In recent years, more and more people are getting serious about their fitness. Obesity levels have been rising steadily for decades now, but people who decide to get fit are doing so using much more extreme methods. Cross training (such as CrossFit) is a type of workout regimen that has become increasingly popular as of late.
There’s No Standard Workout
When people think of cross training they often imagine working out with weight training and running in the rain—something like bootcamp from the movies. While this is considered cross training, not all participants need to be wondering, “Are nobull shoes waterproof?” There are many variations of cross training workouts and trainees usually customize their routines to suit their needs and preferences. The standard definition of cross training is any workout regimen that incorporates training for more than one skill or more than one type of exercise.
Benefits Of Cross Training
Why cross training and not aerobics or spin class? The following are a few of the many advantages of cross training:
- Improves fitness and endurance levels
- Injury prevention
- Helps in improving mental health
- Improved coordination and joint stability
- Reduced recovery time from intense training
- Weight loss and body shaping
There Is No Need For A Membership Plan
Look online for cross training gyms and workout plans and you’re likely to find dozens of websites that offer subscription deals asking you to join their membership plan. However, millions of people participate in cross training without the need to pay for a subscription plan. If you know the basics of your workouts then you can easily stick to a routine on your own. If you don’t want to pay for a monthly subscription, look online for reputable workout plans that you can pay for (a one time purchase) and follow through on your own.
Having A Coach Helps
Even if you don’t want to pay for a membership plan, it’s preferable to hire a personal trainer or a coach. Having someone to keep you motivated and make sure you are on track is helpful when the workouts get too intense and require much more effort on your part.
This is especially important for people who tend to give up on a workout plan halfway through, just when the intensity of a program peaks. If all you’re doing is building up to the peak intensity and stopping, then you won’t be able to increase your endurance levels. So, get yourself a personal trainer or a coach to keep pushing you at regular intervals to make sure you are making the most of your cross training regimen.
Summary
Cross training is increasing in popularity for its intense workouts that benefit trainees in more ways than one. Even professional athletes tend to gravitate towards cross training to improve their performance in their respective sports. If you decide to start a cross training, remember that there are many different varieties and you are better off choosing a type of cross training program that suits your needs and preferences.