What is Crossfit and how can it help my handball game?

Crossfit is a fitness program. It is constantly varied, functional movement, performed at relatively high intensity (already sounds like handball). Let me go into a little more detail with the above terms. Our definition of functional movements include movements that are natural (you were born to do them ie: squat (sit on the toilet) Dead lift (pick up your kids), safe (with proper form these movements are safe at post maximal loads), complex (use multi joint movements the way they are supposed to move together), Core to extremity (think about hitting a handball, the movement comes from your hips and extends out to finish at your finger tips). An added benefit to functional movement is that it is wildly successful at rehabbing injuries. Over head presses can ensure the health of your shoulder and squats can make your knees bomb proof! Relatively high intensity; we measure intensity with power output. Since power uses a time component we want to finish workouts as quick as possible or perform the max amount of work in a given time. Both of these situations will allow us to increase power and therefore intensity. The maximization of power is relative to the individual and should be scaled down if necessary. Constantly varied just means we are going to work things you don’t perceive to help you with your goal but in reality you are only as strong as your weakest link. Let’s say you are an amazing 1 wall player and we put you in a 4 wall tournament. What is likely to happen? From my experience it won’t be pretty. This doesn’t mean that you should change your game; I am just going to show you how a dead lift or a power clean can help your handball game.

Ok, let’s talk a little about Handball. Think about the rallies and the feeling you get after a hard battle with diving, chasing and digging. What does it feel like to look up at your opponent who just won the rally and notice that he is hardly breathing hard and is kindly waiting for you to collect your thoughts and get ready for his/her serve? Would it benefit your game to have the kind of conditioning your opponent has? Hell yes!!

Now the question is how do we do it?

Crossfit is comprised of short workouts usually ranging from 5 to 15 minutes. The feeling you get during one of these workouts is very similar to completing a rally that last 2 minutes. The workouts I am going to post on an undetermined blog will be free and accessible to anyone interested in improving their fitness and their game. If you desire more information check out Crossfit.com or find an affiliate in your area. All of this information can be found on Crossfit.com.
I wouldn’t stand behind this if I didn’t believe in it and its ability to help everyone; young, old, pro or handball enthusiast. I am offering these workouts free to our community because for too long there has not been a comprehensive fitness program that would benefit handballers quite like Crossfit.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.


Dutch Lowy
Dutch@crossfitATM.com