Gutsy Girl’s Adventures: What the HECK????.

Look at the pictures Erica posts in this entry to fully see the difference Crossfit/HIIT training has on your body compared to long distance cardio/endurance based exercise. It’s like night and day and a great example of what this type of training can do for anyone –the hard core athlete to the suburban Mom.

Crossfit is NOT a specialized fitness program. It’s a “deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten recognized fitness domains”: Cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. Crossfit was developed to enhance an individual’s competency at ALL physical tasks. And Crossfit athletes are trained to perform successfully at multiple, diverse, and randomized physical challenges at short, middle and long distances. Crossfit achieves this through functional movement and high intensity anaerobic training. Okay, I’m probably going to piss off a lot of my fellow trail and ultrarunning friends here….BUT there is a big misconception that long distance athletes are fitter than short distance athletes. Here’s the thing though: endurance athletes have typically trained themselves LONG past any cardiovascular benefit and have actually LOST strength, speed, power, agility, balance and flexibility. Their athletic competency has been compromised. It is SCIENTIFIC fact that aerobic activity DECREASES anaerobic capacity, decreases strength, speed and power. (How many ultrarunners out there can jump up to a 24″ box, or do a dead-hang pullup, or squat to parallel without hurting their hamstrings or backs? ) On the other hand, anaerobic activity BENEFITS cardiovascular function, decreases body fat, and is the ONLY way to dramatically improve power, speed, strength and muscle. And what’s even BETTER—anaerobic conditioning will not adversely affect aerobic capacity!