Who likes Crossfit?

[AMJ]

I'm looking for advice, feedback, opinions from anyone who's done Crossfit. The gyms in my area aren't great. I went to one of the Crossfit gyms here and I'm not sure if it's for me. For one, I get all jumpy when people are dropping weights all the time because its loud and echoes and it's jarring. I'm also concerned about hurting myself because I know the workouts are intense, and I think it's only one trainer for a group of 10-15. But then I think about people I know who've done Crossfit and think, if she can do it, I can definitely do it.

 

I don't have any desire to lift crazy amounts of weight, but it would be cool to do a pull-up. I talked to the owner and he says his gym isn't as competitive as some of the boxes can be and he says its fine if I just want to work towards whatever my own goals are. But I'm not sure if he's just trying to convince me to join. Who has tried it? Does anyone not recommend it?

[Imajerk17]

I got into CrossFit several years ago after a break-up, and while I really like it (or rather, there are aspects of it that I really like), I do recognize that it isn't for everyone.

 

You will get into great shape if you stick with it. And no worries, it definitely isn't this intense cult. You won't be paying your money only to be browbeaten into finishing these impossible workouts or anything. You WILL get a really tough workout and feel good about it afterwards, but the loading and intensity can be scaled to your needs.

 

As far as finding a good box, I would shop around, as some boxes are better than others. The longer a box has been around, likely the better it is. To start, you usually will have to complete a sort of intro class to get you up to speed on the movements. This will enable you to get a feel for the place as to whether you can see yourself staying.

 

Dropping barbells, I need to warn you, goes hand-in-hand with CrossFit. The Olympic lifts are a staple, and even if they aren't featured in the workout that day, there typically will be people off to the side (such as someone like myself!) working on them. While it's on us to get that heavy barbell overhead, we rely on gravity to bring it back down.

Edited May 12, 2016 by Imajerk17

[hasaquestion]

Like I said in another thread, finding the right gym is key.

 

Most "regular" gyms do not pretend to train you. They give you the space and let you knock yourself out. Crossfit gyms offer more than just the space, they in theory give you classes and training too. But the flip side is that they have a responsibility to give you quality personalized coaching and push you the right amount. There's no quality control as to whether or not you actually get that.

 

Some specific aspects of Crossfit that can mess you up if you aren't careful:

 

- The workouts are high volume but feature exercises (deadlifts, snatches) that are really not meant to be performed at such high volume. You need to ignore what the other people are doing and scale this kind of thing back big-time.

 

- Some of the workouts are time-based. You need to slow the pace if necessary - it won't help you long term to be cranking out bad repetitions.

 

- The workout plans are very shoulder-intensive. Chances are, if you are an

untrained person, you have weak shoulders. White collar civilization tends to do that. You need to work up to being able to put as much strain on your shoulders as a few of the crossfit staples (the kipping motion, doing lots of snatches) would demand.

 

I'm not saying Crossfit is fundamentally a bad thing. I think it's cool honestly. I just don't think a total newbie should be jumping into it without having some prior fitness experience, or an informed opinion that the guys at the gym will be professional, and aren't a bunch of lunkhead morons.

 

If you're an ex-athlete and have experience it's one thing. But I think joining Crossfit for the "coaching" is a mistake - you should be able to function as your own coach to a degree in that environment. There's too many repetitions being done. That's why getting truly personalized coaching from a trainer is a better idea - you can learn what you have to know to be your own coach, from someone more credentialed. Make sure you know how to do it right first.

[sorano]

crossfit is still popular? wow. I body build and love the gym but cross fit just makes me sick. I hate it.

[AMJ]

crossfit is still popular? wow. I body build and love the gym but cross fit just makes me sick. I hate it.

 

Care to share why? lol.

[SJS]

I really liked it but it was too expensive long term to keep going. I found a great box with awesome coaches, who were all about form. Once you got your form, they would tell you how much weight they thought you could add (and it was gradual). It was probably at least 3 months of going 3x/week before I started actually adding a good amount of weight...and I never had any injuries other than Achilles tendonitis (which I actually had when I started).

[Emilia]

Like I said in another thread, finding the right gym is key.

 

Most "regular" gyms do not pretend to train you. They give you the space and let you knock yourself out. Crossfit gyms offer more than just the space, they in theory give you classes and training too. But the flip side is that they have a responsibility to give you quality personalized coaching and push you the right amount. There's no quality control as to whether or not you actually get that.

