One of the latest fitness crazes to hit the country is CrossFit, a short, intense workout program that participants call “addictive.” A CrossFit gym resembles the muscle gyms of the 80’s; however, you are more likely to see 30 year old women and 60 year old men cheering each other on than a bunch of body builders spotting each other.

The program is designed for ‘universal scalability’ making it applicable for all individuals regardless of age or experience. The weight and intensity vary, but the program remains the same. Classes typically include a warm-up, a skill development segment for proper positioning, and a high-intensity workout that lasts around ten to twenty minutes.

Greg Glassman, inventor of CrossFit, refers to it as a sport— the sport of fitness. “We’ve learned that harnessing the natural camaraderie, competition, and fun of sport or game yields an intensity that cannot be matched by other means.” CrossFit coaches create a “Workout of the Day” and scoring and ranking systems transform those workouts into sport. Workouts may include push ups, weight lifting, obstacles, rowing and many things you never thought you were capable of doing. However, when you throw in a coach, encouraging team mates and a timer, you can accomplish more than you ever thought possible.

CrossFit Inc. certifies trainers and licenses the program to affiliate gyms. The number of gyms has grown from 18 in 2005 to almost 1,700 in 2010. There are four gyms in the Desert. Safety is a top priority for the program and training at one of these licensed gyms is strongly recommended.

“The workouts are challenging, fun, effective and fast,” says Gene Williams of Foundry CrossFit. “There is no need to spend hours in the gym to transform your fitness. We focus on performance and the physical results follow.”

Kelly Noto worked out at a large gym by herself for 8 years but never got the desired results. “I push myself harder here and in 2 months have seen a difference. The results and team work keep you coming back.”

At 30 years old, Ben Adams was put on blood pressure medicine. “I was looking for something to get me off the medication,” states Ben, who has 2 little ones at home and enjoys the short workouts and camaraderie. “My blood pressure is now at 120/80” he announced to congratulatory cheers from his fellow athletes. “It’s made a big difference in my life.”

www.FoundryCrossFit.com–78078 Country Club Dr #206, BermudaDunes760.831.0690.
www.DesertCrossFit.com–73-800 Dinah Shore Drive, Palm Desert 760.533.0642.
www.AldapeCrossFit.com–42280 Beacon Hill, Palm Desert 760.799.3993.
www.CrossFitPalmSprings.com–820 Research Dr. STE 9, Palm Springs 760.567.8135