How not to kill your heart while doing physical activity

Only the lazy haven’t heard of CrossFit now. As an independent sport, it first appeared in America in the early 2000s, and in Russia it became popular after 2010. Fans vying with each other to talk about what a thrill it is to give 100 effort during CrossFit training, while opponents point to the high risk of injury and harm from training .

So, is CrossFit really good or bad? Let's try to figure it out.

Crossfit training: exercises (technique and video)

15 CrossFit WOD training programs

TRX loops: exercises

What is CrossFit?

CrossFit is a training system aimed at simultaneously developing many physical qualities (strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, etc.). The main feature of CrossFit is the lack of narrow specialization - you can improve your physical performance both in strength sports and in those that require endurance and speed. CrossFit training includes both elements of “traditional” fitness and bodybuilding, as well as weightlifting, athletics, and gymnastics. It is the wide variety of CrossFit exercises that will help you succeed in “everything at once.”

However, this kind of training will not make you a better weightlifter, better gymnast or sprinter. But you will definitely learn to run faster than the average muscleman, while having more muscle mass than a competitive sprinter.

Definition from the official crossfit.com website:

CrossFit is a strength and endurance training program designed to train police officers, firefighters, military personnel, fighters, and professional athletes around the world.

The specialization of CrossFit is the absence of specialization. The skills acquired through CrossFit will be useful in combat, on a hike, and when playing any kind of sport. It is more useful for life to have “average” abilities in different sports than to be an expert in one of them.

According to the CrossFit ideology, a person's athletic training is only as good as their endurance (both strength and cardiovascular), strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination.

CrossFit training is different in that every day you work on a new program. Moreover, each of them will be aimed at developing different physical abilities. This is how CrossFit allows you to build a body that can do anything.

First symptoms

When overworked, the heart begins to work incorrectly, its rhythm is disturbed, and the pulse changes in a calm state. Among the indirect signs are:

• Increase or decrease in resting heart rate.
• Shortness of breath, feeling of anxiety.
• Pain in the sternum.
• Dizziness, changes in blood pressure.
• Feeling of nausea, loss of consciousness.

All these superficial symptoms may indicate either simple fatigue or the presence of some serious illness, including myocardial infarction. Therefore, when they are detected, the first thing you need to do is seek professional medical help. Only modern diagnostic methods (ECHO, ECG, computer) will be able to establish the true picture of the condition of the heart.

How do CrossFit workouts work?

Training always takes place in a group and lasts 45-60 minutes

. Everyone starts doing the exercises at the same time in the presence of a trainer, who must monitor the technique.

Dynamic stretching

Unlike fitness, for warming up they do not use a bicycle or a treadmill, but jumping rope, jumping on a box, and exercises with their own body weight performed at a fast pace (push-ups, squats, lunges). Exercises are also performed to warm up the joints and stretch the muscles that will be involved in the main part of the workout.

Strength or functional exercises

In strength training, you will do exercises such as: front squats, deadlifts, snatches, and cleans.

Functional training involves performing exercises such as pistol squats or muscle-ups on rings.

WOD – Workout OF the Day (WOD – Workout OF the Day)

WOD is the main part of the workout.

CrossFit WOD (WOD) is a training program for the current day that will be performed by all participants at the same time. You will either compete to see who can complete a given number of reps and sets the fastest, or who can complete the most reps in the same amount of time.

Example CrossFit WOD

The weight in the deadlift is selected depending on your level of training. Beginners will do this exercise with an empty bar, or replace it with the Romanian deadlift.

Cool down and stretch

Pregnancy-safe burpees

Burpees are a fundamental CrossFit movement, but the traditional form isn't safe in the second or third trimester. This modified version will still pump up your heart rate, but with less shaking and jumping.

Equipment needed: wall, high bench or box

Muscles worked: quadrilateral, gluteal medius and maximus, hamstrings, pectoral muscles, deltoids, triceps

1. Stand in front of a raised surface with your toes slightly pointed out.
2. Stay squatted, keeping your weight on your heels. Allow your knees to bow slightly.
3. At the top of the squat, do a push-up against the raised surface. This is 1 rep.
4. Perform 5 sets of 10-12 reps.

CrossFit for men and women

Who is best for CrossFit training?

CrossFit training is universal and suitable for absolutely everyone: men and women, experienced and beginners. CrossFit training for girls will be the same as for men, but the intensity of the exercises and the working weight will change. Also, if the exercise is too difficult, a lighter version is offered to replace it, the implementation of which will eventually allow you to move on to performing the “heavy” exercise.

For example. There is no need to create two different CrossFit programs for women over 40 without training experience and for trained men. The plan will consist of the same exercises (for example, squats/push-ups/pull-ups). But beginners will squat with an empty bar, and more experienced ones will squat with a weight of 50 kg. The more physically prepared you are, the more repetitions you will do. If, say, you cannot squat with a barbell at all (due to injury or for another reason), then this exercise can be replaced with something that is safe for you - for example, a squat with dumbbells or a scissors squat.

