Crossfit is a functional training style that has recently become very popular. In this article, we will tell you what you wonder about crossfit, the training style, and crossfit-related terms such as “emom”, “for time”, “and amrap”. We also answer concerns such as whether crossfit causes injury.
Happy reading!
What is Crossfit?
Before defining CrossFit, let’s see how the community defines itself: “CrossFit is a lifestyle characterised by safe, effective exercise and healthy eating. CrossFit can be used to achieve all kinds of goals, from improved health to weight loss to better performance. The program works for everyone from beginners to those who have been training for years.”
First of all, let’s not forget that Crossfit is a brand name. Crossfit does not mean a specific training method, it includes many exercises. Many training methods, which we will explain below, aim to improve people by using them in a specific system.
Within this system, training programs from beginner to advanced levels can be varied and applied without limits. It includes workouts that people from all populations can easily participate in, regardless of age or gender. Therefore, Crossfit is very applicable for beginners and can be scaled according to the level of the person.
The important thing here is that these exercises are suitable for that person. An advanced athlete and a beginner should not be expected to do the same training and should be organised accordingly. Coaches and athletes who do this professionally also ensure this.
How Can I Start Crossfit?
Crossfit does not cater to a specific population, people of all ages and genders can go to Crossfit gyms and work out there, regardless of their level, but the important thing here is that the training is appropriate for your level, as mentioned.
If you are a beginner, trying to train with an elite or intermediate-level person can do you more harm than good. So it might be worth paying attention to the gym or coaches you are going to. Of course, this does not only apply to Crossfit gyms; it will be important to find and train with professionals in whichever sports branch you are interested in.
For this, reading this article will provide you with the basic equipment in general and you will be able to choose a coach more consciously.
What are Crossfit Training Methods?
The training methods within Crossfit can be applied for many of the following goals:
- Force
- Maximal Force
- Strength (such as weightlifting exercises)
- Speed
- Agility
- Quickness
- Fitness (aerobic and anaerobic)
- Flexibility
- Gymnastics
- Balance
- Aiming (Military-style aiming and shooting exercises are also used in some stages)
However, there are some training methods that we hear a lot about in Crossfit training. These are: “amrap”, “emom”, “for time”, “interval” and the all-encompassing “metcon”.
Let’s describe these activities in simple terms and give examples.
What is AMRAP?
Amrap means “As Many Reps As Possible”.
Let’s briefly describe this training as follows:
For example, you are given a 10-minute training session and in this session:
- 10 reps Air Squats
- 10 repetitions of Push Up
- 10 repetitions of Pull Up
exercises (the above exercise is just an example).
Within these 10 minutes, you perform the exercises given to you with the specified repetitions. There is no rest in 10 minutes of work, but the important point here is your pace.
If you complete the exercise at a slower pace, you will do fewer repetitions but you will be less challenged. However, if you are in a competitive environment, the faster you do it, the more repetitions you will have done, and the more successful you will be at the end of 10 minutes.
Amrap workouts are Metcon, metabolic conditioning workouts that can be enjoyable but also challenging. It forces you to maintain a high heart rate.
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What is EMOM?
Emom stands for “Every minute on the minute”, which means that in this exercise, the goal given at the beginning of each minute is done and if there is time left, this time is spent resting. Let’s illustrate this with the example above:
Given a total of 20 minutes of EMOM, of those 20 minutes:
- 20 reps of Air Squats in the 1st minute
- Push Up 20 repetitions in the 2nd minute
- 10 repetitions of Pull Up in the 3rd minute
Let’s say you finish the 20 repetitions of the Air Squat exercise in 30 seconds in minute 1, that is, you have completed 20 repetitions in 30 seconds, you have 30 seconds left and you rest in that time.
After the rest, we do 20 repetitions of Push-ups in the 2nd minute, followed by Pull-ups in the 3rd minute. The time you increase is your bonus rest time.
Since the work given to us is 20 minutes in total, after 3 minutes we go back to the beginning and continue the cycle for 20 minutes.
The faster you do the repetitions given to you in that minute, the more rest you can get, but faster can also mean more fatigue, so you may need to pace yourself.
What is FOR TIME?
In these exercises, you are given a “round”, and you are given specific exercises. You have to complete these exercises within a certain amount of time with the specified rounds. Let’s explain it simply by giving an example:
For example 5 Rounds:
- 10 reps Air Squats
- 10 repetitions of Push Up
- 10 repetitions of Pull Up
Let’s imagine that you are given these exercises. The faster you complete this exercise within 5 rounds, the more successful you will be.
The important point here is again your pace, the faster you do the work, the more tired you will get over time, but as you can imagine, the faster you will finish the given work. For time exercises can be enjoyable but also challenging as they are also exercises without rest.
What is INTERVAL?
In these exercises, exercises are practiced for a certain period and rested for a certain period. Afterward, the duration of each round is recorded and compared with the other rounds, and if you are competing in a competition, you can compare it with your competitors. Let’s do a simple example right away:
For example 5 Rounds For Time / Interval / Rest between rounds 1 minute
- 10 reps Air Squats
- 10 repetitions of Push Up
- 10 repetitions of Pull Up
You perform the exercises for the repetitions indicated for each round and rest for 1 minute when you finish. You record and compare the time you finish as indicated. If you finish earlier in the beginning and later in the following rounds, this is an indication that you are getting tired and doing it more slowly in the following rounds.
