Breaking Down “World-Class Fitness in 100 Words”
What it really means and how it guides your training at Outsiders CrossFit
There’s a phrase we often refer to in CrossFit as “World-Class Fitness in 100 Words.” You’ve probably seen it on t-shirts, gym walls, or heard it thrown around in conversation—but what does it actually mean?
Greg Glassman, the founder of CrossFit, laid out a concise yet powerful framework that challenges mainstream ideas about what it means to be fit. Instead of glorifying single-domain athletes like marathoners or bodybuilders, CrossFit looks at fitness as a well-rounded, measurable, and practical capacity across all aspects of life.
Let’s break down the original 100 words—one piece at a time—and explain how it applies to your training at Outsiders CrossFit.
1. Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar.
Nutrition is the foundation of everything we do in and out of the gym. The first sentence emphasizes whole, nutrient-dense foods that fuel performance and recovery.
- Meat and vegetables offer protein and essential vitamins/minerals.
- Nuts and seeds provide you healthy fats.
- Some fruit = natural sugars and fiber.
- Little starch keeps blood sugar in check.
- No sugar is a reminder that added sugars offer empty calories and inflammation.
This doesn’t mean you have to be perfect, but eating clean 80–90% of the time allows your body to perform at its best and supports long-term health.
2. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
This is about balance—fueling your body for performance without overeating. You don’t need to meticulously count every calorie, but being aware of how much you’re eating and why can go a long way.
CrossFit isn’t about being skinny or shredded; it’s about being capable. If your intake supports your training, keeps you energized, and maintains healthy body composition, you’re on the right track.
3. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch.
These foundational compound lifts work multiple muscle groups and have real-world carryover. They build strength, coordination, and core stability.
- Deadlifts and squats make you stronger from the ground up.
- Cleans and snatches build power and explosiveness.
- Presses and jerks develop upper-body strength and overhead control.
At Outsiders, we focus on these lifts often—because they’re effective and essential to building a capable, resilient body.
4. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds.
This might sound intimidating at first, but gymnastics doesn’t mean backflips on day one. It’s about bodyweight control—the ability to move your body through space with strength and precision.
Things like:
- Pull-ups and push-ups build raw upper-body strength.
- Rope climbs and dips require coordination and control.
- Handstand work challenges balance and shoulder stability.
Even holding a plank or progressing toward a strict pull-up is part of this process. These movements are crucial to developing true, functional fitness.
5. Bike, run, swim, row, etc., hard and fast.
Conditioning doesn’t have to mean hours on the treadmill. In fact, short, intense efforts often yield better results in less time.
CrossFit encourages you to go hard for shorter durations—think sprint intervals, fast-paced rows, or quick bike sprints. This develops your cardiovascular capacity, anaerobic power, and mental toughness.
If you’ve ever done a 500m all-out row, you know exactly what this means.
6. Five or six days per week, mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow.
CrossFit thrives on variety. By mixing lifting, gymnastics, and conditioning in constantly changing ways, you avoid plateaus and stay well-rounded.
You won’t find the same workout every day at Outsiders, and that’s the point. Training for life means you should be prepared for anything: from lifting groceries to chasing your kids to running a 5K.
Variety keeps your body adapting and your brain engaged.
7. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.
CrossFit workouts are typically short and spicy—often 5 to 20 minutes of work that leaves you breathless and accomplished. The idea is to maximize intensity, not time spent in the gym.
This approach improves:
- Work capacity (how much you can do in a given time)
- Metabolic conditioning
- Mental resilience
Instead of slogging through long, boring sessions, you get in, go hard, and get better—fast.
8. Regularly learn and play new sports.
This one might surprise you: CrossFit doesn’t want to be the end goal. It wants to prepare you for doing cool stuff outside the gym.
Whether it’s hiking, skiing, surfing, rec league basketball, or dancing, the point is to use your fitness. Learning new skills keeps you humble, improves coordination, and adds purpose to your training.
Fitness isn’t about just lifting weights—it’s about being ready for anything.
Putting It All Together
When we look at these 100 words in full, we’re not just reading a list—we’re seeing a blueprint for lifelong fitness. Every sentence reflects the CrossFit methodology’s core values:
- Nutrition as the base.
- Strength and skill development through lifting and gymnastics.
- Conditioning through fast-paced, intense work.
- Constant variety to avoid stagnation.
- Play and exploration as a reason to be fit.
At Outsiders CrossFit, this philosophy runs through every class, every workout, and every coaching cue. We’re not just here to burn calories—we’re here to build capable, confident humans.
Whether you’re brand new or five years in, these 100 words are a reminder that fitness isn’t complicated—it’s just consistent work, honest effort, and a little fun along the way.
Final Thoughts
Next time you hear “World-Class Fitness in 100 Words,” don’t just think of it as a catchy phrase—see it as a roadmap. It’s a lifelong journey that prioritizes health, performance, and adaptability.
So eat well, train hard, try new things, and stay curious.
Let’s keep building fitness for life—together.
