CrossFit's Fitness Standards.

From the CrossFit Journal:

CrossFit's Three Fitness Standards

Before you read on, know that our view of fitness is "contrarian", and iconoclastic to no limit. People sometimes look down on our ideology, but let the haters hate! (9 out of 10 times the hater is in way worse shape, based on any standards.) You may have heard me say something like this, but we do not see endurance athletes like marathoners and triathletes to be exemplars of fitness. That in itself will already cause some debate. But I will continue anyway. Hate on, haters!

Each of the three models are critical to our community in evaluating an individual's fitness. With that said, it warrants mention that I am not attempting to legitimize this program through scientific principles. I am moreover sharing the methods of a program whose legitimacy has been CLEARLY established through the testimony of athletes, soldiers, cops, firefighters, and others whose lives or livelihoods depend on fitness. (At this point I feel as though some of you who may be reading this can be added to the testimonial list as well, but correct me if I'm wrong.)

CrossFit's First Fitness Standard:

There are 10 recognized general physical skills, including cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. I will define these clearly later. You are as fit as you are competent in each of these ten skills. A program develops fitness to the extent that it improves each of these ten skills.

Importantly, improvements in endurance, stamina, strength, and flexibility come about through training. Training, referring to activity that improves performance through a measurable organic change in the body. By contrast, improvements in coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy come about through practice. Practice, referring to activity that improves performance through changes in the nervous system. Power and speed come about through training AND practice.

CrossFit's Second Fitness Standard:

This is the "hopper principle". Picture a hopper loaded with an infinite number of physical tasks written on ping pong balls. From Burpees (Rufees), to thrusters, even throw some pilates and yoga in, to jumping, swimming, rowing, running, anything you can imagine that is a physical task. Now randomly draw any amount of ping pong balls. This suggests that your fitness can be measured by your capacity to perform well at these tasks in relation to other individuals.

This implies fitness requires an ability to perform well at tasks, even unfamiliar tasks, all combined in infinitely varying combinations. This encourages athletes to disinvest in any routine of sets, reps, rest periods, exercises, etc.

Life frequently provides largely unforeseeable challenges, and we should train for that by keeping the training stimulus broad and constantly varied and progressive.

CrossFit's Third Fitness Standard:

There are three main metabolic pathways that provide the energy for everything we do. They are the phosphagen pathway, the glycolytic pathway, and the oxidative pathway. The first, phosphagen, dominated the highest-powered actvities, those that last less than about 10 seconds. The glycolytic takes moderate-powered activities lasting up to several minutes. The oxidative is responsible for the low-powered activities, those lasting in excess in several minutes.

Total fitness requires competency and training in all three of these metabolic engines. Balancing the effects of these three pathways largely determines our programming, and the how and why we do our "metabolic conditioning".

Favoring one or two to the exclusion of the others and not recognizing the negative impact of excessive oxidative pathway training are, arguably, the two most common faults in the fitness world.

Conclusion

The motivation for these three standards is simply to ensure the broadest and most inclusive fitness possible. Our first model evaluates out efforts against a full range of physical adaptations, the second focuses on breadth and depth of performance, and the third is put in measures of time, power, and consequently energy systems. Our specialty is not specializing. Life rewards this kind of fitness and, on average, punishes the specialist. More on that later.

Jan