CrossFit Masters

jedwards213

Any CrossFit "Masters" out there? I started doing CrossFit at the ripe age of 40 and this January will be the start of my 4th year in. After all this time, I'm still learning more about myself both mentally and physically. There are a number of challenges that I've had to deal with aside from age. Here's a short list of my biggest challenges:
1) Starting at the age of 40
2) Starting CrossFit with ~30% body fat
3) Flexibility & mobility: never did or focused on either prior
4) Checking my 40 year old ego at the door
5) Trying to find the right diet: still a struggle
6) Being comfortable competing

I would love to hear what other issues my fellow "masters" have dealt with. What did you do to overcome or deal with the issue? What have you learned along the way?

If there's one single lesson I've learned, CrossFit can be humbling, inspirational and downright humiliating; and not in that order. How I deal with one leads to the other.

Curlychip

Thats very inspiring, as Im starting off from a fairly low level of fitness but Im very competitive!

kelly_e_montana

I started last year when I was 40. I have been doing it for a year. I guess my biggest challenge was rest/recovery. My body doesn't recover as quickly as it once did. I was greater than 30% BF when I started but still in reasonably good shape performance-wise, according to my baseline. I found a diet I liked right off the bat (Eat to Perform) and fell in love with lifting weights. I have done a couple of competitions and I like them.

I specifically got into CF to do it as a sport, not a workout...so, the other thing I have gone on about ad naseum is my inability to do pull ups. I find it difficult that CF puts so much emphasis on pull ups when I can do advanced moves like pistols and HSPU's and have had to stop doing competitions due to my inability to do pull ups. I could continue to do comps as a novice but I don't feel right about it. (Please no pull up tips, please. I've been working with CF coaches and strength coaches for a year doing progressions). I don't know if this is a masters thing, but it has been my greatest challenge.

What I've learned from this is that CF still makes great cardio while I focus on power lifting instead (no pull ups there), and I love the community.

GiddyupTim

The whole "check your ego" thing. At first, it was to be sure I did not injure myself with any of the complicated lifts that I was just learning, because when you get older it takes SO long to heal. Now, it is just to accept the fact that I am not going to keep up with the kids; and I should not even try.
I think the thing that helped me most was a telecast of the Crossfit Games. I watched the masters divisions. (Probably the only person in America who did.) Well, they interviewed the guy who won the 50-54 year age group, or 55-59 year age group, immediately after his win.
The interviewer asked him: "Aren't you proud?" And, he answered: "I am just glad to -- finally -- not be last! At my box, I am last in every WOD."
I found that very comforting. I figured that if this guy, the fittest 50-year-old-plus guy in the country, finishes last at his box, I did not need to feel so bad. It helped me to accept the fact that I am not going to be able to compete with the kids, and that is okay. I just do what I can do, and I compete with myself to get better.
It has actually been rather liberating.
It has also made me something of a monotonous bore. I tell everybody I see this story -- everyone who does Crossfit, that is.
(PS He also implied that most of the people at his box did not even know he was competing, they were so uninterested in masters competition!)

jedwards213

kellyemontana wrote: »

I started last year when I was 40. I have been doing it for a year. I guess my biggest challenge was rest/recovery. My body doesn't recover as quickly as it once did. I was greater than 30% BF when I started but still in reasonably good shape performance-wise, according to my baseline. I found a diet I liked right off the bat (Eat to Perform) and fell in love with lifting weights. I have done a couple of competitions and I like them.

I specifically got into CF to do it as a sport, not a workout...so, the other thing I have gone on about ad naseum is my inability to do pull ups. I find it difficult that CF puts so much emphasis on pull ups when I can do advanced moves like pistols and HSPU's and have had to stop doing competitions due to my inability to do pull ups. I could continue to do comps as a novice but I don't feel right about it. (Please no pull up tips, please. I've been working with CF coaches and strength coaches for a year doing progressions). I don't know if this is a masters thing, but it has been my greatest challenge.

What I've learned from this is that CF still makes great cardio while I focus on power lifting instead (no pull ups there), and I love the community.