 

Some specific aspects of Crossfit that can mess you up if you aren't careful:

 

- The workouts are high volume but feature exercises (deadlifts, snatches) that are really not meant to be performed at such high volume. You need to ignore what the other people are doing and scale this kind of thing back big-time.

 

- Some of the workouts are time-based. You need to slow the pace if necessary - it won't help you long term to be cranking out bad repetitions.

 

- The workout plans are very shoulder-intensive. Chances are, if you are an

untrained person, you have weak shoulders. White collar civilization tends to do that. You need to work up to being able to put as much strain on your shoulders as a few of the crossfit staples (the kipping motion, doing lots of snatches) would demand.

 

I'm not saying Crossfit is fundamentally a bad thing. I think it's cool honestly. I just don't think a total newbie should be jumping into it without having some prior fitness experience, or an informed opinion that the guys at the gym will be professional, and aren't a bunch of lunkhead morons.

 

If you're an ex-athlete and have experience it's one thing. But I think joining Crossfit for the "coaching" is a mistake - you should be able to function as your own coach to a degree in that environment. There's too many repetitions being done. That's why getting truly personalized coaching from a trainer is a better idea - you can learn what you have to know to be your own coach, from someone more credentialed. Make sure you know how to do it right first.

good assessment

[Emilia]

Care to share why? lol.

I hate it too, it's slowly dying as far as I can see, can't be dead soon enough.

 

Most people - especially those that aren't used to weight training in any way - aren't cut out for Olympic lifts. From what I've heard and seen, the correct form isn't always taught and you will see a lot of crossfitters stopping due to injury. People in their 30s and 40s don't tend to have the mobility for lifts, it's perfectly possible to get there but it takes time. Time is not given in crossfit. Training isn't given. In my opinion it is also wrong to tie lifts and speed.

 

I have seen crossfiters lift in a fatigued state and I have seen them deadlift in a fatigued state with terrible form! A sure way to damage your spine for life.

 

There is no programming. Meaning people plateau and stop getting stronger because there is no consistent training of the body (and the central nervous system, essential for lifts). Because beginners/novices advance quite quickly, that initial growth is taken for development. However this usually ends up stagnating after 6 months or so because the basics are not there.

[AMJ]

So I should just buy a set of kettlebells and call it a day.

[Emilia]

So I should just buy a set of kettlebells and call it a day.

No, you should go down to a lifters' gym and learn to squat, deadlift and bench. There is usually a coach around and membership tends to be very cheap.

 

Pretty much everything else is a waste of time - unless they are supporting exercises for the above mentioned.

[Imajerk17]

I think the viewpoint is a bit too critical of CrossFit as it relates to what I think AMJ is looking for.

 

When talking about CrossFit, you have to separate the *movements* from the *programming and coaching* (yes there is such a thing).

 

The movements used by CrossFit to get stronger--compound lifts, the gymnastic movements, kettlebell swings, rowing (on an erg)--are actually great for getting stronger and better shape. I don't agree with the "olympic lifts are dangerous and so you shouldn't do them". The Olympic lifts can't be any more dangerous than playing baseball, softball, or soccer, nevermind skiing or snowboarding. Look, I never even heard of a snatch until I joined CrossFit (in my late 30s) and I now do them all the time at a fairly heavy weight for me, and I don't have problems with injuries, at least no more so than my dad did when he was my age--he used to have hamstring injuries all the time from running. And I'm not special in this regard--there are people in their 40s, 50s, and 60s trying the Olympic lifts and not only are they walking out of the box under their own power not hurt, they are loving them. They keep coming back for more, and are becoming stronger than they ever were before. The key is that they started light and used good form but even besides that--I also have seen plenty of people do these lifts with...suboptimal form over a few years and I only saw one person (who has already had a bunch of separated shoulders) get injured because of it. (You won't progress in the Olympic lifts without good form, but my point is that even if your form is less than perfect, the Olympic lifts are NOT dangerous. )

 

 

CrossFit talks a lot about functional fitness, and they have quite a point. What's more likely to prepare you for being able to do stuff like hikes up and down big hills and lifting couches and boxes to help your friends move--deadlifts and front squats, or working on a machine in a globo?

 

The key is in the programming and coaching. It's not designing workouts picking a few movements out of a hat each time. If the programming and coaching is sound, workouts will be designed with a goal in mind. Also, good form will be stressed before load is added. You won't be doing kipping pull-ups before you can do a strict pull-up say. It will be stressed that deadlifts and back squats need to be done with a flat tight back and the load has to be light enough to allow this.

