Postgraduate D.A. Kokorev
Associate Professor, PhD D.V. Vyprikov
Associate Professor, PhD O.V. Vezenitsyn
I.M. Bodrov
Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Moscow

Keywords: CrossFit, physical education, educational method, university students, full-body workout.

Background. The modern academic physical education curricula has been long in need of new educational tools, methods and technologies being applied to improve students’ physical fitness, functionality and health, with most promising health improvement and fitness technologies (L.B. Andryushchenko, 2006; Y.V. Kurmaeva, 2013; T.N. Shutova, 2015) focused on the personality-centred educational values being increasingly popular [1, 2, 5, 7].

The mix of fitness practices known as CrossFit is ranked high among the above promising technologies for it offers high-intensity interval trainings including cardio- and cardio-strength training workloads (V.A. Glubokiy, 2014) [2]. It should be noted, however, that the attempts to integrate CrossFit in the academic physical education have been complicated by the growing numbers of students with health issues and poor physical fitness rates that require the training programs being reasonably adapted and education methodologies being often made gender-specific. The CrossFit-based training and education services are now provided by special affiliated clubs certified by the CrossFit HQ; but the academic education system is still in need of high quality education curricula, dissertations on the academic application methodologies and the GTO pre-test training systems.

The popular CrossFit training systems are dominated by the high-intensity cardio- and mixed cardio-strength workouts (Y.A. Khakhileva, N.O. Labutina, 2015) performed at maximum capacity [7]. The trainings are basically designed to: perform the required load for the shortest possible time; or make high-intensity workout for 30-60 s (up to 2 min); or complete a cycle training (V.V. Volkov, V.N. Seluyanov, 2014) [3].

Base practices of the CrossFit full-body workout system are the following: Group 1 is the body weight exercises like squatting, back stretching, jumping, burpee (a base CrossFit exercise that is a squat thrust that starts and ends in a standing position), head-down push-ups, jump rope, thrusts, “plank” exercise (a static exercise in forearm-and-foot rest position kept for 20 s to 4 min); Group 2 is the exercises with gymnastic equipment including pull-ups on rings, push-ups on parallel bars, “corner” on rings, pull-ups on bar, exercises with gymnastic rope, “TRX loop” (derivative of gymnastic rings) exercises; Group 3 is the aerobic exercises including different running workouts, shuttle runs, indoor rowing machine (with exercises mimicking rowing movements), cross-country races, swimming, track races; Group 4 is the weightlifting exercises including deadlifts, jerks and snatches of kettlebells, squats with barbell, bench presses, exercises with stuffed/ medicine balls, and with nonstandard weights [3, 5].

It should be noted that the full-body workout practices are designed to develop dexterity, strength, endurance and motor coordination to make the body fit for the complex movement sequences with all joints involved in the process. The training sessions include complex mixes of exercises to load muscles and efficiently stretch tendons and thereby reinforce the musculoskeletal apparatus. The weightlifting exercises are designed to affect virtually every bodily organ and system so as to evoke positive morphological and functional changes in them.

Objective of the study was to develop and test an adapted version of the full-body workout (CrossFit) method in the university students’ physical education process.

Methods and structure of the study. The base-health-group university students’ physical education curriculum with the adapted version of the full-body workout CrossFit method was implemented at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (Moscow) in the academic year of 2015-16, with the adapted method being piloted at two lessons of 90 minutes. Subject to the tests were 70 male and 70 female first-year students (see Tables 1 and 2).

Table 1. Adapted version of the CrossFit full-body workout applied in the young men’s academic physical education curriculum (90 min)

Table 2. Adapted version of the CrossFit full-body workout applied in the young women’s academic physical education curriculum (90 min)

Study results and discussion. The study data were found indicative of the CrossFit workouts being beneficial for the physical fitness rates of the trainees (Table 3), with differences rated as significant (p<0.05) virtually by every progress control test, particularly in the “plate” test exercise focused on the abdomen muscle group; strength-testing push-ups on the horizontal bars; and the speed-strength squat-jump tests. It should be noted that the young women’s group showed meaningless difference only in the shuttle run tests, whilst all the other test exercises demonstrated significant differences in the progress data within one year time (Table 3).

