Jay Jensen found an interest in CrossFit as a wrestler and general athlete and has also found it to be a great way to improve his health and fitness.
CrossFit has to be one of the biggest fitness trends of the last 15 years. The California based workout programs were’nt for everyone due to its emphasis on interval training and weightlifting techniques but for those who loved it they really fell for it, Jay Jensen included. Here is why:
CrossFit is high intensity and fast in pace, meaning it can only take quarter of an hour of your time to complete a full workout. These concentrated bursts of nonstop movement, such as burpees, jogs or squats, burns the system. While the key is intensity, there is a hidden skill of motivation. The main goal of CrossFit is to push yourself to do the most you can in a small amount of time. You can’t cheap reps or take extended breaks in training, CrossFit was invented to max the person out without giving the option to cheat or procrastinate. Unlike gym work or general bulking up. It is multidimensional. There is no basic circuit of weightlifting or one single routine to practice but the program mixes multiple exercises that aim to push all the parts of the body to their limits. CrossFit prides itself on its speciality of never specializing.
As a wrestling coach, Jay Jensen has related some of the ideas of CrossFit into the sport. During a match, an athlete is working quickly and intensely for short periods of time.
Like other gym related activities of sport including wrestling, CrossFit can lead to friendship and community building. The idea of CrossFit is to bring together a group of people whom will encourage each other to push their boundaries and even if you finish last you still get supported and appreciated, because you have pushed yourself to your own personal limit. Everyone in the room has the same goal, which is to make their body be in the best shape possible and this creates a unique camaraderie. All CrossFit classes are led by a coach whose role is to offer encouragement, modifications and push you when they see you are not giving your full effort. These coaches want to be your friend and your cheerleader as much as your guide. Being surrounded by a group of people who invest in health and fitness will encourage you to commit to the program and resist giving in to bad habits.
CrossFit will not only improve your body but will also improve your overall health. The workout will give you an elevated heart rate, increasing your level of cardio endurance. The varied amount of movements will give you increased joint mobility. Coaches will show you how to properly lift heavy objects from the floor and hold them over head, a skill that will decrease risk and injury in everyday life. CrossFit focuses on stamina, strength, power, speed, balance, endurance and coordination. The goal is to promote neurological and hormonal adaptations across the body’s metabolic pathway which will help transform the quality of life in both health and fitness.
Be sure to connect with Jay Jensen on Quora to learn more about his coaching experiences and health and fitness endeavors.