started crossfit

jennydelgado09

So I started crossfit a week ago. I've only been 3 times though. The first day I couldn't move the next two days I was so sore. 2nd time I was a bit sore. 3rd time I thought I was going to die during the workout. I couldn't even do the WOD because I was trying to breathe from the warm up. The warm up pretty much was the Wod minus a sprint and extra reps. But besides hurting my back from deadlifts I'm not sore at all. The warm up that I went all theway through 4 rounds was 5 burpees,15 kettle ball swings,10 box jumps(I had to step up and off. No jumps), 20 of those squats where you throw the ball to the wall. Then added a round with all that plus 20 deadlifts, and 10 more of those wall balls. I am no where near a fit person hence the feeling I was going to die. How am I not sore? Did I not push myself hard enough?

suremeansyes

Your body is adjusting, soreness is not an indication of a good (or bad) workout.

Only you can tell if you worked out hard enough or not, we don't know unfortunately.

Sam_I_Am77

Everybody will adapt differently to the training based on previous training, daily activity, etc. Do NOT judge your progress based on soreness. Honestly, if you're sore all the time then something isn't right. Adaptation is a process and you should eventually not be sore until the training stimulus is changed. CF tends to vary the exercises frequently so you could very well end-up sore more often because you're body isn't going through the full adaptation process.

I would be more concerned about your back hurting after deadlifts, that should not be the case. Make sure you talk with the Box's coach and tell him/her that your back hurt after deadlifting. If they're a good coach, they will watch your form and / or give you instruction. Don't mess around with that one... The deadlift is an excellent exercise for building strength BUT it will **** you up in a heartbeat if your form is sloppy. Talk to the coach.

suremeansyes

My back was sore the next day after deadlifts the first time or two. If it is hurting, yes be wary. If it is sore 24 hours later, it is DOMS.

Sam_I_Am77

My back was sore the next day after deadlifts the first time or two. If it is hurting, yes be wary. If it is sore 24 hours later, it is DOMS.

For sure. But there is a huge difference between DOMS and pain.

Rose6300

My back was sore the next day after deadlifts the first time or two. If it is hurting, yes be wary. If it is sore 24 hours later, it is DOMS.

For sure. But there is a huge difference between DOMS and pain.

But someone brand new to fitness activity might not be able to differentiate. OP, if it just feels really really stiff, that's okay. Pain is not.

rejectuf

First, welcome to crossfit. It's challenging, but it is really tons of fun. It's not necessarily better than any other traditional exercise, but the variety and scalability of the movements keeps it interesting.

Second, don't worry about some soreness your first few weeks. Listen to your body and slow down during the workouts or take rest days as needed. You may even want to eat a little closer to maintenance if you have been eating at a deficit, at least for the first couple weeks. The first few weeks will beat you up, and even after that you'll run into a workout that will leave some muscles sore for the next couple days. But just keep at it.

Remember: whatever the prescribed (RX) weight is for the movements is meant to challenge even the fittest veterans in your gym. Keep your weights light until you are very very confident in your form.

edit: Does your gym not have a foundations or on ramp class for new members?

suremeansyes

My back was sore the next day after deadlifts the first time or two. If it is hurting, yes be wary. If it is sore 24 hours later, it is DOMS.

For sure. But there is a huge difference between DOMS and pain.

But someone brand new to fitness activity might not be able to differentiate. OP, if it just feels really really stiff, that's okay. Pain is not.

Yes, exactly. That's why it's important to see if it is immediate pain or a day later.

meshashesha2012

since you're just learning the movements now GO AT YOUR OWN PACE! even for those who know how to properly perform a movement, doing it AMRAP style leaves a door open for injury.

LKArgh

If during a workout you feel like fainting, throwing up etc, stop, wait a few minutes, start again at a slower pace. If an instructor tells you otherwise, this person is not qualified to do this job. If during any exercise you feel in pain, you are doign the exercise wrong, stop and ask for help correcting your form. Your muscles being very sore the next day is normal. You being in pain while exercising, usually means you are about to hurt yourself, and deadlifts with poor form is no joke.

jennydelgado09

Remember: whatever the prescribed (RX) weight is for the movements is meant to challenge even the fittest veterans in your gym. Keep your weights light until you are very very confident in your form.

edit: Does your gym not have a foundations or on ramp class for new members?

