Cross fit is such a slap in the face

busywaterbending

okay, I'm researching CF because I have been asked to join a gym to be their supplemental training coach. Self defense, flexibility, gymnastics. Things that high level specialized "CF certifications" (that can be had for $4k a seminar, regardless of wheither of not the participants have ever done any of the specialized training) teach. I will teach this gym these basic progressions without them having to spend $4k on a seminar. Then, when that CF owner is ready to go get the cert he will benefit from it and breeze through it due to having experience thanks to me, his supplemental coach.

So, Like I said, I'm seeing this as a business opportunity to add to my business, but I honestly am offended by the CF attitude....
Help? Is it my pride that is making me feel this way?

To take the best of power lifting, gymnastics, playground fitness, track and field running, etc. and say that they are all irrelevant and only CF's new take on their training is the be all end all and everything else is irrelevant is their marketing. wow.

:?

ilovedeadlifts

I can agree that crossfit blows and they have a pretty ridiculous, elitist attitude.

That being said, you aren't really compromising yourself. Aren't you just passing on information and helping people learn?
So you're basically teaching them good things as opposed to them knowing nothing and paying for a certification. At least you're helping educate them, right?

I say add to the business and make some money.

JasonDetwiler

Just treat them like any other client. Charge them appropriately for your time and expertise. Even though CF sucks.

JeffseekingV

I don't think CF sucks. Considering 95% of the people that work out have NO IDEA what they are going, CF would really benefit them for functional fitness.

For some that have been lifting for years and can understand the concept of CF enough to either agree/reject it, they are the 5%. If you're a beginner, you could get in pretty good shape. If you're a seasoned lifter, you won't get any more muscle mass but you might get fitter and gain endurance.

I already tailor my lifts "sort of" like CF. Just because I hate cardio so I double/triple set my lifts, do cardio etc.. But adding CF classes to my Y membership would be crazy expensive. Alot of what I don't like about CF is the expense and you have to show up at XX time. I like to lift around my schedule, not theirs.

JasonDetwiler

I don't think CF sucks. Considering 95% of the people that work out have NO IDEA what they are going, CF would really benefit them for functional fitness.

For some that have been lifting for years and can understand the concept of CF enough to either agree/reject it, they are the 5%. If you're a beginner, you could get in pretty good shape. If you're a seasoned lifter, you won't get any more muscle mass but you might get fitter and gain endurance.

I already tailor my lifts "sort of" like CF. Just because I hate cardio so I double/triple set my lifts, do cardio etc.. But adding CF classes to my Y membership would be crazy expensive. Alot of what I don't like about CF is the expense and you have to show up at XX time. I like to lift around my schedule, not theirs.

So how do you think the OP should handle his business dilemma?

JeffseekingV

Charge them for services provided and move on. What other choices does the OP have?

Plates559

I agree crossfit sucks.

For the price you pay and the fact that you aren't suppose to be working out with out a certified coach there crossfit should be churning out elite athletes. Sure the games do, but go to Youtube and you see **** form.

- "But to go any globo gym and you'll see bad form"
Yes. But you don't often see a trainer there, and if there is one he sure isn't there to help you. Crossfit has a trainer there at all times and are being paid to help you, so bad form shouldn't even make it on camera.

Considering 95% of the people that work out have NO IDEA what they are doing, CF would really benefit them for functional fitness.

Check the definition of functional firstly. Then ask a cross-fitter to write up a conjugate squat program for you and they will likely give you a met-con. CF programming sucks big and hard.

If you're a seasoned lifter, you won't get any more muscle mass but you might get fitter and gain endurance.

Not according to Glassman, you'll start dead lifting 700 and run a 4 min mile!

JeffseekingV

I agree crossfit sucks.

For the price you pay and the fact that you aren't suppose to be working out with out a certified coach there crossfit should be churning out elite athletes. Sure the games do, but go to Youtube and you see **** form.

- "But to go any globo gym and you'll see bad form"
Yes. But you don't often see a trainer there, and if there is one he sure isn't there to help you. Crossfit has a trainer there at all times and are being paid to help you, so bad form shouldn't even make it on camera.

At the games, they are also lifting for time so I can see how form would suffer. My form suffers at the the upper ranges of my dead and squats

Check the definition of functional firstly. Then ask a cross-fitter to write up a conjugate squat program for you and they will likely give you a met-con. CF programming sucks big and hard.

I wouldn't ask a cross fitter to make me a program any more than I'd ask a casual power lifter to write me one. But that particular crossfitter will be in better shape than 95% of the normal fitness gym goers that not only know nothing but also do nothing.

Not according to Glassman, you'll start dead lifting 700 and run a 4 min mile!

Have no idea if serious or sho Glassman is. Again, compared to 95% of typical gym goers, their squat number will be impressive. Why? Because 95% of gym goers don't even do squats. Much less with any correct form etc....

Plates559

At the games, they are also lifting for time so I can see how form would suffer. My form suffers at the the upper ranges of my dead and squats

Almost every single CF WOD is timed....

I wouldn't ask a cross fitter to make me a program any more than I'd ask a casual power lifter to write me one. But that particular crossfitter will be in better shape than 95% of the normal fitness gym goers that not only know nothing but also do nothing.

The Crossfitter may be in better shape than a causal powerlifter, but the crossfitter is spoon fed his work out every time he walks in the gym. The casual power lifter is likely having to learn all this on his own making his the better choice for fitness advice.

Have no idea if serious or who Glassman is. Again, compared to 95% of typical gym goers, their squat number will be impressive. Why? Because 95% of gym goers don't even do squats. Much less with any correct form etc....

