CrossFit for weight loss is quite popular today, both among women and men. The author of this type of exercise is Californian gymnast Greg Glassman. Initially, the classes were developed for special services with the goal of quickly getting representatives of special forces into shape. They began to be used in the USA at the police academy. They help develop endurance, functional strength, get rid of fat deposits and improve metabolism.
Such a system can replace strength training and aerobics, since they combine intense cardio and strength training, which have a positive effect on muscle elasticity and tightness. The duration of such training is from half an hour to an hour. And this takes into account the time for warming up exercises and stretching after the main part.
Why is CrossFit so interesting?
CrossFit workouts use free weights (dumbbells and kettlebells) and work a large number of muscles. A large amount of energy is spent on training, which allows you to quickly get rid of fat. A half-hour workout can speed up your metabolism by about 50%. In addition, CrossFit has a positive effect on the entire body as a whole. For this kind of training to be effective, it is not necessary to go on strict diets. It is enough to combine them with the right low-calorie diet.
Current trainers have a wide variety of exercises. They repeat at a very high speed. But you should not perform them in a weakened state, for example, during an illness or a cold, since the load on the heart increases several times, muscles are difficult to recover, and metabolism slows down.
The exercises in CrossFit training are not repeated, they are very varied, which is what attracts people in the first place. There are elements of bodybuilding, weightlifting, athletics, and gymnastics. The rapid burning of fat and increase in muscle mass makes people interested in engaging in this particular sport.
Recommendations for women for CrossFit training to burn fat at home
- Don't train with just one program. The muscles will quickly get used to the load, and this will reduce the effect of training. Also, the training process itself can quickly get boring, and CrossFit is far from a routine.
- To start, 3-4 workouts per week are enough. Don't train every day, give your muscles at least a day of rest.
- If you manage to train two days in a row (without rest), try not to load the same muscle groups . Example: if you included the back muscles in one workout, then in the next it is better to do exercises for the chest muscles. That is, you shouldn’t do two workouts in a row for the same muscle groups.
- During training, try to take as few pauses as possible. Perform the exercises at a pace that is comfortable for you, but at the same time be constantly on the move. Frequent rest will reduce the effectiveness of the workout and take more time.
- Gradually increase the load. Where it becomes easy, add either weights or complicate the exercises, diluting the complexes with new techniques and more complex combinations.
- When training for fat burning, it is important to ensure adequate oxygen availability in the room. That is, the training area should be well ventilated , because oxygen is the main fat burner, without it the process of lipolysis (breakdown of fats) in the body is impossible.
- After training, be sure to stretch your muscles. This will allow the muscles to recover after exercise and be ready for the next session. Overwork and overtraining will only slow down the weight loss process.
Read more about post-workout stretching →
CrossFit for men
Today, without exception, all girls want to be beautiful and have a toned, sexy body. But men do not lag behind the weaker sex and also try to perfect their powerful bodies. Isn’t a sculpted torso the dream of every modern guy? Fast, strong, resilient - isn’t this the kind of guy every girl wants to see next to her? CrossFit training makes it possible to achieve all this.
It is worth noting that the program for men and women is the same. Moreover, there is no difference in how many years a person has been involved in sports, and perhaps he has never done it at all. Regardless of gender and age, cross-fit training is universal; only the intensity of the training and the speed of mastering the exercises can change.
And the main rule is to do no harm, so you should listen first of all to your feelings. The main thing is not to overdo it and not to try to do more than you should, regardless of whether the classes are at home or in the gym. In addition, before starting classes, as in the case of other sports, it is recommended to visit a cardiologist.
Pros and cons of CrossFit
The dynamism and explosive nature of training helps to quickly get the body in shape, strengthen muscles and develop endurance. In addition, CrossFit develops strength and promotes fairly rapid growth of muscle mass. However, despite the obvious advantages, this type of training also has a number of disadvantages. The main ones include a high risk of back and joint injuries. In an attempt to lift more weight and do it in the shortest possible time, athletes often neglect their technique, which invariably leads to injury. Overtraining is also common among CrossFitters.
Preparation for classes and nutrition
Preparation for classes is an important component. It is not at all necessary to run to the store and buy some special clothes. It will be enough to buy regular shorts and a T-shirt. The main thing is that the clothes are comfortable and do not restrict movement. Shoes must have rubber soles, which will prevent your feet from slipping during training and will help avoid injuries. Be sure to prepare dumbbells and a barbell. But even if they are not in the house, you can use 2 bottles of water and a mop stick.
And finally, food. To restore energy, and, as already noted, a lot of it is lost during exercise, proper nutrition is necessary. That is why you should forget about buns, burgers, chips and other fast food and semi-finished products. At the same time, nutrition should restore strength, and what can help with this better than porridge? In the morning, you must eat oatmeal, buckwheat, and rice, since these are complex carbohydrates that are consumed before lunch. Next are proteins, which include beef, turkey, chicken breast, eggs and fish.
You cannot eat for 2 hours before and after training. If you can’t stand it, you can snack on cottage cheese. As for drinking, during training you lose a lot of fluid, its reserves need to be replenished, so you need to drink often and a lot. Proper drinking is water, tea and natural juice. You can drink a sip of water even during training.