 

****************

 

Thinking to what you (AMJ) will experience if you were to try CrossFit: You will go through some sort of an introductory class with other people (which includes eligible guys, by the way) where you will learn the movements and be given a workout where you will leave feeling physically challenged but not wiped out.

 

Then you will do the mainstream classes in her box, where you will see people in their 20s and 30s (which include eligible single guys did I mention that?) but also people in their 40s and 50s even 60s, several who are in amazing shape given their ages, but others who are working to GET into shape. The workouts will be challenging but your bar will be loaded so that you still can keep good form the entire workout. (By the way, we guys are often the ones load our bars too heavy and then use bad form and get injured, which gives CrossFit a bad rap.) And the end of class, you will exchange high fives with a few of your new friends.

 

And over time, you will find yourself looking AND feeling much better as you get into better shape and masters a few of the movements that were way beyond your ken when you first joined, and you will make some awesome new friends too.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Imajerk17

[AMJ]

Ok, Imajerk, I will stop overthinking and just give it a try. There's only 2 boxes where I live- and I think I missed the beginner's classes this month, but the owner seems pretty easygoing. And I will let you know how it goes meeting all of these eligible single crossfit guys...lol.

[KatZee]

I did CrossFit a few years ago. I "enjoyed it" to an extent. It opened my eyes to circuit training and THAT'S what I enjoyed. I liked a good workout of running, box jumps, jump rope, sit ups, wall balls, kettle bells, etc.

 

What I did NOT enjoy was the weight lifting aspect of it. In my opinion, unless you're training to be some sort of weight lifting champion, it's completely unnecessary to be throwing around some of the weights that people do. I think weighted squats are fine, and dead lifts, but some of these "jerk" moves are just flat out dangerous if you're not trained under a CrossFit certified coach.

 

I've been to a few gyms, and unfortunately there are people that teach CrossFit classes that do not reinforce the importance of posture, or technique and what happens is this:

 

People That Do Crossfit Parody - Funny Crossfit Exercise - Video Dailymotion

 

Yes, it's funny, but there's truth to it. And then if you want the serious side of it, this is what happens when you're given weights, and not taught technique:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T74Xek-pDLM

 

You are pretty much ASKING to be seriously injured. I know a bunch of people that were into the CrossFit lifestyle and retired due to debilitating back injuries. And you can't come back from those, they stick with you for life.

[lana-banana]

CrossFit has some good ideas like high-intensity interval and circuit training, and an emphasis on gymnastics. But those are obscured by the many, many, many bad things CrossFit advocates---lifting heavy weights for high reps, "muscle confusion", and working out until you vomit. A gym that incorporates cross-training is probably OK. A gym that encourages you to follow along with the CrossFit Games is not.

 

Here are some ways you can judge a gym's programming:

 

- Any place that suggests lifting heavy weights for speed and/or high reps is not a good investment. When you lift heavy it should be slowly, with controlled motions and one to three minutes between sets.

- Ask about their cycles. They should say something like "well, we're in the middle of an eight-week strength cycle" or "we're spending the next ten weeks focusing on agility exercises". One of the worst parts about CrossFit is its (completely wrongheaded) idea that you get stronger by just picking and choosing random exercises. If you're trying to get strong, you have to repeat yourself. Real strength-building is tedious. There are things you can do to make it less tedious, but if you don't set a routine and stick with it you won't get anywhere.

- Check out the average age of the gymgoers. If everyone appears under 30, be careful.

- Do they incorporate exercises with box jumps for time? Leave. Box jumps for time are a good way to guarantee a debilitating ACL tear that leaves you a cripple before age 32.

[fitnessfan365]

We actually never talked about CF. But here are the reasons why I hate it :

 

1) Proper form is sacrificed for volume and duration. I especially cringe at "kipping pull-ups" and "bow and snake" burpees. 2) Unnecessary Olympic Lifts. Snatches, cleans, etc offer too much risk and not enough reward IMO. The average person just looking to get in better shape doesn't need to risk injury with Oly lifts. They just don't. 3) Classes are TOO BIG. When you have people doing high intensity exercise and potentially dangerous lifts, you need to have proper supervision. But CF has become so popular now that they stick a TON of people in a class with ONE instructor. 4) The training frequency is too high. I'm all for working out 5-6 days a week. But the intensity should be varied to allow for recovery. A good example of this would be three full body strength/high intensity days and three days of steady state/low intensity aerobic work to maximize recovery. But you've got people getting injured and burned out trying to do high intensity full body workouts 5-6 days a week. It just isn't smart training IMO.

