FITNESS: Too Fit To Be Cross
It’s more than just a workout program. CrossFit has become a cultural phenomenon.
Story and photos by Cindy Sosroutomo
As they say in fitness circles, sweat is just your fat crying. If that’s true then what’s left of Nuno Paul’s body fat is in absolute hysterics following a gruelling workout at Auxiliary CrossFit in Toronto.
The 36-year-old business owner and entrepreneur took up the latest fitness craze last March after growing tired of his regular gym visits. He wanted a workout that was fast – and fun – something that would free up some time during his busy workdays. Enter CrossFit, an hour-long strength and conditioning program founded by Greg Glassman in 2000 in California, which is purported to enhance 10 key physical qualities: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, stamina, power, speed, balance, accuracy, coordination and agility. What the program emphasizes is that it’s better to be a ‘jack of all trades rather than a master of none’, to enhance all areas in order to achieve overall general fitness. It’s an ethos that has caught on like wildfire.
“CrossFit has certainly grown in Toronto over the last two to three years,” says Jordan Symonds, Co-Owner and Head Coach of Reebok CrossFit Liberty Village. “It’s become popular because people are able to see results very quickly due to the intense nature of the workouts. We have around 220 members now with most of them coming three times per week or more.”
There are currently over 10 CrossFit gyms in the city, each adopting the same methodology yet enforcing a different workout program every day. Over at Auxiliary CrossFit, which welcomes 150 members in total, Paul and the rest of the class (comprised of an even split of males and females, including one very pregnant individual) is instructed by the head instructor to begin with a 15-minute warmup that consists of a series of exercises like arm/leg swings, high knees, walking lunges, box jumps, strict press and burpees. This is followed by five minutes of ‘Mobility’, which on this day includes the use of a lacrosse ball to roll out the shoulders. All this eventually leads up to the Workout of the Day, or more commonly known as WOD, comprised of two 15-minute segments designed to sweat your socks off under the guise of fun and camaraderie.
“There are a few WODs that you’ll do more than once but more often than not, everyday you’re being challenged with a new combination of movements,” Paul says. “That’s what keeps it fun and different. When I was going to the gym I was doing the same thing all the time and most times I would hardly break a sweat. With CrossFit, I’m drenched sometimes just by doing the warmup. That’s why I love it.”
If going by appearances alone, it would hardly look as if Paul’s enjoying himself. During the first half of WOD in which the class practices Split Jerks (think Olympic weight lifting and you get the drift), Paul literally shakes in his boots with the weight of the world (or, more specifically, 175 pounds) raised high above his head. But this, unbelievably, is considered peanuts when compared to the second half, titled AMRAP for As Many Rounds As Possible. This involves completing continuous rounds of 10 pushups and 25 air squats within the allotted time. In other words, it is a hellish way to spend 15 minutes.
But a funny thing happens when the clock runs out – Paul rises from the floor after completing 13 rounds and 25 reps, panting heavily, sweating profusely, then breaks into a massive Christmas-morning grin. It appears that he has, in fact, been having the time of his life. Go figure.
“Sometimes I’ll look at the WOD for the day and think, ‘Whoa, how am I going to do that? There’s no way!’ But then when I’ve completed it I feel amazing,” he says. “You think sometimes of quitting during the WOD but the other people in the class won’t let you, they’re always there to support you. It’s almost like going to war and making sure everyone comes out alive.”
All this talk of war and the grunts, groans and tears that come with battle can be intimidating to any newcomer to CrossFit. But according to Symonds, a former athlete who credits the program for changing his life, there’s no reason why everyone – no matter the age, gender or fitness level – can’t sign up.
“Anyone can definitely do CrossFit,” he says. “Everyone starts at different levels of fitness and the weights and movements we utilize are infinitely scalable to accommodate for this.”
This freedom to scale and customize workouts can explain why CrossFit has gained such a following among women, including Catherine Nelson, a 26-year-old registered nurse at Toronto General Hospital. When she first joined Auxiliary CrossFit last summer, no one expected her to lift more than she was able. She started her split jerks with just the bar, then slowly worked her way up to 105 pounds by December. By the end of the month, she had successfully tacked on an additional 20 pounds, a major feat for someone with such a tiny frame.
“Scaling is a very real thing, everyone does it all the time,” she says. “If you don’t scale workouts to your level you will never build confidence or strength. I scale practically all of my workouts, but they’re challenging for me and that’s what matters.”
Whether you’re lifting 100 pounds or 300, the point of CrossFit is that it’s tailor-made for each individual. And the results are obvious – Paul, who started with a gut, has since lost inches around his waistline and dropped 7% of his body fat, while Nelson now sports defined arms and a toned back and butt that most women would envy. But as both are quick to point out, it’s not enough to just work out and lift heavy things. CrossFit is a lifestyle entirely on its own.
“It isn’t just about exercise. It’s about total body awareness, nutrition and the respect you have for yourself and your body,” adds Nelson. “I believe that by doing CrossFit, I have a mental balance where going into work isn’t as emotionally or mentally taxing anymore. I didn’t feel this balance and vitality with all the other types of physical activity I’ve done in the past.”
All this is well and good but as we’ve seen over the years, fitness trends have a way of coming and going in the blink of an eye. The ThighMaster, Jazzercise, Nordic Track, Tae Bo, Bowflex, WiiFit – all victims of ‘The Next Big Thing’ and never to be heard of again. So this begs the question: does CrossFit have staying power?
“Absolutely,” Symonds says. “It’s the most effective training program today because it’s broad, inclusive as well as open-minded to incorporating whatever aspects of fitness that will bring great results. CrossFit is definitely here to stay.”
