CrossFit vs Strength Made Simple: What’s Best for You?
Bedford Strength and Conditioning Blog
Search “CrossFit near me” and you’ll find plenty of boxes (that’s CrossFit-speak for gyms) promising intense workouts, ripped bodies, and camaraderie forged in sweat.
And to be fair — CrossFit deserves credit.
It’s got millions of people lifting barbells, doing pull-ups, and chasing better fitness. That’s a big win in our book.
But… if you’re reading this, you might not be looking to compete in the CrossFit Games.
You probably just want to look better, feel stronger, and move without aches and pains — without needing to learn how to do butterfly pull-ups or snatch a barbell overhead at lightning speed.
That’s where Strength Made Simple comes in.
💥 The Pros of CrossFit
Let’s start with the good stuff — because there’s plenty of it:
✅ Community – CrossFit gyms have an energy that’s hard to match. The group atmosphere keeps people showing up.
✅ Intensity – You’ll push yourself harder than you thought possible. (Sometimes too hard, but we’ll get to that.)
✅ Variety – No two workouts are the same. You’ll run, lift, jump, row, climb, and occasionally question your life choices.
✅ Functional movements – Squats, presses, deadlifts — the staples of great strength training.
For a lot of people, CrossFit is their gateway back into exercise — and that’s brilliant.
😅 The Cons (Or “Where It Can Go a Bit Sideways”)
Here’s where things can unravel a little.
❌ Complex movements under fatigue
Doing Olympic lifts for time isn’t always the safest combo. Your heart says “go faster,” your shoulders say “please stop.”
❌ Competition over progression
It’s easy to forget your own goals when everyone’s chasing the whiteboard leaderboard. The goal becomes winning the workout rather than improving yourself.
❌ Unsustainable intensity
Smashing yourself every session works — until it doesn’t. Recovery, technique, and smart programming matter more than red-lining five days a week.
❌ It’s become its own sport
CrossFit started as a training method. Now it is a sport.
If your goal is general fitness, health, and longevity, you don’t need to train like you’re competing at the CrossFit Games.
🧠 What We Do Differently at Strength Made Simple
At Strength Made Simple, we keep the good bits — the community, the compound lifts, the varied workouts — but we remove the chaos.
Here’s our approach:
💪 Train for strength first
Getting stronger improves everything — fitness, fat loss, posture, confidence, and longevity.
🧩 Consistent progress beats random variety
We use structured programming that builds week to week. You’ll still be challenged, but you’ll see (and feel) progress you can measure.
🚦 Form and recovery matter
We teach proper technique, manage load intelligently, and help you balance work, training, and recovery.
👥 You don’t have to be elite to fit in
No cult vibes. No “as prescribed.” Just good coaching, supportive people, and smart training that gets you where you want to be.
🧘♂️ The Bottom Line
CrossFit is fantastic if you love competition, thrive on intensity, and enjoy a sport-like challenge.
But if you’re a busy adult who wants to look, feel, and perform better — without needing to survive “Murph” or hit a 100kg snatch — Strength Made Simple is built for you.
We’ll get you stronger, fitter, leaner, and more confident — without breaking you in the process.
💬 Ready to Train Smarter (Not Just Harder)?
Come try a free consultation at our Bedford gym.
We’ll show you how to train like an athlete — without needing to compete like one.
👉 Book your intro session today and see why “Strength Made Simple” beats “CrossFit near me” every time.