Guest Blog: Crossfit Q & A with Brian McFadden

CrossFit Fever Games 2011 (via Flickr)

Do you CrossFit?  Have you heard of it?  If you haven't heard of it yet, then you will because this form of activity is taking off.  I first learned of it a few years ago because a CrossFit "box" (aka, workout location) had opened up in a garage down the street from my home.  As I looked into it a little more, I learned that this whole CrossFit thing was a whole new workout world to me.  They had their own community with what seemed to be their own language and workouts called names, like "Fran" and "Isabel".  And all I can say is that these workouts look hard core!

I'm fortunate enough to have a friend and colleague, Brian McFadden, owner and fitness trainer at CrossFit iDog in Huntington Beach, CA.  He kindly agreed to a guest Q & A with me so that I could shed a little more light for you on CrossFit.  


In one sentence, how would you describe CrossFit?
CrossFit is a fitness regimen designed using constantly varied, high intensity, functional movements that facilitate better daily living, to optimizing elite level sport performance, and everything in between.

How is CrossFit different from other forms of exercise?
CrossFit is different from other exercise in the way that it combines three modalities, those being olympic lifting, gymnastics, and metabolic conditioning (running, biking, swimming, rowing, etc.) together in high intensity workouts that are never routine. Nothing is beyond the scope of what a CrossFitter is prepared to do.

What separates CrossFit from the typical gym, exercise class, or bootcamp? 

CrossFit is more than about just fitness. CrossFit is about community and encouragement. CrossFit is about high fives and fist bumps. An accomplishment for one person is an accomplishment for everyone. For many it rekindles a camaraderie from the days of high school or college sports and gives everyone a chance to reach goals of fitness or wellness that are otherwise difficult in gyms or classes filled with judgmental stares.

Who’s the best candidate for CrossFit? Do you have to be fit to CrossFit? 

Everyone! CrossFit is universally scaleable and designed to fit the needs of anyone willing to put in the effort. At CrossFit we firmly believe that the needs of a grandma and an olympic athlete do not differ in kind but simply degree.

What are the benefits that a participant might expect to see with CrossFit training? 

The CrossFit regimen is designed for people to excel in 10 fitness domains including but not limited to: Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy. Our protocol for high intensity, constantly varied functional movements (which also happens to be part of what defines us) is unlike any other programming in it's ability to illicit such benefits as body composition, weight loss, increase in bone density, decreased risk of heart attack, and a general well being are among the many.

What’s the biggest challenge that CrossFit participants face? 

The biggest challenge CrossFitters face is understanding how important nutrition is and putting it into practice. Proper nutrition can amplify or diminish the effect of your training efforts in a tremendous way.

  

What does it take to become a CrossFit trainer? 

In order to train at an affiliate an individual must be level 1 certified through a CrossFit Level 1 ANSI accredited certification course. From there he/she may continue to become trained in specialized areas such as olympic lifting, kettlebells, CrossFit kids, combat (all of which which are certified for at CrossFit iDog) among many others.

What do you enjoy most about CrossFit?

CrossFit affords me an opportunity to help people do something in life that they may have never thought possible. It changed the way I live and the ability to share CrossFit that has become such a blessing in my life.

Thank you, Brian, for doing this Q & A with me!  I haven't tried CrossFit yet since I've been in triathlon training mode this year, but I do plan on checking it out.  I'll keep you posted to give you a dietitian's eye view of it all.  If you'd like to learn more about CrossFit iDog, check out the website and Facebook page.

What about you?  Have you heard about CrossFit?  Have you tried it?  What do you think of it?