CrossFit is one of the hottest fitness crazes in the country, and one not for the weak at heart. It is an intense circuit-format workout created in 2000 by former gymnast Gregg Glassman.
Instructional Assistant Professor for Health and Human Performance Joanna Macsas credits the success CrossFit has seen to the genuine benefits it provides.
“CrossFit has been an up-and-coming fitness trend for a while now,” Macsas said. “The reason it is so popular is because you can go in and get a great workout in within 20 to 30 minutes, instead of lifting weights or basic cardio for an hour.”
Glassman wanted to build a program that would prepare enthusiasts for any physical possibility. It began with a single gym in Santa Cruz, Calif., and has grown into a global network of more than 5,500 affiliated gyms and more than 35,000 accredited CrossFit Level 1 trainers.
“In implementation, CrossFit is quite simply the ‘sport of fitness,’” Glassman said, according to the CrossFit website. “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.”
Several gyms within 10 miles from the University offer CrossFit classes, but classes can be expensive, ranging from $100 to $250 per month.
For a cheaper, yet just as effective, option, students could try Insanity classes at Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The Recreation Center is hiring and training to teach Beachbody’s “Insanity” to group fitness classes in Spring 2014.
The Recreation Center cannot offer a CrossFit class due to the cost associated with meeting safety and licensing requirements, said Recreation Center Assistant Director of Fitness Melanee Wood. Only one Texas university, Texas Tech, offers a CrossFit class.
“We are offering the Insanity program at the Rec Center. There’s nothing ingenious about CrossFit except for building community around it,” Wood said. “But in regards to physical movements, the workouts are basically the same.”