Thus, CrossFit training can be suitable for a person of any gender, age and level of training:

• CrossFit for beginners. If you've never played any sport on a regular basis (jogging once a year doesn't count!), then CrossFit is a great way to get involved, love working out, and master basic exercises. But you will definitely need a competent coach so as not to get injured and not “go away from the race” at the very beginning.
• If you enjoy a competitive spirit, teamwork, communication and support in your workouts, then CrossFit may be the perfect option. Training always takes place in a gym, where 10 other people are doing the same program with you, you will have the motivation to be “better, faster, stronger”, as well as the support of “colleagues” and the coach. If you can come to an agreement with yourself and leave something unfinished during training, then when training as a team, it’s simply a shame to fall behind!
• Fitness fans. There are people who want to exercise every day and even feel that something is missing in life if there was no workout today. A CrossFit workout plan is often structured so that you'll work out almost every day. A popular option is 3 days of training, 1 day of rest. But there are CrossFit fans who exercise every day, sometimes 2 times a day.
• "Masochists." Often in CrossFit you need to complete a WOD (workout of the day) in a minimum amount of time. This means that you will need to give 100% every time. On the Internet you can often see motivational CrossFit videos where an athlete performs the last approach and falls to the floor exhausted. This is exactly the case. You need to train with all your strength, through “I can’t.” Sometimes this approach can result in overtraining, so try to maintain a balance of stress and rest.

• Former professional athletes. CrossFit features such as teamwork and a competitive spirit are exactly what competitive athletes are accustomed to. In CrossFit training, you either need to do a fixed number of approaches in a minimum time, or do a maximum number of approaches in a fixed time. In doing so, you will compete with others in your group. And those who want to compete on a larger scale can take part in the international Crossfit Games competitions.
• Those who want to “get in shape” but are bored with regular gym workouts. CrossFit will help you both become physically stronger and lose weight/gain muscle mass. At the same time, CrossFit does not guarantee the body of your dreams, but without forgetting about proper nutrition, you can definitely change your appearance for the better. Yes, not all CrossFitters look like cover models. But none of them have a huge belly or a stooped back.

Can heavy weight training cause complications during pregnancy for expectant mothers?

As the doctor Olga KHANOVA says in an article on motherhood for the resource mama66

, lifting weights is dangerous for your health for three reasons:

1. Displacement of vertebral discs
   . Due to the fact that during pregnancy the fetus takes a lot of calcium from the mother for its development, women's bones become more fragile. Lifting weights puts enormous stress on the spine, thereby promoting displacement of the spinal discs, which increases the risk of hernias.
2. Varicose veins and other vascular disorders
   . Changes in the body of a pregnant woman lead to a decrease in the tone of the veins. Systematic lifting of weights leads to impaired blood flow, which increases the risk of developing varicose veins and deteriorates the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain, heart, and uterus.
3. Premature birth or miscarriage
   . Lifting weights is accompanied by tension in the abdominal muscles and an increase in intra-abdominal pressure. This leads to contraction of the uterus and expulsion of the fetus.

But the doctor notes that these dangers can be avoided by those mothers who are already accustomed to moderate weight lifting and strength training. However, we should not forget that each organism is designed uniquely, and there are many factors that lead to pregnancy complications. Of course, it’s not worth giving up sports as such. Moderate, regular sports activities can provide benefits, which will help provide the fetus with the necessary amount of nutrients and sufficient oxygen for favorable development. Still, you need to remember the risks of excessive sports activity.

For whom might CrossFit not be suitable?

1. Athletes with a narrow specialization. CrossFit is known for the fact that training is not narrowly focused on the maximum development of any specific physical quality. Therefore, if you want to achieve great results in a particular sport, then focus on it. For example, if you need to become stronger and lift as much weight as possible in training, take up powerlifting. If the goal is maximum muscle mass gain, then your path is classical fitness and bodybuilding. CrossFit will give you a little bit of everything, which may be better for the “average” person, but will not be suitable for athletes with specific goals. For performing athletes, CrossFit is more harm than good, because... it will take energy and time away from basic training.
2. "Singles." If you like to train on your own, using an individual program tailored to your needs, then CrossFit is not for you. During training in a group, there is no opportunity to change the WOD - everyone performs the same program, albeit with different working weights.

Underwater nuts

For cardio oblique strength movements, motors are a fast and effective way to work the muscles in your upper and lower core simultaneously.

Equipment needed: dumbbells

Muscles worked: trapezius, deltoids, quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteal muscles and maximus

1. Start with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keep your toes at an angle. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip, then bend your arms so the weight is at shoulder height with your palms facing to the side.
2. Squat, holding heels, and knees bowed outward.
3. Start returning to the starting position while holding the dumbbells on your shoulders.
4. As you return to the starting position, press up through your heels and drive your hips forward. Use upward momentum to push the dumbbells up your shoulders toward your abs.
5. End with your arms straight and the dumbbells completely overhead.
6. Start squatting again and lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders. They should reach your shoulders before your legs get into a parallel position.
7. Perform 5 sets of 12-15 reps.

