Is CrossFit the Sport of Fitness?

Is CrossFit the Sport of Fitness? It uses high intensity workouts combined with Olympic lifting moves, strength training and gymnastics to build strength, speed, power and endurance. So does it work? Sure you may be getting stronger, and you may have cut your Fran time in half, but are you truly improving your aerobic capacity?

There are a lot of articles out there both promoting and condemning the extent of energy system crossover from training with a CrossFit style program.

So to put this uncertainty to rest, a couple of the guys from Evolutio Sports Physiotherapy are setting out to test the extent of movement and energy system transfer by entering into a 45-kilometer run through the Victorian Alpine Region.

Both Alex and James have been predominantly training with a strength bias for the past 12 months, with both playing AFL football the year previous, so stepping up to the 45 kilometer distance will be a true test of aerobic capacity for both runners.

Team Evolutio were given only one month to prepare for the run as this is not long enough to create physiological adaptations to the aerobic system, but enough time to work on technique and volume familiarisation.

The training program set out for both runners is aimed at maintaining a decent strength and power base utilising a conjugate training system during the week with additional sessions dedicated to running whilst increasing volume along the way. As Evolutio’s latest blog ‘4 Ways to Create Invincible Tendons for Improving your Athletic Performance’ explains, tendons don’t like sudden increases in volume, therefore volume will be periodically increased with adequate recovery between runs to ensure tendon health.

As Alex and James have a sound running background that just hasn’t been tapped into for a while, we would strongly discourage this sudden increase in volume if you are just starting out as a runner.

Two weeks in with two weeks remaining, how are they holding up? Both Alex and James have stuck to the plan and are reaping the rewards with a comfortable 23-kilometer run under their belts two weeks out. With one long run remaining before the final week to recover, Team Evolutio are well on track for the main event.

Stay tuned for the next installment to see if James ends up carrying Alex over the finish line or if they both don’t make it.