Crossfit or boot-camp workouts for strength training?

slammy1079

I noticed a lot of people in this group lift weights, something I've never enjoyed doing (and therefore would find reasons to skip it!). I do, however, LOVE strength training when it's incorporated into a Crossfit- or boot camp-style workout - lots of compound, agility, and functional fitness movements interspersed with high-intensity cardio - tire flips, box jumps, burpees, kettlebell swings, squats/lunges, pushups...etc.

I typically burn around 400 calories in any given workout, and I'm hoping upping my calories will improve my strength and stamina. Anyone else on this group do this style of training instead of traditional lifting, and still see the results they're looking for?

moylie

Bump. Interested in moderators thoughts on this.

aggiesrar05

I just finished a month of CrossFit. I typically burn 300-500 cal in a crossfit workout (warmup, strength, WOD). I LOVE IT!! Mainly because the WODs are hardly ever routine. And when I say "warmup" sometimes the warmups are as difficult at the actual WOD and some major calorie burners. We will do a "foundation WOD" every once in a while to track improvement, but every time I go it's something different.

In a month I have gone from a 25lb kettlebell to swinging a 30lb kettlebell and increased both my dead lift and bench press weights. In the Strength part of our crossfit workout we typically work on one type of lifting move to increase weight.

My next goal in crossfit... ONE unassisted pull up! Pull up, you are mine!!!

Edited to say - I will have measurements/bodyfat/pictures (if I decide they are decent enough to post) on a blog post on Wednesday looking at my one month on CrossFit progress.

slammy1079

I just finished a month of CrossFit. I typically burn 300-500 cal in a crossfit workout (warmup, strength, WOD). I LOVE IT!! Mainly because the WODs are hardly ever routine. And when I say "warmup" sometimes the warmups are as difficult at the actual WOD and some major calorie burners. We will do a "foundation WOD" every once in a while to track improvement, but every time I go it's something different.

In a month I have gone from a 25lb kettlebell to swinging a 30lb kettlebell and increased both my dead lift and bench press weights. In the Strength part of our crossfit workout we typically work on one type of lifting move to increase weight.

My next goal in crossfit... ONE unassisted pull up! Pull up, you are mine!!!

Edited to say - I will have measurements/bodyfat/pictures (if I decide they are decent enough to post) on a blog post on Wednesday looking at my one month on CrossFit progress.

That's awesome! My goal is to do an unassisted pullup as well - I did "negatives" on some TRX rings last week and my arms are STILL sore!

I'm wondering if anyone knows of or could give me an example of a Crossfit workout I could do in a regular gym, since our only Crossfit box up here is way out of the way.

aggiesrar05

Another MFPer does a lot of crossfit and has put together some WODs that are all based one body weight or ones that use minimal equipment. Check out her blog post -
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/AggieCass09/view/equipment-less-wods-248098

She also has some good links for other places to look for WODs. Almost every CrossFit box that I have seen will post their WODs online daily, just adjust them to what you can do in a gym. I've also found that if I've been curious about what something in the WOD is that I don't know, youtube usually has some videos.

Just be careful, at our CrossFit they are VERY VERY vigilant about form. You really can hurt yourself if you aren't careful about form. That was the original reason that I convinced my boyfriend to go to the actual box instead of just trying it at home by himself... I didn't want him to get hurt.

31prvrbs

Workouts are very personal. You should at least like them (for the most part, lol).

I for one, hate cardio, but still do enough to keep the blood flowing, lol. But strength training/heavy liftin is my passion, & the changes that it gives me are unmistakeable. I do enjoy a good Bootcamp, now and again, but would consider it to be more "cardio" for me, than a "lift" day. So I add them in addition to my lift days/in place of cardio.

I think crossfit is a pretty awesome and challenging workout, as well, but again wouldn't remove replace all my lifting days with it.

But, again. It's personal. For me, even though I really enjoy those types of workouts, they don't give me the same results as when I separate my cardio & weights. too much cardio does not give me the results I desire, but everyone is different.

If you love what it does for your body, go for it

If you want benefits of separate weight/cardio, but still enjoy those workouts too, then find ways to incorporate them both

-Kiki