As millions of Americans rush to their local gyms to fulfill New Year’s resolutions, they will choose various types of exercise based on specific benefits that each provides. For example, yoga enthusiasts boast the practice’s ability to generate a peaceful state of mind and an über-bendable body. Long-distance runners claim endurance is the key to “true” fitness and for some, the fountain of youth.

Most workout strategies like these promise one or two primary benefits. One relatively new method, founded in 2000 by Greg Glassman, promises not one, not two, but nine essential benefits. This program’s growing popularity and cult-like following are bound to draw a number of curious first-timers this time of year.

This program, called CrossFit, is now practiced by members of more than 7,000 gyms across the United States. Those that commit themselves to the rigorous exercise routines are intended to experience increased endurance, stamina, flexibility, coordination, power, speed, agility, balance and accuracy — whew, exhausted yet? Glassman describes his trademarked program as, “a constantly varied and highly functional workout experience where every individual will be challenged and encouraged to give their very best.”

Well that sounds very nice but doesn’t that kind of sound like the description of any workout program?

“Constantly varied?” — “Moderation is key” is hardly a new concept.

“Highly functional?”— Yeah, so is “Workout: Starring Jane Fonda.”

“Every individual will be challenged and encouraged?” — Sounds like my high school track team.

So, without further adieu ….

What is CrossFit?
Expatriates Magazine says the program advocates a perpetually changing mix of aerobic exercise, body weight exercise, and Olympic weight lifting. CrossFit operates on a Workout of the Day (WOD) system. Hour-long classes are held at participating gyms, or in CrossFit lingo, “boxes,” and consist of a warm-up, a skill development instruction, the “Workout of the Day” and, finally, stretching. The WOD is where the high-intensity combination of cardio, weightlifting and body weight exercises come in.

Oftentimes, the WOD is scored in some capacity to give the participants more of a push to reach their full potential. The workouts can become a bit of a competition. The idea is urging athletes to be faster, stronger and more agile than their CrossFit counterparts will, in the end, make them realize how hard they can push themselves and what their bodies are truly capable of.

“The biggest pro is definitely that it is high-intensity. With any high-intensity workout, you’re going to see results,” said Madison College Personal Training Development instructor Adam Crowley.

CrossFit isn’t just popular in gyms. High schools, law enforcement agencies, and military organizations have all caught on to the trend and taken advantage of the dynamic program.

Cross-famous?
The summer of 2007 marked the first annual CrossFit Games. Competitors in the games show up with no idea of what to expect. They are thrown into various activities that are not part of the usual CrossFit regime. Athletes that want to qualify for the competition must first join an online competition called, “CrossFit Open.” This program allows CrossFitters from across the globe to enter their scores and times. The winning individuals then move on to regional competitions, and finally, the CrossFit Games. Winners of the Games are deemed “fittest on earth” and at the 2013 games, the male and female winners took home $250,000 each — a number that has been on the rise since the Games’ inception.

People from across the nation tune in to ESPN to watch the Reebok-sponsored event yearly. The Games have made international superstars out of winners, key players, and those who just look really good while working out. People in the CrossFit community treat them with the sort of respect you would find in a Wisconsinite toward Clay Matthews or Aaron Rodgers.

How safe is it?
CrossFit is a high-intensity, high-impact activity and because of that, minor injuries are to be expected. As with running, boxing, tennis and other sports, athletes who commit themselves to this program should consider the fact that their bodies are going to hurt after a while. But some exercise professionals dispute the CrossFit method, saying that they are “extremists” who take it too far.

Uncle Rhabdo is an image commonly referred to in discussions of the health risks associated with CrossFit. Uncle Rhabdo is a cartoon clown who is illustrated as a very muscular man looking very sick and hooked up to an IV. He has Rhabdomyosis; a kidney condition induced by excessive exercise and underlying genetics. This condition causes extreme dehydration, which results in kidney failure, electrolyte imbalances and eventually, heart problems.

CrossFit athletes in certain gyms are given Uncle Rhabdo stickers when they exercise to the point of throwing up or passing out. The sticker, intended to be a gentle reminder for athletes to control themselves, has become a bit of a humorous “congratulations.”

“I think the biggest struggle with Crossfit is progression. Explains Crowley who, aside from teaching at Madison College, directs personal training a six gyms in the Madison area. They are asking people to come in and do high end training without properly conditioning them.”

The Madison College graduate continues, “It’s destructive to people’s bodies. It quickly fatigues muscles and tendons which can lead to injury sooner than most workouts.”

The moral of the story
Dr. David Geier, Jr., an orthopedic surgeon and the director of sports medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina told Livestrong Magazine that the benefits of CrossFit outweigh the risks — but the risks are real.

Crowley said that the workout program can be beneficial depending on your fitness level going in.

“I think it’s great for former collegiate athletes who have been in strength and conditioning programs before,” Crowley said. “But for a 40-year-old mom who has never worked out a day in her life, it might not be the best starting place.”

CrossFit is a great way to get people excited about working out and pushing themselves but just like other fitness programs, athletes need to know their limits and listen to their bodies instead of the environment around them. Also, because of the timed aspect of CrossFit workouts, it’s important that they keep form in mind instead of quantity of repetitions.

When done correctly, CrossFit can improve those seven essential physical characteristics but it’s easy to lose sight of best practices when social and personal pressure blocks the view or proper training is not enforced.