Crossfit

[Omaha 680]

It's a wonderful cross of anaerobic and strength training. At noon we do Tabata set's of push ups, jumping rope, pull ups, kettlebell swings, running and some other stuff. Start slowly and work into it. It's a much better workout than going to the gym and walking from station to station doing your sets.

It is a great combo. Tonight we did a short circuit including rowing, pullups, squats, situps, and pushups. Then we did 30 clean and press reps as fast as we could. I couldn't believe how much I was sweating during the last part. I never sweat when lifting weights.

[thesaint258]

My wife and I have been going to a Crossfit gym for a month now. We didn't even really know what Crossfit was until we purchased a groupon for this place near our apartment. When we walked in, it reminded me of somewhere Rocky would train to face Ivan Drago. Lots of grunting and yelling and people picking up heavy objects and throwing them or dragging them around the room.

I can see the danger in it like Surfah said in the last post. There is very little instruction and you can get hurt if you don't know what you're doing, especially on the heavier lifts. The guy who runs the gym I go to is an Ex Ranger and he treats the place like a boot camp, which is great but can be problematic for people who are really out of shape or haven't done this kind of exercise before. I think you just have to not be afraid to refuse to do something or cut down on the weight if you are afraid you might hurt yourself. Personally, I had a bulging disk in my neck that is finally healing up, so I am careful and slow down the pace if I feel like I'm strainig my neck too much.

That said, we're kind of hooked. I've dropped almost 10 pounds from my all-time post cruise and holiday inflated high weight at the beginning of this year. But more important than the weight loss for me, is my body is completely changing. I'm not as soft as I've been the past few years and I'm getting an athletic build back. My body fat percentage is probably lower than it has been in 3 years and I have a ton more energy. Starting out in the program is hell, but once your body is strong enough to take the beating, it is rather addicting. The last time I had this kind of satisfaction after blowing through an intense workout was probably high school track. The hardest workout we've done so far was earlier this week:

1 mile run
100 pullups
200 pushups
300 air squats
1 mile run
(all done as fast as you can without rest while wearing a 20 pound vest).

I had to drop the vest during the pullups and most of the pushups. But a month ago I couldn't have even attemped that workout. I don't know if I'll stick with it after I reach my fitness goals, but it has been a winner for us so far.

Murph! That's a tough workout. I think I'd rather do the filthy fifty.

[Omaha 680]

I don't know which was worse, the filthy fifty or the Murph for me. Both were difficult because I just don't have the arm strength to do a lot of pullups right now. Obviously crossfit pullups aren't all arms but even after I figured out the movement I still have a hard time with them. I've decided to do a few after every workout to hopefully improve quicker.

There's nothing quite like seeing your wife pound out pullups four times as fast as you to make you realize you've gotten a little soft.

[Jacob]

I've been crossfitting for two years now consistently and I absolutely love it. It makes no difference how puny your arms are, and if you go to a crossfit affiliate, it is not dangerous at all. The gym I go to is not cheap. I pay about 100 per month, but new memberships are almost 200. I'd never pay that much, even though you pretty much get unlimited sessions with trainers for that price.

The original idea behind crossfit is that you can do it from your own home gym, or any gym. So wherever you are, go for it! Again, it is for the weak and for the strong. All workouts can be scaled to your ability, but nothing will push you like crossfit.

I will be competing in the crossfit open later this month and hope to qualify for the regional team competition this year. Tons of fun. And lots of soreness. I'm not going to downplay that. I've been in more pain from soreness than I ever experienced in my life. I never knew what muscle soreness was before crossfit.

[ERCougar]

