The Best Fitness Program On Earth

What is the best fitness program on earth? My answer to that question will be about as vague as a politician but it is definitely worth discussing. I will also mention that my opinion is exactly that and it has been shaped by years of trial and error. As mentioned in recent posts of mine, my wife and I are now Crossfit certified trainers. Does that mean that we are 100% Crossfit all the time? Not at all. Our program design highly favors Crossfit but we are not opposed to more sport specific training as well as other training protocols. It really depends on the goals of the client.

I started working out at a very early age. I grew up watching the Rocky movies and trying to emulate Rocky style training. I used to incorporate push-ups and pull-ups into high intensity interval style workouts. I scaled walls, jumped on park benches, and pressed odd-shaped objects over my head. I also did the whole Globo gym 3 sets of 10 pec deck followed by 20 minutes in the "fat burning zone" cardio workouts. I have trained like an athlete, army recruit and bodybuilder. This is what I have learned.

As an athlete, I was very fit for the sport I was training for. When I was playing football, I was lean and muscular and was fit for playing football but suffered when transferring over to track and field and vice versa. After college, I trained more bodybuilder style and was not quite as lean as I had been as an athlete. I maintained strength levels but had lost ground in anaerobic endurance, speed, and power. I returned to my roots with what I called obstacle course training and now is called Crossfit. With Crossfit style training, I am as lean and muscular in my mid to late 30's than I was at twenty. I am without question stronger than I have ever been. I feel like I am both aerobically and anaerobically as fit as I have ever been. I can do things physically that I couldn't with the other types of training. I also am not bored with the same old monotonous routines from years past.

I understand that everyone is different according to their preferences with training but our needs are the same. Good health and fitness is a must for any person of any age group. Crossfit has provided what I consider to be the gold standard when it comes to being well rounded and overall fitness. Some people prefer fast and intense and the awesome results that come from that style of training. Others prefer a lower intensity way of training. It really comes down to personal preference. I encourage a healthy lifestyle regardless of training style. Just remember that certain types of training elicit certain types of results. You can't deny results and you certainly can't deny the physiques of people who train with high intensity functional movements. You will get what you are training for. What kind of results are you seeing?