Explainer | What is CrossFit, and who invented it? History of the Open, the Games, and former chiefs Dave Castro and Greg Glassman
- Here’s everything you need to know about, CrossFit, a sport of unpredictable fitness exercises based around functional movements
- It was invented by Greg Glassman, who later sold the company after fallout from a controversial tweet
CrossFit has been rapidly growing in popularity for years, and the sport now has thousands of athletes competing, and even more followers.
The annual CrossFit Games showpiece attracts thousands of live fans with millions watching online, while there are several high-profile CrossFit documentaries on Netflix, with top athletes garnering celebrity status.
What is CrossFit?
CrossFit is a fitness regime that relies on varied movements. The idea is to prepare participants for the many varied movements of everyday life (as opposed to a conventional body building regime that repeats specific movements like bicep curls).
To achieve this, CrossFit trains all different fitness systems – strength, power, cardiovascular, flexibility and mobility, anaerobic and aerobic systems. Therefore, the exercises can be almost anything.
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CrossFit explained by China’s fittest man, Ant Haynes
Generally, they are full-body exercises, such as burpees or the rowing machine. They are functional movements, which means they replicate real-life movements, such as squats. And they are often compound or Olympic weight movements, like dead lifts or cleans.
