Going to start cross fit - Advice?

MeeshyBW

Hi everyone. I have been working out properly for the past 9 months and seens some really good changes. I have had a PT for 2 sessions per week and been going to the gym myself for 1-4 sessions to do it solo.

I have mostly focused on HIIT cardio when I am going on my own but my sessions with my trainer are focused around strength. I have now cancelled my PT sessions for the time being as it was getting too expensive and I have lost 34lbs and am now a more respectable 134-138lbs at 5'3".

I now want to up my game as I KNOW it is going to be hard work to cut that finally 10-15lbs and it may take me another 9 months or longer. I am in no rush but I am trying to maximise my workouts.

I am a lot fitter than before and stronger and thought that cross fit would be good for getting me more into shape, not just weight loss. I know I need to lift heavy to see better results. I am not that bothered with the size I am now, I just wish I was more "tight" if that makes sense?

Can any of your cross fitters or people who have tried cross fit give me some pointers about what to expect, things you wish you knew when you started Cross fit and just overall opinions of what it;s done for you. Do you think the reasons I am choosing cross fit are worth it, by that I mean should I get the kind of results I am looking for out of this kind of work out?

WOuld love to hear from people who we're in the same boat as me who decided it was time to up their game!

SneakyWaff1es

I've done it at least three times a week for the last three weeks or so. If you're still trying to lose weight, just donig Crossfit won't get you there. You need to eat less if your goal is to lose some inches. You won't really lift that heavy that often in Crossfit because the workouts are so intense and they're full body. You will however gain some functional strength, you'll learn to do all the "big" lifts that really build muscle and you won't spend all day in the gym. According to my Bodymedia Fit I only burn about 250 calories in the 20 or so minutes the WODs take and maybe another 100 during the warmup and strength training portion.

Equipment wise you may want a heart rate monitor and I would suggest some shoes specifically made for crossfit. Lifting in running shoes sucks and doing all the box jumps, sprints and whatever other short cardio exercises involved in the WODs is awful in lifitng shoes. I have Reebok Nano 2.0s and love them.

I think for your purposes, Crossfit would be great but not for the reasons you're thinking. It's great because the WODs are short, they're full body and they do build strength. For the results you're looking for - losing fat - you really need to get your diet right. No amount of working out, no matter the type, will make up for a calorie surplus. Judging from your pictures and your stats, I'm not really sure how much more you have to lose. From what I can see you look fantastic. Good luck, have fun and don't hurt yourself.

MeeshyBW

I have no problems with my diet, I eat good quality food, very little alcohol, no caffeine, no sodas, no energy drinks, no coffee, no milk, no wheat, no pre-packaged convenience foods and make everything I eat from scratch.

I am not that bothered about the weight per-se. If I stay at 134-138 that would be fine I would just like to get stronger and have a bit more definition.

What d you think for these reasons? Why do you do cross fit?

christimccarty

I just say go with something you enjoy doing!!! I think crossfit is fun. I also do turbofire at home and currently working on p90x. My game changer with the last little bit of toneing around the midsection has been consistancy at a workout that challenges me and making sure that I eat ENOUGH food for my workout and keep my fats at or below 20% of my total Kcals!

Phrakman

I love crossfit for the group atmosphere and the competition against your peers. It really motvates you to give it your all. If they offer some sort of intro classes, i would reccomend them, some of the olympic style movements require some special attention when learning.

Prepare to feel exhausted possibly neauseous depending on how hard you are willing to push yourself during the workouts.

SneakyWaff1es

Why do you do cross fit?

I do it for the cardio.

LiftHuff

If you are into pure strength/muscle gain to improve aesthetics (that's the vibe I'm getting from your post), then xfit *might* work well for you, but honestly it's an elite fitness program, not a strength improvement program. Personally, I'd think that unless you are prepared to eat like there's no tomorrow you'll have a difficult time maintaining enough intake to build muscle. I would recommend a basic barbell compound program like Starting Strength, and possibly a calorie cycling diet, to get where you want to be.