thePULSEBy Kim Dunbar, Sports Editor
Life is as unpredictable as the New England weather. But it might be a lot easier if we were physically prepared to handle the challenges thrown in our paths.
Enter CrossFit, a grassroots movement created by former gymnast Greg Glassman in California during the 1980s. CrossFit is a training methodology that focuses on strength and conditioning for everyday life and overall health and fitness.
“CrossFit trains you for the unpredictability of life,” said Timothy Segur, a Worcester police officer and one of four owners of the new CrossFit CenterMass gym on Shrewsbury Street. “The workout involves functional movements at high intensities. It does not require typical gym equipment because those machines do not exist in real life,” he added. Segur said that CrossFit builds on everyday movements and is minimalistic when it comes to equipment; it employs ropes, rings, kettlebells, Olympic weights, pull-up bars and plyometric boxes in its workouts.
“You don’t see people walking down the street doing hamstring curls or wrist pumps,” said Segur. “The machines and the exercises performed at the gym don’t mimic reality because you never use one muscle at a time. CrossFit involves compound movements, using multiple muscles, because that is how people work in life.”
CrossFit is beneficial for Segur and his business partners ~ Worcester cops Nate Reando, Michael Higgins and Michael Spalatro ~ as well as other police officers, firefighters and the military because of its unique approach. “Our job demands the unknowing ability,” said Segur.
“These workouts prepare you for that unpredictability; they are tailored for that type of environment.”
And for the Average Jo(e), the workout is beneficial because it teaches how to better perform the movements used in every day life, including squats and deadlifts (aka picking up a child or other object). Start practicing the virtual shovel move now and by next winter the backaches will be gone. And the best part: “All workouts are scalable, and can be adjusted to whatever level you are at,” said Segur, who added that men and women, including the elderly, practice CrossFit to improve their lives.
“What attracted me to CrossFit was that the workouts are short and intense and they are different every day,” Segur said. He added that workouts can range anywhere from seven to 45 minutes and are kept interesting because “…you are always pushing yourself to beat a time, number of reps or amount weight lifted.”
There are just 12 CrossFit gyms in Massachusetts, and CrossFit CenterMass is unique to the Worcester area (previously, the closest one was in Natick). Open seven days a week, Segur and his partners ~ who are all certified CrossFit trainers ~ offer six 45-minute classes a day. In addition to the workout ~ which is the official CrossFit.com workout of the day~ the classes include instruction and practice moves to warm up.
CrossFit CenterMass offers free beginner classes every Saturday morning to showcase the training and benefits of the workout. “This isn’t your boring gym routine where you do strength, cardio and repeat,” said Segur. “Each day the workout will be different and the anticipation of wondering what the workout will be is one of the best parts.”
CrossFit is all about unpredictability.
For more information on classes and memberships, please visit www.CrossFitCenterMass.com.
