Environmental factors are another aspect we can vary: elements such as time of day, temperature, amount of sleep, altitude, etc. It is important to note, however, that varying these factors can be lower priority for most people unless they are components of one’s job, life goals, or sport — i.e., first responders, mental toughness enthusiasts, or adventure athletes.
\nIn application, we creatively mix functional movements to create short, medium, and long workouts that can be executed at high intensity relative to the physical and psychological tolerances of an individual.
\nThe trade-off for this breadth of fitness is the CrossFit athlete’s acceptance that they may never reach a level of capacity in a single domain that is reserved for the specialist. However, all physical pursuits require trade-off; the domain of the specialist is necessarily balanced on a precipice at the expense of capacity in other domains. The specialist’s strengths tower, but the drop-off to physical inadequacy is only a few steps in any direction.
\nFor example, if we know an athlete is the best deadlifter on Earth, it’s no surprise that endurance and cardiovascular capacity have been sacrificed to make way for this incredible development of strength. Ask this athlete to enter a 5K “fun run” and their physical deficiency in this domain will be obvious. Conversely, the fastest marathon runner will sacrifice strength and flexibility in the pursuit of incredible stamina and endurance. Entering this athlete in an amateur weightlifting competition will highlight several clearly underdeveloped capacities.
\nIn both of these examples, variety in training stimuli is consciously narrowed to produce a very specific adaptation. We recognize that true fitness is a compromise; excessive capacity in one area will blunt capacity elsewhere. Thus, to create a ready state that allows one to use capacity across a wide range of activities, CrossFit athletes choose a hybrid approach: specializing in having no specialty. Variance is a critical tool for the development of this breadth of physical capability.
\nWe aim to ever expand our capacity and push out the margins of our experience by critically assessing the areas of least development and manipulating variables to challenge our weaknesses. We thus create greater, more well-rounded capacity. By repeating this process regularly, a broad, general, and inclusive fitness will be the reward.
\nFor many, the rewards of a broad, general, and inclusive fitness are an increased quality of life: becoming a parent more capable of keeping up with your children, an adventurous athlete better suited to take on unfamiliar physical challenges, an aged person gaining confidence during the tasks of everyday life.
\nFor some, the rewards of this fitness are experienced through increased competency in a profession or sport: the first responder entering a demanding situation with less physical trepidation or the athlete capable of displaying more skills late in the match. These athletes enjoy a ready state that lends them a distinct advantage over those who train exclusively for a singular, specific purpose.
\nTo learn more about human movement and the CrossFit methodology, visit CrossFit Training.
\n"}}]},"header":{"brandBarLabelText":"Brand menu","datePicker":{"buttonLabelText":"toggle date picker","monthText":"Month","navLabelText":"workout date picker","showNextMonthLabelText":"Next month","showPreviousMonthLabelText":"Previous month","titleText":"Find A Workout","todayButtonText":"Go to Today","yearText":"Year"},"desktopLogoWidth":"200","findABoxLink":{"url":"/find-a-box","text":"Find a Box"},"mainsiteCtaLink":{"url":"https://www.crossfit.com/map","text":"Find a Gym"},"headerLabelText":"Site navigation","logoLabelText":"Go to home page","logoURI":"https://www.crossfit.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/29104438/crossfit-logo.svg","mainMenuLabelText":"Main menu","menuText":"Menu","search":{"submitButtonText":"Go","searchResultsLabelText":"Get search results","searchTitleText":"Search "}},"footer":{"copyrightText":"© 2024 CrossFit, LLC. CrossFit, Fittest on Earth, 3...2...1...Go! 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