Any crossfitters out there?

theclaw900

I did some searching and did not get too many hits on crossfit so I thought I'd reach out and see if anyone else here is training that way.

I used to really drink the cool-aid for a couple of years and really was hard core about it. I hurt myself (as all crossfitters ultimately do) and did my own thing for a long time. Last couple of years I've faced a couple of job transitions, slacked off, stressed out and turned myself into a flabby suburban dad with the full compliment of "man boobs" wise cracks from my kids.

So I joined a local box run by some guys who I've known been at it for along time. Been having a great time and pushing myself again. Muscle memory is gone but coming back. Some of my technique is coming back too.

If you are crossfitting or thinking about lets here about it.

Jeff

ps: After posting this I've found there seems to be a lot of groups around CF. I'll be checking that out too.

kota4bye

Umm not all Crossfitters hurt themselves, not sure I agree with your outlook.

brianrhillUK

I go to CF 4x a week in Trowbridge, UK. ❤️❤️❤️ it!! Have lost 28lbs and just 7-10lbs of fat to go, 6 pack is coming through

theclaw900

Nice work @brianrhillUK I've seen alot of folks have success. How are you eating?


@kota4bye It's a little like riding a motorcycle, sooner or later you crash. Crossfit is similar, if not managed sensibly by the person doing it. i don't want to get into a bashing CF thread here. It's done a lot for me. I was in the first masters competition back in 2010 when there was 6 or 7 of us competing. I'm just making a little tongue in cheek remark. I've learned not to be so serious. At least I try.

Jeff

claudiaaguilar28

I am a crossfitter. I have only been at it a year by now. I am still at a beginner level but I am getting stronger and I can already see definition in my body. I love it so far and the people I've met in my box. I just now started my dieting, which I know is a big portion to achieving the goals I want.

jcdoerr

I'm a total newbie, only beginning my second full week joining the official "WOD" group after wrapping up the beginner training. It is TOUGH but I'm loving it so far. For the past two years or so I've focused on lifting (started with Stronglifts then did PHUL for a bit), so I'm hoping with that background my form is solid and I can continue to progress...without the dreaded Crossfit injury that everyone seems to run into!

Anyone have any advice for a beginner? Would love to hear from more experienced people out there.

theclaw900

@jcdoerr For a beginner, don't be afraid or too proud to scale the WOD. I'm lifting less than the girls right now but I'm not freaked out about it. I'm getting back into shape. WRT injuries, just be careful, know your limitations. Depending on your box and it's trainers use some common sense.

jcdoerr

Thanks for the advice @theclaw900! I'm trying to be careful, particularly during new movements, and concentrate on keeping solid form rather than maintaining pace with the rest of the group. Difficult though because I've always been too competitive for my own good and think I can keep up with anybody...at least in my own mind!

The trainers have been great so far, keeping a pretty close watch on me during the WOD and quickly correcting any issues they see.

pondee629

" I hurt myself (as all crossfitters ultimately do) "

kota4bye wrote: »

Umm not all Crossfitters hurt themselves, not sure I agree with your outlook.

This is the problem CrossFit has. As seen on TV (the competitions) all exercises are done with poor form with the sole purpose to get as many done in as short a time as possible. I know this is in completion, but form is horrible, and this has become a public face of CrossFit. True or False, perception is often reality.

kota4bye

pondee629 wrote: »

" I hurt myself (as all crossfitters ultimately do) "

kota4bye wrote: »

Umm not all Crossfitters hurt themselves, not sure I agree with your outlook.

This is the problem CrossFit has. As seen on TV (the competitions) all exercises are done with poor form with the sole purpose to get as many done in as short a time as possible. I know this is in completion, but form is horrible, and this has become a public face of CrossFit. True or False, perception is often reality.

Funny, because my experience in the gym as an athlete and coach says injuries are far a few between.

pondee629

kota4bye wrote: »

pondee629 wrote: »

" I hurt myself (as all crossfitters ultimately do) "

kota4bye wrote: »

Umm not all Crossfitters hurt themselves, not sure I agree with your outlook.

This is the problem CrossFit has. As seen on TV (the competitions) all exercises are done with poor form with the sole purpose to get as many done in as short a time as possible. I know this is in completion, but form is horrible, and this has become a public face of CrossFit. True or False, perception is often reality.

Funny, because my experience in the gym as an athlete and coach says injuries are far a few between.

Your position/view/experience is not getting out. The view of CrossFit I see is herky-jerky momentum assisted movements with limited range of motion which can only lead to injury. Kip pull-Ups, for instance. Not a true pull-up but a momentum assisted motion designed only for quantity over quality.

