In today's blog, I want to talk about a well-known exercise program. A friend of mine recently suggested I try a CrossFit program. Since I like to try new things and report them to you I decided to go along with her and give it shot. What I found about its efficacy, though, will surprise you.
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CrossFit is a serious of classes using high intensity power workouts that cover a variety of different types of exercises. The training is so intense it's often called a boot camp. The exercises can be done in a gym or sometimes at various outdoor locations such as a park or beach. It includes exercises such as the Murph where you run one mile then do 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats and then run another mile. As you can see, CrossFit is not for the faint of heart.
But is CrossFit a good exercise program for losing weight?
In a recent study by Ohio State University, they followed CrossFit participants through a ten week program. At the end of the study the men had lost 4.2 percent of their body fat and the women 3.4 percent. They also improved their aerobic capacity.
Participants in a CrossFit program also follow a Paleo diet. On this diet you eat grass fed beef, fish, fresh fruits and veggies, eggs, nuts and seeds and healthy oils. You cannot eat any grains, dairy, refined sugar or flour, potatoes or any processed foods. This begs the question is the weight loss due to the diet or to the exercise?
The good news is, CrossFit does burn a lot of calories and will probably help you lose body fat. The bad news is, within the study mentioned above, 16 percent of the participants were forced to drop out due to injuries. This is a relatively high number for a ten week program. So the chance of injury is higher with CrossFit training then with lower intensity workouts.
If you're just starting an exercise program, I would NOT suggest a CrossFit program. It's designed for people who have already been working out on a regular basis. If you do decide to try a CrossFit program be absolutely sure you're working with a certified trainer. There are big differences in programs that go by the name CrossFit and not all are lead by qualified teachers. This only increases your chances of being injured. There are no real standardized requirements, so a CrossFit program in one place may be completely different than somewhere else.
You may want to give a CrossFit program a try the same as I did. See how it works for you. Just be aware of the high risk of injury and be willing to stop the program if it's causing more harm than good.
My personal experience was I found CrossFit very painful. I find I can achieve the results I want without the high intensity power training. You know I think that a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise is the best way to lose weight and keep it off long-term.
Image via Corbis