Benefits of Crossfit
Crossfit training emphasizes multiple training adaptations and motor skills. Especially in competitions, athletes may face many stages such as swimming, running, weightlifting, conditioning, cycling, and military-style training. However, don’t be intimidated by these because these types of workouts are mostly seen in competitions and, as we mentioned at the beginning, they can be lightened or differentiated according to the level. Nevertheless, you can think that Crossfit can serve many purposes and that you won’t get bored with the variety.
For the competitor, it’s not easy to be at a high level in all of these types of exercises. For example, it won’t be enough to just squat or deadlift very well, that is, to do only weightlifting exercises. The differences in the stages can challenge you in many ways, so it is important to see what you lack and program accordingly.
Of course, these are valid for competitive athletes, but as we mentioned at the beginning, these methods can be used in all kinds of populations, from young to old, and can be personalized and supported to participate in studies. First of all, the person should determine whether he/she has a goal to become an athlete or whether he/she has a goal to achieve a healthier, more aesthetic appearance.
Even if becoming an elite athlete is not your goal, you can still participate in Crossfit competitions! There are competitions for intermediate or even beginners. For example, some competitions have categories such as elite, scaled, and beginner (it can vary), so there is something for everyone. It is only necessary to be an advanced athlete when you aim for a platform like Crossfit Games.
I Want to Be a Crossfit Competitor, What Should I Do?
First of all, it is important to realize that being an athlete is a demanding process, it requires a lot of hard work, and it requires years of consistency, determination, and patience. Athletics is about performance, and performance can mean that at certain times you need to be pushed to your limits, which can increase the risk of injury.
This does not mean that if you are an athlete you will get injured, but it is important to remember that such situations can occur in sportsmanship.
Sportsmanship is not a process that happens in a day, a month, or a year. You should really be aware of the requirements of that job and prepare yourself accordingly. In addition to these, if you are very young and a newcomer to this business, it is very important to receive training from the right people in the right way.
In addition, it is not enough to receive physical training, you must also constantly improve yourself and learn the theoretical knowledge about the branch you are doing.
It will also be important to follow who is doing the best in your sport, to work with them if necessary and if you have the opportunity, and to be in the same environment with them.
In short, following people who are professionals in this business, reaching out to them if possible; then finding Crossfit gyms that are good at this business and following the competitors in those gyms; then paying attention to issues such as whether there have been competitors from that gym before, and if so, whether they have championships, can lead you to choose the people or place you want to get help.
Does Crossfit Injure?
In Crossfit, which is a complex branch due to its constant diversity and unknowns, the most curious thing is, of course, injuries.
Injuries are not exclusive to Crossfit, no matter what sport you practice, if you are a professional athlete in the sport you practice, your risk of injury will be higher than someone who does it only to have a healthy and more aesthetic appearance.
The main reason for this is that athletes may need to push their bodies too hard during certain periods of competition or training. At the same time, incorrect training, wrong exercise forms, wrong weight choices, or too high volume training can lead to wear and tear over time.
The important thing is to identify one’s shortcomings, analyze what one needs and use the right training approach.
Now let’s talk about the situations that can injure you while training:
- Improper, incorrect form of exercise,
- Excessive use of weights, i.e. trying to lift more than you can, or repetition,
- Deficiencies in body mobility (Mobility),
- Not choosing exercises appropriate for the level (for example, it may not be right for a beginner to do barbell back squats first),
- Excessive training volume,
- Always pushing yourself in training, never backing down,
- Not getting enough rest…
Research shows that weights (weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, and crossfit) are in a much safer zone compared to running, soccer, and basketball. Injuries per 10,000 hours are much lower in weight sports.
This is because we can approach weight sports in a focused and scaled way. In football, an instant collision or an unpredictable move can cause serious damage, whereas in weightlifting, if you know what you are doing, the risk is very low, and when it happens, it is easily manageable.
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Compared to other weight disciplines, Crossfit can seem riskier by a small margin. Probably the explanation for this is that Crossfit is more spontaneous and competitive. In Powerlifting, for example, the training method is more stable and can be more specialized. In Crossfit, on the other hand, there can be randomness, and racing against the clock increases the risk of making mistakes.
Nevertheless, these are not major concerns for a beginner Crossfit athlete, because the injuries will not come without warning, as the person will be pushing themselves in a conscious and scaled way.
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Why Crossfit Gyms Are Expensive, What’s the Difference?
The difference between crossfit gyms and classical fitness centers is primarily in the equipment and the use of equipment.
Usually, in a classic fitness center, there are so many exercise machines, you can think of it as a factory.
A beginner enters the gym and usually what he or she is going to do has already been determined. Certain exercises on certain machines are practiced without much individualization. The machines can make the analysis and training that coaches need to do seem “trivial” because they won’t throw mistakes right in your face like free weights or gymnastic exercises.
The prices of classic gyms can often be slightly more affordable than Crossfit prices, but they are often less efficient in terms of service and member care.
Of course, it can be useful to work with a one-on-one trainer in such classic fitness centers, but if you don’t have the opportunity to work with a trainer, you may not always get what you want in this context.
In Crossfit gyms, due to the nature of the system, trainers need to be better equipped than in classical gyms. In classical gyms, a trainer may only need to know how the machines work, but to be a Crossfit trainer, you need a lot more. In addition, in Crossfit gyms, the classes are taught as group classes, with a trainer leading the class, who will see and follow you, even if not individually.
Crossfit is not only a group class either, many gyms have so-called “open gyms” or free workouts. Here you can work out individually.
Of course, some gyms have both machines and Crossfit classes, and that can efficiently combine both. You can choose according to your needs.