Funny this thread has popped up again. I've looked at crossfit quite a bit and my friend is still doing it.
I think it's a decent strength-training program but falls well short of a lot of its claims, at least how I've heard and read them. When I first looked into it, the head of the crossfit gym told this story of completely outriding a couple of guys who were 'really into mountain biking', attributing this to his crossfit training. This of course is a ridiculous claim, as there are enough skills specific to mountain biking, that even an average mountain biker would likely outride a very fit one who didn't ride much. He went on to claim that crossfit would make an athlete better at all sports.
What I've found, both with my friend and others that I know who do it, is that crossfit makes you really good at...doing crossfit workouts. I've never been beaten in a running race (including a mud run set up and sponsored by the local crossfit gym) or a triathlon by a crossfitter (they're easy to pick out because they wear their shirts EVERYWHERE). I'm still a better basketball player than my friend. Football, ultimate, soccer, whatever the sport we end up playing...I'm just not all that impressed, and despite being no more than a decent athlete, I end up outplaying most because I'm in better shape.
I think the problem is that crossfit really devalues an aerobic base. Anaerobic bursts just arent a substitute, but most crossfitters end up limiting their exercise to just crossfit. Crossfit endurance seems like a nice combo, but they're marketing that as a way to train for marathons? That seems like a recipe for disaster for most people. I can think of two crossfitters, both female, who are fantastic athletes. One is a crazy good mountain biker who I ride with once in a while, the other is a triathlete who does ironmans. Both of them treat crossfit as a supplement to their main program, and do plenty of aerobic base, non-crossfit stuff.
Another problem I see is the format. Olympic lifts for time when completely depleted is a great way to get hurt, even if you're well trained on technique. I saw people cheating these all the time, and not only do you not get the benefits, but you really risk injury.
Finally, they're the most cultish group of people I've ever met (excepting you, jake... ). All they want to talk about is the workout of the day they just did and how sore they are (I swear they're always sore--who wants to be sore all the time?), and when are you going to come join them, etc, etc. annoying.
I'm coming across really negative when I actually think its an interesting program that sounds fun. It's just the outlandish claims that turn me off. I do my cardio stuff, and supplement it with pull ups, pushups, and lunges 3x/week, which I can do at home and for free. Its working. Crossfit would probably add a little to that, but I'm not ready to drop $100/month for it. If people would just keep it in line with what it is--a fun activity that's pretty good for you--I'd have no problem with it.

EDIT: sorry if this came across as dickish. I'm obviously not directing is at anyone in here--you all have plenty to talk about outside of crossfit.

[Omaha 680]

Funny this thread has popped up again. I've looked at crossfit quite a bit and my friend is still doing it.
I think it's a decent strength-training program but falls well short of a lot of its claims, at least how I've heard and read them. When I first looked into it, the head of the crossfit gym told this story of completely outriding a couple of guys who were 'really into mountain biking', attributing this to his crossfit training. This of course is a ridiculous claim, as there are enough skills specific to mountain biking, that even an average mountain biker would likely outride a very fit one who didn't ride much. He went on to claim that crossfit would make an athlete better at all sports.
What I've found, both with my friend and others that I know who do it, is that crossfit makes you really good at...doing crossfit workouts. I've never been beaten in a running race (including a mud run set up and sponsored by the local crossfit gym) or a triathlon by a crossfitter (they're easy to pick out because they wear their shirts EVERYWHERE). I'm still a better basketball player than my friend. Football, ultimate, soccer, whatever the sport we end up playing...I'm just not all that impressed, and despite being no more than a decent athlete, I end up outplaying most because I'm in better shape.
I think the problem is that crossfit really devalues an aerobic base. Anaerobic bursts just arent a substitute, but most crossfitters end up limiting their exercise to just crossfit. Crossfit endurance seems like a nice combo, but they're marketing that as a way to train for marathons? That seems like a recipe for disaster for most people. I can think of two crossfitters, both female, who are fantastic athletes. One is a crazy good mountain biker who I ride with once in a while, the other is a triathlete who does ironmans. Both of them treat crossfit as a supplement to their main program, and do plenty of aerobic base, non-crossfit stuff.
Another problem I see is the format. Olympic lifts for time when completely depleted is a great way to get hurt, even if you're well trained on technique. I saw people cheating these all the time, and not only do you not get the benefits, but you really risk injury.
Finally, they're the most cultish group of people I've ever met (excepting you, jake... ). All they want to talk about is the workout of the day they just did and how sore they are (I swear they're always sore--who wants to be sore all the time?), and when are you going to come join them, etc, etc. annoying.
I'm coming across really negative when I actually think its an interesting program that sounds fun. It's just the outlandish claims that turn me off. I do my cardio stuff, and supplement it with pull ups, pushups, and lunges 3x/week, which I can do at home and for free. Its working. Crossfit would probably add a little to that, but I'm not ready to drop $100/month for it. If people would just keep it in line with what it is--a fun activity that's pretty good for you--I'd have no problem with it.

