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Self-Help: Crossfit

Iron Dragon Crossfit says it's the first certified Crossfit facility in China. Bo Brennan goes over to see if he can get ripped quick.
Last updated: 2015-11-09
In an attempt to reverse the downward spiral of your mental and physical wellbeing, in Self Help we bring you suggestions of classes, sporty things, team events, volunteering and educational stuff that might just pull you out of that boozy tail-spin.


Crossfit


Crossfit is essentially a full body workout crammed into as short amount of time as possible, focusing on body conditioning and building core strength. It’s developed a huge following in recent years, especially in the States and in Australia. We located the only certified Crossfit facility currently in China, Iron Dragon Crossfit, and went to see what all the hubbub is about.



What you need


All you need are gym clothes and a pair of cross trainers. Any equipment you’ll be using -- kettle bells, sledgehammers, medicine balls, power boxes, etc -- are all provided at the gym. Crossfit regimens don’t usually include big exercise machines, so the look of the place is a bit spartan compared to some of the big name gyms in town. It’s a good idea to bring your own water bottle and towel too.



What happens


Classes are led by Iron Dragon owner Mark Soo, an Aussie who has been coaching Crossfit for over 10 years. He starts off each class by leading the group in a short run, some stretching and light warm-up exercises. After that, Mark explains and demonstrates the correct techniques for the exercises scheduled for the evening, and then it's straight into some Olympic-style heavy lifting for everyone. We run through five rounds of dead-lifts (an exercise which works out your lower back), which was actually fairly easy. No one in the class was hurting too much at this point. But just as I was about to feel pleased with myself, Mark clapped his hands and announced that he'd be starting the actual workout.



What happens next


We moved into the main exercise room and saw our workout of the day (WOD) written on the mirror. Today’s workout plan: five rounds of 15 pull-ups, 15 box jumps and 15 lightweight dead-lifts. We’re supposed to complete it all as quickly as possible. Mark tells us that we’re free to work at our own pace and personal level of comfort, but no one wants to be the loser who finishes dead last. As soon as Mark blows his whistle, the next 20 minutes are a whirlwind of frenetic energy as we all push ourselves to the max, working as fast as we can.



Who goes in for this


Mostly foreigners, and more women than you’d initially think. One class had three girls and three guys, and another had three girls and only one guy. Ages vary – the class seems to attract the young professionals crowd, but I’ve also seen people in their 40s-50s.

How much of your life will this take up


Each session takes 30 minutes to an hour. It doesn't sound like a lot of time, but it’s so intense that you'll be glad that they're kept short. Mark recommends at least three sessions a week to see significant improvement in fitness level, and given the intensity of the workouts, he suggests a maximum of five sessions a week so that your body doesn’t break down from the stress.



How much does it cost


Crossfit courses are pretty pricey, probably more than the average gym membership. Your cheapest option is the unlimited semi-private class, ranging from one month at 1188rmb to six months at 5346rmb. Private classes will set you back even more: one session at 700rmb an hour.

Plusses


Crossfit is great for building muscle and improving aerobic capacity, flexibility and endurance. It’s a highly effective and energy-efficient workout for noticeably improved fitness and overall wellbeing, making it one of the best exercise classes I’ve ever tried -- and I’ve tried a lot.



Another good thing about Crossfit is that it is scalable in any direction. All of the exercises can be adjusted to fit your fitness level. For example, if you have a difficult time doing pull-ups, there are elastic bands of varying thickness that you can use to help hoist yourself up. As you get stronger, you use lighter bands until there's no use for the bands at all. Since Crossfit’s all about gradually adding to the challenge of the workout, at that point you can shift the challenge to another part of the body, such as adding ankle weights.

The camaraderie in Crossfit is also another huge plus. As Mark says, “Crossfit is like going to church -- everyone’s together, and suffering together.” During our workout, a group of us strangers found ourselves encouraging and supporting one another because we were all going through the same exhausting workout routine.



Minuses


I’m not going to sugarcoat it: you will be in significant pain during the workout and for the few days following the workout. The pain will never really stop because the whole point behind Crossfit is to continuously change the muscles you’re using during your workout. So, you may very well continue to feel sore six months after starting.

Also, the price may be a possible deterrent for most people. It’s certainly expensive, but think about it this way: even in the group classes, you are essentially getting a personal trainer who watches you and aids you in making individual progress.

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More information about Iron Dragon Crossfit here. To see the schedule of classes or book a session, click here.

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