CrossFit should be more varied

Last week, we had visitors from out of state drop by. They were super nice and great to train with, but they highlighted an issue that's been creeping into CrossFit over the past few years.

They came on a day when our strength component was squats with wedges under the heels. They had never done those, so they decided it was better to stick with plain old back squats. They’re not alone. Being in Sarasota, we get visitors from all over, and most of them encounter things they’ve never done before at their home CrossFit gyms.

CrossFit is getting stale. When we squat in CrossFit, it’s usually a front squat, a back squat, or an overhead squat. We use the same foot position each time. You almost never see a wide or narrow stance prescribed.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s benefit in practicing these lifts. In fact, a good percentage of our training is geared towards getting stronger in these. But they can’t be the only things we do. In CrossFit, we train for the unknown and unknowable. We are training for life, and life happens in an infinite number of foot positions.

This isn’t just my thoughts but it’s foundational to CrossFit. There are three fundamentals to the method: functional movements, high intensity, and constant variance. Coaches preach intensity and functionality, but are we really using true variance?

When was the last time you did something other than the big three squats? How often do you bench press? It’s rare to see this in a CrossFit gym.  Even chin-ups are often ignored. If you want broad, general, and inclusive fitness and to injury-proof yourself, you need to expand your pool of exercises.

CrossFit is meant to prepare us for anything life throws our way, and that means embracing a wider variety of movements and stances. Let’s shake things up and bring back the true spirit of constant variance in our training. Over the next few weeks and months I will share all the “weird” stuff we do to help get you started.

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