EDIT: sorry if this came across as dickish. I'm obviously not directing is at anyone in here--you all have plenty to talk about outside of crossfit.

I can get on board with most of what you said. I don't think it's magic and I'm not expecting to own the soccer field or the basketball court next time I play because of crossfit. I actually try to get out and run or ride the bike a couple times a week still. So while I din't think it will make me a super athlete, what it has done is give me some real results and thereby motivate me to keep getting into the shape I want. We'll see when my introductory rate ends in another month if I'm excited enough to throw down the bigger money to keep it up.

My wife is totally hooked. I'm excited for her because she's always been fit but never played team sports and hasn't raced since high school so she struggles with finding a workout she enjoys when she wants to get in shape. I could really see crossfit bring her thing.

[ERCougar]

I can get on board with most of what you said. I don't think it's magic and I'm not expecting to own the soccer field or the basketball court next time I play because of crossfit. I actually try to get out and run or ride the bike a couple times a week still. So while I din't think it will make me a super athlete, what it has done is give me some real results and thereby motivate me to keep getting into the shape I want. We'll see when my introductory rate ends in another month if I'm excited enough to throw down the bigger money to keep it up.

My wife is totally hooked. I'm excited for her because she's always been fit but never played team sports and hasn't raced since high school so she struggles with finding a workout she enjoys when she wants to get in shape. I could really see crossfit bring her thing.

If I ever really got into strength training, I'd totally do crossfit--it's way more fun to me than pumping iron or doing circuits, and probably better for developing functional strength. It's just not the end-all of athletic training that some of these guys act like it is. I kind of see it as a sport...much like body building or running or swimming is a sport. There are certainly crossover benefits to other sports and for especially people like your wife, it's a great way to stay healthy and active. But theres nothing that will get you good at a sport like actually playing the sport. Crazy, I know.

In fairness, crossfit recommends that you participate in as many real sports as possible, right? That type of program seems like a pretty good idea, but it seems like most eliminate everything else. Obviously, you're an exception.

[RC Vikings]

Another problem I see is the format. Olympic lifts for time when completely depleted is a great way to get hurt, even if you're well trained on technique. I saw people cheating these all the time, and not only do you not get the benefits, but you really risk injury.

I do my cardio stuff, and supplement it with pull ups, pushups, and lunges 3x/week, which I can do at home and for free. Its working. Crossfit would probably add a little to that, but I'm not ready to drop $100/month for it. If people would just keep it in line with what it is--a fun activity that's pretty good for you--I'd have no problem with it.

I agree with everything said here. My co-worker who is big into the cross fit deal is planning on riding Lotoja with his base being mainly cross fit. I've finally got him talked into putting in some miles. I do the cross fit stuff to get my upper body some strength and so my wife doesn't puke when she see's me naked.

[Solon]

a crossfitter (they're easy to pick out because they wear their shirts EVERYWHERE). . . .
Finally, they're the most cultish group of people I've ever met (excepting you, jake... ). All they want to talk about is the workout of the day they just did and how sore they are (I swear they're always sore--who wants to be sore all the time?), and when are you going to come join them, etc, etc. annoying.

And right there you hit the nail on the head. They're like scientologists or something. I'm sure it's a good workout, but I'm not sure I'm willing to evangelize for the product.

[Omaha 680]

I think my wife might be on the verge of becomming a crossfit scientologist. It was all she talked about yesterday and then she was super excited she was able to get off work early enough to join me today. After the workout she mentioned wanting to get some crossfit gear eventually.

[landpoke]

My wife's clear and on her way to operating thetan. That being said, I'm not displeased with the results.

[Jacob]

