Is crossfit worth it?

fitforlife34 · July 2014

Thank you. Yes, I will have to go this week and check it out, to see if it fits what I am looking for. Maybe I can do that with the lower monthly payment AND the gym? There is a cheaper membership, that one is for like 3 days a week. Anyway, thanks.

fitforlife34 · July 2014

Then it must be bone mass then. In my genes, heavy bones runs in my family. Even as a baby my mom said I was super heavy, not being fat or anything. I am overweight at 180, but because of my body type of muscular/heavy bones I don't look it at all, also the weight distribution (which is mainly in my boobs. not a good thing,despite popular belief.) I have compared myself to others of the same weight, and I look smaller than they do. Even at 135, my lowest weight in 12 years, I looked more like 120.

Thanks everyone!

Flab2Fab27 · July 2014

I have a muscular frame and all I noticed was more muscle definition and overall fat loss. You definitely won't get "bulky" because everything is varied so much, there isn't really the progressive overload you would be working towards in a strict strength program. Also, for girls it's way more difficult to increase muscle size and next to if not completely impossible n a caloric deficit.

dbmata · July 2014

Those are all excuses. $140 a month, how many hours of work is that for you? Is it enough to keep what are pretty flimsy excuses at bay? Why do you believe that joining a crossfit gym will make you dedicated and consistent?

In my experience, the only people I've known to stick with crossfit were the ones that were sticking with working out consistently prior.

Hell, for $140 a month you could buy a couple hours worth of sessions each month with a personal trainer, and make sure that you have a dialed in workout that won't involve someone pushing you to get this prize:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-robertson/crossfit-rhabdomyolysis_b_3977598.html

rhabdoclown.baeef534.png

I can't ding you on the price, because I spend at least that for my personal sessions right now.

shmerek · July 2014

There is no higher rate of rhabdomyolysis as a result of crossfit. See the link I posted earlier about injury rates.

http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/24276294

blcoon · July 2014

I'm in Seattle and have found a great CF place-- Jab CrossFit (near U-Village). I bought a GroupOn for 2 months unlimited for $89. Instructor is very supportive and knowledgeable and really pays attention to proper form. Lots of newbies mixed in with vets. Great vibe. Enjoying it a lot.

Oh, there's a free intro class too.

I say "go for it"!

Cerakoala · July 2014

I can only speak for me but I have been doing it a month and it was the best decision I made.

I have great coaches who are realistic scale everything to my body and weight and really take the time to show me proper technique and correct me when I am wrong. I have never worked out by lifting weights in my life so this is what I need. The support at crossfit by the other members if amazing and they are all very kind and motivating. It is expensive I pay 175.00 a month but my other option I was looking into was a personal trainer and that was more expensive or I would get less sessions than crossfit for the same price

I am already using muscles I never have and everyday I start to feel better and stronger. Like i said though I know there is lots of mixed reviews and it's really up to each person to decide

horseplaypen · July 2014

Just my two cents. I know a lot of people hate on CrossFit, but it honestly changed my life. I'm like you - I spent years paying for gym memberships that went unused, because I couldn't motivate myself to go or to work hard once I got there. I hated doing the same thing every day, or even if I had 4-5 'workouts' that I rotated it just got stale. I found it lonely, had a hard time striking up conversations with other gym members, who mostly wanted to work out alone.

Three years ago my boyfriend signed us up for a CrossFit foundations course. I'm not gonna lie, it did still take me a year or so to really get 'into' it, but the point is, I was there, consistently, for the first time in my life. I made friends who encouraged me, and when I was the last one finishing the workout, they would jump in and do extra work so I wouldn't be the last one working alone. And now, I am super motivated, my body has changed, and my mental outlook has changed. I believe in myself, I developed endurance and mental grit, and I have confidence I didn't have before by doing new things and taking risks in class (and by taking risks, I don't mean dangerous activities, but just trying things I would have been embarrassed to try in front of other people before). And yes, it is expensive, but what I gained from it is priceless. I would rather pay my $100/month when I go 5+ hours a week, and get individualized attention EVERY DAY, then $40 for a gym membership that I might not use.

