text: CrossFit workouts feature a variety of exercises and training modalities. The main aim of CrossFit is to develop a high level of all-around fitness and is popular with members of the armed services and law enforcement as well as general exercisers and elite sportsmen. Some workouts are designed to increase aerobic fitness, while others are more for increasing muscular strength or endurance. While no exercise can categorically be described as being suitable just for men, CrossFit workouts frequently feature weightlifting exercises that are particularly beneficial or popular with male exercisers.
  What Makes an Exercise Appeal to Men?
  Weightlifting exercises that are explosive and/or use heavy weights are the type of exercises that men enjoy most. Men tend to be more aggressive in their training and select their exercises accordingly. CrossFit workouts are not altered by gender and are designed to be for both sexes although different weights are prescribed for men and women. That, however, does mean that some exercises are more popular with men than women.
  Upper-Body Exercises
  CrossFit workouts are not like bodybuilding workouts -- another popular training method frequently enjoyed by male exercisers. Of all the upper-body exercises performed, the bench press can be considered to be the most masculine. Pullups, another upper-body exercise, requires significant strength as you need to lift your entire body weight using only your arms. As men tend to have a higher level of muscle and therefore strength, pullups are more popular with men than women.
  Lower-Body Exercises
  Leg training is hard work, which is why many exercisers, especially men, mistakenly focus on their upper bodies. Some will neglect lower-body training completely. CrossFit workouts often feature challenging and effective lower-body exercises including squats, lunges, squat jumps and deadlifts. These exercises are the solution to underdeveloped legs and, because they are a common ingredient of CrossFit, are very beneficial for men.
  Full-Body Exercises
  Full-body exercises develop total-body conditioning, burn a lot of calories and develop all-round strength. The aggressive and explosive nature of these exercises makes them popular with men. CrossFit full-body exercises include the clean and jerk and snatch, thrusters, sumo deadlift high pulls and kettlebell swings. Though these exercises are categorized as total body, the exercises are initiated with a powerful leg drive. Increased lower-body strength and power are great benefits to such sportsmen as football, hockey or basketball players, and they can also add much needed muscles mass to a mans' lower body.
  References
  Inside the Box: How Crossfit Shredded the Rules, Stripped Down the Gym, and Rebuilt My Body; T. J. Murphy
  Crossfit - A Complete Guide; Jonathan Dou
  A Man's Guide to Muscle and Strength; Stephen Cabral
  Writer Bio
  Patrick Dale is an experienced writer who has written for a plethora of international publications. A lecturer and trainer of trainers, he is a contributor to "Ultra-FIT" magazine and has been involved in fitness for more than 22 years. He authored the books "Military Fitness", "Live Long, Live Strong" and "No Gym? No Problem!" and served in the Royal Marines for five years.