Funny this thread has popped up again. I've looked at crossfit quite a bit and my friend is still doing it.
I think it's a decent strength-training program but falls well short of a lot of its claims, at least how I've heard and read them. When I first looked into it, the head of the crossfit gym told this story of completely outriding a couple of guys who were 'really into mountain biking', attributing this to his crossfit training. This of course is a ridiculous claim, as there are enough skills specific to mountain biking, that even an average mountain biker would likely outride a very fit one who didn't ride much. He went on to claim that crossfit would make an athlete better at all sports.
What I've found, both with my friend and others that I know who do it, is that crossfit makes you really good at...doing crossfit workouts. I've never been beaten in a running race (including a mud run set up and sponsored by the local crossfit gym) or a triathlon by a crossfitter (they're easy to pick out because they wear their shirts EVERYWHERE). I'm still a better basketball player than my friend. Football, ultimate, soccer, whatever the sport we end up playing...I'm just not all that impressed, and despite being no more than a decent athlete, I end up outplaying most because I'm in better shape.
I think the problem is that crossfit really devalues an aerobic base. Anaerobic bursts just arent a substitute, but most crossfitters end up limiting their exercise to just crossfit. Crossfit endurance seems like a nice combo, but they're marketing that as a way to train for marathons? That seems like a recipe for disaster for most people. I can think of two crossfitters, both female, who are fantastic athletes. One is a crazy good mountain biker who I ride with once in a while, the other is a triathlete who does ironmans. Both of them treat crossfit as a supplement to their main program, and do plenty of aerobic base, non-crossfit stuff.
Another problem I see is the format. Olympic lifts for time when completely depleted is a great way to get hurt, even if you're well trained on technique. I saw people cheating these all the time, and not only do you not get the benefits, but you really risk injury.
Finally, they're the most cultish group of people I've ever met (excepting you, jake... ). All they want to talk about is the workout of the day they just did and how sore they are (I swear they're always sore--who wants to be sore all the time?), and when are you going to come join them, etc, etc. annoying.
I'm coming across really negative when I actually think its an interesting program that sounds fun. It's just the outlandish claims that turn me off. I do my cardio stuff, and supplement it with pull ups, pushups, and lunges 3x/week, which I can do at home and for free. Its working. Crossfit would probably add a little to that, but I'm not ready to drop $100/month for it. If people would just keep it in line with what it is--a fun activity that's pretty good for you--I'd have no problem with it.

You've misunderstood the claims of crossfit. If does claim to make the fittest athletes on the planet (this can obviously be disputed). It does not claim to make its athletes better runners than dedicated runners, or bikers, or ballers, etc. That would be ridiculous. It may claim that it can make each of those better at their sports, but that's a much different claim.

Also, I'm hardcore, and don't own a crossfit tee shirt.

[Surfah]

Inside the Cult of Crossfit

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/fit...-cult-crossfit

[Omaha 680]

Inside the Cult of Crossfit

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/fit...-cult-crossfit

Interesting read. I haven't seen Pukey the Clown or Uncle Rhabdo yet at my gym. I agree with a lot of what the writer's points. As I said above, I don't push myself as hard on some of the heavier lifts because I worry about aggrivating a previous injury.

I do think the concern for injury doing olympic lifts when fatigued is a bit overblown though. Aside from Rhabdomyolysis (which I had never heard of before this article), I don't think there is a huge risk for injury on the lifts done during the WOD circuits because you are doing the circuit with a fraction of your max weight. So maybe the form breaks down a bit when you fatigue toward the end of the workout, but it doesn't seem like the weight is enough to cause serious injury unless you let yourself totally fall apart (which does happen, admittedly). Am I off base here? What do the other longer-tenured crossfitters think?

[RC Vikings]

Interesting read. I haven't seen Pukey the Clown or Uncle Rhabdo yet at my gym. I agree with a lot of what the writer's points. As I said above, I don't push myself as hard on some of the heavier lifts because I worry about aggrivating a previous injury.

I do think the concern for injury doing olympic lifts when fatigued is a bit overblown though. Aside from Rhabdomyolysis (which I had never heard of before this article), I don't think there is a huge risk for injury on the lifts done during the WOD circuits because you are doing the circuit with a fraction of your max weight. So maybe the form breaks down a bit when you fatigue toward the end of the workout, but it doesn't seem like the weight is enough to cause serious injury unless you let yourself totally fall apart (which does happen, admittedly). Am I off base here? What do the other longer-tenured crossfitters think?

The other two guys in our office have been doing cross fit stuff for a couple of years now and have gotten away from the olympic lifts because they kept getting hurt. They just mainly do push ups, pull ups, squats and kettle bell work. They have a book with the WOD that they follow but like I said they stay away from the olympic lifts. Yesterday one of them did 200 single arm swings with a 53lb kettle bell in 10 minutes. If you think you're tough try that. I do 150 double arm swings with my 35lb kettle bell and I'm ready to puke.