I am three years into my CrossFit journey and by now it is safe to say that I have “drank the kool-aid”. So now I want anyone and everyone to do CrossFit and am constantly encouraging people to join CFG. Do you know what comment I hear more than any other?
“I’m too old to work out like that.“
I was blown away. I was overweight and not active at all and CrossFit changed my life. I also know that if I hadn’t made the decision until years down the road CrossFit would have still changed my life. I have met 50+ year olds that just started CrossFit less than a year ago! After hearing this comment well over a dozen times I began to do research on age and CrossFit. I was also able to ask Masters Competitors at the CrossFit Games about this statement to see if they could shed some light on it and help me share knowledgeable information with some of my older friends. Below are my top three reasons why you’re never too old to do CrossFit.
1. CrossFit is scaleable to all levels and individuals.
(Kathy Casaday doing a modified version of a pull-up during the CrossFit Open.)
You have probably seen the CrossFit Games on television or have seen pictures of the super bulky, chiseled, fit specimen lifting heavy weights, doing ridiculous amounts of pull-ups at fast speeds, and then walking on their hands and thought, “Yep, I can’t do that, I would break in half.” The great thing about CrossFit is that there are modifications and scaleable movements for each person depending on their fitness level and limitations. For instance, when I first started CrossFit I had never done a pull-up IN MY LIFE. There was no way I would have been able to do pull-ups in a workout. I would have literally dangled from the bar the entire time. I was instructed to start with pull ups where I stood on a box and jumped above the bar while pulling myself up. Later I moved to putting my foot in a band and pulling myself up. Eight months later I did my first pull-up. They were all modifications of a movement and had several different progressions for my skill level. So maybe you have knee issues or have had a previous surgery that prevents you from putting weight above your head…it’s okay. There is a scaleable movement that you can do that will still give you a good workout and strengthen those parts of your body and it’s just as much a part of CrossFit as the stuff you see on television!
2. You gain mobility.
(Mike Holmes showing off his shoulder mobility while doing a shoulder to overhead.)
As we get older our bodies began to tighten up and we become less mobile in our joints. The phrase “I ain’t as good as I once was” comes to mind. However, in CrossFit we are constantly performing “functional fitness movements”. These are movements that we do in real life on a daily basis. You bend down to pick something up around the house—-deadlift. You want to pick something up and go overhead with it to reach a higher shelf—-clean. And on and on. The problem is, when you get older, some of the daily routines get a little tougher on joints because of lack of mobility. With CrossFit you spend a few days a week doing workouts that strengthen muscles and cause you to use joints that help you regain mobility in those areas. So as you spend time in the gym your mobility increases which in turn helps you continue to perform functional movements around your house.
3. You workout in a controlled environment with experienced coaches.
(Mike Tallent doing squat cleans while Coach Brent checks to make sure he is breaking parallel.)
The best thing about doing CrossFit at CFG is the fact that we have a highly trained and experienced coach there with us every day for every workout. We do not go in their blindly and try and figure out what muscle groups we should workout to help us lose weight, build muscle, and increase mobility. Each day we have access to coaches who specialize in fitness. There will be a coach there to help you come up with an alternate movement if you can’t do particular movements, there are coaches who can give you exercises to do before a workout or at home to help regain mobility in those older joints. You will never walk into CFG and have to perform a power clean or over head squat without a coach being there to help walk you through the process. This reason alone is why I believe more 50+ age people should be doing CrossFit!
So…do you still think you are too old to do CrossFit? Do you know someone who is older that you think CrossFit would be perfect for?
Check out more information about the next ON-RAMP beginner classes here.
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