Is "Crossfit" a dirty word?

coltsgirl311

Maybe this has been discussed before, but I couldn't find a thread in the first couple of pages of other discussions, so I'm going to ask in a new thread:

What are your thoughts on Crossfit and how it fits in with SL 5x5? My gym just started offering Crossfit classes, and I have been curious about what it is all about. I am already down to 2x per week on SL with 4x per week running, would replacing 1 run day with Crossfit work with the SL program? TIA!

xcalygrl

IMO Crossfit isn't a dirty word. I don't do it personally, mainly because my gym now is $38/month while the good 'boxes' here want $150+/month. Yeah, my money tree is dead.

I think there are good and bad crossfit boxes out there. Crossfit, when not done properly, can be dangerous (as can anything else). You are moving a lot of weight, quickly. Without proper lifting form, you're asking for trouble. My reasoning for saying this: make sure you have good coaches and know proper form going in.

Now, how it relates to SL, I can't personally comment on. I would imagine that since you do SL 2x week, you would be ok to add in a crossfit class 1x week without it hindering you/your progress. I would personally try to not put a crossfit class on the day before or after a SL day.

For instance, you could do:
Mon:SL
Tues: Running
Wed: Crossfit
Thurs: Running
Fri: SL
Sat: Running
Sun: Rest
Or something similar to this so the crossfit and SL have a day's break between them.

MissHolidayGolightly

I think there's just strong opinions around crossfit because it's a newer trend and the people that get really into it tend to be, I guess, loud about it. Mark Rippetoe wrote a well-balanced article about it for T-nation:

http://www.t-nation.com/training/crossfit-the-good-bad-and-the-ugly

canadianlbs

i know almost nothing about it, except hearsay of course. but i do have this impression that sl at least works pretty well as an accessory/support to cf.

i tend to hang out in the lifter zones of youtube, so i don't know much about the opposite-direction idea, i.e. whether/why serious lifters add cf to their stuff in support of their primary work, or whether/how well that works out.

personally - not htat my opinion matters since i know nothing at all about it . . . the principal reason why i'll probably never go near it are more about temperament than anything else. i loathed circuit training for the same kinds of reasons. i'm just not a person who enjoys 'communal' types of exercise with clocks and counts and go-go-go-go all the time. i like lifting specifically because i can do it entirely on my own recognizance.

Llamapants86

MissHoliday thanks for the article!
Personally I use some crossfit-esk stuff as accessories and keep my training on an actual plan (currently 5/3/1)

krokador

I guess in a way I'm one of those "crossfitters", except i don't pay for a box and don't have an actual dedicated coach, so here's my take on it:

Crossfit is a sport. As long as you treat it as such, then it really isn't as bad as the naysayers are going to push on you.

You don't do sports practice going all out and trying to destroy your teammates. You push each other to get better, and you work on plays and skills. Approach your WOD that way and the risk of injury goes way down, plus if you do manage to get into a class, you get the whole team benefit.

In the same train of thought, football players train for strength in the gym outside the field. You can't just be WODing and doing AMRAPs all the time - strength work is important. A good xFit coach will incorporate the skill/strength work before the WOD. The progression should be something like high-skill/power-based moves first (think Oly lifts). Pure strength second. Conditioning last. If that's not what you get on a consistent basis, I'd suggest looking for a different coach.

In summary and to actually answer your question: YES! SL 2x a week + xfit once a week is a good plan IMO. Taking 1 run day out is a smart move as your legs WILL take a beating with that kind of a set-up, too. There is no reason to fear the word or the cult.

But DO fear box jumps. They are the devil. NEVER lose focus doing box jumps >_>

coltsgirl311

Thanks to all of you for your input! I have not seen the set up for the classes yet; a sign just kind of showed up at the gym this week, lol. the classes are expensive too; $75/month if you do 3x per week or they have punchcards for ~$8/session. I have a couple of Facebook friends who do crossfit and it sounds kind of cool, so I may try a session or two and see if I like it.

mirrim52

There is nothing wrong with CrossFit per se...The problem is that it is so trendy now that a lot of places are opening up without proper trainers. CrossFit with a good coach is fine. CrossFit with a coach who is bad can be disastrous.

I have no interest in CrossFit, well, because I generally dislike people :P But I know some people who love it.

DawnEmbers

Some of it seems interesting. There are some lifts that I want to learn in the future and having easy access to bumper plates, plus coaching does have appeal (when they are knowledgeable). However, I'm not competitive. I don't go much for speed or pull ups. And the main problem for me is I have no money. Just a gym membership and rent is hard to manage from month to month, anything extra isn't plausible. But given the chance, I'd give it a try.

It does get a pretty bad reputation for injuries and lack of form, but that all varies on location and such. Plus, there are others who have had great experience with trying it out, even some youtube bodybuilders.

coltsgirl311

I found out that the coach at my gym is a "Level 2" certified coach, plus they are letting us try one class for free, so I might check it out, but I agree, I don't really like the group/competitive aspect of it.