Crossfit sport is an exercise and training system that is centered on functional movements. It incorporates constantly-varied workouts, heavy loading and short durations of work (intensity). The routines are designed to recruit as many muscles as possible in each session. Compound exercises such as barbell cleans, burpees and handstand pushups burn a lot of calories. They also help to improve strength, power, agility, coordination and balance.

Performing the same workout over and over can lead to progressional overload, which is where the body gets used to the exercise and its benefits diminish. Changing up workouts and incorporating more compound exercises helps to mitigate this issue. CrossFit also focuses on short durations of work and high repetitions, which is another way to avoid plateaus.

CrossFit as a Sport: The Ultimate Guide to Competing, Training, and Thriving

Athletes in the sport compete against each other with a variety of events that range from max weight lifts to a 40-minute rowing competition. The workouts are kept a secret until the day of the competition and include sprints, circuit training, swimming, cycling and more.

CrossFit is a great option for those interested in working out in a group setting, with thousands of affiliate gyms worldwide. However, it’s not the ideal training method for those who want to develop sport specific skills, such as a basketball player getting better at dribbling and passing, or a hockey player developing their stick handling ability.