The Treasure Trove That is Crossfit

Crossfit is not only home to a brutal "workout of the day" (WOD) weblog, but a raft of other resources as well, including two free PDF newsletters that contributed greatly to changing my approach to fitness. First up is the free What is Fitness? edition of their newsletter (other back issues are $5 each, or $25 for a subscription). There are so many good candidates for excerpting in this 11-page newsletter, so definitely read the whole thing, but here's a bit on interval training to whet your appetite:

One of the best Internet resources on interval training comes from Dr. Stephen Seiler. This article on interval training and another on the time course of training adaptations contain the seeds of CrossFit's heavy reliance on interval training. The article on the time course of training adaptations explains that there are three waves of adaptation to endurance training. The first wave is increased maximal oxygen consumption. The second is increased lactate threshold. The third is increased efficiency. In the CrossFit concept we are interested in maximizing first wave adaptations and procuring the second systemically through multiple modalities, including weight training, and avoiding completely third wave adaptations. Second and third wave adaptations are highly specific to the activity in which they are developed and are detrimental to the broad fitness that we advocate and develop. A clear understanding of this material has prompted us to advocate regular high intensity training in as many training modalities as possible through largely anaerobic efforts and intervals while deliberately and specifically avoiding the efficiency that accompanies mastery of a single modality. It is at first ironic that this is our interpretation of Dr. Seiler's work for it was not his intention, but when our quest of optimal physical competence is viewed in light of Dr. Seiler's more specific aim of maximizing endurance performance our interpretation is powerful.

Dr. Seiler's work, incidentally, makes clear the fallacy of assuming that endurance work is of greater benefit to the cardiovascular system than higher intensity interval work. This is very important: with interval training we get all of the cardiovascular benefit of endurance work without the attendant loss of strength, speed, and power.

The other freebie from Crossfit is their Foundations PDF, which is chock full of tantalizing information:

In gyms and health clubs throughout the world the typical workout consists of isolation movements and extended aerobic sessions. The fitness community from trainers to the magazines has the exercising public believing that lateral raises, curls, leg extensions, sit-ups and the like combined with 20-40 minute stints on the stationary bike or treadmill are going to lead to some kind of great fi tness. Well, at CrossFit we work exclusively with compound movements and shorter high intensity cardiovascular sessions. We've replaced the lateral raise with pushpress, the curl with pull-ups, and the leg extension with squats. For every long distance effort our athletes will do fi ve or six at short distance. Why? Because compound or functional movements and high intensity or anaerobic cardio is radically more effective at eliciting nearly any desired fitness result. Startlingly, this is not a matter of opinion but solid irrefutable scientifi c fact and yet the marginally effective old ways persist and are nearly universal. Our approach is consistent with what is practiced in elite training programs associated with major university athletic teams and professional sports. CrossFit endeavors to bring state-of-the-art coaching techniques to the general public and athlete who haven't access to current technologies, research, and coaching methods

Then there's the answer to the question, "can I enjoy optimal health without being an athlete?"

No! Athletes experience a protection from the ravages of aging and disease that non-athletes never find. For instance, 80-year-old athletes are stronger than non-athletes in their prime at 25 years old. If you think that strength isn't important consider that strength loss is what puts people in nursing homes. Athletes have greater bone density, stronger immune systems, less coronary heart disease, reduced cancer risk, fewer strokes, and less depression than non-athletes.

... and a final teaser on "Fringe Athletes":

There is a near universal misconception that long distance athletes are fitter that their short distance counterparts. The triathlete, cyclist, and marathoner are often regarded as among the fittest athletes on earth. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

As if that weren't enough, their discussion boards are lively, and they have demonstration videos for a ton of challenging exercises. Great site, even if they have yet to post a WOD that I can tackle without major modification (well, except for the running ones).

Oh, I haven't watched all these yet, but here's a bit of Googling: a bunch of Crossfit Real Videos.