Postgraduate D.A. Kokorev¹           
PhD, Associate Professor O.V. Vezenitsyn¹
PhD, Associate Professor D.V. Vyprikov¹
I.M. Bodrov^1
1Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Moscow      

Keywords: CrossFit, physical education, physical training, fitness, students, educational process content.

Background. In opinions of many researchers and educators, the existing academic education system is still not efficient enough as demonstrated by the still poor students’ health and physical fitness standards since the system fails to cultivate neither the need for a healthy lifestyle and physical progress nor an interest in physical education and sporting activity. In opinion of V.I. Stolyarov and L.I. Lubysheva, a high priority needs to be given to the sports-driven education to facilitate sporting culture and personality development process plus effective physical education with the relevant fitness technologies to help build up positive attitudes to physical progress and advance the academic cultural process on this basis.

CrossFit may be ranked with the above promising fitness technologies as it offers combined competitive fitness practices with the relevant physical exercise ideology prioritising health and fitness values, appealing competitive program and a variety of bodybuilding exercises. CrossFit includes body building, gymnastics, powerlifting, aerobics, rowing, kettlebell elements, track and field sports and swimming, with the indoor and outdoor practices that may be performed in small spaces or even on a beach. Presently CrossFit sports, however, still need to be supported by due theoretical grounds for the academic physical fitness application on a systemic basis; adapted methodologies are needed for application in the academic curricula; and the relevant gender-specific all-round training systems need to be developed for trainees of different initial fitness levels.

Objective of the study was to develop and test a CrossFit-based academic physical education model and analyse its design and content.

Methods and structure of the study. The CrossFit-based academic physical education model was piloted at G.V. Plehanov RUE in the period of 2015-2017 in the form of 90-minute sessions taking 60 hours per year on the whole. Subject to the model testing experiment were 140 male and 270 female students. The CrossFit sessions were developed for every meso-cycle (module) with the gradually growing proportion of the high-intensity practices, integration of gymnastic, strength and cardiovascular system improvement practices plus the GTO test focused practices.

The CrossFit practices were designed to make an emphasis on the health improvement and developmental aspects in the first academic year and the sporting and developmental aspects in the second year; help the first-year students master basics of body buiding, fitness, traditional sports and CrossFit with its accessible competitive programs; and later on ensure further progress and excelling of the basic functionality training in the second year for the students to be able to cope with high-intensity strength, aerobic and mixed physical loads; with gradual expansion of the competitive component and high-intensity WOD complex. The training model design was driven by a strict logic to attain the traditional physical education goals and build up due knowledge and skills for the students to be fit for the GTO tests.

The applied CrossFit practices were dominated by aerobic exercises, gymnastics, body conditioning practices, artistic gymnastics with apparatuses, elements of kettlebell sports (3-10kg and 6-24kg weights for female and male, respectively), high-intensity WOD complex, stretching and active recreation practices.

Within the combined-and-sequential physical load management design for the physical progress of the trainees, we offered a few stages different in process goals, applied training methods, load control schemes and adaptation to high-intensity complex (varying within the range of 5-25-35min and 5-20-25min for male and female respectively). In the period of September to December, aerobic exercises totalled 10min (male) and in the period of January to June – 5min due to the growing share of the high-intensity complex. Athletic gymnastic practices were started from 25min (male) followed by reduction to 15min in November-December and 10min in January to June.

To prevent overstrains, the basic CrossFit practices at the primary stage were performed with the minimal weights with at most 15 repetitions, with the rest one minute breaks in between the exercises and 2-3min breaks in between the series. It should be noted that the physical loads need to be tested on a permanent basis; HR must be tested three times per session; a special attention needs to be given to the colour of lips and nose-lips triangle, with the trainees required to immediately report the first signs of dizziness and/or noise in the head.

Study results and discussion. The CrossFit-based academic physical education model design and content were found beneficial as verified by the students’ progress in functionality and physicality: see Table 1. Thus the female EG was tested with a significant progress with the HR falling from 90.5 to 79.6 beats per min versus 90.2 to 84.0 beats per min in the RG; and the vital capacity in the female EG was estimated at 2865 ml versus 2560 ml in the RG (р<0.05). The male EG group showed higher progress versus the RG in the vital capacity, blood circulation efficiency, Ruffier index and death-birth ratio albeit the intergroup differences were found insignificant in fact: see Table 1.

Table 1. Students’ functionality and physicality rate variations, ±σ

Note:  mean arithmetic value; σ mean square deviation; *significant difference (р<0,05); **significant intergroup difference; double product means the cardiovascular system regulation index

The CrossFit academic physical education practices applied as the body conditioning ones were found beneficial as verified by the EG progress in physical fitness versus the RG: see Table 2.

