Below is the CrossFit definition of Fitness. It is based on 4 modalities : Balance of Physiological Adaptations, The Hopper Model, Metabolic Pathways and Balance of Health.
1. Balance of Physiological Adaptations
In CrossFit we look at 10 General Physical Skills. We say someone would be fit if they were well rounded in all these skills. For example, to have a 4 minute mile means you most likely cannot deadlift 500lbs. A good example of a CrossFitter would be a 5 minute mile and a 450lbs deadlift. Below are the skills with explanations - they are used for guidance when finding a balance and weaknesses in athletes.
- Cardiovascular/Respiratory endurance - the ability to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.
- Stamina - the ability of body systems to process, deliver, store and utilize energy
- Strength - the ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force
- Flexibility - the ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint
- Power - the ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in a minimum time.
- Speed - the ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement
- Coordination - The ability to combine several distince movement patterns into a singular distinct movement.
- Agility - The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another
- Balance - The ability to control the placement of the bodies center of gravity in relation to its support base.
- Accuracy - The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity
2. The Hopper Model
Generalist vs. Specialist. Elite CrossFit athlete vs. Lance Armstrong. Say we take a bunch of physical tasks and put them in a bingo hopper, for example, Deadlift 225lbs, Run Long, 100 Pull-ups, Bike Long, 300 Air Squats, Snatch 80kg, Row short...etc. The hopper is just full and we put a CrossFit athlete against Lance Armstrong. Lance Armstrong is a phenomenal athlete but his experience and specialty is biking long distances. When random tasks come out of the hopper the generalist should win most of the tasks except bike long.
Let's expand this hopper and chuck in other tasks like picking up your kids, carrying groceries, carrying a couch, putting up a heavy bag on the top shelf in the garage. These are all life tasks that can come out at any time. We want to be able to deal with them.
Therefore, we say someone is fit who can deal with anything physical presented to them and do it well.
3. Metabolic Pathways
Above are our metabolic Pathways. They range from Phosphagen which lasts just a few seconds and is a all out effort. Glycolytic which peaks at 2 minutes and is about 75% effort. And the Oxidative which can go on forever...you are working it right now...sitting down. We train all of our metabolic pathways just like the 10 general physical skills. We are not exceptionally good at one...thus, we say you are fit if you are good in all areas. You can snatch a large load, you are good in interval training in which movements patterns switch often and you can run, bike, swim etc. long and fast.
4. Balance of Health
We say fitness and health are directly related. You cannot be fit if you are sick (disease) and to get fit first you must slide through the continuum to well. Why? Well you may put up good numbers now but four years down the road lung cancer will catch up to you because you were a smoker. So we say those that are fit are also healthy.
SO WHATS THE DEFINITION OF FITNESS??
We define fitness as increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains. If you think back to What is CrossFit we discussed power output in a workout. So you can measure your times, loads etc. and graph them. Your fitness is your ability to increase your work capacity across broad time and modal domains. Lowering your CrossFit times means you are more fit...and by doing CrossFit or increasing work capacity across broad time and modal domains you will be improving in all the 4 modalities of fitness discussed above. You will be improving your 10 general physical skills, you will be more prepared for what is coming out of life's hopper, you will be working all your metabolic pathways and you will become more healthy.
Questions/Comments?
- Material used includes that take from the CrossFit Journal, What is Fitness, and CrossFit Level 1 Certification