I hear ya on the pull-ups. Having started CF so heavy, just the shear weight of my own body was enough to make P/Us next to impossible without a band (or 2). I've finally gotten around to being able to do C2Bs but I'm only able to string 3-5 at a time. Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to get any easier. I have a strong feeling that C2Bs are the new standard going forward. I don't know about you but 14.2 absolutely destroyed me both physically and mentally. In fact I was devastated that not a single C2B was scored on my part. So being able to do a few at a time, is a start.

jedwards213

tufel wrote: »

The whole "check your ego" thing. At first, it was to be sure I did not injure myself with any of the complicated lifts that I was just learning, because when you get older it takes SO long to heal. Now, it is just to accept the fact that I am not going to keep up with the kids; and I should not even try.
I think the thing that helped me most was a telecast of the Crossfit Games. I watched the masters divisions. (Probably the only person in America who did.) Well, they interviewed the guy who won the 50-54 year age group, or 55-59 year age group, immediately after his win.
The interviewer asked him: "Aren't you proud?" And, he answered: "I am just glad to -- finally -- not be last! At my box, I am last in every WOD."
I found that very comforting. I figured that if this guy, the fittest 50-year-old-plus guy in the country, finishes last at his box, I did not need to feel so bad. It helped me to accept the fact that I am not going to be able to compete with the kids, and that is okay. I just do what I can do, and I compete with myself to get better.
It has actually been rather liberating.
It has also made me something of a monotonous bore. I tell everybody I see this story -- everyone who does Crossfit, that is.
(PS He also implied that most of the people at his box did not even know he was competing, they were so uninterested in masters competition!)

It's an absolute shame Masters don't get the respect they deserve, especially if you consider everyone's going to be a "master" at some point. I've done 3 Masters-only competitions and I am blown away at the ability of some of these people.

bostonwolf

^that guy must work out at one of the elite boxes like Invictus if he's always last, yet won the Games. We had a guy in our box make the top 200 in his Masters category. He's one of the fittest people I've ever met and the pull up/wall ball WOD absolutely destroyed him.

Wronkletoad

Also started at age of 40. love it and really have a good time.

How many of you were college athletes in the distant past? How much had your general fitness declined? (not from competition days, but from what you'd consider an acceptable, age-appropriate level)

It most definitely would be fun seeing more of the masters division. However, as crossfit grows, and as more people move into that age category, we'll probably see more coverage. Hopefully. and I hope the coverage in general gets better. I don't like the cult of personality coverage and focus on "the winners". but ymmv.

I guess I'd suggest for the Masters groups: careful on the mega snatch/jerk WoDs. make sure you have good strength for full RoM pullups before trying kipping. consider substituting standard KB swings for XFit ones. etc .

I'd also remind the Masters groups that flexibility is hugely important. keep those hips/ glutes/ hammies / neck / shoulders limber.

As for lessons learned: put in your effort, do your best, and it's awesome! yay!

bostonwolf

When Rich Froning hits 40, they will start broadcasting the Masters events

I was a good athlete in college but never varsity level. We played all kinds of intramurals and I was almost always on the "A" team vs the "B" team regardless of sport. My decline began when I blew my knee out senior year and gained 40 lbs. Started lifting weights for the first time a few years later and added quite a bit of muscle to my frame, ran a marathon in 2000 and have been slowly gaining weight every since. Started Crossfit a year ago to jumpstart things. Mission successful so far

GiddyupTim

Boston, I do not remember what gym he was from.
I watched just about every masters division, 40-44, 45-49, men, women, etc.
We have an Xbox and, on it, we get all of ESPN, every channel, and it saves it so you can watch anytime.
Man, I used to think the young kids at my box were intimidating. Those old farts are INTIMIDATING! Those competitors were working out without a shirt or in sports bras, and they looked good. Not good for a 40-plus or 50-plus year old; but just good. Lifting weights, I guess, really works.

