One of the problems that some beginners suffer from when they feel the desire to start physical activity or sports in general, their goals are often unclear and they ask many questions such as: CrossFit vs Gym, which is best for me?
The answer is that you must know the goals that you want to achieve with a specific physical activity, because all activities have a specific role in improving some things in the body, for example swimming or aerobic activities may improve breathing and get large lungs, cardio exercises in order to improve endurance of the heart…
And in this article, we will try to explain both CrossFit and the gym, and we will know which one is best suited for beginners.
Stay with us to find out together.
What is the difference between CrossFit and Gym?
The gym is the place where athletes do many activities, the most important of which is bodybuilding, which is an activity that targets and amplifies the muscles, while CrossFit is a physical activity based on many intermittent intense exercises, and athletes integrate many physical activities in this sport , such as gymnastics, weightlifting, swimming, running, cardio exercises, aerobic and anaerobic exercises, and CrossFit targets the muscles and the heart together, it is one of the activities that will make you strong and have a high physical fitness and toned muscles.
What is CrossFit?
Intense physical activity, containing high-intensity intermittent exercises, CrossFit pushes athletes to their limits so that athletes exercise throughout the week with a rest for a day or two, the exercise passes in the form of (WOD) and may combine aerobic exercises and gymnastic exercises, and Weightlifting at once.
What is Gym?
The gym, short of (Gymnasium) is a sports facility that specializes in many physical activities, and the common physical activity there is weightlifting. Joining a gym center does not require you to have high physical fitness or something like that that is suitable for all levels.
How is CrossFit different from other Gyms?
What makes CrossFit different from other gyms, is that CrossFit activities require some commitment and fitness, and the exercises that CrossFit athletes perform are completely different from the rest of the gyms, so that athletes must do several repetitions of a group of exercises and at a specific speed on Depending on the type of exercise.
There is also the difference between CrossFit and the rest of the gyms, in CrossFit the club members train in groups, and there is a spirit of competition and a lot of challenge.
CrossFit vs Gym: Which one is better?
In fact, we cannot be certain that CrossFit is better than the gym or vice versa, because this is due to your goals in particular and the type of body you want to get.
There are those who believe that CrossFit is the best because they get stronger and faster with doing CrossFit, and there are those who believe that the gym Better because it makes them healthy and live a happy and healthy life.
And in order to settle the argument we will try to reveal the type of body that you will get with each of them, this will make it easy for you to know who is the best for you.
What kind of body does CrossFit give you?
When you get used to CrossFit activities, your muscles will become toned and not huge, you will build muscle endurance and cardio endurance together, your movements will become faster, and you will get a strong athletic body capable of performing any type of high intensity exercise.
What kind of body does Gym give you?
As for the gym, when you get used to performing various exercises such as weightlifting and some cardio exercises, according to studies, when you follow physical activities in an integrated manner, this makes you have a healthy body, reduces the incidence of heart disease, and also reduces the risk of stroke, and also Contributes to a lower risk of early death.
CrossFit vs Gym: which one is better for beginners?
For beginners, I think that the level of CrossFit is still far from them, and I suggest that they first start with one of the moderate activities in the gym, such as getting used to lifting weights and some cardio exercises. There are also moderate intensity BodyPump workouts that are very suitable for beginners to get used to the Fast Reps.
When could CrossFit become a better option?
After gaining some fitness, it will not be a problem if you have the desire to join one of the CrossFit boxes because you’ll not feel like a stranger to that community and you’ll easily integrate with the activities they do.
Can I combine CrossFit and Gym?
This may be a good combination, but incorporating a variety of exercises into your CrossFit routine may slow down the results and may prevent the body from adapting, as CrossFit may take up a large part of your time and your muscles may need some rest, so the idea of incorporating CrossFit with Bodybuilding, Mass Training, etc. may not be a good idea, it is better to choose one of them and stick to it.
CrossFit vs Gym: for weightloss
Losing weight is directly related first to the diet that you follow, and then the type of exercise.
The more intense the exercises you do, the more calories you burn.
The secret behind losing weight is losing more calories than you consume, so CrossFit may beat gym activities in this matter.
How is that?
CrossFit athletes follow a strict diet, which contains important percentages of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats, and they exercise sometimes for 5 or 6 days a week, they do several exercises and several repetitions almost daily, and here we are talking about a lot of wasted calories.
How many calories do CrossFit athletes burn in one session?
According to the American Council on Exercise, CrossFit athletes (men) can burn between 15 and 18 calories per minute, which equates to 640 calories in a 40-minute session (CrossFit athletes train for hours).
For CrossFit athletes (women), they burn between 13 and 15 calories per minute, which equates to 560 calories in a 40-minute session.
How many calories can be burned in the gym in one session?
In the gym, it is different from CrossFit with regard to burning calories, so that burning calories depends on the intensity of exercise and the weight of people, for example in weight exercises, the average person can burn between 180 to 300 calories within an hour.
When the intensity of exercise is increased to the maximum Limit the calorie burning rate between 360 and 540 calories, and body weight exercises such as push-ups, jumping, and plank, may burn about 590 calories within an hour.
CrossFit vs Gym: which one is more dangerous for beginners?
In fact, all sports may pose a danger to the body, not only for beginners, but even athletes sometimes receive injuries, so you must do things in the right way and learn the basics of the movements.
Which one is more safe?
The gym may be superior in terms of safety and injury registration compared to CrossFit, so that many studies indicate that most beginners are exposed to injuries during their first months with CrossFit, because they undergo some exercises, such as lifting the Olympic barbell and doing many repetitions, with their lack of availability On the fitness necessary to do this type of activities, this is why CrossFit is less safe compared to the gym.
Summary
I think that the gym is safer for beginners, because they can control the intensity of the exercises and do repetitions more slowly, unlike CrossFit, which sometimes forces them to exert more effort than they can.
Also, if you have the desire to start with CrossFit, it is better to start with some less intense activities in the gym in order to gain some fitness and get your muscles used to the intensity of exercises and lifting weights.
If you choose the gym, you will gain a healthy body, reduce the risk of disease and lead a healthy sports life.
If you choose CrossFit, you will also gain a healthy athletic body, build a stronger physique than Gym and you will have strength and speed, but CrossFit requires commitment and more effort.
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