With a strong focus on community, competition, camaraderie and delivering amazing and noticeable results, CrossFit is one of the fastest growing fitness movements in the world. Yesterday, Reebok launched a global campaign in Canada at Yonge and Dundas Square in Toronto to highlight the total fitness experience offered by CrossFit – a revolutionary strength and conditioning program, and one that we can see becoming quickly adapted by young professionals across the country. We know that YPs like to look their best at all times and be in tune with cutting edge trends, especially when it comes to personal appearance.
CrossFit is the principal strength and conditioning program for many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations units and a countless and growing number of elite and professional athletes. Don’t get scared away though, anyone can do it! The CrossFit program is designed for widespread scalability, making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience, so even if you feel a little rusty in the workout department there’s no need to worry. CrossFit training uses some of the same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease, cage fighters and pro athletes.
The CrossFit code for fitness is simple and comprised of three elements: Functional Movements, Intensity and Variance. The most effective results are produced when training with Functional Movements (that which replicates real life movement), at High Intensity and with Constant Variety. Any exercise program that meets these three factors can be considered “CrossFit.” This can range from shoveling snow and dirt to weightlifting, pull-ups and sprinting.
This is quite different from the common belief that isolated exercises like lateral raises, curls, leg extensions and sit-ups, coupled with 20-40 minutes of cardio, is going to produce the most effective results. CrossFit works exclusively with compound movements and shorter, high intensity cardiovascular sessions. It is about combining multiple exercises with single movements. Lateral raises are replaced with push-press; the pull-up takes the place of the curl, and the leg extension with squats. Instead of one long distance, CrossFit athletes will do five or six at short distance. This is because compound or functional movements and high intensity or anaerobic cardio is significantly more effective in producing ultimate fitness results – like that beach body for the not-so-distant summer months. CrossFit is broad by design and its specialty is in not specializing. Think of how much precious YP time is saved when exercises are combined!
CrossFit workouts produce a maximal neuro-endocrine response from your body by pushing it to its core with variety, intensity, and multiple joint, full body, functional movements. It has been called “The Sport of Fitness” as it re-introduces personal athletic achievement and performance to training, with the mindset to be stronger, faster, more efficient, and with better form for each workout. Many YPs, especially cardio-obsessed females, can identify with the feeling of reaching a weight loss or fitness plateau and the ensuing frustration. With CrossFit training, however, even after years, workout scores and times continue to drop and athletes continue to notice improvements as they push through the pain and reach personal goals.
Reebok, who has recently partnered with CrossFit, is essentially branding their whole business around it. Reebok’s “Sport of Fitness Has Arrived” campaign includes a series of publicity stunts and kicked off at 11:30am yesterday in Toronto when they suspended a 15,000-pound shipping container 20 feet in the air over Dundas Square by an industrial crane, which dropped to the ground at noon for its exciting reveal. Products from the Reebok CrossFit apparel and shoe collection will be available at Canadian retailers in July 2012.
There are nearly 200 CrossFit gyms across Canada, including five Reebok CrossFit facilities. You can visit map.crossfit.com to find local CrossFit affiliates and join celebrities like Malin Akerman, Jessica Biel, Ryan Phillippe and Madonna who rely on CrossFit for those perfectly sculpted bodies.
Toronto consumers who want to learn more will be able to experience CrossFit in a 2,400 square foot tent this week at Yonge and Dundas Square. Products from the new Reebok CrossFit apparel and shoe collection will be exclusively sold at the tent on Thursday, February 23, and Friday, February 24.
Photo courtesy CrossFit