Francisco that use the CrossFit methodology of working out. Opening it's doors in June 2008, the center is owned by trainer Chris LaLanne, nephew to Jack LaLanne, the widely acclaimed health and fitness icon. I came across their location on Google, and thought it would be the perfect place for my first contact with crossfit culture. I quickly called and made an appointment for a 1 hour introduction to their crossfit gym. My first impression of LaLanne Fitness was how stripped down the environment looked. Very Rocky-esque, taking the idea of the "garage gym" to a commercial level. There's even an American flag hanging up, reminiscent of Rocky's patriotic boxing shorts that once belonged to Apollo Creed. I liked how their logo reminded me of the "Survivor" TV show logo, as if once I entered the place I'd be instantly transported to the world of reality competition, vying for a $1 million prize. In terms of equipment, they were stocked with about what I expected based on my crossfit research - rowing machine, pull up bars, gymnastic rings, benches, barbells, etc. No other mechanical equpment besides the rower, of course. No locker room, and about 750 sq. ft. of space. I was pretty pumped to be giving crossfit a try, curious to see how my P90X conditioning would hold up by comparison. I even skipped my workout in the morning just so I'd be ready for whatever LaLanne might throw at me. After a brief intro to the crossfit philosophy (same as what you find online), I was taken through their workout of the day (WOD). As fast as possible, I was asked to complete 500m of rows, 40 squats, 30 situps, 20 pushups, and 10 pullups. My time was 5 minutes, 46 seconds. Not bad - I probably could have gotten closer to 5 except for a few snaffoos. I got trapped in the rowing machine for a good 10 seconds, and I think I did 5 to 10 extra squats because I lost count! What I did was essentially a sprint. The only way I can describe it is if you were to pick the first fall day of the season to go outside and run as fast as you can for as long a distance as possible. It was a pretty serious lung burning, heart racing sensation with a definite lack of oxygen to my brain (thus my problem with losing count). On the positive, the trainer was nice, and they've certainly established the appropriate crossfit mystique. Undoubtedly, I would get a rough and tumble workout if I were to join. With a full training staff, I think I could learn better technique with personal attention, and they offer a community of other exercise fanatics. LaLanne Fitness seems poised to branch out as a chain, as well, given the popularity of CrossFit and the Lalanne name. It might be nice to have access to other locations. On the other hand, my one-hour free session was only about 30 minutes long, 5 and a half minutes of which were exercise, and the rest of which was intro/sales/q&a time. I was also disappointed not to see Chris LaLanne there - not because I'm such an important client, but because of the email they send that "confirms your appointment with Chris LaLanne..." I believe setting the right expectations is part of good marketing. The big hurdle when it comes to joining LaLanne fitness is the cost. It's priced as a high end fitness and training center, but with low end equipment, so the value has to come from the trainers, the workouts, and the community. Based on the package, you get a certain amount of class time per week for a certain number of months. To really sell me, I wish they had spent the full hour actually showing me what a class would be like. Sure, my butt got kicked for a few minutes, but there was zero instruction. The price point also put into question what kind of person should actually be joining LaLanne. Is it a worthwhile expense for someone who's been sedentary for a couple years and just ready to get back in the game? I still may join LaLanne Fitness, because it offers a new challenge, and may satisfy more of my curiosity, but I'm still on the fence based on price versus the true value of CrossFit workouts. November 18, 2008P90X Done, Enter CrossFit?The obvious question after completing P90X is "So what do I do next?" I've spent 90 days kicking my own butt and it's paid off in all sorts of ways. Now that I've done all the hard work, though, I feel the need to do something with my newly attained fitness powers! Many P90X-ers tend to repeat the program from square one, sometimes purchasing the P90X Plus expansion pack for additional varied workouts. In fact, I never really stopped after my 90 days, I just started from day one, and cut out the strict adherence to the P90X nutrition plan. I figured I'd do this until choosing the "next thing". But P90X isn't the only buzz workout being talked about in the fitness world. You can't search the fitness forums very far before you encounter something about CrossFit. I learned of it first from one of my family members who gets trained at a CrossFit gym. CrossFit is a fitness movement that's based on exercises used to train Olympic athletes as well as law enforcement professionals. The moves come from the gymnastics, sprint athlete and pro weightlifting worlds. In short, the emphasis is on total body training that focuses on power, intensity, competition, and time trials. Pitched as a grassroots movement calling all hardcore fitness fanatics to bear arms, crossfitters are trying to revolutionize how regular people get fit, and how training professionals and gyms teach their crafts. That video is just a sample of how CrossFit is combining power with speed. There are many more instructional videos on the CrossFit site. Here's a link to one video that shows how far some people will push themselves. I'm going to reserve my full judgement until after testing the waters myself, and I'll share my opinion here. I've already set up a one-on-one appointment for tomorrow afternoon. Based on my initial research of forums, videos, and articles, I do think both CrossFit and P90X stem from the same philosophy. In all honestly, I'm not sure either one is as revolutionary as they try to make it seem - at least not in terms of underlying principles of how to get in better shape. CrossFit, however, as a much more mix and match approach to fitness, has the potential to be more extreme. Some issues regarding the intensity were brought up in this MSN article. Going into this, I've already got questions. 1.) Is there a much higher risk of injury doing crossfit with exercises such as the Clean & Jerk and those crazy power squats? 2.) Is it wise for most people to use the extremes of crossfit to become "fit"? 3.) Is CrossFit a good replacement for P90X? Here's a CrossFit Journal article about the CrossFit definition of Fitness. They are definitely doing their utmost to market from a position of science. |
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About MeI'm an entrepreneur who's steadily become interested in health, nutrition, and fitness over the last couple years. With this blog I'm hoping to keep motivated to get ripped and beyond!
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Teams of 5. One barbell weighted anywhere from 95 lbs. to 185 lbs. for men. Each person takes a turn carrying the weight directly above their head while walking a total of 1 mile as a team. Every time your team needs to transition to the next guy, the 5 of you do a round of burpees.
The WOD (Workout of the Day) was titled "Fight Gone Bad". If that's not a little bit of foreshadowing, I don't know what is. Whereas the two other crossfit workouts I've done have been counted reps - do X number of these and Y number of those and Z number of that, then repeat N times - Fight Gone Bad was a timed workout. So, in this case, there were 5 different exercises of which I did maximum reps within one-minute consecutive time intervals. Then you repeat the sequence three times with an extra one-minute of rest in between rounds. Total time - 17 minutes.
The class was split up into teams of two so that we'd take turns, one person doing their 17-minute routine while the other person recorded results. My burly partner was nice enough to inform me that this was the one WOD where he almost threw up the last time. Wonderful.
I'm glad I had the chance to check out LaLanne again. As my second full crossfit class (after 
Situated right behind the Crissy Field Sports Basement in San Francisco, going to San Francisco CrossFit is kind of like going over to your friends house to goof around in the back. That's as long as your idea of goofing around is swinging kettle bells, jumping rope, and rocketing wall balls up into the air, and your backyard looks like a fenced in cargo area. Sure, I've got friends like that!
