Cross-training vs Street-workout : Que choisir ? | Charlie Tango Fitness

Cross-training vs Street-workout: Which to choose?

Let me start by saying that comparing cross-training to street workout is like comparing apples to oranges. Both are good for you, both are enjoyable, and everyone has their favorite. This is not a test to determine which technique or workout is better.

I want to present the similarities and differences. If you are wondering whether to start CrossFit or calisthenics, I suggest you try both. One will be more appealing and, depending on your goals, will allow you to achieve better results.

You can then focus on one exercise regimen and reduce the time you spend on the other.

What are the differences between CrossFit and street workout?


Although these two fitness methods are similar, there are some major differences.

CrossFit Calisthenics
More specific as a set of training routines Focuses more on technique than routines
Metabolic conditioning is an integral part of physical activity Less attention paid to cardio training
Weightlifting is a fundamental part of the training protocol. Strength is based on the ability to move your own body, not a barbell or dumbbell.
As long as cardio does not overwhelm the strength and muscle building aspects, muscle mass and size will increase under proper training and nutrition regimens. Creates muscle definition rather than muscle mass
High-intensity training can be reduced in difficulty so that less experienced athletes can enjoy the fat-burning and conditioning benefits The workout can be done at high intensity, but it requires a good level of skill.



Since this is a CrossFit blog, let's take a look at how street workouts differ from CrossFit and compare the general street workout regimen to the different components of CrossFit.

Calisthenics uses the weight of the human body as resistance.

If you're familiar with CrossFit, the pull-ups, push-ups, planks, dips, box jumps, and squat jumps of gymnastics may sound familiar. These exercises use your own body as the load (weight). Watch serious calisthenics practitioners and see how they've toned and strengthened their bodies using only their own body weight. It's very effective.


The first thing to know about CrossFit is that it is class-based. Classes are typically divided into three parts. Weightlifting (Olympic style), Gymnastics, WOD (workout of the day). Not all classes are like this, but elements of each discipline are regularly incorporated.

The weightlifting or strength training portion focuses on strength and power and the ability to move a weight through space. Compare this to gymnastics where your body moves through space. Weights are rarely used.

The gymnastics portion of CrossFit is the closest form of training to gymnastics. Ring, bar, handstand, box jumps, overhead or weight squats, and push-ups appear in both sports.

Strength and Conditioning


What is best for building muscle?

When it comes to creating definition in certain body parts, calisthenics may have the edge here. The reasons for this are that building maximal muscle mass can be hampered by the metabolic conditioning and cardio aspects of CrossFit training. But it’s difficult to gain size with bodyweight and isometric-type exercises alone.

It goes without saying that being "fit" is a prerequisite for doing challenging calisthenics exercises, but your ability to perform 10 strength exercises in a row depends on your strength, not your Vo2 max.

Gymnastics or bodybuilding is a hot topic on the internet. One only has to look at the top athletes in each camp to see how different training regimens develop physiques. At the risk of repeating a cliché, bodybuilding is about building strength and power, but the ultimate goal is impressive aesthetics. There's no denying that gymnastics fans are happy to build impressive bodies, but the end goal isn't to get those mirror-image muscles.

Where does CrossFit fit into all of this? Well, CrossFitters typically practice the sport to improve both strength and fitness and the physical appearance that results from it.


Fitness


In the fitness world, a lot of advice on sports training and nutrition emphasizes the importance of taking a balanced approach to improving fitness and optimizing performance. With CrossFit, you'll burn body fat through high-intensity interval training and build strength with your own body weight at the same time. With calisthenics, the movements are slower and can be more challenging for beginners, but they'll allow you to gently improve your fitness while you work out.

CrossFit is generally the choice for people who want a balance of strength and HIIT, as it burns fat and gets them in shape quickly. Calisthenics is slower and more deliberate, which allows for a more focused workout, but can slow down overall fitness progress.

I give CrossFit the edge when it comes to fitness. CrossFit will give you endurance and speed. Calisthenics doesn’t test your lung capacity in the same way. It’s easier to push yourself when all you have to do is grit your teeth and pound away at the remains of your squat cup. The difficulty and risk of injury that many calisthenics exercises carry means that most people are better off not pushing themselves to the limit.


Risks of injury


According to a study published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, the injury rate for CrossFit beginners is about 30%.

These are injuries sustained during the first year of training, when inexperience leads to mistakes and injuries. The study concluded that "CrossFit training is relatively safe compared to more traditional training modalities." The Journal of Sport Rehabilitation found that the injury rate, overall, is about 20%.

Another study conducted in the same year (2018) asks the question: “Are injuries more common with CrossFit training than with other forms of exercise?

The four-year study found that CrossFit had an injury rate comparable to or lower than comparable strength training programs. Injury rates are comparable to those in Olympic lifting, distance running, rugby, football, soccer or gymnastics.

What about street workout?


Although injury rates in this sport are not as well documented or studied as in other sports, a study published in the Journal of Science Medicine and Sport found that participants in calisthenics training suffered fewer back injuries than participants in traditional weight training or even stretching and flexibility training.

A study published in the German Journal of Sports Medicine found that the sport had a lower injury rate than gymnastics.

Burn Fat


It’s hard to generalize how many calories or fat you burn in a WOD. No two WODs are the same, and people tailor their workouts to their abilities. Let’s say a strength training session, followed by some calisthenics, and then a 15-minute workout burns about the same amount of calories as a 40-minute run.

As you can see, CrossFit isn't exactly the most efficient way to burn fat. However, the "afterburn" effect of weightlifting and intense exercise continues to burn fat for hours after a CrossFit workout.

At the same time, it's pretty easy to tailor a workout to the point where participants aren't doing much. Unlike running, where you maintain a fairly constant pace and heart rate, CrossFit workouts can allow people to take their foot off the gas.

The result is the phenomenon of Fat CrossFitters – people who train daily but never change their body composition.


Street workout, which focuses more on isometric exercises and strength, but places little emphasis on cardiovascular fitness, cannot compete with CrossFit, HITT and sports that include metabolic conditioning.

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