Crossfit- Your thoughts/opinions

cwick56

I do not currently have a "crossfit" gym, but am interested in the program. I have read extensively on it, and compose my own "workout of the day" and tailor it to the equipment I have available in Afghanistan. I was just wondering what you guys thought about it if you had ever tried it. Thanks

JenMc14

I find the concept interesting, but many of the workouts seem to run to the extreme, and I am one who doesn't feel the need to kill myself every time I work out. I also don't like the elitist attitude many crossfitters/gyms (not all, just some) seem to have, as well as the fact that the gyms are so ridiculously overpriced. I also think anytime you do something as a "competition", even against yourself, for reps in time, form is likely to suffer and injury to occur. But, when it's done safely, I can see why people like it. It's probably great for people who have "exercise ADD" or get bored easily. I have done some workouts that could be labelled as a cross fit style, and I've done reps for time, but I had to really be concious of form and not let my desire to beat my last number win over keeping proper form!

scottdeeby

It's a cult.

Gracerrr

Can't afford it. *End thought*

cwick56

I tend to agree with both of you, perhaps it's something they spike the water with that makes them crave crossfit lol.

I tend to stick with the calisthenics type workouts mainly, to prevent such injuries as described. I love killing myself in the gym, I attain a sort of satisfaction by it. But not due to any competition, just because I don't want to feel like I am wasting my time.

CallieM15

My military friend has been working with me in the gym the last month, and his workouts are all cross fit ones, and i feel like its amazing.

I dont know about the cross fit gyms. We work out in Planet fitness and just do a lot of fast paced weight traning.

cwick56

With fast paced weight training you hit muscle failure fast and could potentially hurt yourself. Be careful

cwick56

Can't afford it. *End thought*

Yeah, I'm sorry I am desensitized by the military. Free gym.

Gracerrr

Can't afford it. *End thought*

Yeah, I'm sorry I am desensitized by the military. Free gym.

Haha, yep, not so much around here. I have a friend who recently broke down her cross-fit lifestyle budget for me, and it totalled about $400/month.

ThickMcRunFast

I don't do it, but have a friend who does and have been with him a few times, so here's what I've seen

Pros:
-Super enthusiastic crowd
-supportive community
-workouts tailored to your fitness level
-everything is tracked well, so he can clearly see how his max lifts are improving

Cons:
-expensive
-I think lifting heavy for time or as a race is f#cking dumb
-the WODs don't seem to have any clear progression, you may work the same muscles many days in a row
-my friend has had many injuries (see 'lifting heavy for time')
-coaches pushing the paleo diet (some of the worst biochemistry I've ever seen in my life was from an xfit blogpost)

Its not for me, but I can see how some people enjoy it.

cwick56

Can't afford it. *End thought*

Yeah, I'm sorry I am desensitized by the military. Free gym.

Haha, yep, not so much around here. I have a friend who recently broke down her cross-fit lifestyle budget for me, and it totalled about $400/month.

Who would ever pay more for their gym membership than their car and insurance combined? That's insane. Too bad

ljcazan

You have to realize that you are paying for the coaching too. If you were to hire a personal trainer the costs would well exceed that of a great crossfit gym. You can modify the workouts to your own personal capabilities and strengths and the efficiency of the workouts far exceeds anything I can do on my own. The push that you get from going there as well as the support is tremendous. But do expect to see muscle come from it! Which, by the way, ladies, is a great thing. Don't knock it til you try it. You get what you pay for and in my opinion it is well worth it! And as long as you are honest with yourself and the coach about your capabilities, you won't get hurt. They will never encourage you to sacrifice safety or form for extra weight or reps. That is again, what you're paying for....the excellent coaching. But make sure you find a gym with good coaches. Do your research. There are some crappy CF gyms out there as well as some great ones.

CouleeRunner

It's a cult.

LishieFruit89

My Marine friend & I did some of the WOD at a Planet Fitness I went to - he had found a site that listed a bunch of different ones so we picked one that I was able to physically do (ie not the one that involved being upside down) and we had equipment for.

Since you can get the WOD on their site or on an app, you can do it at any gym really.

I've never gone to a real crossfit gym - the cost is scaring me away (plus I spent my money on Krav Maga for the year)

Another pro of crossfit that wasn't mentioned: easily scalable. They give the WOD but you can make it harder or easier than what was prescribed.

There are risks of hurting yourself doing any exercise - like I tanked it half a mile in on a five mile run due to a strom drain I didn't see, almost dropped the oly bar on my head this morning doing OHP, and I bruised a kid in soccer growing up when I kicked her.(oops).

ETA: 1. Thank you for your service =] A lot of my friends used the free gyms when they deployed & came back jacked. 2. When you return and look for a CF gym, do a lot of research since there are crappy trainers out there.

Linli_Anne

I was just researching a local crossfit gym, thinking it might be something I would be interested in.

I certainly can't afford the extra $190 a month for the 3X a week membership pass, and reading through the blogs/posts by the coaches I'm not sure I'm as dedicated as they would like. Sure, I lift, and am getting stronger, and am competitive, but I don't want to go primal/paleo.

Really, I just need some more plates, and a squat rack, LOL.

cwolfman13

I did a free intro class...it's an intense workout, and very similar to the way we trained when I was in the military. Just depends on what you're trying to accomplish I guess. I already did my military thing and don't need to do it again...I don't need to achieve that level of fitness at this point in my life so it's overkill for me. I like lifting heavy, running a couple miles 3x weekly, and going for nice long walks or bike rides a few times per week. I find that gives me a generally good level of fitness and strength and that's all I'm looking for at this point. I really didn't have too much fun when I tried the cross fit class, just too much for me and my goals.

katmumn

I keep hearing about crossfit. Can someone define what exactly the routine involves for me?

