Have you ever wondered how fitness enthusiasts in Singapore are able to stay fit?
With a plethora of gyms in the city, there is an ever expanding list of modalities and disciplines to choose from. CrossFit is one such choice.
It promises to turn your body into a “fitness machine” with simple steps.
But does it truly work? How do you start? How much will you spend? Where do you go to start CrossFit in Singapore? Read on to find out more!
What is CrossFit?
CrossFit workouts are made up of a series of exercises from a variety of disciplines such as powerlifting, Strongman, olympic weightlifting and gymnastics.
In essence, it is a fitness regimen made up of constantly varied functional movements (things that we may already be doing on a daily basis, like squatting) performed at gradually increasing levels of intensity. It is one of the most popular fitness trends in the world right now.
CrossFit was created by Greg Glassman to be functional, scalable, and above all else, effective. The ultimate goal of CrossFit is to make you capable of performing at your best across a wide field of activities, and even in daily life!
Is CrossFit bad for you?
Before we get into the nitty gritty, let’s talk about this often asked question.
When people hear the word “CrossFit”, it’s often thought of as being tough, high intensity, high endurance, and only for the strong.
That can sound quite scary!
While this understandable, it doesn’t mean CrossFit does more harm than good.
After all, like any other workout, CrossFit can easily be scaled down (or progressed up!) to meet any fitness level or goal – all you need is the right coach and gym.
Furthermore, research has reported that CrossFit training results in higher levels of social connection, satisfaction and motivation! This means the benefits of CrossFit is more than just getting physically stronger.
How much does CrossFit cost per month?
The monthly cost of joining CrossFit in Singapore can range from $200 to $300, while the price of a single session can range from $20 to $40.
The price of membership will vary depending on how long a period of time you are willing to commit to a box.
Generally, the longer you sign up for, the cheaper it becomes on average. If you’re enjoying the crossfit experience, a long term commitment is definitely the way to go since achieving fitness is ultimately a gradual process!
Is Crossfit Good for Beginners?
Of course!
Remember, everyone starts off as a beginner in anything. None of us were born as an expert in walking — we all had to learn!
With the right coach and gym, the journey is safe, easy and worry-free. The destination is inevitable as long as you’re patient!
Most CrossFit boxes offer an ‘on-ramp’ or fundamentals class for newbies to learn the basics of the movements before they can join a regular class. You can be assured that you will NEVER be thrown into the deep end of the pool on day one.
CrossFit boxes are also widely known for their encouraging and accepting community. So, you don’t ever have to go in feeling paiseh because you are new.
Like yourself, everyone once started in the exact same position as you are now. You can expect many pairs of helping hands.
Is Crossfit good for people Over 50?
The answer is a resounding yes!
Because of the versatility of CrossFit, it can be tailored to people of all fitness levels! Age is nothing but just a number.
In fact, World Health Organisation encourages seniors to participate in three days of strength training per week. CrossFit can do exactly that can help seniors establish robust levels of strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Again, a good CrossFit box will provide a safe environment and flexibly programming to accommodate the workouts to people of all fitness levels and age groups.
At any point in life, consistently being active is important, and CrossFit aids in this so it’s safe to say that it’s for everyone.
As CrossFit coach Adrian Bilyk said:
“There is no better functional strength and conditioning program out there that will develop a strong and resilient mind and body through older age.”
How do I start CrossFit?
Really, all you need to start is an open heart and mind! There are, however, several things which might help ease your transition into the crossfit world:
Basic CrossFit Terminology
Just so one doesn’t get lost in ‘gym -speak’, here’s a list of some of the commonly used terms in CrossFit:
- Box: used to describe a Crossfit Gym.
- WOD: Workout of the Day
- MetCon: short for metabolic conditioning and sometimes used as a synonym for WOD. MetCon is a type of workout that combines both strength and cardio conditioning. It involves both aerobic and anaerobic exercises. Be prepared for a tough workout!
- EMOM: stands for every Minute On the Minute. EMOM means you will have to complete a stipulated number of repetitions of a given exercise within a minute. Any time you have remaining within the minute serves as your rest period. This is repeated at the start of every minute until the workout is over.
An example of a beginner EMOM 5M workout:
Minute 1: 8-10 Dumbbell squats
Minute 2: 8-10 Push-Ups
Minute 3: 8-10 Plank rows
Minute 4: 8-10 Squat jumps
Minute 5: 8-10 Sit-ups
It is worth noting that you may sometimes see variations of this theme, such as E3MOM. This simply means that the intervals are taken every 3 minutes, instead of 1 minute like a traditional EMOM.
- AMRAP: As Many Rounds/Reps As Possible. This is an extremely high intensity workout that can challenge even the toughest athlete.
- Chipper: A workout that combines a lot of different movements at high volume. You complete all reps assigned for each exercise before moving on to the next. Unlike the circuits typically seen in a lot of CrossFit workouts, each exercise in a Chipper is performed only once. Chippers are designed to punish people who approach the workout recklessly without a plan and try to charge through – the best approach is to work methodically through each exercise, ‘chipping’ away at the reps methodically at a steady pace.
The 9 Fundamental Movements of CrossFit
The fundamental movements of CrossFit serve as the foundation of just about every movement you will find in Crossfit.
