Exercise and fitness as a whole has incremently increased in terms of it's overall popularity worldwide as well as how it is utilised to improve all aspects of life. We can see it's values from overall health benefits in the general population to the widespread following of the bodybuilding/fitness scene. With these increases in research and the contnued application of training and exercise we have stumbled upon a trend of different training styles, techniques, routines and programmes. Amongst these, a sport has emerged which has spread like wildfire across the USA and worldwide.
What is cross fit and Functional Training?
CrossFit is a fitness company founded by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai. This is promoted as a physical exercise Philosophy and a competitive sport. The basis of CrossFit is the incorporation of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Olympic Weightlifting, Plyometrics, Powerlifting, Gymnastics, Calisthenics, Strongman and other exercises, which would explain the origin of the name.
The broad spectrum that CrossFits training methods cover brings me to the other topic which is Functional training. As we are aware that exercise and fitness has grown and continues to grow we can expect that it's application would be used to help improve an athletes performance which is where functional training comes in.
All human movement is a combination of various functions and human movement cannot take place without muscular function so it would make sense to create workouts that would better serve the athlete to replicate and improve the movements that they do to help excel in each individuals sport.
Benefits
Firstly I want to point out that CrossFit has been criticized since it's creation for the importance that it places on speed and weight over form and technique. While it is true that injuries can occur more easily if you're using improper form, this is not just something that can be applied to CrossFit. An athlete can injure themselves just as easily in any other workout. Those who don't understand how to protect their core and are not using proper technique are much more likely to sustain an injury. This is one of those clear situations where inexperience creates health risks.
Overall, the criticism of the sport has stemmed from the lack of information provided by the under qualified trainers, which only makes it easier for new members to perform inappropriate exercises.
However with that being said, by joining a good CrossFit gym you should be provided with the knowledge on how to perform each exercise safely and efficiently, helping avoid the potential injuries that can occur with bad form.
Now we can look at the potential benefits of CrossFit, firstly the workouts, called WODs (Workout Of The Day), are constantly varied so you basically get a different and challenging workout every session which are typically short, intense and interesting.
The workouts are based on constantly varied, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) which takes the boredom out of those long drawn out low intensity sessions, additionally research has shown that interval training (higher efforts combined with active rest) is more effective (on a per-minute comparison) than low to moderate intensity workouts for boosting your metabolism and transforming your body.
It is also common for CrossFit goers to become a part of close-knit team as they often support each other whilst training and socialize together. CrossFit gyms which are known as boxes are as much about community as they are a place to workout.
So if you are looking for an alternative and challenging way to train and would be interested in meeting new people whilst potentially gaining great results this may be an avenue you will want to look down.
As mentioned earlier functional training can be defined as a movement or exercise that allows us to perform our tasks with better performance or efficiency. So with that being said the benefits are almost self explanatory, e.g. if you are a professional golfer and are looking to improve your driving swing then functional training would mean that you can replicate the movement as closely as possible and target the muscles used to help increase your speed, form and power.
This style of training can be utilised to improve:
- Strength
- Power
- Speed
- Flexibility and range of motion
- Muscular endurance
- Cardiovascular fitness
- Motor Skills
Functional training can also be used to:
- Achieve a metabolic training effect which helps you lose body fat and get lean
- Get an intense cardiovascular workout which will help improve aerobic and anaerobic energy systems
- Help in injury prevention and injury rehabilitation
- Help improve posture
Diet and Supps
As with every sport you often find a staple diet that goes along side it, bodybuilders often meet the criteria of a 40 Protein: 40 Carbohydrates: 20 Fats - macronutrient ratio.
For CrossFitters the the caveman or paleo diet is the model diet which is typically followed. The paleo diet is 'a diet based on the types of foods presumed to have been eaten by early humans, consisting mainly of meat, fish, vegetables, and fruit, excluding dairy or cereal products and processed food.'
The theory is that evolution has not yet adapted to the advances in agriculture and food processing which has resulted in numerous health problems for the modern human. Coronary heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, obesity and psychological dysfunction have all been linked to a diet too high in refined or processed carbohydrates.
A recommended guideline based on research for those wanting to do a paleo diet is as follows:
Protein - Should be lean and varied and account for about 30% of your total caloric intake.
Carbohydrates - Should be predominantly low GI (low-glycemic) and account for about 40% of your total caloric intake.
Fat - Should be predominantly monounsaturated and account for about 30% of your
Calories - Total caloric intake. should be set at between 0.7 and 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass depending on your activity level. The 0.7 figure is for moderate daily workout loads and the 1.0 figure is for the more intense training sessions
Along side this diet and training regime you may want to throw in some supplements to help improve your performance and recovery.
Creatine is arguably the most intensively researched and proven to be effective supplement on the market, it's benefits range from increasing muscular strength, improving recovery between bouts of exercise and recent research has also found it to aid in cardiovascular endurance as well as muscular endurance which is ideal for a CrossFit athlete. 3-5 grams pre and post workout and 3-5 grams with your first meal on non training days seems to be an optimal dose.
Beta Alanine
Is a naturally occurring non essential amino acid which increases the synthesis of carnosine. Carnosine helps to stabilise muscle PH levels by taking in Hydrogen ions (H+). These hydrogen ions are released at an accelerated rate during bouts of intense exercise lik Crossfit training which causes your muscle PH levels to drop, meaining they become more acidic. So essentially beta alanine is perfect to delay the symptoms of fatigue during intense training sessions which makes it perfect for CrossFit style training. A dosage 2- 3 grams pre workout is suggested and is also thought to help improve the effects of creatine.
Carnitine
Is an amino acid that is made from lysine and methionine. You can get a few different forms of carnitine, such as acetyl-L-carnitine and L-carnitine tartrate. This amino acid is a potent and stimulant free fat burner, it is responsible for the transport of fats into the cells to be used for energy in the body. By raising muscle carnitine levels, you promote the process of burning fat, and because your body becomes more efficient at doing so, it will increase your overall energy levels. Increasing muscle carnitine levels will also improve your performance by sparing glycogen, burning more fat, optimizing hormone levels and clearing muscle lactate. The suggested dose for optimal results is 1-2 grams pre and post workout.
Zinc and Magnesium
Have been combined with B6 to create the well known supplement ZMA. The main use for ZMA is for it's improved effect on REM sleep which is vital for muscle recovery. Studies have also shown that it can increase testosterone levels
The recommended dosage for optimal effects is Magnesium - 450mg at night and Zinc - 30mg at night.
