WHat is Crossfit?
Come find out this Sunday! We will have a booth near the skatepark with equipment and demos. Forget about the internet — come find out what CrossFit is all about in person! We will answer all your CrossFit questions.
This is the conversation that tends to create the most friction and the most converts. Because almost everyone comes into CrossFit with a story about cardio. They run. They bike. They swim. They’ve been told for years that steady-state aerobic work is the foundation of health and fitness. And they’re not entirely wrong.
But they’re not entirely right, either. The “Metabolic Conditioning” article laid out the science behind CrossFit’s approach to “cardio,” why intensity beats duration, why anaerobic training does things aerobic training can’t, and what the research actually says about the most efficient path to cardiovascular fitness. We’ve put it in conversation form because this particular topic deserves to be argued out loud. Read it, then go find your favorite distance runner and have the conversation yourself.
“I run five days a week. My heart rate is great, and my weight is under control. Why would I need to change anything?”
I’m not here to tell you running is bad. It’s not. But let me ask you something: when you say your heart rate is great, what are you comparing it to? Because cardiovascular health isn’t one number; it’s a full picture. And if the only thing you’re training is your aerobic system, you’re getting one piece of that picture. A pretty good piece, sure. But one piece.
“What am I missing?”
Your body has three ways to produce energy, and if you’ve read the earlier articles in this series, you’ve met them already. The phosphagen system for short explosive efforts, the glycolytic system for moderate-intensity work, and the oxidative system for sustained aerobic efforts like your runs. Most people think “cardio” means training the third one. CrossFit trains all three. If you’re only running, you’re only training one energy system, and the other two are quietly deteriorating.
“But I feel fit. I can run for hours. How is that not fitness?”
It’s a form of fitness. A real one. But here’s a question: can you sprint? Can you pick something heavy up off the ground without your back complaining? Can you do 10 pull-ups? Those things require capacities your running isn’t building. And in some cases, your running may actually be working against them. Excessive aerobic training eats muscle and reduces strength and speed. It’s not a theory; you can see it just by comparing the physique of a sprinter to a marathoner. Same sport, different distance, completely different body. That difference is a direct result of how each person trains.
“That feels a little harsh toward endurance runners. Are you saying long runs are bad?”
I’m saying they have a cost that most people don’t account for. Long, slow aerobic work improves endurance. It also reduces power, speed, and strength over time if it’s all you do. For a dedicated distance athlete who only needs endurance, that trade-off might make sense. For people who want to be strong, fast, capable, and healthy across a full range of physical demands over the course of their entire lives, it doesn’t. You’re paying a price for a benefit you could get another way, without the trade-off.
“What other way?”
Interval training. High-intensity work alternated with real rest. Short bursts, hard effort, recover, repeat. This is anaerobic training with structure, and the research behind it is genuinely remarkable. A researcher named Dr. Izumi Tabata tested a protocol: 20 seconds of all-out work, 10 seconds of rest, repeated eight times. Four minutes total. His results showed significant improvements in both anaerobic and aerobic capacity. More importantly, his high-intensity group outperformed a group doing 60 minutes of moderate steady-state work on VO2 max — the gold standard measure of cardiovascular fitness. Four minutes beat 60. That’s significant.
“That sounds too good to be true. Four minutes can really replace an hour of cardio?”
The research says yes, under the right conditions. And before you dismiss it, this wasn’t a fringe study or a fitness industry claim. It was published in a peer-reviewed journal and has been replicated and built upon since. The mechanism makes sense, too — high-intensity anaerobic effort stresses the cardiovascular system at least as much as sustained aerobic work, often more. Your heart doesn’t know whether you’re sprinting or jogging. It knows how hard it’s working. Intervals make it work very hard, adapting without the muscle loss that comes from long-duration aerobic training.
“So, CrossFit is basically just interval training?”
It includes interval training, but it’s bigger than that. The key is variation across modalities; not just varying the intensity of one thing, but training completely different movements, skills, and time domains. Running intervals, rowing intervals, lifting, gymnastics, bodyweight work. Every time you shift to a new modality, your body faces a new cardiovascular stimulus and has to adapt again. Stack those adaptations across dozens of different physical demands, and you get a cardiovascular system that’s broad and robust — not just good at running or biking or rowing, but good at all of it. And at things you haven’t specifically trained for, which is where it really counts.
“What’s the actual evidence that this works for endurance specifically? I’m a runner, and I care about running.”
Here’s one that tends to surprise people: CrossFit athletes have improved their endurance performance without doing endurance training. And police training programs that replaced distance-run-based conditioning with CrossFit found that recruits actually posted better run times than the groups that had been running all along. Not despite the absence of long runs but because of what replaced them. The broad fitness base transfers directly to endurance performance.
“What would I actually feel different doing CrossFit versus my current training?”
Power. The most immediate thing people notice is the ability to produce force quickly. To sprint, to jump, to move something heavy fast. Running doesn’t give you that. CrossFit does. And then over time, you’d notice that your running doesn’t suffer. Your times don’t drop. In most cases, they improve because your engine is bigger, your body is stronger, and you’re drawing on capacities that a single-modality program never built. Think of it like this: a slow, fuel-efficient car and a fast, powerful one can cover the same distance. But only one of them can do everything else you’d want a car to do.
“But can I still run?”
Absolutely. Plenty of CrossFit athletes run. The question is whether running is the whole program or part of one. Come in, try a few workouts, and see what you notice. My guess is that within a few weeks, you’ll start to feel capacities you didn’t know you were missing. And once you feel them, you won’t want to give them up.
Ready to find out what you’ve been missing? Find a CrossFit gym near you.
