Have you ever thought about what the word “fitness” means? Have you considered how far reaching and important fitness is? Have you wondered how to achieve it? Is it mainly achieved through exercise? Many years ago, the founder of CrossFit, Greg Glassman, came out with his manifesto, “Fitness in 100 Words.” It reads:
“Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean and jerk, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc., hard and fast. Five or six days per week, mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.” —Greg Glassman, CrossFit Founder
Not necessarily easy, but definitely simple. Let’s take a closer look.
First, it starts at the foundation: Nutrition! Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Build your meals around whole foods in a quantity that supports exercise but will not increase body fat. What is a whole food? It is one that does not need a nutrition label or an ingredient list. It is eaten as close to its original state as possible. Meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds fuel the body. Chips, pizza, ice cream, while okay to eat on an occasional basis, are not quite so helpful. Without proper nutrition, true fitness and a healthy body composition cannot be achieved. It is the foundation every athlete must focus upon first. We wouldn’t put apple juice in our cars to keep them moving. Why would we want to try to fuel our bodies with foods that aren’t meant to fuel and nourish us and help us feel amazing?
Next in Glassman’s list are the modalities of exercise that have influenced CrossFit the most: Practice and train major lifts: deadlift, clean, squat, presses, clean and jerk, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc., hard and fast. Strength, gymnastics (bodyweight movements), and monostructural activities (cardio) are all interwoven in CrossFit workouts with the goals of strength, speed, cardiovascular endurance, and good body control. All of these are important! We don’t focus on one to the exclusion of the other. This combination creates a well-rounded body capable of meeting many of life’s challenges both in and out of the gym.
The third focus in his definition is consistency, variety, and intensity: Five or six days per week, mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Variety keeps our workouts from being boring and it keeps the body guessing. It allows us to continue to adapt physically and mentally. Consistency helps us to see results. Fitness cannot be achieved with sporadic workouts. The work must be done frequently in order to see change. Finally, short and intense workouts are efficient and effective. We don’t need to spend hours working out in order to gain fitness when we work with intensity.
Finally, Glassman encourages us to use the skills and the fitness we have gained: Regularly learn and play new sports. We have quite a few athletes in CrossFit Dwell who have used the training they do here to help build strength and endurance other sports. Billy has done multiple Spartan races. Michael has run a half marathon and many more races. Tiffany is working on her Olympic lifts. Karen R. is playing golf and pickleball. Jennifer found skiing easier. And Nick has participated in Spartan races and he recently picked up pickleball. Outside of that, though it isn’t a sport, Jamie uses the strength and endurance she has gained to enhance her job as a firefighter. The list could go on. We see our athletes trying new sports all the time! They have gained confidence and strength from the workouts we do in our gym.
My encouragement to you is to keep working toward FULL fitness. Start with nutrition and follow with all the basics Glassman mentioned in his manifesto. In addition, include getting adequate sleep and water, finding ways to manage stress, and building community into your life. Why? These activities will help you live life more fully now and in your future. It can mean the difference between living a strong and independent life well into old age or not.
Need help getting started with nutrition or working out? CrossFit Dwell is serious about helping you achieve fitness! Click Free Intro and we will set up an appointment to chat.