 

Now a question I have is will a Crossfit gym allow you to join just to workout there on your own? Some have great pieces of equipment like Prowler sleds, battle ropes, etc.. So you could workout there on your own integrating various equipment into your own workouts. Aside from finding a gym that has a Prowler, battle ropes, etc I'd recommend - 1) Stick with basic exercise movements - push, pull, squat, lunge, deadlift and switch off between upper and lower with reduced rest periods for more circuit workouts. 2) Keep integrating kettlebell training. 3) Start doing one sprint workout per week on hills or a track. Also, stadium steps/stairs are good too.

Edited May 15, 2016 by fitnessfan365

[AMJ]

Well, it seems like these classes are around 15 people max, and usually closer to 10. He did say he'd tailor my workouts to my own needs, and it sounds like I would get more attention being the newbie. I think the structure is that there's a group run or some other kind of warm-up, and then he runs through the workout of the day, and people work out at their own pace. They keep score by tallying how many sets each person completes on a board. But I think it's okay if I move slower than everyone else (at least that's okay with me).

I think it's okay to work out on your own at this gym, but he also is pretty devoted to crossfit and would probably insist that I do at least one or two crossfit sessions weekly as well. I dunno, after reading this thread I'm realizing that I didn't ask the right questions.

 

Imajerk, you're the only one here who likes crossfit. I really have no desire to get into olympic lifting or even heavy weight lifting, I just enjoy working out with people and really dislike the gyms in my area. I miss the days when bootcamps were popping up everywhere.

[WasOtherWoman]

I've been crossfitting for more than four years (and I am over 50). Like anything else, it is up to you to not be stupid and get hurt. Absolutely you need a box that had good and conscientious coaches, for sure.

 

But once you are "onramped", it is up to you... just like EVERY OTHER fitness program.

 

I don't like at what everyone else is lifting.... if my knees are not in great form that day, i don't squat. The coaches are 100% supportive of that.

 

I had a minor shoulder injury last year, i rehabbed it at CrossFit.... modified WOD's, lifts, etc.

 

I supplement CF with walking / running outside, etc.

 

If it is something that you will do consistently, are conscientious about not getting then it is a fine thing for you.

 

As for it being trendy?? LOL, when did squats, pushups, situps and burpees ever go out of style. As far as lifting, again good form is critical.

[thefooloftheyear]

 

As for it being trendy?? LOL, when did squats, pushups, situps and burpees ever go out of style. As far as lifting, again good form is critical.

 

 

They never did, but then no one actually needed to create some kind of "club" type of program for all of it, they just did it...And all the shouting, back slapping, and high fiving seems pretty lame.....to me anyway...

 

I think that's what most people scoff at...I don't want to be a part of some "program" that makes me sound like I am part of some special club...I just want to train and go home....I don't need a t-shirt that proclaims that I like to train....

 

But I wont knock it either...If its working for you, then by all means have at it...that's the beauty of a fitness program...Do what works and makes a person feel comfortable...

 

TFY

Edited May 18, 2016 by thefooloftheyear

[AMJ]

I'm definitely not trying to be cool or trendy. There's just not that many great gyms in my area. I moved to a smaller town last summer, and am used to living in bigger cities, which meant I had easy access to very good gyms and fitness options. I am motivated by working out with other people; the owner at this crossfit said they go on group runs all the time, which I love. However the heavy weights slamming down is something I'll probably hate.

I just found yesterday a different option that may work for me, a group training membership that's really reasonable price wise...however they only have one class per day.

[WasOtherWoman]

They never did, but then no one actually needed to create some kind of "club" type of program for all of it, they just did it...And all the shouting, back slapping, and high fiving seems pretty lame.....to me anyway...

 

I think that's what most people scoff at...I don't want to be a part of some "program" that makes me sound like I am part of some special club...I just want to train and go home....I don't need a t-shirt that proclaims that I like to train....

 

But I wont knock it either...If its working for you, then by all means have at it...that's the beauty of a fitness program...Do what works and makes a person feel comfortable...

 

TFY

 

Oh believe me, it can be a cult, I get it. I do train and go home. Some people really do make it their life. Very strange.... I don't shout, back slap or high-five, I am a lady

[AMJ]

I decided not to join crossfit. I just think I'd kill myself in there. But I'm really happy with the new gym I found which is like personal training with 5 or less people. They have an outdoor space and it feels like grownup recess instead of an exercise class. The battle ropes that fitnessfan always talks about are much more difficult than I expected!

[Deidre]

I love crossfit.

[Bantosm]

I like most forms of exercise including crossfit.