Sunday, September 10, 2006

Crossfit: Forging Elite Fitness

Forging Elite Fitness. Well, it is unlikely Crossfit will take you to elite status, but it is a pretty good general physical preparation (GPP) program. Taking a look at the Athletic Skill Standards provided by Crossfit North, anyone who makes it to the top will truly be a well-rounded, multifaceted athlete - no one trick ponies here. Yet, I don't really see anyone making it to the top. Well, not performing all of the skills at the same time. There are just too many markers that would require specialized training to achieve. Don't take my word for it, look for yourself at the standards: Crossfit North's Athletic Skill Standards. The skill standards go from Level 1 Beginner status up to Level IV Elite Athlete status. It is a good list to give you plenty of goals to shoot for but don't bank on being able to do them all at one when you get into the top tiers.

Anyways, back to Crossfit. Many people have convoluted notions on the definition of fitness simply because there are so many different definitions. Everyone has an opinion; like Clint Eastwood says, "Opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one." Crossfit has formulated its own opinions on the methodology of developing balanced and "total" fitness. Taking into account numerous modalities like gymnastics, bodyweight exercise, Olympic lifting and so on, Crossfit emerges as a great set of principles for top shelf GPP. You can follow the workout of the day on the main webpage of Crossfit's site, or you can take the initiative and use the principles of the Crossfit program that suit your training needs and tailor a program around you own individual goals. Check out Crossfit journal 6 for a nice breakdown of the Crossfit template.

For more information on Crossfit, and the Crossfit definition of fitness, browse their free article from the Crossfit Journal, which can be accessed at Crossfit Journal: What is Fitness?. If the article peaks your interest and you want to know more about the Crossfit methodology be sure to check out the following article provided by Crossfit: Crossfit Foundations

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