Funny thing, we owned the Xbox for about four years before i realized what it had on it. I am an old-timer. I don't play video games. I never turned it on. I did not know how to turn it on. Then, one day, I realized that we get ESPN, Hulu, Netflix, etc., through the Xbox. My eyes got wide and my life changed.
The ESPN is the best. There must be 40 ESPN channels (I am exaggerating, but only slightly) and it all gets saved on the Xbox. I have watched Argentinian polo, canoeing world championships from Poland, college lacrosse from Upstate New York, and under-21, women's, international soccer from Azerbaijan. It is rather stunning and it is fun to see some of the sights of all these places.

Mummyadams

Master here (42) and CF'ing for 2 years. Interesting post as I am on a bit of a slump. Was going great guns with lots of progression & PR's but feel like I've come to a grinding halt. Everyone around me seems younger, stronger and progressing but I'm barely maintaining. Doesn't help that my shoulder injury is preventing any type of pull up & TTB type exercises (those ring rows sure get boring after a while). I've never been athletic so I really though that CF would be a great fit for me, but now I'[m not so sure.

Wronkletoad

C'mon Mummyadams!
hang in there!
dont be discouraged! keep it up! plateaus happen. and check into the shoulder. maybe some assistance / prehab/rehab stuff could help.

sleep, hydration, nutrition, etc etc etc factor in. rest days. the whole bunch.

then there's the sentiment in the final sentence: why not? the going is tough right now. the newbie gains are slowing down. yes, you may be older, yes you may be less athletic. yes, younger people may be more athletic. so what? fight through this. look at the programming. look at some of your goals. how's your CFT? are you working the main movements? etc.

discouraged and down are okay to feel, but doubt, well, let's use the pull up bands and catapult that feeling away! set a few "baby step" goals for the next few weeks, work towards them, and realize that you can keep progressing!

kmorgan221

I started a year and a half ago at 42.

This is after 20 years of little to no activity, mostly because of an injury to my right arm that left me with very limited mobility (Range of motion is limited to about 30 - 90 degrees).

Before CrossFit I would go to a regular gym, lift using machines or some dumbbells, then get to a point where I didn't trust my arm to not fail, get hurt more, or otherwise lose control of the weight. So I'd stop.

Then I tried CrossFit. I started twice a week, now go at least four times each week (when I can). I gained confidence of what my arm is able to handle, and am still finding I can move more weight than I ever expected.

Most significant, I'm tired of living with this. I recently went to see a shoulder/elbow specialist, and I have surgery scheduled to repair my elbow and hopefully restore mobility. I don't expect to get to 100%, but I'm hoping for a dramatic increase in mobility.

It will take months of therapy to heal and strengthen, but after now 22 years I can take that time and I can't wait to come out the other side. I have some specific benchmarks to hit, aside from just Rxing a WOD. My biggest two are participating in the 2016 Open, and participating with the other athletes from my box in local competitions.

Good luck. It really is life changing.

jedwards213

Mummyadams wrote: »

Master here (42) and CF'ing for 2 years. Interesting post as I am on a bit of a slump. Was going great guns with lots of progression & PR's but feel like I've come to a grinding halt. Everyone around me seems younger, stronger and progressing but I'm barely maintaining. Doesn't help that my shoulder injury is preventing any type of pull up & TTB type exercises (those ring rows sure get boring after a while). I've never been athletic so I really though that CF would be a great fit for me, but now I'[m not so sure.

Everything Wronkletoad says! Hang in there. We all go through plateaus and flat spots but those are the times you need to reassess your goals. It sounds like the injury is what's holding you back. If it hasn't progressed then go get it rehabbed. Don't make the mistake of trying fight through an injury. It never works and if you somehow manage to make it back, that injury will undoubtedly make a reappearance. Listen to your P/T or coach and trust that they know how to get you back on track.

bostonwolf

tufel wrote: »

Boston, I do not remember what gym he was from.
I watched just about every masters division, 40-44, 45-49, men, women, etc.
We have an Xbox and, on it, we get all of ESPN, every channel, and it saves it so you can watch anytime.
Man, I used to think the young kids at my box were intimidating. Those old farts are INTIMIDATING! Those competitors were working out without a shirt or in sports bras, and they looked good. Not good for a 40-plus or 50-plus year old; but just good. Lifting weights, I guess, really works.

