CrossFit. Effective circuit training

As part of our regular column, the Champa team is once again heading out to train to bring you the features and fresh trends in the world of fitness. Today we will visit a cross-fit workout, which is held by Reebok in preparation for the “Become Human” race. A couple of words about the location: the classes are held outdoors, on a site in Neskuchny Garden. On the one hand, the question arises: how can we do without equipment, which can be easily obtained in the hall? On the other hand, it becomes even more interesting when you start to guess what kind of program our coach Igor Izotov has prepared for us today.

18:01. Well, let’s go. We start, of course, with a warm-up. I won’t even dwell on it for long, I think everyone realizes that an eight-hour (or even more) working day in the office reduces physical activity to almost zero. That’s why it’s very important to load your body properly and pull everything that stretches with difficulty before you start training.

Question to the trainer: Are there any mistakes that beginners often make at the first training sessions, which not only does not make the exercise easier, but also makes it several times more difficult?

– The main mistake is being afraid to start, to start making your body work, it is very hard and requires a lot of effort, but in time you will look back and be proud of yourself.

18:15. Coach says we’re going to get a cool workout in today and take a break from a hard week of work. Then he sends us out for a run. I’ll tell you right away: running cross-country is not easy, so don’t even try to compare your achievements on the treadmill in a cozy fitness room with the time and distance you’ll get at the finish line in the woods or park. Back to our running assignment: today in the beginner group, it’s three laps. The first and last lap we run as usual, but the second lap we run back to front. Coordination fails, but you immediately feel the increased tension in your muscles (or is it just me? try it).

Question for the coach: Endurance, physical strength – what other qualities does training help to reveal?

– Cardiovascular and respiratory system performance, endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy.

18:32. Now it’s time to split into pairs and get the task that we will do for the rest of the training (that is, about half an hour). Our program is as follows: first we run one lap, then we do lunges – there should be 100 such lunges per team, after that we start jumping on the box (the jumps per team should also be 100), run one more lap, repeat jumps and lunges, but already 75 times, run one more lap and repeat the already known actions (in total per team – 50 lunges and 50 jumps), run one more lap and here it is – the long-awaited finish.

Question to the coach: Why so many repetitions? 100, 75 – these are some semi-real numbers for regular fitness.

– What’s regular fitness? I don’t know about it, tell me.(Smiling.)

18:33. Sounds like it’s not so bad. But then the coach announces that everyone will have to take a pancake for the team. I went to the distribution, I don’t remember all the stratifications, but I got a pancake for girls – such a thing weighs only 5 kg (like my bag in hard working times). By the way, if you are interested and thought that here all get high, as I do, with the minimum weight, it is not so, pancakes for girls, guys and men are not less willingly dealt with – and this is 10, 15 and 20 kg. But now go back to the previous paragraph and reread it. Lunges are done with a pancake above the head, jump on the box, of course, without it (boxes for girls are 65 cm high, and for guys – 75 cm) and run… run with a pancake. The coach says that it can not leave it – in case it goes somewhere.

Question to the coach: How do you realize that the pancake has become very light and it’s time to increase the weight?

– “Coach, should I increase the weight?”. The person himself at a certain point will feel that he can perform more.

18:35. The trick to this whole story is also in the right teamwork. So if you feel that your partner is completely giving up, you can jump for yourself and “for that guy”, or do lunges, or run with a pancake more than your colleague. In order to work in pairs was more convenient, all divided into boy-boy and girl-girl. But while yours truly was making notes in her iPhone so as not to miss anything, the girls ran out, and I had to pair up with the only free guy on the site.

18:36. Well, I guess it’s cool, we were each allotted a weighted pancake and a box. But you remember that coach strictly forbade throwing pancakes before going for a run, right? So, if properly composed couples can decide among themselves who of them on what lap runs with a pancake (they have one for the team), and who rests, then I have no choice and will have to carry my five-kilogram “friend” every time. By the way, you know, at the beginning of the complex is not so frightening as on the third lap.

18:45. We are already in full swing performing our complex. The task is as follows: you can’t do exercises with your partner at the same time, you can only take turns. We came up with a trick: when my colleague jumps off the box, I immediately jump on it. The boxes (luckily we had two of them) were placed opposite each other. We take turns counting, in fact, each of us has to do the exercise 50 times. But it’s not so easy for me, so my partner helps me out and saves me from having to do 10 jumps. I’m happy, well, almost, we continue.

Question for the trainer: What do you do when you feel like you’ve run out of energy?

– Hmmm, try to think about making one more movement, at least one more… Run another five meters, it’s only 5 meters… Then another, and another… In this way you get out of your comfort zone, each time overcoming yourself. And every such movement, every meter, every second of time is a victory and it’s honest… Because it’s yours!

18:50. We’re more than halfway through, and we’re running out of time. Coach said if we slack off, we’ll all get punished with a burpee. I don’t know what that is, but it must be something sadistic. I know of course, but to perform another approach burpee (mini-complex of simpler exercises (push-ups, squats, jumping out), performed without breaks. – Ed. note) is not possible for me.

19:01. Time’s up, my coworker and I were already getting in our penultimate running lap before starting 50 reps of jumping jacks and lunges. But alas (or fortunately)…..

Question for the trainer: How many times a week can you train this way?

– The workouts consist of functional movements performed at high intensity and maximum variability, so focus on how you feel. But in our program, you won’t get into the same workout even if you work out every day.

19:05. At the end of our workout take some time to stretch. It’s important, the warm-up is always important, I’ll never get tired of saying that.

Question to the trainer: We were at the beginners’ training, what the hell is waiting for us at the continuing training? Is there a difference in the number of approaches or in fundamentally new exercises?

– There is no “hell” at the “advanced” workout. It is simply assumed that if you come to such training, you are already familiar with the basics of basic movements, ready to show character in training and show everything you are capable of.

19:15. Let’s summarize. The feeling is unbelievable. I don’t understand where my body found so much strength and energy at the end of the working day. I feel like it’s going to hurt tomorrow, although a proper hiccup will often smooth out the sharp edges, so we’ll see. Will I come again? Of course! Firstly, the coaches promise something new every time – it’s interesting. Secondly, isn’t this team building? Dare to grab your colleagues at the end of the working day and go to the sports field. Third, outdoor workouts are something we’ve all been waiting for. It’s time to get out of the stuffy halls and enjoy the beautiful weather already.

Very soon we’ll be sure to tell you about another training session that our editorial staff took part in as part of the preparation for the “Become Human” race in Kolomenskoye.