Could very well be that the competitions shown on TV are not true/pure CrossFit, but it is what has been shown.

sllm1

I've been doing CF for a year and have made massive improvements in my strength and overall fitness.

Any sport can potentially lead to injury of the athletes. Good form, good coaching, and good choices are important.

My experience has been that those who voice negative opinions of CF typically read internet articles or watch YouTube videos and have never actually walked into a box. The coaches emphasize good form and will stop an athlete who exhibits poor form in order to offer assistance/advice and prevent injury.

The most important aspect of CF is the community. Athletes encourage each other and build each other up.

pondee629

sllm1 wrote: »

I've been doing CF for a year and have made massive improvements in my strength and overall fitness.

Any sport can potentially lead to injury of the athletes. Good form, good coaching, and good choices are important.

My experience has been that those who voice negative opinions of CF typically read internet articles or watch YouTube videos and have never actually walked into a box. The coaches emphasize good form and will stop an athlete who exhibits poor form in order to offer assistance/advice and prevent injury.

The most important aspect of CF is the community. Athletes encourage each other and build each other up.

Guilty here. Only know of the sport what I've seen on TV and have not been impressed. Again, could very well be that the TV competitions are a bad representation of the sport. Emphasizing number of Reps in a given time frame without regard to form is a recipe for injury. Maybe that's not CrossFit, but it is what has been shown.

kota4bye

Quantity has a quality of its own. Kippng and strict pull ups have their own places and we do both.

There is nothing herky jerky about a Kippng pull-up, it's a beautifully smooth movement.

But I'm sure what you saw on tv was horrible in your eyes.

pondee629

kota4bye wrote: »

Quantity has a quality of its own. Kippng and strict pull ups have their own places and we do both.

There is nothing herky jerky about a Kippng pull-up, it's a beautifully smooth movement.

But I'm sure what you saw on tv was horrible in your eyes.

Not necessarily horrible, just injuries waiting to happen. Nothing smooth or beautiful about it, though.

kota4bye

If it was on tv, I doubt it. You realize those athletes have done more pull-ups than you or I ever will, right?

Are you a physiologist? Or is this your personal opinion?

rybo

I like crossfit, does it have it's issues...yes. I also agree that most "haters" have never actually done it and are completely clueless about the specific movements used. A kipping pullup and a strict pullup are 2 completely different movements, one is not "poor form" of the other. And done correctly, with the proper base, not likely to lead to injury.

Also as asked above, advice...scale, scale, scale. For the most part, you should be scaling such that you are almost constantly moving through the wod. Don't turn them into strength sessions.

pondee629

Personal opinion. From some CrossFit Championship I saw on TV a couple of years ago. Looked like something the old Wide World of Sports would have on when no major sports were in season. Up there with the World Wrist Wrestling Championship and throwing a barrel full of concrete over a Pole Vaulting Bar, or Flipping a large Truck Tire many times. Made American Ninja Warrior look like the better sport.

The shame of it is, it seems like it could/should be a good program; using the various routines and disciplines. Just looked reckless, and undisciplined. Again, my view from one TV showing. It was the OP who said "I hurt myself (as all crossfitters ultimately do)". From what I've seen, I can't argue his point.

You have to admit, however, that CrossFit does have a very wide range of opinion. I can see where it could/should be a challenging and useful discipline. As shown, however, both on TV and YouTube, it seems reckless, undisciplined and dangerous.

Please don't take offense. I don't mean to belittle your exercise routine. I do see where CrossFit could be a beneficial genre. There just seems to be a recklessness about it. Perhaps some CrossFitters like showing the recklessness/danger.

thomasemma840

Hi... I've been doing crossfit for 2 months and totally addicted to it. Our trainers are always checking form as we're doing WOD and ask if we feel any twinges etc. I've had more injuries from running than any other exercise! I'm not doing the whole paleo diet thing though.. Prefer the fitness pal ethos is calories in and calories out.

musclegood_fatbad

I crossfit 4-5x a week. Love it and it has really broadened my knowledge of lifting, mobility, and new exercises. I feel like it has helped me become a lot better athlete even as I get older. When I first joined, I found I struggled with a lot of the movements from never doing them before and not having the proper mobility. After working on mobility forever now it seems, I feel much more confident in all my lifts, crossfit or not.

rybo

pondee629 wrote: »

Personal opinion. From some CrossFit Championship I saw on TV a couple of years ago. Looked like something the old Wide World of Sports would have on when no major sports were in season. Up there with the World Wrist Wrestling Championship and throwing a barrel full of concrete over a Pole Vaulting Bar, or Flipping a large Truck Tire many times. Made American Ninja Warrior look like the better sport.

