CrossFit Training For Specific Sports? Say It Isn't So…

Yes, yes it IS so!!
In my previous blog post, we talked about who CrossFit training is for – EVERYONE! However, there is a particular group of people I want to talk to today – people who are active in sports right now. Those of you who just want to be as fit as you can be already get it; you know that CrossFit is the best vehicle to get you there…and get you there the quickest. You are all welcome to read this post, but if you’re an amateur athlete, I want you to pay special attention.
First and foremost, CrossFit training is predicated on three things: mechanics, consistency, and intensity. This sets the foundation for moving safely, efficiently, and effectively. I think we all know why we want to be safe – there are no stars created on the sidelines. As for efficiency, this teaches our body to use the least amount of resources to get the work done as quickly as possible. And effectiveness – what good is all this training if we don’t get any better?
Moving along, I want to introduce you to 10 of my closest friends in the fitness world: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy. These are the components of fitness that we work towards every day we walk into the gym. Can you personally identify with any of these? Can you pick out your weaknesses? Do your eyes gravitate to your strengths?
Now, I want to zoom in to some specific sports and see if we can make believers out of a few of you:
Baseball/Softball: massive amounts of external rotation ring any bells? Ok, ok…I meant to say “throwing the ball from (insert field position here) to (insert field position here).” What I’m talking about here is flexibility, coordination, and accuracy…all things we address here on a daily basis. 450’ bombs over the center field fence? A lot of coordination with a bit of strength and power sprinkled on top for good measure never hurt.
Football/Soccer/Rugby/Hockey: come on, this one is a no-brainer right? Powering through a big defensive line to get the first down, running by a defender towards the goal, or skating backwards to save a goal – we just hit on strength, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy. Not a bad day huh?
Basketball: rebounding, shaking a guy out of his shoes, hitting the full court game winner. Agility, power, coordination and accuracy.
I sense a pattern…
4^th quarter, 9^th inning, 2^nd half, last minute staying power? Well, that is the cardio endurance and stamina from above. Yeah, we train that stuff too. And we do it all at the same time.
What do the above examples have in common with one another? In each scenario, we talked about movements. We train for movements, not muscles. We don’t care about bicep or lat size. What movements can you do with those muscles?
We care about hip, knee, and ankle extension. How high can you jump? How quick can you cut back the other direction? How accurate is your throw? These are some of the sports world movements that our training translates to.
So how do we do all that?
We teach you how to squat, deadlift, and press. We work the clean, jerk, snatch, and do push-ups and pull-ups. You’ll jump on boxes, run, row, and throw balls at targets. You’ll probably flip some tires and turn some double-unders. Heck, we might even ask you to get inverted and walk on your hands (see the coordination and balance there?)! But you know what else? We’ll work on, with, and through your mobility…bad shoulders, backs, hips, knees, and ankles. Injuries are a part of sport and training – we realize this and will address it every time you come in. We are concerned with keeping you game ready, every day.
But why do you want to do all this with CrossFit? Because we care.  And so do the people working out next to you. This team-like atmosphere will not only foster friendly competition (as much or as little as you want), but it will also strengthen you mentally. A famous line by the founder of CrossFit, Greg Glassman, is that “the greatest adaptation to CrossFit takes place between the ears.” You will learn more about yourself, your limits, and how to push beyond them like never before – I promise you. The workouts draw you in and make you better, it’s the community of people around you that keeps you coming back.
Bottom line, all you athletes need to be doing something to get better physically and mentally! So why not come try us out for a few months…I guarantee you’ll leave fitter than you came.