1. What is the WOD?
WOD stands for Workout of the Day which is a daily posted workout that is constantly
varied but not random; much thought goes into the WOD’s. A CrossFitter will try to
complete the workout of the day as prescribed, or as close to the actual, posted workout as
possible. For example, one day the WOD may be: Run 5 K for time. This means you would
push yourself to try to achieve your best time. The next day, the WOD might be: Dead Lift 1-
1-1-1-1-1-1. This means you would Dead Lift your maximum possible weight for seven sets
of one rep. If the CrossFitter cannot complete the workout as prescribed (Rx’d), they should
ask the coach for an appropriate scaling option. These workouts are designed to be very
difficult for the fittest of the fit so scaling is very common!
2.Why are the workouts so short?
Intensity is the key. There are some workouts that take 5 minutes to complete, and some
that take 25 minutes. It’s often a certain amount of work to be completed in the least amount
of time, or a certain amount of work to be completed as many times a possible in a given
amount of time. Sometimes the workouts have no time constraints like a maximum load
WOD. In all of the above instances, intensity is the key- as much as you can, or as fast as
you can, or as many times as you can. All favourable adaptations of exercise occur through
increasing intensity. Long workouts are, by definition, less intense than shorter workouts.
Your body cannot operate at a high intensity for very long.
3.How do you measure fitness levels?
Every workout will have a score attached to it. This will either be a time, number of reps (or
rounds) or amount weight moved. Through tracking these scores, improvements in fitness
will become very obvious. Most people find it fun and challenging to try to match or beat
their previous times or challenge others.
4.How long until I see results?
Most people feel results in one session. We have had clients express that it is the first time they
have ever felt like they’ve had a “real” workout (even though they’ve been going to the gym
for years). Most people can see changes in their body composition and body structure in two
weeks, as well as added energy, a healthy glow, and an increase in overall fitness levels.
Results vary from person to person, but for the most part people that begin CrossFit, have
vast, life changing results.
5.What is meant by functional movements?
In the biological sense of the term, function means something that is in place to perform a
specific task or, something that is in existence for a specific task or reason. When we talk
about the human body, functional movements are movements based on real world situations.
Humans are designed to stand up from a squatted position. Therefore, we squat. We pick
things up off the ground, we run, jump, move external objects and our own body weight.
These are all movements found in life and therefore they are trained in CrossFit. Our
bodies were not designed for isolation movements using a machine as resistance. We see it
everyday in the typical gym environment, when people train with partial and non-functional
movements, which exponentially limit physical capacity and actually increase the chance of
injury.
6.What can I expect from CrossFit?
We are here to get you into the best shape of your life, and let you have a great time doing it.
Our goal is to get your fitness levels to new heights, help you set personal records, and watch
you surprise yourself at how much stronger & faster you can become. We provide quality
training of high intensity/short duration workouts with fantastic results.
7.What can I expect from my first workout?
We are very cautious with first timers and will try to ease you into CrossFit so that your first
experience will be a good one. Depending on your physical condition we will gauge a very
basic workout tailored to your abilities. Bring clothes that are comfortable and wear shoes
that you can run in. If you have physical limitations from an injury or a sickness we will
make sure to make appropriate modifications. If you feel that your workout is too easy and
you didn’t get the experience you were looking for, let us know and we will make sure to
step up the intensity the next time you come in. This also goes for those that feel that their
workout was too intense. Since intensity is relative to your emotional, mental and physical
capacity it is sometimes hard to gauge a person’s fitness level. As we get to know you better
we will be able to streamline your workouts to fit within your abilities while at the same time
give you goals to work towards.
8.What can I expect after my first workout?
You will most likely be very sore, but that should come as a wake up call rather than thinking
that this training is too hard. If a person of the same age, weight and gender is able to handle
CrossFit at its highest intensity, then you should be able to handle a workout at a lower
intensity with lower loads and volume.
9.Will I get big or gain weight doing CrossFit?
Most of our members experience weight loss even without a good diet. Weight gain is
associated with diet. What you will experience is drastic changes in your body composition, you will lose body fat and gain lean body mass.
10.Can I just come in and do the workouts on my own?
No. We are more like a private studio than a typical commercial gym. Community is a big
piece of our CrossFit practice. We provide an atmosphere where you will meet, encourage,
and work together with fellow CrossFitters. We also want to make sure you are under the
supervision of a certified coach, for better, safer, and faster results.
11. I am not in shape, is this for me?
Yes, all skill levels and abilities are welcome. Although it is true that we train to do very
difficult things in CrossFit, we can scale every workout to make sure everyone can complete
it safely and confidently. Our focus is on safety first, then efficiency, and finally intensity.
We are here to make you fitter than you are now. Come in with an open mind and a
willingness to work hard, and we can work it out. We will start where you are today, and get
you where you need to go. You will quickly notice that you are doing better each and every
workout. Don’t compare yourself to the veteran CrossFitters, but instead to how far you have
come since your first workout!
12.I’m in great shape already, will I be challenged?
We feel pretty confident in answering with a resounding yes! CrossFit counts among its
adherents many police academies and tactical operations teams, military special operations
units, and champion martial artists as well as professional athletes. Competitive marathoners,
hockey players, soccer players, swimmers, lacrosse players, and tennis players use our
program as a base for increasing their performance in their various specialty sports.
13. You say CrossFit isn’t for everybody, what do you mean?
CrossFit is hard work. Far too many people are looking for some “magic bullet” of fitness
but it really doesn’t exist. If you want to sit down and watch TV while you exercise,
CrossFit might not be for you. If you have ordered any fitness equipment from a TV
commercial and truly believed it was going to melt away the pounds, CrossFit might not be
for you. If you believe that eating hundreds of dollars of supplements a month will give you
the body you want, CrossFit might not be for you. However, if you like sports, competition,
camaraderie, sweat, high-fives for a job well done, and don’t mind the hard work, well then
maybe CrossFit is for you!
14. What’s up with the CrossFit pictures I see with ripped and bloody hands?
One consequence of lots of pull ups is the occasional ripped hand (torn blister). Many
pictures online represent this in a favourable light, as if you are not a real CrossFitter unless
you push yourself till you rip your hands. This cannot be further from the truth. A torn
blister is an injury. It results in lost training time, and negatively affects your life outside of
CrossFit (try washing your hair with rip)! At CrossFit O-Town we strive to push people to their
limits but that does not mean push them to injury. If you feel a rip is imminent, let a coach
know and we can give you a sub (often ring rows) which will be easier on the hands.
Source: http://prairiecrossfit.com/faq/
Crossfit Abbreviations and Acronyms
WOD - Workout of the day
AMRAP - As many reps/rounds as possible
EMOTM - Every minute on the minute
MetCon - Metabolic Conditioning workout
PC - Power clean
PJ - Push jerk
PP - Push press
BP - Bench press
Rx’d - As prescribed; as written. WOD done without any adjustments.
C&J - Clean and jerk
C2 - Concept II rowing machine
DL - Deadlift
FS - Front squat
HSPU - Hand stand push up.
HSQ - Hang squat clean
KB - Kettlebell
KBS - Kettlebell Swing
K2E- Knees to elbows
MU - Muscle ups
OHS - Overhead squat
Pd - Pood, weight measure for kettlebells
PR/PB - Personal record/Personal Best
PU - Pull-ups
Rep - Repetition. One performance of an exercise.
SDHP - Sumo deadlift high pull
SQ - Squat
TGU - Turkish get-up
T2B - Toes to bar
UB - Unbroken
