Scott Kustes of Modern Forager just wrote a great article on GPP (General Physical Preparedness).
Other than being a good read, it’s important to help understand why we do what we do – CrossFit is the pursuit of a generalized model of fitness, hoping to consistently make gains in the areas of fitness which CrossFit lays out. The article makes some good points, namely why and when training for GPP is appropriate. For about 99% of us who do not have a sport but want to “get in shape” GPP is what you’re after, even if you don’t know it. If you’re training with us now, you’ve probably gone to the gym before with the intention of getting “fit”. You stretched for 30 minutes beforehand, hit the weights for a bit and finished off with a ride on the exercise bike. You wanted to be well-rounded: strong, aerobically fit, flexible, etc… While of course we will argue that CrossFit will lead to the superior realization of those goals, GPP isn’t a concept that most will find unfamiliar.
The second good point Scott made is when GPP is appropriate for your training and what good it’s for. In his own words
a well-designed GPP program will make you a better athlete. And being a better athlete means you will be better able to leverage that into being a better shooting basketball player, a harder-hitting football player, a tennis player with an ace serve, or a gymnast with better strength and stability.
That all for now. See you guys tomorrow.