The shame of it is, it seems like it could/should be a good program; using the various routines and disciplines. Just looked reckless, and undisciplined. Again, my view from one TV showing. It was the OP who said "I hurt myself (as all crossfitters ultimately do)". From what I've seen, I can't argue his point.

You have to admit, however, that CrossFit does have a very wide range of opinion. I can see where it could/should be a challenging and useful discipline. As shown, however, both on TV and YouTube, it seems reckless, undisciplined and dangerous.

Please don't take offense. I don't mean to belittle your exercise routine. I do see where CrossFit could be a beneficial genre. There just seems to be a recklessness about it. Perhaps some CrossFitters like showing the recklessness/danger.

It doesn't even sound like you were actually watching crossfit. And you've repeatedly belittled it, so it's obvious that you mean to.

pondee629

rybo: They called it a CrossFit Championship. And, no, I've stated my concerns based on what was shown.

thomasemma840: What's going on in your photo?

Leadfoot_Lewis

I tried it for about 6 months, going only 1-2x a week (didn't want it to interfere too much with my lifting). I really wanted to fall it love with it, as I was considering switching gears and becoming a Level 1 coach as I love the lifting/barbell aspect of it. Long story short, the box I went too had horrible programming, not enough lifting, and overall I got bored with it and give it up.

I think for those wanting to just "get in shape" it's great if you find a box with good programming that emphasizes form over good WOD times, as form can go to crap when you're fatigued and you rush it when lifting weights. It's really more of a "jack of all trades, master of none" kind of workout, probably why I didn't love it as I'm more into lifting and aesthetics. To each their own....

thomasemma840

Omg I meant to be my profile pic but now everyone knows I love a beer... Oops!!

pondee629

Got no problems with beer. What's with the guy behind you?

musclegood_fatbad

thomasemma840 wrote: »

Omg I meant to be my profile pic but now everyone knows I love a beer... Oops!!

Don't worry about it, most people love beer.

pondee629

No, not at all. I meant what I said. I saw a Championship of CrossFit on TV. The exercises looked undisciplined and dangerous. Further exposure to the sport has not changed that opinion.
There is also the prevailing commentary that "CrossFitters" get injured more than other athletes. However, as some seem to enjoy the sport, with an open mind, I left open the possibility that the Championship was a bastardization of the sport and that there could be benefit to it.

But, seeing your "open" mind. we need no longer communicate.

Delphino

First the name Crossfit is a brand that was started here in the US to cover a type of workout that has been around for a 100+ years. Greg Glassman didn't invent the workout, but he is responsible for branding it to a single name that is now globally recognized.

Crossfit is facing the same issues every other training has faced in the past. Back in the day to be a certified personal trainer you had to actually go to school and learn something. Now you can fill out a coupon in a magazine and receive a certificate. Crossfit now has the same issue. People are opening boxes that are not A certified. Trust me your trainer's background and knowledge makes ALL the difference in the world for you no matter the type of training. The original crossfit association, Crossfit Inc., actually lists all their certified trainers. If you can't find your trainer's name on their site, change boxes.

The same goes for competitions. Everyone hosts a "Crossfit" competition. Look and see if it is actually sanctioned by Crossfit Inc.

As far as the Crossfit training, most of the actual lifts are Olympic style lifts if your box is following true protocol. Not every workout is about countless reps or single lifts. It is supposed to be a balance because it is supposed to build strength AND endurance. Essentially you get the cardio at the same time as the lifting.

Every training program has the potential for injury. It doesn't matter if it is crossfit or traditional gym lifting, if you do it wrong with in-proper form, you are going to get hurt.

kota4bye

Glad to see you're leaving since the OP asked for fellow Crossfitters. I'm very open minded, I run too.

Acidique

Crossfitter here! Love it. Have not hurt myself, but I also take it slow and listen to my coaches. I don't try to jump ahead without being ready.

Such a great program. Like my second family!

GiddyupTim

pondee629 wrote: »

" I hurt myself (as all crossfitters ultimately do) "

kota4bye wrote: »

Umm not all Crossfitters hurt themselves, not sure I agree with your outlook.

This is the problem CrossFit has. As seen on TV (the competitions) all exercises are done with poor form with the sole purpose to get as many done in as short a time as possible. I know this is in completion, but form is horrible, and this has become a public face of CrossFit. True or False, perception is often reality.

I think you did not actually watch, because I disagree with this wholeheartedly. There may have been a time when Crossfitters had bad form. But the elite Crossfitters, like those you would see on TV at the CrossFit Games, tend to have really good form, even though they are moving quickly. Good form is efficient form, and the guys in those Games have to be efficient.