CrossFit the largest and most popular fitness methodology in the world. There are around 14000 CrossFit gyms, and inside the walls you’ll find thousands of people who have changed their lives as a result. The question “Will CrossFit help me lose weight” is an easy one to answer, but the response doesn’t do justice to the impact that CrossFit can have on your life.
Let us answer the question first…. Yes. It will help you lose weight. You show up, do the work, eat well, sleep well, and you will drop to a healthy level of bodyfat in no time. We’ve seen this with thousands of individuals over the 12 years we’ve been operating. The system works better than any other fitness modality out there.
How is it so effective? CrossFit uses functional movements, which are more targeted towards increasing muscle and losing bodyfat. CrossFit workouts are also notoriously performed at a high intensity. This training zone is where we can create adaptations of increasing muscle and losing bodyfat.
A meta analysis in 2019 investigated the effects of high intensity training for fat loss, and it found that “high intensity interval training provided 28.5% greater reductions in total absolute fat mass (kg) than moderate intensity exercise.” (Viana et al. 2019). The main takeaway from these studies is that in order to create change in the body, you have to be working at a relatively high intensity.
Beyond this methodology of functional movement at high intensity, the true magic of CrossFit comes from the fact that it’s fun and challenging, and you’re more likely to show up at the gym when you’re got this intrinsic motivation ticking away.
When you walk into a CrossFit gym, you’re greeted by one of our community with a fist bump and a chat about how your day has been and how your training is going. Compare this to a regular gym where you’re lucky to be greeted by the receptionist, and you can understand how the experience is vastly different.
Then the briefing goes down and the workout starts… All that happened that day is put to the side and your sole focus is on getting this workout done. You finish, that inner chat quietens and you’re at peace with the world. You leave with a smile on your face and a sense of accomplishment that will override anything else that happened that day.
This experience is common for many CrossFitters, and why it keeps us coming back. It’s fun. It’s challenging. It’s rewarding. And by coming back day after day, you’re adhering to an effective fitness program. And what’s the common variable for success in fat loss? Adherence.
You will lose weight by eating nothing but onions… but you will not do this. You will lose weight by carrying boulders up hills every day, but you will not do this. You will lose weight by starting CrossFit – there’s a very good chance that you’ll love it and want to come back. And this is where your weight loss will begin.
Steve Hennessy-Maia
Head Coach and Owner of FitLab – CrossFit 3000.