No, it doesn't. The classes are suppose to be set up to accommodate beginners and advance cross-fitters. The trainer and just other members are really good at helping with form. When I was doing the deadlifts my group kept trying to correct my form but I kept messing up. Plus the weights I started with was too much.

After I drove home from the workout my back was really hurting. This was Friday. Today my back feels a bit better, but it feels really tight. I have to bend over slowly and so on. I want to go to the gym in the morning but idk if thats a good idea. Should I wait another day because of my back?

shmerek

Lots of good advice here, I would take a day or two for your back, I would also insist on a lighter weight if you are still working on your form. There is no reason to kill yourself and if they are decent coaches they will see merit in going light until you sort out how to make the lift. I started cross fit a couple of months ago and I felt like I had been murdered after the first few workouts. I also would take a rest when I needed it there is no shame in it. You are doing this for you so look after yourself first and foremost. No need to vomit or fall on your face.

rejectuf

Remember: whatever the prescribed (RX) weight is for the movements is meant to challenge even the fittest veterans in your gym. Keep your weights light until you are very very confident in your form.

edit: Does your gym not have a foundations or on ramp class for new members?

No, it doesn't. The classes are suppose to be set up to accommodate beginners and advance cross-fitters. The trainer and just other members are really good at helping with form. When I was doing the deadlifts my group kept trying to correct my form but I kept messing up. Plus the weights I started with was too much.

After I drove home from the workout my back was really hurting. This was Friday. Today my back feels a bit better, but it feels really tight. I have to bend over slowly and so on. I want to go to the gym in the morning but idk if thats a good idea. Should I wait another day because of my back?

Ask your coaches about some mobility techniques and stretches. If you want a great way to take care of yourself and increase mobility and good form look into a book called Becoming A Supple Leopard. I would be surprised if your coaches don't have a copy laying around you could look at. There have been quite a few times that what I thought could be an injury just ended up being excessively tight muscles that was solved by a very targeted stretch or smashing it with a lacrosse ball.

If you still want to attend the WOD, do it but only use the bar or PVC pipe. This will keep your muscles moving which could help relieve some of the tightness. Attempting any kind of weight with that kind of tightness will only end up in you sacrificing form again, which will eventually lead to injury.

njadh51

Congrats on starting CF. Its a great workout and the social aspect and encouragement you get is second to none. You're doing it right, building gradually, and using correct form. I did CF for a year and went at it like I was an 18 yr old (I'm 55). Dealing with joint pain and inflammation after each session was the worst so watch that you don't have too many foods in your diet that will promote inflammation...and rollout your muscles and joints on the foam rollers even if you don't feel like you need to. Wish I could keep going but its $120+ per month for approx. 8 sessions (2x per week) and with my current financial situation YMCA or working out at home is all that's affordable for now

jmt08c

My advice: stop crossfit before you really hurt yourself. If you told your "instructors" the first day you are new to lifting and working out, yet they still put weight on the bar to deadlift without proper instruction, and THEN had you doing 20 reps of an olympic lift which was meant to be done 5, maybe 8 times max...well they have no idea what they are doing.

As an ex-collegiate athlete at a D-1 university my athletic coaches and training staff NEVER had us do that. In order to open up a crossfit gym you need little more than money and a few motivated people who want to workout. In my experience "crossfitters" have the poorest form and are most injury prone. It is NOT good to be in pain when you workout, there is a difference between a good burn and hurting. Crossfit is a joke within the athletic community...as in people who compete at a high amtaeur or professional level, because it's known to promote poor form and quantity over quality.

So, if you want to injure yourself and workout without real instruction then continue your crossfit journey.

