By definition, CrossFit is a functional fitness program. Our goal is not just to make you look
better or perform better in workouts – although that’s great too – it’s also to make you more
capable in your everyday life.
How do we do that?
We use functional exercises that are analogous to activities outside of the gym, such as picking
up your toddler, sitting up out of bed, or hoisting your luggage into the overhead bin. We build
strength and mobility in these types of movement functions that reflect the rest of our lives, and
after years of training hundreds of athletes ranging from young to old, beginner to advanced, the
results show us it works.
Functional exercises give us the kind of results that help make our lives better. It takes hard
work, but to quote author and motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, “When you are tough on yourself,
life is going to be infinitely easier on you.”
What Are Functional Exercises, Really?
In CrossFit, we teach our trainers several criteria that describe functional exercises. For
example, they are natural, safe movements that utilize the full-body to accomplish a lot of work
in a short amount of time. They have a positive impact not only on the muscles and bones, but
also the hormones and nervous system.
For the purposes of this article, I want to focus on the “natural” element of functional exercises.
Here are some of the exercises we program on a regular basis that help you move better in
everyday life:
- Squat: sitting down or standing up
- Burpee: getting up from the floor
- Deadlift: safely picking something up from the ground
- Press: lifting an object over your head
- Running: efficiently moving your body from point A to point B
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, but you get the idea. Almost everything we do in
functional fitness will make you more capable to perform any task in life. You’ll see other
benefits as well, such as feeling and looking better, but you’ll also improve what your body can
do.
Functional Exercises Fit Your Life and Your Body
So what does that look like in practice for you?
Not everyone walks into our fitness classes with the same body, history, or goals. Some of our
members had never exercised before while others are former athletes. Some of them came to
us wanting to get back to working out after an injury. Some of them are competitive while others
just want to sweat and have a good time with their friends. But all of them have found benefit
from functional exercises.
You might think this all sounds nice, but it’s too difficult for you, or that you won’t be able to keep
up. I can tell you from experience of coaching several hundred clients over the last decade,
nothing could be further from the truth.
Not only will you fit in, you’ll thrive.
One of the core principles of the CrossFit methodology that we emphasize at our gym is scaling.
What does that mean? It means customizing each workout and each movement to fit each
person’s ability. Can’t lift that weight? Decrease it. Can’t do a pull-up? Modify it. Can’t run that
far? Shorten it. Even if you think there is no possible way you can do something, I promise you
there is a way to scale it, not only so you can do the workout, but so that you can get the same
benefit from it as everyone else in class. That isn’t only accepted, it’s encouraged.
Two of our favorite phrases in our gym are “scaling is cool” and “progress not perfection.” We
meet you where you are – no more and no less – and we’ll be there to help you get better.
Always.
Because our goal is to not just make your body better, it’s to make your life better. If we aren’t
doing that, what’s the point?
It’s Not About Lifting More – It’s About Living Better
Yes, we do functional exercises to make you stronger, fitter, and faster, but that doesn’t mean
it’s only about your performance. It’s also about your health and your life.
Strength is one of the physical skills we develop through training, and CrossFit defines it as the
“productive application of force,” which means you need to be able to apply it in real life. To
some people, thinking of being strong conjures images of bodybuilders or maybe circus
strongmen in spandex… but to us, it just means being capable.
Sure, we have members of our gym who can lift a lot of weight, but we are equally proud of the
members who can carry all their groceries in one trip or play on the floor with their kids. Some of
them can even squat or run without pain for the first time in years. That’s true functional fitness.
It helps you get stronger for the things that matter to you.
You Don’t Have to Be Sore or Smashed
A common misconception about functional exercise is that it requires maximum intensity all the
time. That’s simply untrue. When applied properly, these movements can not only be scaled
appropriately, but their intensity can be varied from day to day.
One session might call for a bout of intervals at a high intensity, while another might focus more
on muscle stamina or skill development. And of course, CrossFit’s charter of technique before
intensity ensures that all beginners learn how to move safely and efficiently before increasing
weight, speed, or complexity. We teach all of our new members to follow this path for health and
longevity.
A good workout shouldn’t “wreck” or “punish” your body, it should challenge you to go outside of
your comfort zone. This will prompt your body to recover, adapt, and – if you’re eating and
sleeping well – improve your fitness. This is how our coaches help people: we find the threshold
of difficulty for each person and guide them toward it, taking individual abilities and tolerances
into account. Then everyone in class can be proud of their effort, congratulate each other, and
leave the gym with a smile.
Functional Fitness Isn’t a Trend — It’s How We Are Made to Move
Since becoming popular over two decades ago, CrossFit has sparked a revolution in the fitness
industry. Before 2000, most gyms were filled almost exclusively with cable machines, trainers
were relegated to counting reps, and people had mostly forgotten what functional exercise was.
Then, almost overnight, people were learning what thrusters and kipping pull-ups were, and
trying out these online workouts in their garages. Because of this, it’s easy for many people to
claim functional fitness is a fad, no matter how widespread it is. The truth is that these
movements are not trendy, they are timeless. They build strength and mobility that carries over
to real life.
There’s nothing wrong with doing some bicep curls or dumbbell raises if you enjoy them or want
to make your arms look good, but at the end of the day, functional exercises form the foundation
of how humans are built to move, safely and effectively.
If you’ve tried other programs before to little or no success, you need to get back to what your
body is made to do – squatting, rowing, pressing, etc. – and the results might surprise you.
For those of you who feel like you can’t do this, we are here to remind you that you can. You
aren’t broken and you aren’t unable to do it. You just need practice, and like any sport, you need
a coach. Luckily, we have some great coaches at our gym who would love to support you on
your journey to functional fitness.
Not a Gym Rat? Perfect. Functional Fitness Was Made for You
Maybe all of this sounds enticing, but you’ve never liked going to the gym because of the
atmosphere. Some gyms have a “bro” vibe, some have a competitive culture, and some have
an air of exclusivity. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of that if it’s what you like, but
that isn’t what our gym is about.
At CrossFit Donelson, we strive for a supportive community built on encouraging each other,
moving well, and having fun. If any of that sounds like your thing, I’d encourage you to come try
it out. One of our core values as a gym is community, so if you’ve struggled to find your tribe in
the past, this might be just the place for you. We have people who are young and old, beginners
and advanced, shy and outgoing, so the only question you really need to ask yourself is, “Do I
want to live a healthier and happier life?”
If you need a place to belong, to be lifted up, or to be pushed to become better, you should
really Contact Us through our website, or schedule a Free Consultation with one of our coaches.
I promise, you’ll be glad you did.
Spencer Smith
Owner & Head Coach