My mission isn't to convert everyone to CrossFit. It doesn't work for everyone, and if you are having success with a regular gym, then why change? But if you're not happy with your regular routine, and you have those traits (like me) of needing constant change and motivation and sociability and accountability, then I would urge you to try it. Sure, some people might say they're just excuses and okay, I guess you could get over them and slog it out at your usual gym, but why not try an alternative when it's there.

WalkingAlong · July 2014

I say try it and see what you think. Looking for a groupon is a good idea, or waiting for one.

My one experience with paying a lot monthly was for a yoga studio I liked from a groupon. The pro for me was the high cost kept me there 4-6 days a week. The con was a year after quitting I'm still nursing a back injury from overdoing it. Paying for live instruction didn't guarantee enough form correction to not get injured. So I wouldn't pay up for live trainers/instructors again, personally. And I can afford it. But I'm not really a 'group exerciser' by nature, either.

3dogsrunning · July 2014

Is it worth it is an individual thing. It's not for everyone, but there is no form of exercise that is.

My husband wanted to try it. I'd read all the stuff on the forums here about how terrible it really was and was hesitant. But my husband has gone along with lots of stuff I wanted to try so I went.
My husband hated the gym. We bought yearly memberships to the gym - he rarely went on his own (not scared just not interested) and sometimes he went with me. He ran with me - again, not the type to just go for a run. He tried triathlon with me, joined my swim club. Nothing really kept him interested or motivated except his winter hockey teams.

We both loved CrossFit, he did even more so. He was going 3-4 times a week, with or without me. He wants to improve and has made changed to do those things. I am not currently going to Crossfit (pregnant) but he is still going strong after more than a year.
Is it more expensive than our regular gym? Yup. But if you break it down to what he was paying per gym session to what he pays per CrossFit session, he is getting way more out of the CF membership than the gym one.

I have been a long time gym goer. I've competed in bodybuilding. I do prefer CrossFit as well.

I also have to say - the quality of the box makes a difference. The trainers at mine all had a background in liftin prio to CF, have taken lots of course, not just the intro one. Form is most important. You will be made to take weight off if your form suffers.
Do they push you? Yeah, but it's not like people make it out to be. In the end, we are all adults and we can say no.

Oh yeah, the only person I have known to experience rhabo is my friend who just completed an Ironman. It isn't specific to CrossFit

TL;DR - to us, it is totally worth it.

Fredfishman · July 2014

My wife has a good deal of experience with weight lifting and its over all pretty fit muscle wise. She does want to lose 15-20 lbs, and recently started crossfit.

Starting crossfit though has NOTHING to do with those lbs and everything to do with being more fit. Provided you go to a good gym for it (key word being good) crossfit will push you beyond what most people will do at the gym.

What I love about it, is that it doesn't coddle women like most PT's do. You are not doing idiotic bosu ball exercises, or shying away from real lifts. We recently had a tree fall in our yard and my wife was rolling 300 lb segments at 5'7" 147lbs.

If you want to be very FIT then crossfit may be you, if this is about weight loss, then you still need table push aways and fork put downs.

GiddyupTim · July 2014

I too must call foul on citing a lone statistic that probably came from a study that used self-report. Those can be so meaningless and misleading. Did you know, for instance, that something like 60 percent of runners get injured every year? If you survey runners that is what you will find. But, are those people in better physical condition than they would be if they did not run? Absolutely. There are injuries in everything.
I agree with what someone else already said: Try it and see if you like it. Many people do. It is fun to have the camaraderie you find in a Crossfit gym. It is fun to have a varied workout, and to never know what you are going to get when you walk in.
P.S. I just have to add: The guy who owns the Crossfit gym near my house can push press 245 pounds. If it is so bad for shoulders, how come he can do that? If it is such a poor way to build muscle and strength, how come he can do that?

