Fitness is full of fads. From restrictive diets that see you trying to live like a caveman or flushing your insides out with juice diets to gym regimens that have you trying to pick up the finer points of barre work in an attempt to shift pounds, there’s always something new to hang your towel on.

But, bona fide fitness crazes are a rare thing. In the ‘70s there was the running boom when everyone and their dog donned headbands, beat-up running shoes and too-tight Adidas shorts to hit the local track. Today, we have CrossFit.

If you don’t know what CrossFit is, it’s time to pick up that rock you’ve been living under, perform a few power-cleans with it, and catch up. At its core, CrossFit is constantly varied, functional movement performed at high intensity. As of 2017, CrossFit had over 13,000 gyms in 120 countries – which is more locations than Starbucks. These gyms are packed with over 4 million devotees. In other words: CrossFit isn’t just big, it’s a phenomenon.

It has its own version of the Olympics, too – the CrossFit Games – where competitors test their strength, endurance, speed and more. Devotees consider it a sport in its own right and the winners are often described as the fittest men and women in the world.

CrossFit more or less has its own language, too. Want to join your local box (gym) for a punishing WOD (workout of the day)? Of course you do. Which is why we roped in the talented Luke Andrew, a CF-L3-certified trainer at CrossFit Tewkesbury to talk you through some key CrossFit workouts.

The Benefits Of CrossFit Training

Andrew got into CrossFit while practicing mixed martial arts. His coach introduced him to CrossFit as a way of making him fitter, stronger and more efficient for his sport. The benefits are myriad. Step foot in a CrossFit box and your workouts will vary hugely from day to day, taking into account different movements, exercise, rep schemes, patterns and modalities from gymnastics to weightlifting.