Learning how to perform these exercises correctly will ensure that your body is conditioned before adding weight and intensity. These movements are commonly taught in the foundation classes offered to beginners at most crossfit gyms.
These movements are:
The Air Squat
The Overhead Squat
The Front Squat
The Shoulder Press
The Push Press
The Push Jerk
The Deadlift
The Sumo Deadlift High Pull
The Medicine-Ball Clean
Check out a CrossFit Box near you!
Now that you have some idea about what CrossFit is, it’s time to pay a visit to one of the numerous CrossFit boxes in Singapore! Finding the right box and coach for you is the best decision you’ll make in Crossfit.
Here’s a list of the Crossfit affiliates in Singapore:
- CrossFit Hub: 50 Playfair Rd #01-01/02, Singapore 367995
- CrossFit Enduro: 602 Serangoon Rd, Singapore 218212
- CrossFit Unit: 1 Stadium Pl, #02-05 Wave Mall, Singapore 397628
- CrossFit Mobilus: 20 Upper Circular Rd, The Riverwalk, #B1-10/16, Singapore 058416 and 90 Eu Tong Sen Street, Block C #01-11, Singapore 059811
- Innervate CrossFit: 994 Bendemeer Road, #01-04, B Central, Singapore 339943
- Actualize CrossFit: 251 Jalan Besar, Singapore 208924
- CrossFit Morpheus: 31 Rochester Drive, #02-01 Rochester Mall (Hotel Block), Singapore 138637
- Battlefront CrossFit: 118 Pasir Panjang Road Singapore 118541
How do I choose a CrossFit gym?
When checking out Crossfit boxes in Singapore, we don’t recommend that you settle on a box based on atmosphere and vibe alone.Whilst important, these are not the only factors at play. Here a checklist of some key elements you should look out for:
- Goals: Did the coach ask about your fitness goals, and when you’d like to achieve them? Did they discuss how you’ll approach reaching those goals? What about indicators that will prove that you have reached them?
These are some of the first conversations that you should be having with your coach. Everything starts with a goal, a destination.You need to have an idea of where you’re going before you can decide the path to take!
- Quality of Coaching: Is the coach attentive to the needs of people in the class? Is he /she patient enough to answer your questions? Does he/she possess the ability to modify an exercise to that of one more appropriate to your level?
Coaching should be personal, clear, and concise. Your coach should be able to address your concerns and help you flourish.
- Safety: As a chiropractic clinic, we argue this should be the number one priority of the gym. Is the gym secure? Does it have protocols for handling injuries or emergencies?
Whilst it’s true that hard training is a necessary part of a fitness journey, pain from an injury isn’t. Your gym and your coach should be able to differentiate soreness from injury. On that note, a good coach will also never push you beyond your means.
How many days a week should you do CrossFit?
For beginners, 3 times a week is ideal.
Frequency can gradually be increased as you and your coach see fit.
How much time will I spend doing Crossfit?
A CrossFit session can range for as short as 30 minutes all the way to 60 minutes. The typical structure of a crossfit class looks like this:
- Warm up: 5 to 10 minutes
- Strength work: 20 to 35 minutes
- WOD: 20 to 30 minutes
Additional Tips for CrossFit Beginners
Work at your own pace
Don’t be intimidated by the progress of others. As the saying goes: You do you!
The person who’s killing it in the corner of the gym started out as a beginner just like you. Your coach was a beginner just like you.
Don’t be so hard on yourself, build slowly but surely. This is the best way to train in a safe and meaningful way, to keep lower back pain and knee pain at bay!
Rest if you need to, take time to recover. You’ll get there soon enough!
The first weeks will be the most difficult
Like most new things, it’s perfectly normal to struggle in the first month or so as your body is still adjusting.
Maybe it’s because your muscles are sore, maybe you don’t know anyone in the gym yet.
Be patient.
It’ll take some time for you to figure out what you’re doing, but you’ll inevitably get stronger and make some new friends along the way!
Always warm up
Never skip warm up exercises and stretches as they can boost your performance by:
- Reducing muscle soreness
- Reducing risk of injury
- Improving your cardiovascular fitness
- Increasing oxygenation throughout the body through increase blood flow
- Increasing range of motion in your limbs
- Raising core temperature
Your warm ups should last for about 5-10 minutes and you should break into a light sweat. Increase the duration of your warm ups as the intensity of your WOD increases.
Eat & Sleep right
Fitness is about a holistic approach.
You can’t expect results if you just focus on workouts, it should be balanced with proper nutrition and energy.
Eat according to your goals. Maintain a good balance of carbs, fats, and protein. Make sure you’re consuming enough vitamins and minerals.
Don’t skip sleep because quality sleep is part of the recovery process, and a key factor in getting strong and fit. Lack of sleep not only results in a lack of energy but also slows down muscle recovery.
We hope we’ve helped prove to you that there’s no question that CrossFit is a perfectly safe way to improve your fitness and health.
Crossfit itself is not just a fitness trend of the times, but a global phenomenon with more than 15,000 Crossfit boxes worldwide.
At the end of the day, though, the only way to find out if Crossfit is for you is by visiting CrossFit boxes in your area so that you can experience CrossFit in all its glory!
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Pom Pi Pi is founded on helping everyday Singaporeans achieve their peak physical performance. We believe meaningful change is not about how fast, how high, or how strong. It’s about being consistent.
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