PRMinx

My advice: stop crossfit at that boxbefore you really hurt yourself. If you told your "instructors" the first day you are new to lifting and working out, yet they still put weight on the bar to deadlift without proper instruction, and THEN had you doing 20 reps of an olympic lift which was meant to be done 5, maybe 8 times max...well they have no idea what they are doing.

As an ex-collegiate athlete at a D-1 university my athletic coaches and training staff NEVER had us do that. In order to open up a crossfit gym you need little more than money and a few motivated people who want to workout. In my experience "crossfitters" have the poorest form and are most injury prone. It is NOT good to be in pain when you workout, there is a difference between a good burn and hurting. Crossfit is a joke within the athletic community...as in people who compete at a high amtaeur or professional level, because it's known to promote poor form and quantity over quality.

So, if you want to injure yourself and workout without real instruction then continue your crossfit journey.

FIFY

OP - Like anything in life, there are good CrossFit gyms and bad ones. It sounds like your box did not put you through any kind of elements course. Is this true?

ETA: There's a lot of things wrong with this reply, but I don't feel like fighting with you so...yeah...

1PatientBear

My advice: stop crossfit at that boxbefore you really hurt yourself. If you told your "instructors" the first day you are new to lifting and working out, yet they still put weight on the bar to deadlift without proper instruction, and THEN had you doing 20 reps of an olympic lift which was meant to be done 5, maybe 8 times max...well they have no idea what they are doing.

As an ex-collegiate athlete at a D-1 university my athletic coaches and training staff NEVER had us do that. In order to open up a crossfit gym you need little more than money and a few motivated people who want to workout. In my experience "crossfitters" have the poorest form and are most injury prone. It is NOT good to be in pain when you workout, there is a difference between a good burn and hurting. Crossfit is a joke within the athletic community...as in people who compete at a high amtaeur or professional level, because it's known to promote poor form and quantity over quality.

So, if you want to injure yourself and workout without real instruction then continue your crossfit journey.

FIFY

OP - Like anything in life, there are good CrossFit gyms and bad ones. It sounds like your box did not put you through any kind of elements course. Is this true?

ETA: There's a lot of things wrong with this reply, but I don't feel like fighting with you so...yeah...

Agree with Paige 100 percent.

leodru

I've been working out for about 2 years and decided to try cross-fit myself and i couldn't believe the emphasis on the push and not on form. I know there are good and bad cross-fit gyms just like gyms in general but it doesn't take too long on a google search to hit a tonne of criticisms of cross-fit. I decided after leaving the workout that it wasn't for me. There are tonnes of ways to get active and fit - for me cross-fit just pushes you to press out numbers of exercises and not necessarily good exercises or form. Be careful - if your gut tells you that maybe this isn't right then it probably isn't.

PRMinx

I've been working out for about 2 years and decided to try cross-fit myself and i couldn't believe the emphasis on the push and not on form. I know there are good and bad cross-fit gyms just like gyms in general but it doesn't take too long on a google search to hit a tonne of criticisms of cross-fit. I decided after leaving the workout that it wasn't for me. There are tonnes of ways to get active and fit - for me cross-fit just pushes you to press out numbers of exercises and not necessarily good exercises or form. Be careful - if your gut tells you that maybe this isn't right then it probably isn't.

You can Google anything and find good and bad reviews.

Here's the thing, OP. You have a to find a good box. That means doing some research on the trainers and also going through an Elements course. It's also important to modify workouts to your ability level. I've been doing CrossFit for a year or so and I still scale my workouts. I have seen people get hurt and they will be the first to admit that their ego got in the way of being responsible.

Case in point, at my box, if you were only doing CF for a week (which wouldn't happen, because we have a 3 day X 6 week elements course), there's no way that you would have been allowed to deadlift with any kind of weight. They would have had you on a PVC pipe and then the 15# bar.

leodru

I've been working out for about 2 years and decided to try cross-fit myself and i couldn't believe the emphasis on the push and not on form. I know there are good and bad cross-fit gyms just like gyms in general but it doesn't take too long on a google search to hit a tonne of criticisms of cross-fit. I decided after leaving the workout that it wasn't for me. There are tonnes of ways to get active and fit - for me cross-fit just pushes you to press out numbers of exercises and not necessarily good exercises or form. Be careful - if your gut tells you that maybe this isn't right then it probably isn't.

