This month, we here at Preen are determined to work on our fitness. Be our witness (see what we did there?) by checking out our motivational #fitspo stories on new workout routines, the low-down on healthy eating, and the latest in athleisure every week—you know, just about everything you need to get those pulses racing.
Stepping into CrossFit MNL‘s gym (or box, as they call it) in Fort Bonifacio, and seeing the two people who were training at the time, you can already tell that this workout is no walk in the park. It’s definitely more intense than yoga in terms of body movements and shows another aspect of athletic training. The trainees were sweating as they lifted heavy barbells that it was a surprise to find out that they’ve only been doing it for just less than an hour, which is a relatively short time to fit all these high-intensity workouts.
Yes, it looks intimidating, but coach Inigo Dulay assures that even average Joes and Janes can endure CrossFit. It’s just a matter of knowing when to push yourself depending on what capacity you can take.
The basics
Inigo explains that CrossFit is a growing sport with workout routines that incorporate gymnastics, olympic weightlifting, pliometrics, endurance training, and power training. Yes, it’s a lot to take in, but they won’t let you get into it without knowing the proper way to lift weights and do the intense exercises.
“If a person wants to do CrossFit, first we do foundation classes [which] are just one-time-big-time. We have to teach the barbell movements in CrossFit because it’s not that easy to have people jump into bar movements. You have to teach them certain efficiency to know the movements, the discipline, and to avoid getting injured,” he says.
After that, you move on to a one-hour high-intensity routine based on the “workout of the day” that the coaches set.
“It’s just an hour of in-and-out workout done. You get that high-intensity lifting and cardio in the short amount of time, and you go out and eat something. Then, you go back the next day and do it again,” he tells us.
What to expect in their classes
CrossFit can be unexpected. As mentioned, they have a workout for the day which changes daily to avoid doing routines. These all start with a 15-minute warm-up, which also changes every day, then stretching and rolling, and lastly, 30 to 40 minutes of either Olympic weight training or strength training.
In order for clients to not be overwhelmed by the workouts for the day, Inigo simply suggests that you prepare yourself for it because they encourage their clients to push themselves, but at their own pace. “We don’t drag you to do stuff,” he assures. “You just need to push yourself, and rest if you need to―drink water and sit down, it’s fine.”
He also explains that clients, both newbies and advanced ones like professional athletes, are given prescribed movements and weights depending on their capacity. “Everyone’s prescribed movements is different. For a newbie, we can’t make it higher because it’ll be difficult for them and they might hurt themselves. At the same time, we can’t make it too low for elite athletes because they’ll become more relaxed,” he says.
How to avoid injuries
Similar to our story on athletic training, Inigo says some CrossFit clients also get too aggressive with the workout because they want to reach a certain goal. “In return, if they’re not doing the proper movement and technique, they can get injured. If they’re injured, they take fitness and workout out of their life which we don’t want. We want fitness longevity.”
To avoid this, coaches make sure that they supervise all the classes and make sure you’re in good form and doing the proper technique. And if not, they will scale down your weights to make sure you’re not overworking yourself.
Additionally, Inigo says that clients should always put themselves first and rest after each workout. “You need to regain your strength and energy so you can do this again the next day. So rest up and eat a lot of good healthy food. It’ll also help you maintain the results you got from your workouts.”
CrossFit may look like a tough person’s sport, but in reality, anyone is capable to give their best here. If there’s anything to be scared of in this sport, it’s the body pain that’ll come after each session. But hey, no pain, no gain, right?
CrossFit MNL. Philippine Army Gymnasium, Lawton Avenue corner Bayani Road, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. (02) 828-6068.fort.cfmnl@gmail.com. For more information and complete list of branches, visit their website.
Photo courtesy of CrossFit MNL’s Twitter