Origins of CrossFit

CrossFit, as a company, was born in 2000. However, the origins of this sport reach way back into its founder’s youth. Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit was a teenage gymnast who discovered that including dumbbells and barbells in his exercise routine will not only help him get more flexible, but stronger as well. This combination of disciplines led him to come up with a discipline commonly known today as CrossFit.

But the road that led Glassman to this discovery was not an easy one.

The culture of CrossFit

CrossFit, by definition, is a constantly varied functional movement performed at a high-intensity regimen. What this means is that many athletes consider crossfitters to be “jacks of all trades, masters of none”. However, this is not true at all. Since Glassman had previous knowledge and experience in athletics, he was looking only to further improve his abilities. Unlike some other athletic disciplines that focus on improving a single performance aspect, Glassman wanted to create something that will put one’s entire body in peak performance shape. The ultimate goal was the overall physical preparedness.

The focus

CrossFit exercises are centralizing on enhancing 10 key physical traits. These include cardio and respiratory endurance, stamina and strength, improved flexibility, speed, power and coordination, as well as agility, balance and accuracy. By improving all of the traits, it becomes quite obvious how there’s really no match for individuals who have managed to master CrossFit. Of course, since all of the movements are high in intensity, people who opt for this type of sport will need to get proper workout gear. Aside from CrossFit shorts and appropriate shirts – if they’re not comfortable working out topless – a good pair of cross training shoes is simply a must-have. Additionally, CrossFit is heavily focusing on measurable results. This not only enables people who choose CrossFit to track and measure their progress but it also helps them determine any potential adjustments they need to make in their exercising regimens.

The community

The community behind CrossFit is a very unique one. What’s interesting to mention is that back in 1995, Glassman opened his first gym in Santa Cruz. Here, aside from the private civilian training, he was also hired to train the Santa Cruz PD. As he was increasingly becoming overbooked, he realized the benefits of doubling up clients. Not only was he able to charge a smaller fee for group training – but still managed to earn more money in the end; he also noticed that clients seem to have been very receptive to this new type of training. This was the birth of the CrossFit community we know today. What’s unique about this community is the willingness and readiness of everyone to spread the word, assist and educate anyone who might be interested. A sense of unity is quite strong among crossfitters, which is not something that can be said about many other groups.

The popularity

As you may have noticed, CrossFit is arguably one of the most popular workout regiments for people who are not only looking for results but also the physical and mental benefits. Since CrossFit exercises focus on boosting the feeling athletes get when participating in actual competitions, many people who opt for this type of exercises can expect numerous mental perks. For one, practicing CrossFit elevates your adrenaline levels, which also increases your endorphin levels, among other things. This results in so-called athlete’s high which many people find to be quite appealing and beneficial.

So, if you’re looking for an amazing exercise regiment that will enable you to become stronger and use your body to its fullest potential, then you should definitely check out CrossFit. This regimen might seem somewhat intimidating at first, but once you give it a shot, you’ll understand why it has such a huge community of people behind it.