Funny thing, we owned the Xbox for about four years before i realized what it had on it. I am an old-timer. I don't play video games. I never turned it on. I did not know how to turn it on. Then, one day, I realized that we get ESPN, Hulu, Netflix, etc., through the Xbox. My eyes got wide and my life changed.
The ESPN is the best. There must be 40 ESPN channels (I am exaggerating, but only slightly) and it all gets saved on the Xbox. I have watched Argentinian polo, canoeing world championships from Poland, college lacrosse from Upstate New York, and under-21, women's, international soccer from Azerbaijan. It is rather stunning and it is fun to see some of the sights of all these places.

Just took a look on the Games page. 50-54 winner was Will Powell (who has only done CF since 2012) and is 54. He is at Crossfit Versatile in Greensboro NC. 55-59 winner wasn't listed (was that a category this year?)

kmorgan221

bostonwolf wrote: »

tufel wrote: »

Boston, I do not remember what gym he was from.
I watched just about every masters division, 40-44, 45-49, men, women, etc.
We have an Xbox and, on it, we get all of ESPN, every channel, and it saves it so you can watch anytime.
Man, I used to think the young kids at my box were intimidating. Those old farts are INTIMIDATING! Those competitors were working out without a shirt or in sports bras, and they looked good. Not good for a 40-plus or 50-plus year old; but just good. Lifting weights, I guess, really works.

Funny thing, we owned the Xbox for about four years before i realized what it had on it. I am an old-timer. I don't play video games. I never turned it on. I did not know how to turn it on. Then, one day, I realized that we get ESPN, Hulu, Netflix, etc., through the Xbox. My eyes got wide and my life changed.
The ESPN is the best. There must be 40 ESPN channels (I am exaggerating, but only slightly) and it all gets saved on the Xbox. I have watched Argentinian polo, canoeing world championships from Poland, college lacrosse from Upstate New York, and under-21, women's, international soccer from Azerbaijan. It is rather stunning and it is fun to see some of the sights of all these places.

Just took a look on the Games page. 50-54 winner was Will Powell (who has only done CF since 2012) and is 54. He is at Crossfit Versatile in Greensboro NC. 55-59 winner wasn't listed (was that a category this year?)

I think it was. I remember 5 brackets, so 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, and 60+

Locally we had a woman in the 60+. She finished 10th in the world.

jedwards213

If anyone's interested, Ron Gellis out of Southern California started this up (www.mastersfunctionalfitnessleague.com). The only problem I have is that it specifically caters to the "elite" masters athlete. Which makes it a spectator sport for me.

This is another group site set up for the CF masters community. No programmed WODs or competitions but some good articles (www.silverbacknation.net). And their shirts are pretty cool!

bostonwolf

There is a good CF Masters facebook group that has a wide range of athletes on it, from beginners to Games competitiors.

jedwards213

How about supplements? Anyone taking supps for joint & mobility? I've been using Animal Flex for a couple years now and although it may not seem active while on it, it is VERY apparent when I am not. The knees get a lot more sore at night. Sometimes the shoulders get tender. Although a good roll out of the lats always seems to do a body good.

You men out there, anyone taking test boosters? If so, want to share your experience? Could be a little touchy for some but I'll go first. I have done a number of cycles using Animals Test and Stak products and have seen very good results. There's no Earth-shattering hulk-ization taking place, but you can definitely feel a difference in strength development when on versus off.

How about rest and recovery? I've always found it difficult to get enough rest and after number of trials I finally settled on a melatonin mix that knocks me out. I've tried a few post-workout shakes, but for some reason they can have a bad reaction with my stomach. So I've opted to go with a simple protein shake or have dinner right away.

bostonwolf

Multivitamin, Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM for my knees, 4000mg of fish oil a day. I've used creatine in the past. It works, but I'm not interested in adding bulk right now, I'm interested in losing fat. Once I get to a decent spot weight wise (at a guess 235-240) I'll re-assess my goals.

