Editorial Contribution by Sally Writes

Thanks to athletes such as Elijah “EZ” Mohammad, black America has some insight into the CrossFit fitness movement, which had a slow start before it exploded in 2018. While it might not replace the excitement that emanates from a basketball court or the sheer adrenaline of a college football game, there is a place for CrossFit, and that is getting you into the best shape of your life. This is not the fitness movement that’s going to compel you to turn on the telly quite like Floyd Mayweather’s shenanigans in the boxing ring, but you are going to feel good. You’re going to feel powerful. And most of all, you’re going to see washboard abs and popping delts as you’ve never seen them before. 

Choose An Expert To Get You Ripped 

While you might find CrossFit gyms – or boxes – mushrooming in every second garage in the suburbs, you’re going to want to look up the credential of your fitness coach before signing up for a class. A professional will know to teach you about form instead of just pushing your body to the max, which will help you prevent common CrossFit injuries such as rotator cuff tendonitis, knee injuries and tennis elbow. Form is the building block, and will allow you to use each muscle to its full potential. Once form is in place, you’ll start seeing the results as your body discovers strength and range of motion you didn’t believe existed. 

Nutrition Has Benefits Of Its Own 

It’s not enough to hit the gym and work through the CrossFit circuit: you’ll also want to ensure that your nutrition is balanced to provide you with the ideal fuel for your next gym session. A nutritionist can provide you with the right meal plan to get the most out of your CrossFit regime while ensuring that it meets your individual needs too. By relying on a nutritionist to work out a plan, you’re bound to get a mixture of meals that will allow you to make up calories with superfoods and nutritionally dense dishes. This will naturally exclude ingredients and meals that could do damage over the long term, such as highly-processed foods, foods high in saturated fats and sodium, and those that are high in calories but low in nutrition. 

It’s More Than Just HIIT 

If you’re signing up for CrossFit just for the EZ abs, a delightful side effect might be the effect it has on your health. Research shows that those who participate in HIIT along with strength and conditioning training can expect results such as better weight management, improved cognitive abilities, blood pressure regulation, and even an improvement in type-2 diabetes. There are CrossFit programs designed for men, women, children, and even seniors. 

Strength is the new buzzword, and for those looking to improve their overall fitness, it’s no longer enough to just be poster perfect. CrossFit allows participants to tick all the boxes, and when done safely, it can be done until late in life.