Is CrossFit harmful?

Without going into too much detail, yes, CrossFit can be harmful to your health. Just like any other sport.

With a bad trainer, with poor exercise technique, CrossFit becomes a very traumatic sport:

1 During CrossFit workouts, you need to do the maximum number of repetitions in the allotted time, or a fixed number of repetitions as quickly as possible. That is why very often the correct form of performing exercises is what is sacrificed in the first place. After all, the main goal is the result, and not how you achieve it. Here it is very important to have a good trainer who will monitor you and correct where necessary - for example, remind you not to round your back.

During strength training (which is part of CrossFit), it is haste and, as a result, poor exercise technique that is the main and most common cause of injury.

2 The “spirit of competition” that is inherent in all CrossFit training is another reason why CrossFit can be harmful. You want to make the program of the day (WOD) better than others and you push yourself to “records”. The result can be severe muscle soreness (pain), which will prevent you from training at full strength for a whole week. It can be very difficult to resist not giving 100% when you are training in a group where everyone is trying to make the program the best it can be.

3 Rhabdomyolysis

CrossFit can cause rhabdomyolysis, a syndrome in which the destruction of muscle tissue cells causes acute kidney failure. This condition is extremely rare, mainly among professional athletes, military personnel during periods of heavy training, or among “victims” of sadistic trainers.

Under extremely hard training conditions (which CrossFitters love so much), muscles “explode” and die. Protein (including myoglobin) enters the blood. The kidneys have the “duty” of cleaning the blood from myoglobin, which should not be in it. This overloads the kidneys and causes kidney failure. Some muscle cells die, and the remaining ones swell, which increases the pressure on them. The patient feels pain and general fatigue.

In this condition, hospitalization is required. Without proper treatment, rhabdomyolysis is fatal.

To sum it up, we can say that when there is too much of a “good”, it becomes “bad”. Exercising has a positive effect on health, but excessive exercise can greatly affect it. If you cannot stop yourself in time and there is no coach who will give good advice, then CrossFit training can lead to very sad consequences.

Conclusion: everything needs moderation. There is no need to train “like the last time.” Don't be afraid to appear weaker than your training buddies. The main thing is your health, your progress against the background of past training, and not against the background of the group.

Materials Used: A Beginner's Guide to CrossFit www.crossfit.com CrossFit's Dirty Little Secret

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Is it possible to do fitness?

Scientific research has long proven that physical activity is necessary for an expectant mother; this is so important because with constant exercise, a woman’s ability to conceive a child increases.

But there are a number of other reasons:

1. Regular sports training strengthens the human immune system, improves the condition of all internal organs and promotes metabolism.
2. Uniform physical activity without overload and injury increases the amount of insulin in the blood. It activates protein metabolism in the body.
3. Dosed physical activity for both partners helps to increase sexual activity.
4. Sport allows you to burn excess visceral fat, which is no less important for the body of the expectant mother.
5. Sports activities improve the functioning of the endocrine system in the female body and increase the production of the hormone progesterone.
6. Sports in the period before conceiving a child helps strengthen blood vessels and joints. More attention should be paid to the muscles of the abdomen, back and legs, since these parts of the body are subject to the greatest stress during pregnancy.
7. Any sports activity regulates the functioning of the central nervous system, which also affects the body’s ability to conceive a child.

Important! Scientific research has proven that sports activities are important for future pregnancy because they increase the activity of all functional systems in the body.

Exercises to help you get pregnant

Yoga exercises are considered the most effective exercises that increase the chances of conceiving a child.
The body relaxes, blood circulation increases in individual organs. All this together is favorable for conceiving a child:

1. Candle pose or the famous birch tree. The exercise is performed lying on a gymnastic mat. First, the pelvis and legs need to be lifted off the floor, hands supporting the lower back. The main emphasis is on the shoulder blades. Then the legs must be straightened to a vertical position. In this case, blood flows to the head from the legs and pelvis. This avoids blood stagnation.
2. Butterfly. The starting position is sitting on the mat. The legs are pulled closer to the body, the heels rest against each other. The feet should be as close to the genitals as possible, with the hands clasping the feet. After this, a smooth movement of the hips and leg muscles begins up and down (imitation of flapping wings). You need to do the exercise for at least 5 minutes. This warms up the pelvic muscles and increases their blood flow.
3. Sumo wrestler. The exercise is done standing. The legs are slightly wider than shoulder width apart. As you exhale, you need to squat as deeply as possible until a right angle is formed between your knees and the floor. The heels are slightly turned outward. Do not rest your hands on your knees, do 15-20 times. This pose stretches the muscles of the pelvis and genital organs, improves blood circulation.