Last night I barely slept a wink, but I usually get 8 hours minimum and take a nap 2-3 times a week too. Sunday I slept a straight 12 hours. It was glorious.

Recovery: If it's an intense WOD that gets my heart rate up I will either walk around the gym or hop on an elliptical (our box is part of a big gym) for 15 minutes or so to bring it down to a reasonable rate. Then foam roll if I think I need it, maybe do some mobility work. We just re-tested our one mile run time this morning at the end of our Paleo challenge so I took a few Advil when I got to work and will take some this afternoon. Not really for pain, but the anti-inflammatory effects. My left knee only has about half it's cartiledge left (or less)

I've done shakes in the past but during our recent Paleo challenge I had maybe 2 or 3. I just ate when I got home. Seemed to work out just fine. I think straight protein is all you need if you otherwise eat a well balanced diet.

jedwards213

Who doesn’t love a good nap! I’ve also had to take some anti-inflammatory either for my knees (5k WOD) or my lower back (heavy DLs). In fact, my knees are a long-term concern of mine, but hopefully all of this mobility work will delay any joint concerns as long as possible.

Thanks for sharing BostonWolf!

Mummyadams

I take Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM for my knees also - works a treat.

I feel like I'm back on track with my WODS. This morning we did Annie and looking back through my logbook the last time I did it in 17 mins - this morning 12.10 (still shy of the 12 min cut off but stoked that I have had such an improvement.

jedwards213

30% improvement! Huge!!!

bostonwolf

jedwards213 wrote: »

Who doesn’t love a good nap! I’ve also had to take some anti-inflammatory either for my knees (5k WOD) or my lower back (heavy DLs). In fact, my knees are a long-term concern of mine, but hopefully all of this mobility work will delay any joint concerns as long as possible.

Thanks for sharing BostonWolf!

Same here. I will have knee replacement done at some point, hopefully very far in the future though. The stronger and lighter I get now, the better chance I have of delaying it so long that they come up with some shot that will just regrow the cartiledge

cavia

tufel wrote: »

The whole "check your ego" thing. At first, it was to be sure I did not injure myself with any of the complicated lifts that I was just learning, because when you get older it takes SO long to heal. Now, it is just to accept the fact that I am not going to keep up with the kids; and I should not even try.
I think the thing that helped me most was a telecast of the Crossfit Games. I watched the masters divisions. (Probably the only person in America who did.) Well, they interviewed the guy who won the 50-54 year age group, or 55-59 year age group, immediately after his win.
The interviewer asked him: "Aren't you proud?" And, he answered: "I am just glad to -- finally -- not be last! At my box, I am last in every WOD."
I found that very comforting. I figured that if this guy, the fittest 50-year-old-plus guy in the country, finishes last at his box, I did not need to feel so bad. It helped me to accept the fact that I am not going to be able to compete with the kids, and that is okay. I just do what I can do, and I compete with myself to get better.
It has actually been rather liberating.
It has also made me something of a monotonous bore. I tell everybody I see this story -- everyone who does Crossfit, that is.
(PS He also implied that most of the people at his box did not even know he was competing, they were so uninterested in masters competition!)

Thank-you for posting this story! I am almost always the last one to finish at my box and if I'm not last, I'm like, second last!

bostonwolf

Be patient. you will occassionally have a WOD like the one I did yesterday (partner WOD with rowing, KB swings, double unders) that is up your alley and you'll be thinking "I'm not even going to be close to last on this one.

jedwards213

Same here. I'm always with the last few to finish or finish within time. I've tried to get away from that thought process though. I push myself to finish the WOD given the time cap and if I don't, at least know that I pushed myself the hardest I could for that day. I may be delusional but I have to believe that most of WODs (which are based to some extent on HQ WODs) are designed for the higher level athlete in mind. The majority of the community in our box cannot do the prescribed weights or movements. And if the majority of our community is under 30 (which they are), this is hard stuff for a 40+ year old.

jedwards213

A really good article posted by Dr. James Hoffman via Juggernaut Training about common mistakes for CrossFit beginners. Although it wasn't geared towards the masters community, I feel a lot of what he says should resonate well with a lot us at that 40+ age group.

