By Lucia Viti

CrossFit, a strength and conditioning program saturated with high intensity functional movements performed at one’s anaerobic threshold, is not for the meek of spirit.

Explosive weightlifting, sprinting and gymnastic exercises require extreme physical exertion to maximize one’s strength, stamina, flexibility, power, speed, agility and balance — all done in 30 minutes or less.

Creative and humbling, CrossFit taps into one’s Olympian renegade spirit where failure is not an option. Comfort zones and self-imposed limitations are non-existent in this fitness environment. And yet, CrossFit reigns among the fastest-growing workouts with participants ranging from children to seniors. Workouts, scaled to match all fitness levels, appeal to those willing to walk the path of the hardcore.

“CrossFit’s generic workload is scaled to accommodate individual fitness levels,” said Mike Stoll, owner of Hillcrest CrossFit and its Level II trainer. “The physical needs of a Navy SEAL and my grandmother are roughly the same. Both move through a full range of motion during daily activities; the Navy SEAL roughs it through Afghanistan while my grandmother lifts a 20-pound bag of cat food. Each would deadlift — a functional exercise that translates to daily activities — but at different weights. So both can — and do CrossFit.”

“CrossFit can be easy or hard, that’s the beauty of the workout,” said Paul Estrada, co-owner and head coach of CrossFit Elysium. “It’s not about elite competition. It is about movements that are applicable to daily activities which allows people to live healthier and more independent lives.”

Workout regimens known as WODs (workout of the day) condense and intensify the ordinary and traditional. WODs lasting 12 to 20 minutes combine biking, running, climbing and rowing drills with Olympic power-lifting moves (the clean-and-jerk, the snatch and the power-clean); barbell exercises, kettlebell swings and burpees; with less conventional full-body weight movements (rope climbing, tire flipping, sandbag carries, hoisting gymnastic rings and plyometric box jumping). Movements occur as as many repetitions as possible or “for time” segments (posted completed repetitions). Experienced clients span a 12-day rotation with a two-day recovery; beginners three days on, two days off.

Founded in 2000 by Greg Glassman, a former collegiate gymnast from Santa Cruz, California, CrossFit has more than 10,000 worldwide affiliates known as “boxes” — open industrial warehouse spaces with rubber flooring. They are bordered by classic 1950s-style, almost archaic weight-room equipment. Memberships vary in price and commitment; some affiliates welcome drop-ins, while others request a three-month membership commitment. Fees can double those of a full-service facility without offering modern gym equipment or a variety of classes. No Zumba here.

Posted daily, WODs are divided into three levels by a diminishing degree of difficulty. Hero, most challenging; Villain, WOD cut in half; and Sidekick, a WOD scaled to a beginner’s workout. Benchmark Hero workouts are awarded female names after hurricanes and male names of military heroes lost on the battlefield.

CrossFit is used by the military, fire and law personnel, professional athletic teams, mainstream athletes, weekend warriors, even couch potatoes with a desire to achieve higher fitness levels.

“CrossFit’s about reciprocity,” said Nick Mararac, a member of CrossFit Elysium. “Coaches need to know a client’s capabilities and clients need to express what he or she is capable of. It’s an efficient workout that offers a dynamic range of fitness, unlike running, a single-minded sport. You’re in, you’re out and you’ve worked hard without judgments based on fitness levels.”

Mararac described how CrossFit aided in his recovery from leukemia. “Chemotherapy not only depleted more than 30 pounds of weight and body mass, it robbed me of my confidence. I didn’t like existing in this capacity, so I went back to what I loved — CrossFit. Elysium’s coaches scaled my workouts to suit my needs. CrossFit was a good compliment on my road to recovery.”

As CrossFit gains widespread popularity, it’s not without its pros and cons. Although research indicates that when performed safely, bouts of shorter, high-intensity movements improve fitness levels and boost health markers more so than steady state training, CrossFit’s risk of injury can outweigh its benefits if exercises are performed with an overload of weight, poor form, excessive repetitions and without proper guidance.

“Anyone investing in CrossFit needs to know their body well or buyer beware,” said Sam Berry, MS, SSCS, FMS, and a presenter for the American Council of Exercise. “Move well first before you move on. Precision and progression are paramount to performing CrossFit’s challenging movements. Poor habits and complacency have no place in CrossFit.”

“Although each box has its own rules, our clients go through a series of fundamental classes and coaching sessions that teach movement basics and safety before they attend a regular class,” Stoll said. “Clients aren’t thrown into class and expected to learn by watching others perform. We slide people into the classes when they’re ready and scale their movements until they get up to speed. I call it an on-ramp for preventing injuries. And I have no problem telling anyone to take a break.”

“CrossFit Elysium has a thorough screening process,” Estrada said. “Health histories are documented to ensure that proper modifications are made. CrossFit keeps the movements simple for beginners and acclimates the workouts to ensure proper form, technique, safety and recovery. But CrossFit’s not for everyone, although there’s no way to gauge who stays. Our most dedicated members and those who’ve been here the longest are the very same I thought would bail out the quickest. People who stay want a healthier, happier lifestyle and love what we do and how we do it.”

Well-known for its community vibe and “in-it-together” mentality, cheers and applause are as common at CrossFit Hillcrest and CrossFit Elysium as the clean-and-press. “Our clients are the best part of my job,” Stoll said. “Everyone’s friendly and enthusiastic; we’re all on the clock and those who finish early encourage and cheer others.”

“Our coaches know everyone by name,” Estrada said. “We’re a circle of friends that help each other. Our waiver includes a positive environment clause that states if you create a negative environment, if you’re a Debby Downer or an overall jerk, we have the right to ask you to leave. We branded our box as Elysium — the last paradise of the Greek heroes and warriors — because we’re a paradise away. CrossFit Elysium is the last gym you’ll ever need to go to.”

“CrossFit can be hell,” Stoll said. “But it’s a community of people committed to going through that hell together. Ask any one of our members what do you love most about CrossFit Hillcrest and without a doubt, it’s about the hometown vibe. Like solders in a foxhole, we’re in this together.”

Stoll described CrossFit boxes as the antithesis of a “globo-gym,” a term personified by Hollywood’s version of the perfect gym.

“CrossFit will never be a gym with mirrored walls, shiny equipment and pretty trainers who sip juice and chat,” he said. “CrossFit is a counter culture of rebels who went against the giant industry of the globo-gym to say we’re going to do this our way by stripping down to the basics. CrossFit’s the place you go to workout hard to achieve results with no distractions. And it’s here to stay.”

—Contact Lucia Viti at [email protected].