Crossfit

If you’re intimidated by the photos on this page, think of them as your goal. Still not convinced? Believe it or not, these poses are variations of everyday movements you do – lifting bags, squatting, moving objects...

“We do a lot of squatting [everyday]. It’s a natural way of sitting,” says JV Co, one of the people behind Crossfit Manila (CFMNL).

 â€œWhen you pick up your baby you squat, when you lift bags or move objects from one place to another you squat, it is a functional movement. It mimics what you do outside of the gym. But when adults squat, sometimes it is hard for them to stand up again. The more you train yourself to squat when you get old, your body will get used to heavy lifting,” he stresses.

Crossfit is a fitness and lifestyle program based on functional movements. Functional movements mimic everyday action – pushing, pulling, climbing, squatting, picking things off the ground, etc.

Crossfit is a combination of weight lifting which is for strength, gymnastics which involves body weight movements, and endurance which includes biking, running. Crossfit can also be used by athletes to improve their performance.

Co, 32, who surfs and does kickboxing, started crossfit when he was working in the US as a forensic analyst in a law firm. He is a graduate of Computer Science from the University of San Francisco.

 â€œI was doing crossfit as a hobby and I got very good results, both in weight loss and general wellness. I thought it was something the Philippines needed,” he shares.

Co and a group of friends put up the first Crossfit gym in Libis, Quezon City in late 2010. To date, they have three branches under the CFMNL group: Fort Bonifacio and Legaspi Village in Makati City and Alabang, Muntinlupa City.

CFMNL is set to open a branch in Eastwood, Quezon City, replacing its Libis outlet.

This summer, CFMNL offers Filipino kids a new type of playground where they can play games while getting fit and at the same time learn proper movements for their daily activities.

Parents looking for activities to keep their kids busy this summer may register them in CFMNL Crossfit Kids, a special program for children aged five to 10 years.

“They do a lot of games but these are very focused on functional movements,” Co tells STARweek.

“The children start with squats. They run, jump in the box and work on agility using cones and ladders. It looks like a big playground,” Co explains.

 â€œWe also teach the parents what diet their kids can follow. We teach them to follow the crossfit diet which is a Paleo diet,” he adds, explaining that it is a Stone Age diet that includes lean meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds and healthy fats and oils.

Co says Crossfit Kids helps children develop a lifelong love of fitness.

 â€œWe have trained and certified crossfit kids who teach the parents what their children can eat,” says Co. “We also have mommies who train.”

Another program being promoted by CFMNL is the bootcamp, described as an “unadulterated metabolic conditioning minus the weights.”

 â€œBootcamp is what we would like to promote,” says Co. “It is highly recommended for beginners.”

 â€œFor someone who is not yet sure if they want to do crossfit, if they don’t know how to lift weights, they can start with bootcamp,” he says.

He said they have an average of 10 to 12 students per class that lasts for about 45 minutes to an hour. Recommended frequency for maximum benefit is to do this three to four times a week, although bootcamp sessions are held Monday to Saturday.

“The beauty of crossfit is it is universally scalable... you can scale any movement… You can come in as someone who has not done it before, or you can be a professional athlete who still wants to be challenged,” Co adds. “We give you a healthy diet. We ensure that the movements you are doing are safe. Our coaches are highly trained.”

Manila Throwdown

Twice a year, CFMNL organizes the Manila Throwdown, a two-day friendly competition among different gyms here and abroad.

 â€œAs organizer of the event we set the challenge and we also provide the prizes,” he says.

Co says athletes from other Southeast Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong join the competition.

Co says crossfit really promotes an active and healthy lifestyle. People automatically quit their vices such as smoking and start eating right to improve their performance.

 â€œWhat happens is we don’t ask them to quit. But they come to realize that the only way to improve is to eat healthy and live healthier. They feel that they really need to improve,” he says.

 â€œBut aside from the aesthetics like weight loss, anything outside of looking nice, it really promotes long life because the movements are functional,” Co adds.