[dropcap size=small]T[/dropcap]he clanging of barbells dropping on the ground can be heard at any gym. At a glance, it may just seem like weightlifters working out, but often, a different class of people, usually less bulky, can be found lifting hundreds of pounds, doing push ups in handstand positions, and jumping rope vigorously. These are the crossfitters–those who follow primal exercises and often eat caveman-like diets. They range from kids to grandparents, from housewives to police officers.

Crossfit programs strive to maximize workouts in the shortest amount of time. They mimic daily functional activities, such as putting a box on a shelf, but with more weight and repetitions. As a general fitness exercise, crossfit utilizes the entire body by combining muscular strength, core movements, and various cardiovascular activities. No workout is repeated to ensure that the body doesn’t adapt to the motions and reach the plateau that people in other exercise programs may experience. One day, crossfitters will finish countless repetitions of chin ups and leg lifts, while the next, they will do 100m sprints and sets of lunges and burpees.

The idea of crossfit is not to specialize in a specific area; instead, it aims to improve overall endurance, strength, flexibility, speed, agility, power, and accuracy. Although crossfit is often compared to the grueling conditioning programs at police academies, people from all walks of life do it too because the intensity can be adjusted for different fitness levels. As the trending strengthening program for athletes all over the world, crossfit improves physical fitness and encourages healthy eating as well–for many athletes, crossfit and the Paleo diet go hand in hand.

Crossfit programs suggest two diets: the Paleo diet and the Zone diet. Since the Zone diet is very restrictive on calorie intake with a limit of 1,200 for women and 1,500 for men, crossfitters are drawn to the higher-calorie Paleo diet because their high intensity workouts require lots of energy.

The Paleo diet, as the name suggests, tries to mimic the way paleolithic human ancestors ate, emphasizing meat, vegetables, healthy fats, and small amounts of fruit. The dieter can eat as much meat as desired because lean meat alone will not lead to weight gain. Additionally, meat is filled with BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids), glutamine, and carnitine, which helps with muscular recovery, drops stress levels, and stimulates the body to burn fat. Meat consumption also improves metabolism and increases insulin sensitivity. Vegetables filled with essential vitamins and minerals were also a large part of a caveman’s diet. Moreover, healthy fats from nuts, seeds, avocados, and fish oil help promote anti-inflammation and blood circulation. Although fruits have beneficial nutrients, they tend to raise insulin levels, as do sugar and artificial sugar. Other foods including processed foods, grains, dairy, legumes and beans, and alcohol are not allowed because they may encourage weight gain, take away nutrients, and lead to many health problems like heartburn and autoimmune diseases.  According to Dr. Loren Cordain, author of “The Paleo Diet,” Paleo reduces the likelihood of developing diabetes, cancer, and other health problems while building leaner bodies.

Crossfit and Paleo both stress a healthy lifestyle. Crossfitters follow the Paleo diet because they don’t have to worry about counting calories, and they feel great because of the reduced sugar intake and the workouts that optimize body fitness. Both are designed for the body; crossfit emphasizes what people do every day and build on that, while Paleo underlines the foods humans are used to digesting. Together, crossfit and Paleo diet create a simple yet healthy lifestyle.

Paleo Diet Recipes:

Kale Chips:

Ingredients: kale, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder (or preferred seasoning)

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Cut the kale into bite-sized pieces and lay them on a baking sheet.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
4. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until crispy.

Banana Ice Cream:

Ingredients: bananas

1. Peel and slice the bananas.
2. Freeze the bananas.
3. Blend the bananas in a blender. The consistency will be just like ice cream except without the dairy or unnatural sugars!

Sample Crossfit Workout or WOD*:

1. 100-feet walking lungs with 30 lbs. dumbbells
2. 24-inches box jumps, 30 reps
3. 30 lbs. weighted pull-ups, 20 reps
4. Repeat 3 more times.

*WOD = Workout of the day; visit crossfit.com for more WODs.