CrossFit Training: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started
Lucas PINOS
8 min
Summary
CrossFit is a recent sports trend that promises visible results fairly quickly.
Having become popular in just a few months, this sports technique combines physical preparation, weight training, cardio and stretching.
In this article, discover CrossFit from every angle, with a focus on specific exercises and the right nutrition for effective CrossFit training.
How does a CrossFit workout work?
CrossFit is structured in several stages to combine performance and recovery.
Each step is essential to prepare and preserve the body for exercise. The practice also includes a recovery period to avoid intense muscle soreness and possible muscle pain.
🥵 And yes, CrossFit is tough! After giving it your all, take some time to relax. Your muscles will thank you, and so will your aches and pains.
Combining physical effort and nutrition for your CrossFit training
A CrossFit workout combines different techniques. You need to know how to balance strength training, core training, and cardio. What's more, this activity can be practiced daily in short but intense sessions. This sport allows you to work different parts of the body and vary the areas used.
This way, you will not only sculpt your body harmoniously and avoid injuries caused by intensive work on the same area.
To get the most out of your workouts, it's important to adopt an effective recovery routine and ensure proper nutritional intake . This will help you maximize your performance and promote muscle regeneration. A CrossFit session is divided into four key stages.
Warm-up in other words: warming up
This phase is essential for preparing muscles and joints for the upcoming efforts. It includes dynamic movements such as lunges, jumping jacks, and active stretching. The warm-up helps gradually increase heart rate, promote better mobility, and reduce the risk of injury. A collagen supplement can be beneficial for protecting joints that will be under heavy stress.
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Skill/Strength also called strength work
The focus is on a specific movement, such as squats, weightlifting, or gymnastic exercises like handstands or yoga moves. This step aims to perfect technique and strengthen muscles.
It also helps you perform the exercises used in the WOD in more detail so you can apply them properly without hurting yourself. This step strengthens your muscles and increases your heart rate even more. It also helps you adopt good posture.
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WOD (Workout of the Day)
This is the heart of your CrossFit workout . This high-intensity, often timed exercise sequence offers several types of WODs. For example, a beginner WOD might consist of a 10-minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) that includes 5 burpees, 10 kettlebell swings, and 15 air squats. The goal is to push your limits while maintaining good movement form. This exercise helps build muscle and strength.
❓To learn about other types of WODs for your CrossFit workouts, check out the following article: What is CrossFit? — The Complete Beginner's Guide!
Cooldown or “return to calm”
To conclude the session, static stretches and breathing exercises help relax muscles and promote optimal recovery, thus limiting muscle soreness. This is also a good time to rest; you can do a short meditation to fully integrate your practice.
Essential Equipment for a Successful CrossFit Workout
Having the right equipment is essential for your CrossFit workout . Here are the essentials for training effectively and safely.
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Specific shoes : Choose shoes that are specifically designed for the specific activity. Their stability is ideal for strength movements like squats, while their lightweight construction ensures comfort for cardio exercises. They also provide good grip to prevent falls.
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Comfortable clothing : Choose breathable, fitted clothing. It allows for complete freedom of movement while preventing chafing, especially during dynamic exercises.
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Protective accessories : Knee and elbow pads are perfect for supporting your joints during intense movements. Gloves and potholders are a valuable aid to protect your hands from blisters during pull-ups or kettlebell swings.
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Proper personal equipment: You should always have a water bottle to stay hydrated. Additional accessories can be used for your CrossFit workout, such as a jump rope, dumbbells, a strength vest, or a strength belt.
🧐 Accessories are not essential to get started with CrossFit, you can absolutely start without equipment.
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A suitable diet : complement your physical equipment with a healthy diet and suitable supplements.
This helps optimize your performance and promote good muscle recovery. When you exercise intensively, it's important to maintain a healthy diet . But that won't stop you from eating a burger from time to time, because you have to treat yourself too! 🍔😋
So what should you put in your shaker?
The Importance of Nutrition to Support CrossFit Workouts
CrossFit training is an extremely intense series of movements. That's why many professionals recommend proper nutrition to support your workouts.
WODs intensify the process of muscle catabolism while also putting a lot of stress on the joints. For CrossFit, several factors must be taken into account:
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Support muscle well-being and growth with amino acids like the BCAA formula. It helps optimize workouts and better manage recovery phases after training .
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A sufficient protein intake to promote muscle growth and maintain good bone structure. The Whey Isolate formula complements perfectly with BCAAs to provide an ideal nutritional intake for your CrossFit workout. In addition, Whey supplements can increase muscle strength in adults over 55. This protects the body from the degeneration associated with natural aging.
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Creatine to enhance your performance and preserve your muscles. Creapure® Creatine Complex has a purity greater than 99.9%. It's perfect for maximizing your performance.
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Finally, marine collagen to support joint well-being, which is highly stressed by repetitive CrossFit movements.
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Tips for optimal recovery after a CrossFit workout
Since CrossFit is a physically demanding practice, it is important to adopt a good recovery routine.
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💦 Stay well hydrated every day and during CrossFit training. During your sessions, you can choose drinks rich in electrolytes: mineral salts, potassium, calcium and sodium.
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🤸♀️ At the end of each class, book a static stretching session to relax muscles and avoid soreness.
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🪫 In your diet routine, BCAA will be ideal during or after training to regenerate muscles. Whey isolate is ideal to consume immediately after the session for rapid absorption of proteins. While daily collagen will preserve your joints in the long term.
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💤 Quality sleep and rest will help your body regenerate after intense exercise.
During each CrossFit workout, be sure to stimulate different parts of the body to avoid overexertion. In the long run, this can lead to soreness that's difficult to relieve or deeper injuries.
CrossFit training requires high intensity and full-body exercise, making a proper recovery routine and proper nutrition essential. This comprehensive routine aids recovery, promotes muscle repair, reduces the risk of injury, and optimizes your performance.
💪 By combining effort, rest and nutrition, you maximize your results while preserving your long-term well-being.
