The Goal of CrossFit

What Most People Think CrossFit Is

By now, most people have heard of CrossFit.

Some have gone on to search “CrossFit” and seen all kinds of videos of people doing crazy workouts — flying around the gym in what seems to be an uncontrolled mess (by the way, these videos are not a good representation of what happens during a properly programmed CrossFit workout).

Few have actually delved far enough into CrossFit to truly understand what it’s about and the purpose of its methodology.

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Why CrossFit Works

CrossFit has become so popular because of the results it produces. Those who participate in CrossFit lose fat, gain muscle, become stronger, have better conditioning, and generally improve their overall health markers.

This is all great and makes CrossFit highly desirable to participate in — but what is it really all about?

At its essence, CrossFit is the pursuit of all-around fitness.

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Finding Balance in Fitness

Olympic lifters, powerlifters, and strongman athletes aim to be as strong and powerful as possible — but in pursuit of that, their cardio often gets neglected.

Marathon runners and endurance cyclists, on the other hand, aim to have the best cardio they can achieve — but their strength and power tend to suffer.

For CrossFitters, the goal is balance between these two worlds. We want to lift heavy (maybe not as heavy as a strength athlete, but still fairly heavy), while also being able to go for a 5–10km run and complete it in a decent time — without being broken afterward.

That balance is what all-around fitness really means. But let’s take a closer look at what CrossFitters are actually training for.

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The 10 Skills of Fitness

CrossFit breaks down fitness into 10 general physical skills: Cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy.

This is what we strive to achieve — and to do so in a balanced way.

As humans, we need all of these skills. If we’re deficient in one, our functionality in life (and often our health) suffers.

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Training for Life

This becomes even more true as we age.

We train today so that when we’re older, we can remain independent — able to get out of our cars, chairs, and tubs without help. Able to lift, carry, and play sports. Able to pick up our grandchildren, climb stairs with ease, and enjoy life to its fullest.

That means keeping our hearts strong for energy, building strength and power to move our bodies and the things we need to, maintaining flexibility to move through full ranges of motion, and improving balance to avoid falls.

There isn’t one skill on that list we can do without and still live a full, functional life.

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How CrossFit Programming Works

Our CrossFit programming is designed to develop all of these skills in a balanced way — and this is where the elegance of the system really shines.

The way our workouts are structured elicits both neural and hormonal responses that have powerful effects on the human body.

These processes trigger fat loss, muscle gain, improved insulin sensitivity, neuroprotective adaptations, and hormonal changes that enhance mood and mental clarity.

In short, the human body functions at a higher level when following our programming.

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The AIO Approach

This is what CrossFit is really about — becoming better at every facet of your life.

It’s what we strive to help every member at AIO achieve.

We often hear from members who, after just a few months, are shocked by how much their bodies and minds have transformed. They’re experiencing benefits they never thought possible — and it’s incredibly rewarding to see.

We can’t wait for them to see what happens after a year of CrossFit.

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Ready to Get Started?

If you’d like to learn more about the AIO approach to CrossFit, book a Free Intro Session where we’ll get to know your goals, fitness background, and current fitness level — then recommend the best membership option for you.

You can book your session today by clicking on Join Us at the top right of this page.

It might just be your first step toward functioning at your highest level.

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