Do you have what it takes for a CrossFit workout? Hint: No beginners

The American Council on Exercise last December predicted fitness trends for 2010. Not surprisingly, the council forecast an uptick in shorter, time-efficient workouts (we’re all so busy), “exergaming” (we’re all so Wii-savvy now) and specialty classes (we’re all so Zumba crazy now).

What didn’t get a mention was CrossFit, the uber-tough workout craze that’s been making a sweep nationwide. At CrossFit‘s website, the FAQs alone are difficult for a newbie to decipher: What’s the WOD? (workout of the day). And the Sampson Stretch? (overhead squat with a broomstick).

But it’s not just the lingo that will be an obstacle to beginners. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports on who’s best suited for this fitness phenom in “CrossFit, an intense, competitive workout, is booming in South Florida.”

How tough is it? Take a look at some of the moves in “Photo gallery: CrossFit training.”

Get a firsthand account of one guy’s attempt to conquer CrossFit in the Los Angeles Times story “A workout that’s fast and furious and not for the faint of heart.”

--Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times