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With the hectic schedule many Dreyfoos students know all too well, there is barely enough time to do extra-curricular activities outside of school. However, some students such as theatre junior Ashton Royal and piano junior Caroline Miller have found time to fit Crossfit into their lives. Crossfit is a strength and conditioning program for people of all ages and backgrounds. The high-intensity exercises done at Crossfit consist mainly of aerobic, calisthenics, and weightlifting.
“[I do Crossfit because] I want to stay in shape and I find that Crossfit is fun and effective,” Miller said.
For a typical night at the gym, theatre junior Ashton Royal participates in a variety of workouts specified by her trainers that focus on different areas of the body. These workouts take an hour to complete.
Crossfit has been around since the early 2000’s and people are discovering the benefits of the fitness program that is based out of Santa Cruz, California. Most people who join Crossfit do so to stay in shape or get in better shape.
“[Because of Crossfit] my soccer stamina has gone up immensely,” Royal said. “I can run quicker for a longer period of time, and since my endurance is great, I can focus on technical work for soccer.”
Although the benefits from Crossfit are obvious, there are critics which argue that Crossfit incorporates dangerous movements and high impact exercises that could lead to injury. The chances of injury are relatively slim, according to a study by Dr. Brian Giordano of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry. The study shows that Crossfit athletes suffer the same, or less injuries on average than normal athletes when the exercises are done properly.
“At my gym they’re really good about having us do a variety of workouts, but they all follow a basic template where we warm up, do skill work that will appear in the Workout of the Day, do the workout, then cooldown and stretch,” Royal said.
The Workout of the Day (WOD) is posted on the official Crossfit website everyday and consist of a combination of workouts that target a muscle group. The exercises vary from basics like push-ups and mile runs to burpees and clean and jerk lifts. Outside of physical benefits, Crossfit also has mental benefits that help athletes outside of the gym.
“Crossfit has motivated me to get my school work done as soon as possible and stay ahead in my work, so I can have enough time to go to the gym,” Royal said.
