Hot Box

Q:
A couple of my friends are CrossFitters, and they say their workouts do wonders for their sex lives. Is there something special about CrossFit when it comes to sex, or does pretty much any kind of fitness routine make sex better?

A:
All fitness crazes have sex appeal—at least when the craze is new, and classes are packed with gym bunnies. But fads run their course, the trendsetters move on, and you’re left with Jazzercise.

I don’t do CrossFit, but I go to a gym that is a CrossFit affiliate. I’ve listened to trainers bantering about it, and I’ve worked out alongside CrossFit classes. Judging by what I’ve observed, I have to admit that CrossFit is ultrasexy.

To begin with, a CrossFit gym is called a “box.” So when a class is well attended, things get busy in the box. If you’re a CrossFit trainer, you want to get a lot of people into your box. And if you’re running your box well, they’ll want to hit it again and again.

CrossFit training is based on something called a “workout of the day,” or WOD, pronounced like “wad.” A WOD is a short-duration, high intensity set of exercises. WODs may consist of exercises such as jerks, ball slams, snatches, heaving snatches, and thrusters. Trainers invent new WODs each day, but there are some standard WODs, known collectively as “the girls.” If you’re ever wanting for a WOD, you can always do one of the girls. I am not making any of this up.

Another signature CrossFit exercise is the kettlebell swing. It might not sound dirty, but it is. A kettle-bell weight looks like an iron cannonball with a handle on top. You hold it with your arms straight down, grasping the handle with both hands, so the weight hangs between your legs. You try to swing the weight out in front of you by thrusting your hips forward. With each hip thrust, the weight swings higher. People who master the kettlebell swing can develop considerable hip-thrusting power.

Then there’s the squat. A lot of squatting goes on in CrossFit. Imagine you’re in the box, and all around you fit chicks in spandex shorts are doing sets of 100 squats. Mind you, that’s a very hard workout, so they’re all grunting and sweaty and making faces. That alone could give your libido a lasting boost, if it doesn’t make you blow your WOD.

It’s also possible that your buddies have seen improvements in their sex lives because they’re having more sex. I don’t mean to imply that CrossFit is a meat market—only that it’s a little bit cultish, from what I hear. People who share intense experiences tend to bond with one another, especially when they’re encouraged to feel part of a special, exclusive group. Add thrusts and squats to the mix, and it’s a perfect setup for hookups.