You can Google anything and find good and bad reviews.

Here's the thing, OP. You have a to find a good box. That means doing some research on the trainers and also going through an Elements course. It's also important to modify workouts to your ability level. I've been doing CrossFit for a year or so and I still scale my workouts. I have seen people get hurt and they will be the first to admit that their ego got in the way of being responsible.

Case in point, at my box, if you were only doing CF for a week (which wouldn't happen, because we have a 3 day X 6 week elements course), there's no way that you would have been allowed to deadlift with any kind of weight. They would have had you on a PVC pipe and then the 15# bar.

Agreed you can google anything and find good and bad reviews. A buddy of mine goes to a very good crossfit gym and loves it - he is ripped and it is everything it should be. My point was more around the fact that she essentially has in a few workouts in - is hurting and knows in her gut that something is wrong - so she comes to a forum to find out if its normal and the short answer is that it isn't normal if you are being instructed properly. I would recommend either try something else or try a different cross-fit gym with better instructors. So ultimately we agree. I'm not a hater of cross-fit - I didnt like the gym i tried so i left it.

PRMinx

I've been working out for about 2 years and decided to try cross-fit myself and i couldn't believe the emphasis on the push and not on form. I know there are good and bad cross-fit gyms just like gyms in general but it doesn't take too long on a google search to hit a tonne of criticisms of cross-fit. I decided after leaving the workout that it wasn't for me. There are tonnes of ways to get active and fit - for me cross-fit just pushes you to press out numbers of exercises and not necessarily good exercises or form. Be careful - if your gut tells you that maybe this isn't right then it probably isn't.

You can Google anything and find good and bad reviews.

Here's the thing, OP. You have a to find a good box. That means doing some research on the trainers and also going through an Elements course. It's also important to modify workouts to your ability level. I've been doing CrossFit for a year or so and I still scale my workouts. I have seen people get hurt and they will be the first to admit that their ego got in the way of being responsible.

Case in point, at my box, if you were only doing CF for a week (which wouldn't happen, because we have a 3 day X 6 week elements course), there's no way that you would have been allowed to deadlift with any kind of weight. They would have had you on a PVC pipe and then the 15# bar.

Agreed you can google anything and find good and bad reviews. A buddy of mine goes to a very good crossfit gym and loves it - he is ripped and it is everything it should be. My point was more around the fact that she essentially has in a few workouts in - is hurting and knows in her gut that something is wrong - so she comes to a forum to find out if its normal and the short answer is that it isn't normal if you are being instructed properly. I would recommend either try something else or try a different cross-fit gym with better instructors.

Well, she says she's not sore, except for her back. That makes sense because they were clearly irresponsible with the dead lifts. I can't even fathom doing dead lifts after just a week.

PRMinx

So I started crossfit a week ago. I've only been 3 times though. The first day I couldn't move the next two days I was so sore. 2nd time I was a bit sore. 3rd time I thought I was going to die during the workout. I couldn't even do the WOD because I was trying to breathe from the warm up. The warm up pretty much was the Wod minus a sprint and extra reps. But besides hurting my back from deadlifts I'm not sore at all. The warm up that I went all theway through 4 rounds was 5 burpees,15 kettle ball swings,10 box jumps(I had to step up and off. No jumps), 20 of those squats where you throw the ball to the wall. Then added a round with all that plus 20 deadlifts, and 10 more of those wall balls. I am no where near a fit person hence the feeling I was going to die. How am I not sore? Did I not push myself hard enough?

And, to more precisely answer your question before this thread derails, I'd say that there's no reason for you to be exceptionally sore as you start learning these new exercises. If you push yourself too hard, too fast, you will hurt yourself. Give yourself a few weeks to find your rhythm and then step up if you want to.

But, I will say this again for emphasis. It's concerning to me that you are doing deadlifts and full WODs a week into trying CrossFit. If you like CrossFit, I would look around for other boxes and pick one that has an Elements program.