Initial CrossFit fad has become legit fitness craze

In September, I made the potentially hazardous decision to get a first-hand look at CrossFit, a relatively new and growing core strength and conditioning program.

Armed with very little knowledge of CrossFit other than reading a few wide-ranging, opinionated Internet articles, I walked into CrossFit 317 in Brownsburg one afternoon to inquire about trying it out. I can't be sure, but I believe the initial conversation with owner Ashley Hobbs went something like this:

Hobbs: "Have you done CrossFit before?"

Me: "No. But I've watched a few P90X infomercials."

Five months later, I'm still showing up. My pullup form still resembles a wounded animal flailing up a muddy riverbank, but hey, I'm making progress in strength and mobility and generally enjoy the hour of physical release.

CrossFit isn't for everybody, as Hobbs said — I recall agreeing with this wholeheartedly my first few weeks — but it can appeal to a wide range of ages and fitness levels. There are more than 8,500 CrossFit gyms (or "boxes", as they are called) worldwide and counting, including at least 28 affiliates in the Indianapolis area.

The key to a good experience is finding a gym that fits your needs and personality. And don't forget to check your ego at the door.

"You have to want to come here," Hobbs said. "And it helps to be kind of humble when you come in."

Perception of CrossFit

Despite its popularity, there is also no shortage of negative publicity about CrossFit, which has been mocked for its cult-like following and, more seriously, targeted as a sport that causes injuries.

There is a community experience to CrossFit, though I've yet to feel like I've joined anything other than a group of people looking to improve their fitness level. People who enjoy CrossFit do like to talk about CrossFit.

"If being in a cult means that you're hanging out with a good group of people and getting better every day, then call it a cult," Hobbs said. "That doesn't sound too bad to me."

Hobbs, 27, started CrossFit 317 in October 2012. She has a background in athletics, having played softball in college at Evansville and Indiana. She earned her degree in exercise science, then a Master's in sports science.

CrossFit was a foreign concept to Hobbs until three years ago when she took a class at TitanFit on the Westside.

"I thought it was a fad that was going to go away very quickly," she said. "But once I got into a gym that was well-coached and well-run, I learned you could do it safely and I got hooked right away."

It's true that injuries can happen in CrossFit. There is always that possibility when lifting weights and pushing to do a high amount of repetitions. But it's also on the individual to listen to his body and learn the movements.

"If I get hurt in here it's because I did something wrong," said Adam Andretti, 34, who has lost 40 pounds and improved his strength numbers since he joined CrossFit 317 seven months ago. "I think the people who believe CrossFit is only going to get you injured are the people who haven't experienced it or maybe just tried it a day and it wasn't for them. Either this is for you, or it isn't."

Andretti, the younger brother of veteran race driver John Andretti, is using CrossFit to help him prepare for the Trans Am Series.

"I'm the most fit I've been since I was teenager driving a race car," he said. "What I'd like to see is more drivers come and give CrossFit a shot. I feel like I'm more fresh and stronger at the end of the race, which I attribute to CrossFit."

What to expect

What can you expect from a CrossFit workout? There is no easy answer, which makes it appealing for those looking for variety in their daily routine.

Hobbs designs a routine built for a five-day workout. The idea is have a mix of push and pull exercises, upper body and lower body.

"You want to get a good balance," she said. "We don't want to burn people out with legs three days in a row or upper body three days in a row."

There is a lot to learn, especially for those uninitiated with Olympic lifts such as the clean and jerk, deadlift, snatch and front, back and overhead squats. Those lifts, or other strength-based movements, often make up the first part of each workout (called a "WOD", for workout of the day), followed by a fast-paced, high-intensity workout called a metcon (metabolic conditioning), which normally takes 10-15 minutes, though it could be slightly more or less. The second portion could involve any number of exercises, from pushups to pullups to kettle bell swings to dreaded burpees and many others movements.

One thing is certain: it's never easy. All told, warm-ups included, the workout takes an hour.

"It's a challenge," Andretti said. "You have to want to be here."

For the seriously motivated, there is a chance to compete. The CrossFit Games began in 2007 and allows competitors to advance through local and regional levels before qualifying for the world championship, which is televised on ESPN.

I'll admit I didn't expect to try CrossFit longer than a couple months (if nothing else, to get a story idea), if I lasted that long. But I liked Hobbs' no-pressure approach as an owner and attention to detail as a teacher. I can also see improvement — incremental as it is for me — and I found the community aspect encouraging.

So I guess I've joined the cult — it beats sitting on the couch.

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

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Area CrossFit affiliates

At most CrossFit locations, an unlimited monthly membership is $100-$140, with discounts for multi-month or yearly memberships.

Here's a look at look at the local CrossFit affiliates as listed at CrossFit.com:

CrossFit 180

Lebanon, IN (765) 336-0180

CrossFit Thrive

Westfield, IN (317) 519-9083

Three Kings CrossFit

Noblesville, IN (571) 251-7635

CrossFit Fishers

Fishers, IN (317) 572-8180

CrossFit Carmel

Carmel, IN (317) 324-8015

CrossFit Clay United

Carmel, IN (216) 287-6387

CrossFit Zionsville

Zionsville, IN (317) 733-4604

CrossFit Hud

4337 W 96th Indianapolis IN (317) 643-2483

CrossFit Dash

3250 W 86th Indianapolis, IN (317) 709-5835

Inner Strength CrossFit

8658 Castle Park Drive, Indianapolis, IN (317) 222-0633

CrossFit Dog Fight

8345 Clearvista Place, Indianapolis, IN (812) 584-6786

CrossFit Castlewood

8455 Castlewood Drive, Indianapolis, IN (317) 677-3698

CrossFit Broad Ripple

6542 Westfield Blvd., Indianapolis, IN (317) 898-4281

CrossFit Brownsburg

Brownsburg, IN (317) 213-0182

CrossFit 317

Brownsburg, IN (317) 858-5090

CrossFit Naptown

Indianapolis, IN (317) 632-8820

Indy CrossFit

211 S. Ritter, Ave., Indianapolis, IN (317) 847-5121

Fort Ben CrossFit

10605 Deme Drive, Indianapolis, IN (317) 674-2864

Reebok CrossFit FINL

3308 N. Mitthoeffer Road, Indianapolis, IN (317) 502-6016

CrossFit East Indy

Greenfield, IN (317) 727-0833

CrossFit Greenfield

Greenfield, IN (317) 850-3590

CrossFit Notch 8

Avon, IN (317) 509-8349

TitanFit

7109 Girls School Ave., Indianapolis, IN (317) 543-4372

CrossFit Unbreakable

Plainfield, IN (317) 224-6960

SETT CrossFit

5555 Elmwood Ave., Indianapolis, IN (317) 538-9662

Indy South CrossFit

Greenwood, IN (317) 300-9303

CrossFit Center Grove

Greenwood, IN (317) 223-3633

IFX CrossFit

Greenwood, IN (317) 215-4307

CrossFit Sworn

Greenwood, IN (317) 300-9073

JoCo CrossFit

Franklin, IN (317) 506-3911

CrossFit Wazimu

Martinsville, IN (765) 315-7175