Good question! The quick answer is yes. Doing solely the CrossFit program you’ll get more muscle and less fat faster than by bulking and cutting like a silly bodybuilder.

Let’s look at the training variables we’re hitting with CrossFit. Gymnastics training, Monostructural Metabolic Conditioning (MMC, running, rowing etc.) and Weightlifting. We are looking in increase effectiveness in all these areas. Gymnastics is solely bodyweight movements: if you can get more reps than before and you weight the same, you’re stronger and indeed you have more muscle. If you can do more reps than before and you weigh less you probably still have more muscle, yet it may not be as dramatic an increase. MMC, if your rowing times all drop and your running times all drop are you getting leaner? I would go with yes. No one gets a faster 5k by adding 10lbs of fat to their waist. Lastly weightlifting. If you’re bodyweight is decreasing and you’re getting PR’s on front squats, bench press, deadlifts, power cleans are you going to be building more muscle? The answer is yes. You will do both with CrossFit programming. Nowhere else.

A thought I have is what can a person do who wants to get both lean and increase muscle size? Will doing Crossfit routines alone hit these goals, a mixture of Crossfit with powerlifting, or should the idea to build mass first and then lean out?