Great quote from the write up: "Remember, don’t get too caught up in the short term, and always have a long term plan in mind. With training and practice you will be able to tolerate crazier training loads in the future, but for now focus on the basics. Nutritional interventions over the course of years can help mold that Spartan-esque physique, but don’t expect magic. Prepare for your competitions in a logical way. Don’t spend too much time throughout the year preparing for competitions when you could be doing serious training for a select few. Learn and rely on your technique. It will help you break through many of the barriers you will encounter along the way and keep you safe in the process. And remember, if it smells like sh… You get the rest."

Take a read when you get a chance: http://jtsstrength.com/articles/2014/10/23/common-beginner-crossfit-mistakes/

_BearNecessities_

I started last August at age 40. My attendance has been more sporadic than it needs to be and that, in no small part, is why I have struggled through the first year of Crossfit. The whole "check your ego at the door" thing is huge too. In my mind, I should be able to do the same thing as the 25-30 yr olds but that's not reality. My body doesn't hesitate to remind me of that either as I have had to deal with a couple of nagging injuries, one of which kept me out for about a month.

I love it though and am determined to make progress. DUs and pullups are my weakest spots and they take more practice than I have given them. Just need to work on staying focused and being consistent with my attendance. I don't know that I'll ever compete, but I don't know that I won't. Either way, I am having a blast challenging myself and I have definitely seen some changes in my body comp and my strength.

jedwards213

TXBourbon wrote: »

I love it though and am determined to make progress. DUs and pullups are my weakest spots and they take more practice than I have given them. Just need to work on staying focused and being consistent with my attendance. I don't know that I'll ever compete, but I don't know that I won't. Either way, I am having a blast challenging myself and I have definitely seen some changes in my body comp and my strength.

Thanks for sharing TXBourbon and keep challenging yourself!

jedwards213

Random question for the group: Who has done the Open workouts in previous years? How did you do? Or, how do you feel you did given the workouts, scaling if there was any, etc.?

In 2012, my first year in CrossFit, I was able to submit scores for the first 3 workouts. I couldn't submit the last two due to scaling or inability to do the prescribed workout. I felt reasonably satisfied given my inexperience at the time. In 2013, I was able to submit scores for all 5 workouts. It was good year and I felt proud of myself because that was my goal for the last twelve months. I Just wanted to submit scores for all five weeks and I ended up with a decent ranking in the men's 40-44 category. This year was a different story. 14.1 was a tough one because I had recently learned double-unders and for some reason they just didn't click that night. I didn't bother redoing the workout because I didn't think it would have made a difference. The next week was an absolute disaster. If you remember 14.2 (95# OHS paired with C2B pull-ups), you'll remember how brutal it was if you couldn't manage C2B. Well, I had skirted working my way up to C2B for the last two years and the piper came calling. I burned straight through the OHS and for the next two minutes and 45 seconds, I literally destroyed myself trying to get a single chest-to-bar pull-up. In the end I couldn't manage a single rep. I was mentally crushed after that workout and my confidence in CrossFit was gone. I was able to submit scores for the next two weeks and got sick for week 5. It really didn't matter at that point. After it all settled and I somehow managed to regain some mental composure, I looked back on that day and realized it was just another humbling experience. We've all had them and every once in a while, need one to remind ourselves to keep pushing. Somewhere along the way between 2012 and 2013, I got too complacent with my progression. That somehow avoiding that movement (C2B) was something I would never have to answer for. Similarly, that happens in other aspects of life. How we face our fears seems to define our character. I'll tell you this, I've never used a band for pull-ups ever since, and never will. I have chest-to-bar pull-ups now. I can't string them for more than 3-5 but I can do them. I suppose it was the kick in the pants I needed, not just for that particular movement but to keep striving for that next level.