I do like circuit training, but I do it on my own.

cwick56

Interesting thoughts from both sides of the fence. I didn't even think about the coaching aspect of it ljcazan. Good point.

LishieFruit89

I keep hearing about crossfit. Can someone define what exactly the routine involves for me?

I do like circuit training, but I do it on my own.

It changes every day. They have a "Workout of the day" that can be a combination of any number of exercises. Sometimes the work out is done for time (how fast you can do X many rounds). Beyond that, I can't tell you more since I haven't done it.
There are a bunch of threads & groups dedicated to CF.

Here, read this: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2012/03/01/a-beginners-guide-to-crossfit/

LishieFruit89

Interesting thoughts from both sides of the fence. I didn't even think about the coaching aspect of it ljcazan. Good point.

Since it's been gaining so much popularity, gyms are popping up everywhere. And not every gym has trainers with enough knowledge & experience. So I would research your closest gyms carefully to find one with the right trainers for you.

taso42

Pros:
Outstanding workout for overall fitness
Appeals to people who thrive in a group environment with peers cheering them on
Gives the user exposure to a wide variety of exercises including Olympic lifts and Power lifts

Cons:
Prohibitively expensive at $150/month or more
You never know if the trainers at your local "box" are underqualified/inexperienced

BusyRaeNOTBusty

It's expensive and I don't like people.

fbmandy55

My boss does crossfit and they push the Paleo diet big time..... Like every single person there does it. They even brought in a specialist doctor ( some kind of orthopedic, not diet related) to explain to the members why it is vital to their health.

My boss does seem to enjoy it and has had great results. But she had her first blackout this week doing high intensity clean and snacth. Started spinning and hit the floor.

Anthonydaman

I desperately want to do it, but I have nerve impingement on my sciatic and I am afraid all the cleans will get it going again

trogalicious

I keep hearing about crossfit. Can someone define what exactly the routine involves for me?

I do like circuit training, but I do it on my own.

it's like Extreme PE class.

Joreanasaurous

Meh.

I can't afford it. Beyond that I really haven't given it much thought. I love the gym I go to and work my butt off, so why stress or bother thinking of something that I can't afford I may or may not enjoy.

So basically... Meh.

SnicciFit

You have to realize that you are paying for the coaching too. If you were to hire a personal trainer the costs would well exceed that of a great crossfit gym. You can modify the workouts to your own personal capabilities and strengths and the efficiency of the workouts far exceeds anything I can do on my own. The push that you get from going there as well as the support is tremendous. But do expect to see muscle come from it! Which, by the way, ladies, is a great thing. Don't knock it til you try it. You get what you pay for and in my opinion it is well worth it! And as long as you are honest with yourself and the coach about your capabilities, you won't get hurt. They will never encourage you to sacrifice safety or form for extra weight or reps. That is again, what you're paying for....the excellent coaching. But make sure you find a gym with good coaches. Do your research. There are some crappy CF gyms out there as well as some great ones.

You took the words out of my mouth. The cost seems high until you compare to what it would cost for a personal trainer (which you basically get at a CF gym). Also, at the CF gym that I go to (maybe not at all of them), our trainers/coaches will make you take weight off if your form is suffering.

SnicciFit

I desperately want to do it, but I have nerve impingement on my sciatic and I am afraid all the cleans will get it going again

If you go to a good CF gym, and tell them this, they will cater to you. For example, my husband has pins in his hip and ankle and they often modify the workout for him or ask him while he's doing it if it hurts or how he feels.

Jonesie1984

Can't afford it. *End thought*

Yeah, I'm sorry I am desensitized by the military. Free gym.

Haha, yep, not so much around here. I have a friend who recently broke down her cross-fit lifestyle budget for me, and it totalled about $400/month.

That is insane!!! I want to try it but the cost is a huge drawback. Also, fitness is my lifestyle but I don't know if I wanna make "CF' my lifestyle or just part of my routine. I love solo lift days but I am all about better athleticism.

Capt_Apollo

crossfit gets a pretty bad reputation, but it is most certainly not a cult. a few people that do it are over enthusiastic and are loud about it, so of course most people associate crossfit with that.

at it's most basic, crossfit is a gym class for adults.

now as far as injuries go, i know people that take up running and injure themselves. you are in the end responsible for your own well being. if someone were to hand you a barbell and say "do 30 clean and presses at 135lbs," would you say, "yeah sure!" or would you say "uh, i don't even know what that is!!"

as far as price, like a few others have said, you're paying for small group classes that are coached. a decent crossfit box will limit the amount of people in a class (20 max). i went to a martial arts class in my neighborhood, and there was one instructor, and 50 ppl in class!!! and the monthly membership was at least as expensive as my local crossfit boxes.

most good crossfit gyms will also have a 2-3 week ramp up-basics class to bring everyone up to speed. you learn basic lifts and moves, and terminology. it's to bring you to a basic level of fitness, and also for the benefit of the more experienced memebers. you don't want to slow down the work out when you are thrown into the mix.

and the community is a huge part of the package. how many people don't go to the gym because they don't know anyone, they feel alone, and isolated? at a crossfit gym you are encouraged to socialize and be friendly.

and if crossfit and eating paleo gets people working out and eating right, why is that so bad?

taso42

Here's an article discussing Crossfit

http://impact-pt.com/fitness/what-crossfit-is-and-isnt/