Gym work getting stale

End6ame

lan918 :Can't show definition of non-existent muscles....
Were your muscles not carrying you around when you began your journey at 316 lbs?

In my experience with Crossfit routines, like any exercise program, you get you of it what you put into it. If you put forth your maximum effort, you should receive maximum results. That goes with any exercise routine you decide to do. I dont have to research programming to understand that the harder I work, the more I will achieve. Do I need to change my routine if I am not seeing results, sure I do. If I fail on my Bench max effort because I cant push the bar up after the halfway point, I need to change my routine to incorporate more tricep work since they are failing me, or maybe go lighter and do some speed work with the bar to push through my sticking point or maybe do some floor presses.
I dont think that anyone that can complete the crossfit workout murph :
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run
would be considered to have mediocre results in their strength or endurance capabilities.

Except for the fact that all of the exercises you listed are mostly endurance based with much less strength requirements. When you talk pull-ups in Crossfit you are talking about kipping pull-ups, that Is not nearly the same as a strict pull-up. So yes, I would consider that mediocre strength capabilities. And this further adds to my point that you can’t train for everything at once, you need training specificity to achieve maximum results. This is why athletes that have strength and conditioning coaches don’t do WODs, they use programs on cycles designed for specific purposes.

The idea that max effort in equals max results out only applies if your programming is adequate for your goals. It is like the saying “practice makes perfect” when in reality it should be “perfect practice makes perfect” because if you are practicing incorrectly the result will be far from perfect. If you want to maximize strength, Crossfit won’t cut it, just like if you want to maximize endurance, strength training won’t cut it. While one focus will surely help the other, individually they will not get you all the way there.

Don’t get me wrong, I like some elements of Crossfit and think it is decent for general conditioning and endurance, but it is not some superior new concept that everyone like to believe it is. I am also not saying that everyone should train specifically the way I train, I am saying that you should use a similar methodology focused on your specific goals. If endurance is your primary goal and you want to be average at everything else, then by all means do Crossfit; and I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. It is simply a fact that you can’t train for greatness in everything at once. Just like I was average and below average in other areas when I was only training for strength. When the time comes that you want to be great in multiple areas, you will need to train specifically for those areas, and if the training styles conflict with one another you will need to train them in cycles and those cycles don’t need to be restricted by an arbitrary 4-6 week period.

You are free to disagree with me, that is your right, but I am just relaying what my experience and research has taught me. Further, my research has been focused on content produced by respected and successful strength and conditioning coaches like Bill Starr, Mark Ripptoe and others and includes books like Starting Strength, Practical Programming, The Strongest Shall Survive, and the official CSCS text book. In my opinion if you pick up and read Starting Strength and Practical Programming alone, you are ahead of most of the trainers out there.

HOSED49

Your right, we will agree to disagree.

Further, my research has been focused on content produced by respected and successful strength and conditioning coaches like Bill Starr, Mark Ripptoe and others

Did you know that Mark Ripptoe, Louie Simmons, and Dave Tate have all contributed their time to teach Olympic lifting techniques for Crossfitters? I hope these guys arent teaching those Crossfitters to attain mediocre results...

End6ame

Your right, we will agree to disagree.

Further, my research has been focused on content produced by respected and successful strength and conditioning coaches like Bill Starr, Mark Ripptoe and others

Did you know that Mark Ripptoe, Louie Simmons, and Dave Tate have all contributed their time to teach Olympic lifting techniques for Crossfitters? I hope these guys arent teaching those Crossfitters to attain mediocre results...

Lol… I thought that might come up. Yes, Ripptoe is a huge contributor to Crossfit, but even he has is gripes about its programming. He takes much of the same mentality I do with it and that is at least you are learning some real lifts and not using machines. Like I said, I like some of the elements of Crossfit, it is not all bad. Their programming is mediocre at best and some of the “cheat” maneuvers like kipping pull-ups are much less effective than the strict versions. That being said, to each their own.

Iam918

lan918 :Can't show definition of non-existent muscles....
Were your muscles not carrying you around when you began your journey at 316 lbs?

When I think of muscle definition I envision people like Bruce Lee, Arnold, Ferrigno, LaLane & Jamie Eason. Yes, most are at the extreme end but you get the drift. What I don't envision though is an anorexic's viewpoint of having "muscle definition" such as we've seen quite a few celebrities, usually the ladies, sporting in recent years.

It takes a good lifting program that challenges you and keeps you progressing to build a good muscle base so that you can have good "muscle definition". There are a few people who look good w/o lifting but they are not the norm. They, also, would be more "defined" if they incorporated a good lifting program into their lives.

HOSED49

Fair enough. I admit that when I was approached about crossfit workouts, coming from a strictly, must bench 300 lb mindset, I didnt put alot of stock in it. We began utilizing alot of the workouts from crossfit at work and then quickly adapted the movements for our specific career field- firefighters. We use the combination of cardio intervals mixed with weight training to condition our bodies and our minds to know that we can push on until the fight is over, or until we run out of air and need a new air bottle! These workouts led the way for us to improve our overall strength and endurance, every workout is a new challenge. For me, doing kipping pullups helped me gain enough strength and endurance to perform more strict pullups. And no I cant do as many strict pull ups as i can Kipping ones. But my back and lats are alot wider and stronger because of them . But not everyone here had a bodybuilding/powerlifting goal. Some just wanted to do cardio, it was easier for them to run than lift weights, others like me hated running and just wanted to lift. Utilizing the crossfit mentality we are all on a equal playing field now, the runners are stronger and the lifters are still strong and now like to run! I used to run three miles in a year, now I run 15-20 miles a week. Basically my point is that the principle behind it is effective and you can adapt it to attain your goals. The workouts are rarely the same which always keeps them from becoming stale and boring.

dragonflydi

I've been hitting the gym fairly regularly for about 5 months now and while I've managed to lose a fair amount of weight so far, every additional kilo seems to be getting harder to shift. I've still got a lot to go so really want to kick start things.

My gym work is 30 mins of cardio (usually cross trainer - running is out due to knee problems) followed by another 30 minutes of resistance. The resistance will usually consist of mid-intensity work on machines (legs, chest arms etc) or body weight with either a swiss ball or using the TRX. While this has seemed to work so far I feel I'm not getting the most out of my time in the gym and could do much more. I'd also like to incorporate some other exercises / equipment like kettlebells or medicine ball to mix things up. The trouble is that I don't really know where to start with these!

Does anyone have any advice or resources for how to mix things up a bit and ensure I get the most out of my workout?

Thanks!

Try changing up your workout routine and use more free weights and less machines. Also try doing your weights fist then cardio, that way you are burning more fat during cardio as you would have already used up some of your glycogen stores.

It is recommended to change up your routine every 4-6 weeks to keep your body guessing.

What he said ... it was exactly what I was going to say LOL ...

In addition to using up glycogen stores first, doing your weights first means your muscles are not already fatigued when you begin, which can often lead to poor form and/or injury