With so many workout programs available, it's easy to believe they are all the same just with different names. CrossFit is a core cardiovascular strengthening program that focuses on a variety of fitness goals including balance, coordination, strength, power and speed. Police academies, special ops units, and hundreds of martial artists and professional athletes use CrossFit as their strength training and conditioning program.
PROGRAM BASICS
CrossFit is a fitness program that combines cross-training workouts and diet strategies. Though the program is known for its simplicity, due to the small variety of workouts, the program itself is intense. The secret of the program is to do as many deadlifts, squats, pushups, pullups as well as other exercises as fast as you can in a short amount of time. Online, CrossFit provides many workout ideas, exercise demos as well as the Workout of the Day. Choose to work out at home or find a CrossFit gym or certified trainer near you.
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DIETARY GUIDELINES
The CrossFit program provides dietary guidelines that help support this kind of intense workout program. The program encourages members to eat a diet full of vegetables, lean meats, a small amount of starch and no sugar. Specifically, the program states a member's diet should draw 30 percent of its calories from protein, 30 percent from fat and 40 percent from carbohydrates. The program advises against eating certain foods such as sweets, bread, soda and rice, among other foods.
EXERCISE EQUIPMENT
In order to perform CrossFit workouts, it is essential to have access to a pullup bar and a weight set as well as a place to do dips. If you choose to work out at home, other important equipment to have include gymnastics rings or parallettes, kettle balls, medicine balls, and a climbing rope. A typical exercise routine may include gymnastics, Olympic-style weightlifting, power lifting, martial arts and cardiovascular activities such as rowing or swimming. Greg Glassman, creator of CrossFit, encourages participants to mix and match as many workouts as possible, keeping them short and fast. Routine, he claims, is the enemy.
CUSTOMIZABLE PROGRAM
Whether you are an Olympic athlete or just starting a fitness program, CrossFit is designed to fit your fitness needs. While the overall workout program stays the same, the amount of weights and/or the intensity of the program is customizable until your fitness levels improve. As your fitness levels improve, the program will progress into high-intensity cardio and strength training workouts
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