Table 3. Young men’s and women’s physical fitness test data

Note:  – mean arithmetic value, σ – mean square deviation; * difference significance rate (р<0.05)

Conclusion. The newly developed method of applied CrossFit full-body workouts was found highly efficient as verified by the young men’s and women’s physical fitness tests. In addition, significant progress in the students’ functionality, physical education competence rates and the values-driven attitudes to physical education was demonstrated by the tests.

References

1. Averyasova J.O. Kompetentnostnaya model formirovaniya fizicheskoy kulturyi studentov (Competency-based model of formation of students' physical culture) / J.O. Averyasova, L.B. Andryushchenko / TAA reports. Col. papers 285. P. II. – Moscow: Timiryazev RSAU-MSAA (RGAU-MSKhA im. K.A. Timiryazeva) pub. h-se, 2014. – P. 336–339.
2. Andryushchenko L.B. Pedagogicheskaya sistema formirovaniya fizicheskoy kulturyi studencheskoy molodezhi: monografiya (Pedagogical system of formation of students' physical culture: monograph) / L.B. Andryushchenko. – Volgograd: Niva, 2006. – 176 p.
3. Glubokiy V.A. Krossfit v fizicheskoy podgotovke studentov, kursantov, sotrudnikov SIBYuI FSKN Rossii. «Innovatsii i perspektivyi FKiS v sovremennom obschestve (CrossFit in physical training of students, cadets, employees of SLI RFDCS. "Innovations and perspectives of physical culture and sport in modern society) / V.A. Glubokiy // Mater. III stud. zaochn. mezhdunar. nauch. konf. (Proc. III stud. distance intern. scientific. conf). – Irkutsk: NI IrSTU, 2014. – V. 1 – P. 40–45.
4. Kurmaeva E.V. Fitness-programmyi kak sredstvo formirovaniya fizicheskoy kulturyi lichnosti studentov (Fitness programs to form students' personal physical culture) / E.M. Kurmaeva // Fizicheskoe vospitanie studentov. – 2013. – № 1. –  P. 37–39.
5. Khakhileva J.A. Vozdeystvie vyisokointensivnoy trenirovki razlichnyih grupp myishts na fizicheskoe razvitie zhenshchin. «Fizicheskoe vospitanie i studencheskiy sport glazami studentov» (The impact of high-intensity training of different muscle groups on physical development of women. "Physical education and university sport through students' eyes') / J.A. Khakhileva, N.O. Labutina // Proc. of res.-practical conf. with int. participation. - Kazan: Publishing house of Kazan State Technological University, 2015. – P. 487–488.
6. Shutova T.N. Soderzhanie atleticheskoy gimnastiki i fitnesa v fizicheskom vospitanii studentov spetsialnyih meditsinskih grupp (Essence of athletic gymnastics and fitness in physical education of special health group students) / T.N. Shutova, O.V. Vezenitsyn, D.V. Vyprikov, I.M. Bodrov // Izvestiya Tulskogo gos. un-ta. Fizicheskaya kultura. Sport. Is. 4. – Tula, 2015.  –  P. 70–77.

Corresponding author: andryushenko-lil@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to develop and test an adapted version of the CrossFit full-body workout method in the university students’ physical education process. The base-health-group university students’ physical education curriculum with the adapted version of the CrossFit full-body workout method was implemented at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (Moscow) in the academic year of 2015-16, with the method being piloted at two lessons of 90 minutes. Subject to the tests were 70 male and 70 female first-year students. The academic progress tests confirmed the adapted Grossfit version being highly beneficial for the students’ physical performance and functionality improvement and for the general cultural competences formation process.