Glassman "invented" crossfit... he said at some point doing CF will lead to a 700 pound DL and a 4min mile, or at least something along those lines of ridiculous and insane.

Plates559

You are comparing a Crossfitter to 95% of gym goes who know nothing but shrugs and curls.

Give the casual powerlifter a trained coach, and see how much better he is than the cross fitter. CFers know next to nothing about diet and fitness. They just know what they are told Paleo and poor formed Olympic lifts.

Plates559

Heck CFers don't even know that they suck! They actually think that they are elite athletes.

Plates559

Granted I have a few CF friends who are cool. I am talking about the portion who think that CF is the end all work out, that Paleo is the end all, that the lack of programing is "training for the unknown and unknowable", the idiots who boast about CF saying "your work out is my warm up". Those are the BS crossfitters that should hurry up and get injured doing their kipping pull ups.

Plates559

That's my argument. CF should be this FREAKING AWESOME group of worker-outers. They should be at the level of Westside Barbell (in their CF world). But because they have no quality control they are getting worse and worse.

They should be going to the Olympics in lifting, and then all of the sudden you see them doing the tour de france, and all of the sudden they are winnning the Rebook's games, then doing some Strongman event. But they just get good at crossfit.

JeffseekingV

Almost every single CF WOD is timed....

Okay.

The Crossfitter may be in better shape than a causal powerlifter, but the crossfitter is spoon fed his work out every time he walks in the gym. The casual power lifter is likely having to learn all this on his own making his the better choice for fitness advice.

I wasn't comparing a CFer to a power lifter. I didn't learn powerlifiting on my own. I was a on a team.

Glassman "invented" crossfit... he said at some point doing CF will lead to a 700 pound DL and a 4min mile, or at least something along those lines of ridiculous and insane.

I don't really care what he said or claims.

JeffseekingV

You are comparing a Crossfitter to 95% of gym goes who know nothing but shrugs and curls.

Exactly. That's why CF is great for people like that.

Give the casual powerlifter a trained coach, and see how much better he is than the cross fitter. CFers know next to nothing about diet and fitness. They just know what they are told Paleo and poor formed Olympic lifts.

I could say the same about a CFer. The debate about who is "better" is a loaded question. It requires a defination of "better". Lifting for time? Pace? # of lifts at a certain weight? Or 1 Rep max with Olympic or Powerlifting rules applying? Or is the defination more overall functional fitness? ie... who can run an obstacle course, a 5k, 10k, better at basketball, football etc...

JeffseekingV

I'd address the last two posts you made but they sounding more angry than anything.

Plates559

To compare athletes wait till next CF games and watch for AJ Roberts pro powerlifter gone Crossfit.

To compare programming: Body building/Strongman/Powerlifting/Olympic Lifting is 100x better than crossfit programming, because well Crossfit doesn't program.

Compare gym members -
Average gym maybe 5% of the attendees train effectively for their goals. But then again no real guidance.
Crossfit - Average cross fitter is provided with sufficient work outs for the goal of "working out". Average goal of CFer is to "get fit". Average CFer has no idea how to get there. Lots of guidance no real help.

Compare quality control -
Normal gym - free to do what ever you want (for the most part), no major set time to go, If you are a bad lifter than is all on you.
CF gym - Provided with a work out, not very common to have "free time", if you are a bad lifter its you and your box owners fault.

That is how I would compare the two

busywaterbending

thanks for the thoughts shared guys. I'm a woman, btw.

Rule no. 10 gets under my skin and while not all "boxes" are headed by an obnoxious guy who paid his $4k "certification" fees yet knows nothing, I am aware that there are some that are really good. I just have yet to come across one.

CF pushes the Zone diet, not Paleo. If you go to the crossfit journal or crossfit website and pull up the level 1 cert. and the level 1 training guide and start reading I think anyone with an athletic background, gymnastics background, olympic weightlifting background, brain would become offended.

I don't think I would mind handling the contract work, but the verbal bashing of other training (anything OTHER THAN CF, because CF can do all that shi* better than the athlete trained in it....) would not be tolerated by me.

I participated in 3 CF classes, the WOD of two of the classes had no timed sessions. I could complete everything but the box jumps (no longer a jumper due to knee). I could out pullup, leg lift toes to bar, press handstand, parallel bar shoot thru all the other classmates who had been there 1.5 years. Yeah. Elite training my butt. Any top CF athlete you see on TV is a former top level gymnast who is awesome because of gymnastics, not CF.

matter is settled for me. business is business, but if you tell my my business is irrelevant, well I guess you really don't need me after all to supplement your CF box.

JeffseekingV

You still haven't really defined "better". You are implying that "better" is the amount you lift. That's not everyone's definition of "better"


Although someone with a power/olympic lifting background has an advantage vs some joe blow off the street trying to CF.

But in general I agree with the last portion of your post. Although getting better with the CF program will help you get "fit". If fit is a general term encompasing strength, endurance, cardio etc....

busywaterbending

http://thecrossfitgamer.com/blog/?p=1385

you can stop the thread hijack now.

busywaterbending

Heck CFers don't even know that they suck! They actually think that they are elite athletes.

right on there! jajajaja

Thank you Plates.

Elite athletes are those who are at the absolute top class of their sport federation and worked their *kitten* off for at least a decade to get there (safely) without bashing others to do it.

CrossFit Elite athletes are elite athletes who retire from their specialized sport, and out of boredom, join CF to compete.

well, that's my take anyway.

As for the recreational CFers, I really don't think they know what they are truely doing.