Table 2. Students’ physical fitness rate variations, ±σ

Note:  mean arithmetic value; σ mean square deviation; * significant difference (р<0,05); ** significant intergroup difference

In the “jumping squats” test (Table 2), the male RG scored 46.5 times versus 60.9 reps in the EG (р<0.05). In the “bodybar lifts over head per 1min” test, the male RG scored 33.1 times versus 46.0 reps in the EG (р<0.05). In the “suspension on straight arms” test, the female RG after the experiment scored 32.6 s versus 48.1 s in the EG (р<0.05). The EG progress was interpreted as secured by the interval training with pull-ups on a low bar and the relevant practices in the second academic year, plus effective practices using a Graviton training simulator (pull-ups imitating practices). The students ranked highest the Burpy exercise as the most effective tool for functionality improvement to secure further success in the high-intensity WOD complex practices.

Conclusion. The educational process experiment showed benefits of the CrossFit-based academic physical education model design and content for the academic physical education process. Further studies are needed to develop CrossFit and fitness standards, the CrossFit-based sport culture building model and a set of adapted competitive programs for the education process.

References

1. Kokorev D.A., Vyprikov D.V., Vezenitsyn O.V., Bodrov I.M. Metodika ispolzovaniya funktsionalnogo mnogoborya (krossfita) v protsesse fizicheskogo vospitaniya studentov [Combined fitness (CrossFit) method in students' physical education process]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2016, no. 9, pp. 16-18.
2. Lubysheva L.I. Pedagogicheskie usloviya formirovaniya sportivnoy kultury lichnosti v obshcheobrazovatelnoy shkole [Pedagogical conditions of formation of personal sports culture at comprehensive school]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2011, no. 5, pp. 36 – 41.
3. Stolyarov V.I. Innovatsionnye kontseptsii sovremennogo fizicheskogo vospitaniya (otechestvenny i zarubezhny opyt) [Innovative concepts of modern physical education (domestic and foreign experience)]. Mater. Mezhdunar. nauch.-prakt. kongr. "Natsionalnye programmy formirovaniya zdorovogo obraza zhizni" [Proc. Intern. res.-practical congress. "National healthy lifestyle building programs"], Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation, Education Department, Moscow, GTsOLIFK, vol. 1: Moscow, 2014, pp. 32-37.
4. Stolyarov V.I. Sovremennaya teoriya fizicheskogo vospitaniya (problemy, puti resheniya, innovatsionnaya kontseptsiya) [Modern theory of physical education (problems, solutions, innovative concept)]. Nauka i sport: sovremennye tendentsii. Kazan, 2016, no. 1 (Vol. 10), pp. 13-22.
5. Shutova T.N. Traditsionnye vidy sporta i fitnes v fizicheskom vospitanii studentov [Traditional sports and fitness in academic physical education]. Izvestiya Tulskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Fizicheskaya kultura. Sport, 2016, no. 4, pp. 96-101.
6. Shutova T.N., Andryushchenko L.B. Fitnes-tekhnologii dlya povysheniya dvigatelnoy aktivnosti molodezhi na osnove globalnogo podkhoda [Young people's motor activity encouraging fitness technologies based on global approach]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2017, no. 3, pp. 54-56.
7. Shutova T.N. Fitnes- i kompyuternyie tehnologii v optimizatsii fizicheskogo vospitaniya studentov [Fitness and computer technology in university physical training optimization]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2016, no. 3, P. 101.
8. Glassman G. CrossFit Level 1. Training Guide. Seminars Training Guide reference. CrossFit Journal. May 15, 2010. Available at: http://journal.crossfit.com/2010/05/crossfit-level-1-training-guide.tpl
9. Achauer H. CrossFit Couple Beating MS, Prediabetes. Athletes, Medical, Special Populations. CrossFit Journals April 28, 2016. Available at: http://journal.crossfit.com/2016/04/crossfit-couple-beating-ms-prediabet...
10. Shutova T.N., Andryushchenko L.B. Young people's motor activity encouraging fitness technologies based on global approach. Theory and practice of physical culture, 2017, no. 3.
11. Shutova T.N. Fitness and computer technology in university physical training optimization. Theory and Practice of Physical Culture, 2016, no. 3.

Corresponding author: rgyfk@yandex.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to develop and test the CrossFit-based academic physical education model and analyse its design and content. The study explored benefits of the basic design and content of the new CrossFit-based academic physical education model with an emphasis on the training components; safety rules; gender-specific training modules; GTO Complex test exercises; and relevant interval, circular, isometric and combined action methods. Within the academic education curriculum, we modelled gender-specific CrossFit meso-cycles that offer combined-and-sequential physical load management designs for the physical progress of the trainees. The model also includes a set of new test exercises from the modern fitness systems geared to cultivate the right execution techniques and correct the body-builds – with new approaches to the physical education competences building process and with a special emphasis on the practice-driven components and competitive fitness technologies. The model provides, among other things, a primary education mechanism applicable in the standard academic physical education process to improve the students’ physical fitness and develop their practical skills and abilities in different academic sport disciplines.