KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 22 — Even if you are a champion couch potato, chances are you would have heard of CrossFit. You may not know exactly what happens in a CrossFit gym (or boxes, as they are called in CrossFit language!) but you know it’s no walk in the park.

CrossFit workouts are based on functional movements and combine gymnastics, weightlifting, running, rowing and mono-structural endurance ie the exercises are performed for time or number of sets, with some going up to 100 repetitions.

Termed as Workout of the Day (WOD), each session is usually done in a group of about 10 to 15 people for an hour and it includes a warming up and cooling down period.

An example of a WOD would consist of running 800 metres, 100 reps push-ups, pull-ups, deadlifts, 50 squats and, of course, not forgetting plenty of burpees

Yes, definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Since its introduction into Malaysia in early 2010, it has undoubtedly created a new and separate fitness community within the industry.

Even those with bad knees will be able to jump up the box through CrossFit training, says Matin Fayzal. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

Today, despite there being fewer than 10 CrossFit boxes in the Klang Valley, there are already tens of thousands of members.

Surprisingly some of these include people with a bad knee or back and more interestingly some of them claim that they have gotten better after several months into these high intensity workouts.

According to CrossFit GTX chief operating officer Harrison Jub, there is no such thing as an ideal member and anyone can join a CrossFit class upon completing a foundation course to learn the proper way to perform each exercise.

"There is no ideal CrossFit member and everyone needs fitness like we need air or Vitamin C. I enjoy seeing people who are severely de-conditioned or suffering from chronic illnesses start CrossFit because I know there is a much bigger opportunity for improvement with those people under such conditions.

"Because each workout is scalable to fit each member, even the one with the most severe injury can do this,” he told Malay Mail Online.

The CrossFit programme was developed by former gymnast Greg Glassman in 2000 and such workouts have since been adopted by the US Navy Seals, Canadian Army, police and special forces units worldwide.

Today, there are millions in the CrossFit community with more than 13,000 CrossFit affiliates worldwide.

"CrossFit is not just about completing the workout and leaving but about meeting new people, helping each other out and having breakfast or drinks together after a session,” Jub said.

Like running for some runners, Jub said doing a CrossFit workout will eventually become "therapeutic”, adding that Crossfitters would also enjoy doing such workouts in the long run.

"Yes, CrossFit may be new as people only got to know about it in the last decade but this is the workout you do if you want to get fitter and stronger because it combines several compound workouts in such a short period.

"By doing so, you tend to increase your stamina and build strength quickly,” he said.

It took Harrison Jub only four months to master the muscle up. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

In Shah Alam, Fuel Athletics CrossFit head coach Matin Fayzal said CrossFit is different from other group workouts in the sense that it forces a member to learn the anatomy of a human body.

"So when you are doing a deadlift, to some, it may be just picking up the barbell from the floor, but in CrossFit, we teach why you do it and tell you which muscles or muscle groups are being used.

"We also teach our members to differentiate between good and bad pain so much so our members know almost as much as or more than trainers at ordinary gyms,” he said, explaining that a bad pain is related to joint pains and that a good pain is muscle-related.

Unlike conventional gyms and some group workouts, CrossFit members are constantly pushed to reach plateau.

"And when you hit a plateau, we will come back to the scoreboard to see how we can work things so you can push yourself further the next time you try a particular workout,” he said.

As for Mohd Rasyid, who has been practising CrossFit for nine months now, the intense workout has improved his stamina and physique tremendously.

"I have done bootcamps and some kickboxing classes, but CrossFit has seriously transformed my stamina and strength to a whole new level,” he said.

While CrossFit has garnered much hype in the industry, it however has also received its fair share of negative comments; some say that such workouts do not emphasise on form and that continuously lifting in bad form would lead to injuries.

"I beg to differ as for the ordinary Crossfitter, we do emphasise on strict form every session, but it is up to them how they lift during a competition,” Jub said.

During a CrossFit competition, Jub pointed that it is time-based, hence, most competitors usually aim at completing the course as soon as possible without focusing on form.

"But these days, even serious competitors emphasise on form because if you snap something, you are most probably out for six months to a year or out for good and you won’t want that,” he added.

In terms of setting up a CrossFit box, both Jub and Matin concur that it would cost not more than RM500,000.

It is learnt that the cost of opening a conventional gym is around RM1 million, depending on the machines and facilities offered.

While a typical CrossFit box comprises several pull-up stations, ropes, barbells, plates, medicine balls, dumbbells, the cost of each equipment, according to Matin, is far more expensive than those at a conventional gym.

The shoulder press, as demonstrated by Matin Fayzal, is one of the compound movements that works the abs, back and legs. ― Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

"Because Crossfitters tend to drop their loaded barbells on the floor, our flooring, barbell and plates have to be durable, hence, the cost,” he said, adding that a CrossFit barbell costs about RM2,000 while the plates are about RM850 per piece.

Jub also said that to open a CrossFit gym here, one would need to pay a royalty of about US$1,000 (RM4,400) to CrossFit’s headquarters in the US.

Also among the criteria, Jub said, trainers must possess at least a Level 1 certificate with CrossFit.

Without these, he said, the CrossFit headquarters can sue a gym owner that uses words such as WOD or functional workouts or simply using the word "CrossFit” in any part of his or her establishment.