CrossFit & Adventure Athletes: Why the 10 general physical skills are crucial for anyone who recreates outdoors

Ahh, Buena Vista! A charming little mountain town nestled among dramatic peaks, rugged trails, towering rock walls and roaring rivers. This place has something for everyone! Hiking and backpacking trails reaching higher than 14,000 feet, mountain bike routes stretching for miles and miles, some of the best whitewater in the world and not to mention the quick and easy access to all of the beautiful outdoor recreation areas that Colorado has to offer. If you live here, chances are you live the active mountain lifestyle to some degree. 

The various terrains and activities that we expose ourselves to are fun, physically demanding and at times can be very challenging to both the body and the mind. There are certain levels of abilities and adaptations that we must possess in order to recreate with more confidence and less risk. Luckily for us, the CrossFit training methodology focuses on training that are crucial for outdoor adventures because they directly translate to the demands we face when we go to play outside. 

• Cardiovascular/Respiratory Endurance: The ability of the body’s systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance is needed for sustained effort during long hikes, bike rides, or paddling. It ensures sufficient delivery of oxygen to the muscles.
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• Stamina: The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy. Stamina keeps you going through long or even multi-day outdoor adventures.
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• Strength: The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force. Strength is crucial for lifting, carrying, and maneuvering in challenging terrain, like when you’re carrying a heavy pack or portaging a boat.
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• Flexibility: The ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint. More range of motion reduces risk for injury and is particularly beneficial for activities like climbing and hiking. 
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• Power: The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time. Power enables explosive jumping over obstacles on trail and performing quick, forceful actions in different outdoor activities. 
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• Speed: The ability to minimize the cycle time of a repeated movement. Speed helps you quickly cover ground, escape from danger, and react quickly in unexpected situations, like a sudden thunderstorm or wildlife encounter.
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• Coordination: The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement. Coordination enhances your ability to perform complex movements efficiently and with control, like mounting your bike on the roof rack, rowing a raft through a difficult rapid, or putting on a heavy backpack from the ground.
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• Agility: The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another. Agility helps us react quickly and efficiently in paddle sports on the river or trail running on uneven terrain. 
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• Balance: The ability to control the placement of the body’s center of gravity in relation to its support base. Balance improves your stability on uneven surfaces to prevent falls and injuries, so you can go SUPing at the lake or even on the river with confidence. 
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• Accuracy: The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity. Accuracy enables precise movements, like steering your mountain bike on a narrow trail, or aiming your bow on a hunting trip. 

The term “functional fitness” really comes to life when you think about how what we do in the gym carries over to our time in the mountains. CrossFit’s definition of true fitness hinges on being well-rounded across all 10 general physical skills. In the gym, we improve our cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength and flexibility through training that builds the body. Coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy come through repeated practice that sharpens the nervous system. Power and speed are adaptations of both training and practice. [1]

When you think about how these skills show up on the trail, on the water, or in the snow, it becomes clear: the work we do in the gym isn’t just about hitting PRs—it’s preparing us for real-life adventure. That endurance you built grinding through Murph? It’s going to make your next long hike feel way easier. All those weighted step-ups? They're training you to climb hills with a 40-pound pack like it’s no big deal. And those heavy deadlift days? They'll make picking up a load of firewood from the ground feel like a breeze. 

We’re so lucky to live in a place where we can step out our front door and do the activities we love, and even luckier to have this gym with excellent programming and an awesome community to support us in crushing outdoor adventures!

[1] Glassman, G. (2002). What is fitness? CrossFit Journal. https://journal.crossfit.com/article/what-is-fitness

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