by nuno costa THE PHENOM In less than ten years Crossfit has gone from
a single gym in Santa Cruz to a world phe- nomenon that includes over 3700 affiliates worldwide. I myself started doing Crossfit in August
of 2008. I attended the Crossfit Games the month previous and was blown away—I wit- nessed a new level of fitness I had never seen. I was never a regular gym person—the routine of it bored me and for the same reason, I could never get into lifting weights. But, what I saw in this was completely different. Ever since joining and then becoming a
coach, I have had the amazing opportunity to positively impact people’s lives by exposing them to the Crossfit process. Quite simply put, it’s a strength and conditioning program. Why it works so well? The power of community and the interpersonal connections made, which are major factors in the success of the process.
IN ONE OF THE EARLIEST CROSSFIT JOURNALS FROM OCTOBER 2002 WORLD-CLASS FITNESS IS EXPLAINED IN 100 WORDS:
• Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep
intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
• Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean and jerk, and snatch.
Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds.
• Four, five or six days per week mix these ele- ments in as many combinations and patterns
as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.
• Regularly learn and play new sports. Bike, run, swim, row, etc., hard and fast.
58 RAGE monthly | APRIL 2012 It may be a challenge
to describe what Crossfit is, but it’s easy to show you—the best thing to do is to experience it. I am blessed to coach at one of the best facilities in the world—Crossfit Invictus in Little Italy check us out at crossfit-
invictus.com. I encour- age you to try our facility or find one close to you that fits your needs. I know from personal experience and from watching clients, that it has the potential to get you in the best shape of your life.
What are you waiting for? CROSSFIT
BEST PART OF CROSSFIT? You have a cheering section! When you participate in a workout, you don’t just show up to do the
workout of the day and leave. Yes, everyone there follows the same routine. The difference? Everyone is engaged, encouraging each other regardless of fitness level, pace or place, inspiring one another to complete the workout.
IS CROSSFIT FOR EVERYONE? Simply put, absolutely. One of the unique things about the Crossfit process is that it’s scalable for
any level. Meaning that everyone and anyone can try it out, kids and clients in their 60s and 70s can work out side by side. The essential difference between the workouts being the weight used, and the intensity, which is relative to each athlete’s capability.
THE BEST PART—RESULTS. Following the Crossfit process, I’ve seen people drop tons of weight, I have seen people accomplish
feats they never thought possible—like doing a pull up, and I have seen people discover who they are because of the self confidence they gain by doing Crossfit.
photographs by justin steele
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