Last updated 07:00, Friday, 11 April 2008

AT LAST, I have got round to discussing the biggest fitness craze the world has seen - crossfit.

It is developing into the most credible workout revolution since Joe Weider made bodybuilding popular.

In my opinion I think of crossfit as having the musketeer principle ‘all for one and one of all’.

It’s a principle that applies to every level whether you are a beginner or advanced.

It deals with strength and conditioning and goes against some of the training principles that you may think exist.

The best aspect of crossfit is its belief in the dedicated training individual.

The workouts aren’t necessarily for the faint hearted but throughout all the workouts demonstrated you will notice one trend and that is intensity.

Ah yes, it puts a shiver up anyone’s back when they think of fitness, but it’s the only thing that will get you the goals you need.

The website delivers everything you thought it would do from America.

It’s brash, in your face and at times over the top, exactly what you need to kickstart your training.

Why does America have so many world champions? Yes, it’s a massive country and yes they have all the equipment and funds.

The real answer though is their motivation and belief that they will become the best. Britain downplays their chances, Americans are there to say we can and they normally succeed. After watching five minutes of their workout demonstrations you quickly get that adrenaline rush and you start thinking I want to try that.

Every workout that is demonstrated gives you something different.

The equipment isn’t conventional, it’s geared to get you away from the gym.

Crossfit have tutorials which will teach you the key exercises and they also have a kids section which is brilliant. There is general nutrition advice and it tells you of ways to get started. The exercises and video demos are brilliant and give you an idea of what the people performing them feel like. There is a frequently asked questions section that gives you every bit of information you ever thought of asking. One of the biggest tips I found was where you could actually buy the equipment from. It also gives lists of training seminars in this country but generally you have to be quick to book as most them sell out very quickly.

I’m sure the gym has its place and I still go to one so it would be daft of me to say never go to the gym again.

What I would say however is there is more to life than just the gym. Crossfit has many programmes and different exercises to maximise your potential. I would incorporate some of that into the program you currently have. There is a tabata video demo on the website where two people are on the treadmill working fully to their potential. If you haven’t got a treadmill at home then this is where the gym is needed. Crossfit’s concept is to get you to use the space you have, for example if you have a garage put equipment in there and been imaginative with it.

Yes, there are many seminars and certification courses run across the UK now, unfortunately they do sell out quickly. The thing is there is loads of different fitness courses people can undertake these days, my advice is take the courses you think will add some benefit to you. Crossfit tutorials are on the website and Youtube so if you wish to understand what they preach then watch them.

Most of the equipment used is based around delivering intensity. They mention the concept two rowing machine a number of times and are heavily touting the Olympic power movements. Most of this equipment you can purchase from anywhere on the web, in fact concept two rowing machines have a very good website worth visiting www.concept2.co.uk. Crossfit do actually give a list of websites that you can purchase equipment from so just have a search on there.

To be honest there’s far too many to look at and they are all good. Visit the WODs on the site and click on anyone of them. I would look at some of the tutorials because they will give you an insight into how to perform certain exercises.

Not really, it’s close but HIIT generally concentrates on timed intervals where crossfit tries to teach a different way. For example, take a normal HIIT, one minute of the treadmill, one minute on the rowing machine, one minute on the versa climber etc. Crossfit however looks at the gain and considers the technique, so from HIIT you get 500m on the rowing machine then without rest 21 reps on barbell snatch.

Both techniques and examples are difficult but think of the application. What happens when you perform one minute of cardio after one another? You become exhausted, lactic acid builds up quickly and you become very fatigued.

What about the crossfit method? You have a mixture of cardio and weights, but not just any weights exercise an Olympic method that is used to condition the body. This reduces glycogen levels more whilst conditioning muscle, whilst the rowing machine is fatiguing the body.

Both are similar in design but different in implementation.