When we talk about military workouts, most of us would imagine their training to include push-ups, pull-ups, running while carrying logs, climbing and mud crawling. Basically, we all do the same in CrossFit, well, except the mud crawling part.
CrossFit has always been linked to the military workouts, not just because of the training similarities, but also of some distinct traits and values that CrossFit athletes and military men have in common; such are discipline, camaraderie and honor. In addition, it is a tradition in the CrossFit community to honor fallen military and police officers by naming workouts after them and recounting their stories. To name a few are “Murph”—named after Michael Murphy, died in Afghanistan in 2005, “Randy”—named after Randy Simmons, died in the line of duty February 2008; and “White”—named after Ashley White, died in Afghanistan in 2011.
CrossFit’s goal is to strengthen 10 fitness domains: cardio, strength, stamina, flexibility, power, coordination, speed, agility, balance and accuracy. These are the very same aspects in which military and police officers are expected to be in their peak level, in order to perform their tasks efficiently.
“The great advantage of CrossFit is that its high-intensity workouts increase the heart rate and burn fat rapidly, which means spending less time at the gym. Officers often have sedentary duties, such as sitting in a patrol vehicle or writing detailed reports at a desk. These duties can have a negative effect on an officer’s physical health, but CrossFit workouts can help to counteract any weight gain from their sedentary duties. The high-intensity workouts combine cardio and weightlifting to reduce body fat and remove excess weight,” said Matthew Loux of American Military University.
It is a must for military or police men to equip themselves of the knowledge of the law and the use of different weapons, but it is equally imperative for them to secure physical fitness. And with proper CrossFit training, anyone could fit any encounter.
Primal Ape CrossFIt holds “Hero WOD Saturdays” every week to pay special tribute to our fallen heroes by suffering together and performing Hero WODs. Join them for an exhilarating workout by dropping by their box at Chino Roces. For more information, you may visit their website: www.primalapecf.com
Image credits: Faith Paguirigan, Jiggs Monzales and Christine Tan