To say that CrossFit has its share of critics would be a colossal understatement.
Everywhere you look, people criticize aspects of CrossFit or attack it as a whole. Some people find issues with specific exercises; others don’t like the overall structure in each workout. And, of course, plenty of people question the safety and effectiveness of this training modality.
But the truth is, CrossFit isn’t as bad as some people claim. In fact, this training style offers its unique benefits. Let’s see what they are:
- It’s Amazing For Muscle Growth
Training volume, the amount of work we do inside a given workout or training week, is tightly correlated with muscle growth. Doing more work (weekly workouts, sets, exercises, and repetitions) is correlated with superior hypertrophy.
Many people don’t realize the sheer amount of work you have to do inside a given CrossFit workout. Unlike a traditional gym workout, CrossFit pushes you hard and leaves little time for rest. As a result, you accumulate large amounts of volume, which stimulate whole-body hypertrophy.
- It Makes You Stronger And More Functional
While people often like to criticize CrossFit athletes for being weak, this isn’t the case. CrossFit involves lots of heavy training through deadlifts, push presses, squats, cleans, and much more. As a result, CrossFit is great for developing your strength, explosiveness, and whole-body stability.
- It Burns Fat Like You Wouldn’t Believe
Have you ever wondered how so many CrossFit athletes maintain a lean physique year-round? Of course, good nutritional habits are essential. But the demanding training style also plays a significant role in the equation.
Every CrossFit workout involves a large number of exercises, short rest periods, and lifting heavy loads. As a result, athletes push themselves to their limits and burn well over 500 calories. Elite athletes often burn even more.
So, if you’re looking for a way to shed some fat, CrossFit is an excellent option because it allows you to put yourself in a calorie deficit easily.
- It Boosts Your Aerobic Fitness
Aerobic fitness is essential because it makes us more resilient, speeds up our recovery, and allows us to handle more work in the gym and our daily lives.
Weight training has modest benefits for our aerobic fitness, but these are typically nothing special. While also a form of weight training, CrossFit is different because it incorporates lots of:
- Circuits
- High-repetition training
- Compound exercises
As a result, your aerobic system has to work extra hard to produce the energy your body needs to keep working.
- It Saves You Time
How many times have you found yourself saying or thinking, “I don’t have the time to train.” The great news is that fitness is fluid and can assume many shapes, depending on your schedule, preferences, and goals.
CrossFit is a great way to train because you get to condense more work in less time. As a result, you can be in and out of the gym in record time, making good progress toward your goals.