Closing Note
If you made it through all four of these conversations, you’ve just done something most people rarely do: you challenged your own thinking, opinions, and beliefs.
That matters. Not because the concepts are complicated, but because it’s easy to show up, do the work, and never fully connect what you’re doing to why it works. The whiteboard makes sense. The movements make sense. The soreness the next day definitely makes sense. But the deeper logic and the framework underneath all of it is what separates people who do CrossFit from people who truly understand it. And understanding it changes how you train.
You chase intensity differently when you know why intensity is the variable that matters. You stop dreading the movements you’re worst at when you understand that those are exactly the ones making you better. You stop asking, “What’s the point of this workout?” because you already know: it’s building capacity you don’t have yet in a domain you haven’t fully trained.
That’s the gift in these articles. Not information but perspective. And perspective compounds the same way fitness does. Come back to these again in a year. You’ll be a different athlete, and something new will land.
Now get out there and train.
By Stephane Rochet, CF-L3
May 20, 2026
Bring a Friend this saturday for a free workout!
no experience necessary.
There’s no better time to start than now!
Yes!
Whether you are a new mom, a father of 3, or have a house full of teenagers, everyone is welcome at CrossFit Train. We know that as parents it can be hard to find time for yourself and working out is one of the first things to fall by the wayside in our busy lives.
We are a family friendly gym. It’s common to see a line up of 5 strollers in some of our classes. We also have a kids area for the toddlers. The older kids are welcome to wait on the couch while you get in your workout. And teenagers can join you in class!
As parents ourselves, we highly value the one hour a day we get to workout and do something for ourselves. We believe it is important for us to facilitate that for all of you as well.
Exercise helps us destress which helps us be better parents. So if you can’t find a sitter, just bring the kiddos and we will try our best to give you the best hour of your day!
Join us this memorial day for a workout and bbq!
When: Monday May 25th at 11Am
Where: 1780 SW 3rd Street, Suite 110
What: hero workout “Murph,” BBQ and games to follow
all levels welcome!
Scaling options available
Family friendly event
We don’t just coach.
We teach.
CrossFit has never been random.
It was built on a method.
From the beginning, we didn’t just show people what to do.
We taught them why it works.
Because knowing how gets you through a workout.
Knowing why changes how you train.
That’s the difference.
Our Seminar Staff aren’t influencers.
They’re educators.
They teach movement.
They correct it.
They hold the standard.
Because real results don’t come from guessing.
They come from understanding.
And that’s why CrossFit works.
And it’s why CrossFit was never just for the elite.
That reputation came later.
The method was always built for everyone.
For the athlete.
For the parent.
For the person just getting started.
Because the goal isn’t to perform at the highest level.
It’s to build the capacity to live well — for life.
And when someone understands the method,
it doesn’t stop with them.
They share it.
They coach it.
They change the people around them.
That’s the CrossFit Effect.
Credit: CrossFit®
What is the most underrated aspect of CrossFit?
There are too many things to list about what sets CrossFit apart from other workout programs. But I think that the most underrated thing about CrossFit is that it makes working out FUN!
I am a former Division 1 athlete who has trained my entire life. And even I hate working out by myself. I lack motivation, I get bored, and it feels like a chore. However, in the 13 years I’ve been doing CrossFit, I still get excited everyday to come to the gym and I still get excited about the workouts.
That excitement comes from the environment you walk into when you come to the CrossFit gym.
CrossFit is constantly pre-judged for being too intense, too intimidating, and too hard. But what people don’t see until they step into the gym is that it’s really just a place for adults (and kids) to come have fun working out – it’s like a giant playground.
When was the last time you played on the monkey bars or tried doing a handstand in the backyard? At the gym when you work on kipping pull-ups or do bear crawls in place of handstand walking, you really are just playing around.
Shifting the mindframe from “working out is scary” to “working out is fun” makes all the difference.
Going to the gym should not feel like a chore. It should be the thing you look forward to most in your day.
CrossFit is just a playground for adults. It should not be scary and we would love the chance to show you how much FUN you can have working out.
-By Brittney Eason
Upcoming event
May 2nd, 2026 at 11AM
Hosted by CrossFit Train 97333
What you'll LEARN:
• Core & Pelvic floor anatomy
• Common misconceptions postpartum
• Key exercise targets postpartum
What you'll GAIN:
• Guided movement session
• Take-home Tips
• Q & A Time
• Exclusive Coaching discount
Open to the Public
About Kylie
Kylie Kelchen, DPT, SCS, CSCS, is the founder of Herizon Sports Rehab where she combines her background as both an athlete and a clinician to deliver evidence-based, female-focused care. Whether you’re an elite competitor, a weekend runner, or a mom returning to sport, her goal is to help you move better, recover stronger, and feel confident in your body every step of the way.
kylie.herizon@gmail.com
(971) 478-6520
1780 SW 3rd St #110 Corvallis, OR 97333
brittney.crossfittrain@gmail.com
We proudly program ‘classic’ CrossFit style workouts including a variety of gymnastics, weightlifting, and monostructural movements.
If you would like to become a member or just try us out, please contact us to schedule your free trial class!
We no longer post the workouts to the blog. If you want to see the workout, click the “WOD” button on the bottom right.
If you want to see a sampling of past workouts, scroll back through old blog posts.
WE WILL BE DISCONTINUING THE BLOG. YOU CAN STILL FIND THE WORKOUT ON SUGARWOD. PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE SUGARWOD APP BY CLICKING HERE.
4/1/23
WOD
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps for time of:
Clean and Jerk, 135/95-lbs.
Burpees over the Bar, 2x reps