Crossfit is often described as the ‘sport of fitness’ and involves all round training in strength and agility in order to create a healthier person. The program is a series of varied workouts that teach not only strength, but also conditioning, leading to a worldwide network of fitness fanatics coming from all types of backgrounds.

Img: crossfit workouts, source

The overall goal of Crossfit is not to specifically tone a certain region, but to build a body that can withstand most types of strenuous activity. For this reason, the same style training has been offered for many years in police academies.

As an all-round form of exercise, it builds upon 9 foundational movements, which when conquered, open the doors to a range of workouts that can build a body that is at its peak physical fitness. These movements are:

1. The Air Squat

The Air Squat is a relatively simple type of squat, very similar to those most people are used to doing. However, due to the repetitions and draining speed of Crossfit, correct form is essential to prevent injury. It involves squatting to the floor with your arms extended before you, ensuring that you keep a lumbar curve in your back. Feet should be shoulder width apart and heels firmly on the floor. This move is not recognized by Crossfit as a man-made exercise but as a natural and biological movement that is used in everyday human life. Apart from building muscle strength, it helps to keep loose and healthy knee joints.

2. The Front Squat

The Front Squat is very similar to the Air Squat. However, it involves using a weighted bar. The weighted bar is rested on a platform created by your shoulders. To do this, you place the bar across the front of your body and on your shoulders, and bend your arms backwards over the bar, until they seem to be touching your shoulders. The bar should not be lifted or supported by your hands, but by the shoulders themselves. This is a much harder movement but helps to keep flexible knees and hip joints, as well as strengthening the shoulders and back muscles.

3. The Overhead Squat

The Overhead Squat also uses the bar but is raised above your head. Your arms should be in line with your shoulders and feet and elbows should be locked in order to essentially create a platform of your hands and arms. This increases hip power significantly as well as building abdominal muscles.

4. Shoulder Press

The Shoulder Press is performed in the standing position and also uses the bar. You start by holding the bar to your chest with your hands. The bar is raised up and over the head and should finish its path in line with the shoulders and feet. The move is finished by bringing the bar back to the chest.  This move works wonders for your upper body strength. Equally, it is a powerful move for increasing strength in your hip flexors, hip extenders, spinal erectors, and quadriceps.

5. Push Press

The Push Press is similar to the Shoulder Press. It builds upper body strength as well as increasing power in the core muscles. The difference with this move is that you start with the bar resting on a platform made by your shoulders. You perform a half squat and push the bar from this position to your overhead position.

6. Push Jerk

The Push Jerk is effectively the same as the Shoulder Press. However, you dip at the beginning of the move and jump a little to help gain momentum to push the weight above your head in a swift and quick movement. This enables you to lift heavier weights. However, there is more chance of error and injury with this move. It must be practiced with lighter weights first.

7. Deadlift

This involves lifting weights from the ground but not overhead. It starts with a squat and the weight is lifted to the height of your downward arm reach. It tones the back and the buttocks and thighs. It helps to tone muscles that support outwardly showing muscles.

8. Sumo Deadlift High Pull

This is an exercise that allows you to lift weights higher. The weights start on the floor with you in a squatted position. Your hands should hold the weights over the top of the bar. Lift to standing position with arms extended downward. The weight is then lifted to chest level with elbows facing upward.  This improves back and upper body strength as well as toning core muscles.

9. The Medicine Ball Clean

This involves squatting to pick up a medicine ball and lifting it to hip height in standing position. Keeping the ball in the same place, you squat so that the medicine ball is now at shoulder height. This finishes with you standing again with the ball at hip height and then placed back to the floor. This is a more skilful move and very tiring. Make sure your technique is right to prevent injury.

Crossfit foundational movements are designed to tire you out. They are hard work but aim to build strength all over the body. However, due to their nature, they can cause injury if the proper technique is not employed. Equally, if you perform these while too tired, you are also likely to cause injury.

About the Author: Melissa Cameron is a freelance writer from Austin, Texas. She loves her family very much but has a passion for staying healthy including eating well and extreme exercise. Due to this, she loves Crossfit and regularly follows health advice from http://livinghealthytimes.com/ in order to ensure she’s keeping up a routine that will keep her looking young and feeling good.