Cross-functional workout is a universal system suitable for almost all healthy people. Specially designed programs are ideal for men and women, aged people, and teenagers.
In the USA, Canada, and some other Western countries, cross-functional activities are used to train some paramilitary special forces, firefighters, and police officers. Military leaders appear to be attracted to the versatility of cross-functional training. Some elements are included in the physical education programs of universities and colleges (however, as well as some exercises of powerlifters and bodybuilders).
This discipline is more characteristic of collectivism – in contrast to such individualistic sports as weightlifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding. Such workouts are held in groups and couples, which gives additional motivation to improve the result.
Cross-functional Workout for Weight Loss
Such activities are very diverse and allow you to join the sport with any type of physique – mesomorphs, endomorphs, and ectomorphs. In most strength disciplines, the dependence on genetic data is very high and is the main factor determining success.
Exercises are very intense, with minimal or no pauses between exercises, and aerobic activity makes up a significant part of the training. This leads to the fact that many calories are burned during a workout. The athlete’s body becomes lean, and the percentage of subcutaneous fat is reduced.
Cross-functional training combined with proper nutrition is very effective for losing weight and burning fat. There are training programs specifically designed to focus on weight loss.
Such sports activity introduces a person to a healthy lifestyle and forces them to give up bad habits.
Can Beginners Do Cross-Functional Workout?
It is possible, subject to a competent selection of exercises and a gradual, smooth increase in the volume and complexity of training. A beginner should start their classes with relatively simple exercises without abusing their variety: the range of sports equipment and movements is huge, and it is impossible to start doing everything at once – the sports effect will be zero.
Gradual increase in loads and the same gradual development of the technique of new exercises is the key to successful progress in a cross-functional workout for a beginner.
The choice of activities for the first program should be appropriate for the beginner’s physical form – it is useless to include a set of fifteen pull-ups in the program if the person is not able to pull up even once. And you should start training under the guidance of a qualified coach.
How to Prepare for Cross-Functional Workouts?
So you’ve decided to do the cross-functional workout. Where to start?
Tip 1: Go through a medical examination, and ensure you have no contraindications for cross-functional sports activities. The main focus is the health of the cardiovascular system. For an athlete, this is a “risk zone”.
Tip 2: Tune in mentally. Motivation is essential for such a workout, with its tough circuit activity, in which you need to overcome physical discomfort. Ask yourself, do you need a cross-functional workout? Because you can lose weight and get in shape with more gentle methods.
Tip 3: This is a reasonably complex training system. Find yourself a qualified coach to avoid injury. Attend a trial class before joining a group.
Tip 4: Prepare your body. If you are still far from sports or have had a long break in classes, then you can prepare for exercising at home. Below are exercises that will allow you to adapt to intense workouts.
Common Mistakes in Training
Attempts by beginners to achieve everything at once, neglecting the natural laws of physiology and training methods. This is unrealistic – progress in sports is a gradual process.
In pursuit of a formal number of repetitions, the desire is to count low-quality repetitions for oneself – undersquats in squats, burpees without jumping out, partial repetitions in pull-ups, etc.
Ignoring injuries in pursuit of athletic performance. You should be treated and recover if an injury has already occurred. Training at full strength in such circumstances is unacceptable.
Changing the balance in activities for the sake of those exercises you like while ignoring what you don’t like or don’t work well.
The complete absence of breaks in sports activities for a very long time is a direct path to overtraining and diseases of the cardiovascular system.