ninerbuff · July 2014

There is a huge difference in trying to learn good form in an unconditioned body with OLYMPIC style lifting vs building a foundation first (basic squat, shoulder presses, deadlifts) and then transitioning to Olympic lifting.
You're the "special" person that may have excelled at it. Injury statistics for new Crossfitters (as well as seasoned lifters who joined) is at about 27% according to a study from the Journal of Strength and Conditioning.
I'm NOT against free weight training or Olympic style lifting. The OP is inexperienced in lifting at all. There are better approaches for her to learn correct lifting technique and form rather than to jump into HIIT Crossfit training.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

ninerbuff · July 2014

That's impressive. How many regular guys do you know can push press that much without injuring a shoulder? Heck many guys don't even attempt to back squat that much. So what does that mean? The guy who owns your gym is GOOD at it. Doesn't mean that everyone else who attempts the same lift with maximum weight WON'T get injured.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

3dogsrunning · July 2014

Are you familiar with how CrossFit does their training?

Do you know how the techniques are taught?

kelly_e_montana · July 2014

I'd been weight training and working out at a conventional gym off and on for 10+years before I found Crossfit and had worked with personal trainers. Yes, I definitely think it's worth it. I don't want to get into a huge debate about it online, but for me, it helped me find my niche, a supportive fitness community, and my confidence to get started beyond CF in power lifting.

Whether you bulk up or not depends on how you eat and whether or not you do additional strength training. You can scale the workouts to your liking and choose your own nutritional plan (I use Eat to Perform) but I know plenty of people who are IIFYM, clean eating, paleo, or Zone.

I fought eating disorders for 30+ years and I credit the motivation and support that my CF coaches have given me for being in recovery since last fall after many attempts on my own and with counselors. Now I truly do focus on what my body can do, not what it looks like. I've never been happier with my body or myself. I feel confidence I've never had at any other point in my life. I do lots of physical activities outside of CF and am generally a happier and more physically fit person. My body composition has changed so much more than with any other type of activity I've ever done, too.

I love Olympic lifting and was not allowed to use much weight until my form was pretty well under control. I am still not allowed to use much weight. In fact, my box hired oly coaches to come down and put on workshops for us. We have separate oly coaches for those who want to get more into Olympic lifting and separate oly classes at no additional charge. I have worked with 2 former Olympians/National Champions on multiple occasions and can pretty much work out with them any Saturday I want to travel to the CF box one town over. It's not like you just start out with a bunch of weight. In my first few months of CF, I was cleaning 25# in the WODs.

ninerbuff · July 2014

Yes. In fact, I have two good friends who are actual instructors at the Crossfit near my gym. They were both competitive Olympic lifters (I believe one still is and she's pretty good) before opening their box.
Going in and doing a workout, I obviously did fine, until it came to pullups. I refused to do a "kip" pullup. And won't ever do one.
Anyway, I don't believe that there is a "standard" protocol on how they instruct or for any other box for that matter. Like any other gym, there WILL be bad trainers and bad instruction. But bad instruction in a CF gym could be pretty disastrous.
Again I like the HIIT method of CF. Some of their workouts are pretty awesome. But from my professional standpoint and from what I've seen happen to a few former gym members, 3 who were very seasoned weightlifters(now injured with some needing surgery), I'd stand by my point of a newbie learning the basics and building a base before advancing onto Olympic lifting.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

kota4bye · July 2014

"A work out" and "I don't believe there is a standard protocol on how they instruct",

Means, no you aren't familiar with Crossfit coaching techniques.

ninerbuff · July 2014

I'm sorry I didn't use CF verbage. I did a WOD. And what I meant for a "standard protocol" is like that of any other gym. We have a standard protocol we do for each an every member. CF is a training regimen and boxes differ from one another. While it's still all CF (basically a brand), I don't believe that every box has the same standards of protocol. I could be wrong, but then it would be hard to explain the CF fails of some boxes on youtube if they are all following the same standards.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Inkratlet · July 2014

^^ :flowerforyou:

Also, someone pulled the rhabdo card :laugh: Noice

Is crossfit worth it?

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