September newsletter from Fuzion Fitness

As the need for combining resistance training and a cardiovascular routine becomes repeatedly confirmed by science, so do new and unique ways of marketing an old exercise routine. From the fitness systems touted on late night infomercials like "7 minute abs" to "P90X" there will continue to be new ideas coming our way in the form of "revolutionary" ways to get in shape. Cross fit is one of the popular recently advertised workouts sweeping the nation. It's grown in popularity due to its alternative approach to traditional weight training. Is Cross fit the next best thing in fitness? Or is it just another way to piece together moves and work out principles that are already known to us?

While the idea of Cross fit may be new, the exercises and routines practiced are far from revolutionary. Crossift uses explosive exercises set within a specified time minimums and maximums in order to maximize the most reps possible in the time allotted. These routines and exercises are done back to back with little to no rest as to see how fast one can get through an entire cycle. Basically, the workout is a beefed up circuit training routine with some serious metabolic and muscle building potential.

Many different kind of exercises are utilized within the Cross Fit workout, however the main followers tend to stick to the basics that are more functional and bodyweight based.
Some of these include, Russian kettle bell exercises, tire flipping, hitting a tire with a sledgehammer, pull-ups with momentum "the kip", rowing, running, muscle-up, and there are more. Most of these are geared towards fast paced movements with the most force possible. Force = mass x acceleration, so in essence moving the most amount of weight you can in the fastest time possible. Cross fit also has the "WOD" which stands for workout of the day where followers around the country can login to find out what workout to do that day and then compare scores the next day with their buddy doing the same thing across the country.

Be aware while this is a great way to workout, it is not for the beginner. Cross fit works best on trained muscles that have the endurance, strength, and flexibility to be able to accommodate such fast movements with such little rests. As a beginner your job is to fix postural deviations, create muscular endurance and strength, and learn to properly complete a movement without the risk of injury. Once you have trained your body to handle these stresses then, and only then are you safe enough to try these movements of Cross fit. Like a gymnast you wouldn't try a triple back flip in your first series of training until you have conquered your first flip.

Another concern amongst the community is rhabdo (Exertional rhabdomyolysis), which is muscle damage that arises from overexertion of the muscles. It can happen to anyone, but usually occurs in the untrained, or when high-heat/high-humidity conditions are present and an individual is severely dehydrated and fatigued. Some other factors that can increase the risk of developing rhabdo are: training at high altitude, repeated eccentric muscular contractions (i.e. doing "negatives"), recent viral illness, and taking cholesterol-lowering drugs (i.e. statins). It can, and has, happened to military recruits, marathon runners, "weekend" workout warriors, and, yes, even experienced CrossFitters