What beginners need to know
Any CrossFit class lasts from 20 to 60 minutes. This is precisely why it differs from the usual slow and monotonous activities, which often tire the human nervous system and sometimes cause a deterioration in mood. The variety of exercises helps at the same time to maintain all the excitement of training, which cannot get boring. You will also need to use fairly extensive equipment to engage different muscle groups during exercise.
The peculiarities of the training are that athletes can train up to 12 times a week. Moreover, it is also interesting that morning classes involve more strength training, and evening classes involve swimming, running or cycling.
Before each CrossFit class, a warm-up is mandatory, which will help prepare the body for active physical exercise. It lasts approximately 10-15 minutes.
CrossFit for men
Development is taking place in all directions. The level of endurance and strength of people involved in this sport helps them easily run many kilometers and lift heavy weights. It’s not difficult to achieve an ideal figure, just train hard enough and don’t skip classes. Only in this case, the excess weight will go away and the muscles will get stronger. All systems in the body are strengthened and begin to work like clockwork. The competitive aspect is also important, because men always try to be stronger and faster among those representatives of the stronger sex that surround them. Competition and struggle are a huge incentive for men.
Within the walls of the “YourRevolution1905” club, we are ready to professionally help you tighten your body and improve your physical shape. Whole sets of exercises developed by certified specialists, nutritional recommendations, “smart” weighing and much more, all this will help you achieve your goal as effectively as possible. For the most effective and quick results, you can train individually (one-on-one with a trainer) or in mini-groups of up to ten people. Come to our classes and we will help you become the best version of yourself!
A set of exercises for advanced
Suitable if you can already easily cope with the first one or have learned to work with your own weight.
The exercises are performed one after another, only three circles, without breaks.
- 1 round – 21 repetitions in each exercise.
- Round 2 – 15 reps of each exercise.
- Round 3 – nine reps of each exercise.
Powerful street workout from a bodybuilder to pump up your back and pectoral muscles
Circuit training with expanders from the absolute world champion in bodybuilding
Raising legs to the bar
- We grab the bar, placing our palms approximately shoulder-width apart.
- We raise our straight legs to the bar until we touch it with our toes. Then we lower our legs down.
Jumping on a stand
- We stand facing the CrossFit stand at a distance close enough to jump in.
- We move our arms back a little, move our body forward and slightly bend our knees, preparing to jump.
- At the moment of the jump, we swing forward with straight arms, pull our knees to our chest and direct our body forward so that our feet are on the cube.
- We straighten our legs and easily jump back from the pedestal.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Kettlebell swings
- Place your feet wider than your shoulders and bend them slightly.
- We lower both straight arms between our legs and take a weight in them. It should be of such weight that you can lift it above your head without fear of dropping it.
- We slightly move the weight back, after which we straighten both the knees and the torso, and carry the weight upward with straight arms, fixing it above the head.
- Also, with straight arms, lower the weight back between your legs.
Crazy cutting: circuit training for fat burning from the absolute champion of the Arnold Classic
TRX exercises to strengthen your deep core muscles. Back health depends on them
CrossFit training program for weight loss
The CrossFit training program for weight loss will consist of 5 exercises, each exercise will be performed in 15 repetitions.
The weight of the projectile is selected in accordance with your physical capabilities. 15 seconds of rest between exercises. We perform 5 circles, 2 minutes of rest between circles. Carefully monitor your exercise technique, breathing and heart rate. Vary the rest time from 1 to 2 minutes so that your heart rate returns to normal. Before training, warm up well and stretch your ligament muscles. Stretch your cervical and lumbar spine using circular movements. And start doing 30 minutes of cardio (running, exercise bike). Main part:
1. Exercise - Thrusters with a barbell (15 reps) 15 sec rest
2. Exercise - Sumo deadlift (15 reps) 15 sec rest
3. Exercise - Push-ups (15 reps) 15 sec rest
4. Exercise - Russian crunches (45
perform for seconds) 15 seconds rest
5. Exercise - Ropes (perform 45 seconds) 2 minutes rest
CrossFit for girls: is the game worth the candle?
Many people know that any sport is beneficial. But in what cases will CrossFit be effective for the fair sex and is it worth resorting to such training at all?
Coaches respond to this issue by saying:
- CrossFit is an ideal way for a girl to quickly lose weight and also help improve her physical fitness;
- With the help of CrossFit you can even fight the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks. Regarding the latter, they cannot be completely eliminated, but thanks to such training they will be less noticeable to others;
- Such workouts have a great effect on metabolism. With regular training, you can improve the quality of sleep, help the body produce hormones correctly and in the right quantities, and also alleviate the general condition of a woman during menstruation; pain in such cases will be much less painful;
- CrossFit improves a woman's flexibility and makes her walk more elegant and confident.
Those who are aiming to try their hand at CrossFit need to carefully analyze all the pros and cons of such training. Many who try CrossFit for the first time rarely return to their usual and monotonous workouts. However, you should take into account the capabilities of your body and be sure to follow the principle of individualism when selecting exercises, duration and intensity of training.
