In order to lose weight with CrossFit, you need to adjust CrossFit programs. The CrossFit program is not designed specifically for weight loss, though when you participate in the workouts regularly and follow a healthy diet, you will lose weight.
How CrossFit Training Works For Weight Loss
Intensive Workout
Firstly, CrossFit can help you to lose weight because its workouts are intense and have a military style. Many of the moves are bodyweight exercises, which are some of the most efficient in creating aerobic and anaerobic effects that stimulate fat burning.
CrossFit’s high intensity workouts can also burn calories. They are challenging, and they allow men to burn an average of 17 calories per minute, while women burn an average of 14 calories per minute.
EPOC
Furthermore, due to a phenomenon named “EPOC” (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption), which occurs after CrossFit workouts, people who practice CrossFit burn calories all day long, even when the body is at rest.
Lean Muscle Mass
In addition to this, CrossFit’s full body exercises help to increase muscle mass. This reduces your body fat; increases muscle mass, gets you in shape and, more importantly for your weight loss goals, keeps your metabolism healthy. Having a healthy metabolism is key to maintaining a healthy weight.
Community And Motivation
Another element that makes CrossFit a good option if your goal is to lose weight is the CrossFit community, which is very strong and something rare in the fitness industry. It provides social support, as people who participate in CrossFit share their achievements online and with fellow CrossFitters. This can really help you to work out consistently and keep you accountable for your achievements as well as for your failures.
Nutrition
CrossFit provides sound nutritional advice that is favorable with any workout program or even without exercises. It advocates eating whole food, with plenty of fresh vegetables, especially leafy greens along with healthy fats, and lean protein. No sugar and avoidance of high glycemic foods and starches is also part of the plan.
Beware: CrossFit May Hinder Your Weight Loss Goals
Although CrossFit can really help you lose weight, it might also prevent you from doing so. This is because the CrossFit dropout rate is high – some people just cannot keep up with the intense workouts and the difficult exercises that are used. In order to lose weight, you really need to find a weight loss program that you can stick to in the long term.
In addition to this, CrossFit comes with an incredibly high risk of injury. This is because CrossFit exercises involve high-risk activities, like Olympic lifts, and because you are encouraged to complete moves within a certain time limit and compete against other members.
Bear in mind that you need to take time to recover after suffering from an injury. If you have a foot or leg injury, you might be on crutches, and have to spend a lot of time sitting down, without working out. This will make it ten times more difficult to lose weight.
Some people may also be intimidated by CrossFit’s intensity, thus be overwhelmed by the training and by the competitive environment. If you feel that this may be a problem for you, you may want to consider taking up a different sport. However, this depends on your personality type – some people thrive under pressure.
Another consideration is your weight; if you are more than 40 pounds overweight, you may find it too difficult to perform the CrossFit moves, some of which include, pull-ups, push-ups, ring dips, and other bodyweight exercises.
You may want to consider doing a more low impact workout to lose weight, and then use CrossFit to develop your fitness, conditioning, and strength.
Great beginner workouts are walking, exercise bikes, aerobics, spinning, and other low impact classes.
Summing It Up: Is It Possible To Lose Weight With CrossFit?
The answer is you can lose weight by doing CrossFit, as long as you can handle the intensity, the environment, and are able to work out that hard on a regular basis.
CrossFit workouts are short and efficient, but they are also very intense. If your aim is to lose weight by exercising, it might be a good idea for you to do two short workouts per day, instead of longer workouts, but less frequently.
If you are fit, active, athletic, ambitious, enjoy challenges and eat properly, CrossFit may just be the ideal way for you to lose weight. Otherwise, it may be best to make use of the many other great workout programs available at gyms, community centers, and YMCAs.
