Crossfit?
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Quinnstinct
Posts: 274 Member
I think I get the basics of cross fit but can anyone really explain it to me? I'm really out of shape, will I have to work out to get to the point I can start cross fit? I'm really intimidated by it but I keep reading amazing things about it and people get results so I'm curious of course! Plus is seems to go hand in hand with the paleo lifestyle.
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its awesome! its always different. almost every day unless you are doing a benchmark WOD. Usually class lasts about an hour- the beginning you warm up, do mobility, do some strength movement (olympic lifts, powerlifts, or gymnastic skill) then do your wod. the workouts are always scalable to your level. some wods are long and endurance based, some are short and strength based... its always different and almost
always fun! 0 -
So super beginners that get out of breath going up stairs can do it? I went to a bootcamp once that said it was for all levels of fitness- it was NOT and I wasted a lot of money and was humiliated.0
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ask to meet and talk with the coaches or owners at the gym you are thinking about. Their programming is what makes it good or great. Their ability to scale a workout - or design one special for you is critical. don't ever think about doing the workout as prescribed for quite a while.
We have several people at our box that are severely challenged physically and they always work well with them.
In fact, even people that are in amazing shape always have a tough time starting crossfit - so don't make that your measure.0 -
The only way to find out if CF is gonna be your thing is to go try a class or two. Most boxes (gyms) do some sort of a beginner's course--usually a series of classes where you will learn the CF fundamentals before they throw you into the full-on CF experience. Go visit your local CF boxes and check it out!
Quality, attitude, and community can vary widely from box to box as well...just something to consider as you look into the different options in your area.0 -
So super beginners that get out of breath going up stairs can do it? I went to a bootcamp once that said it was for all levels of fitness- it was NOT and I wasted a lot of money and was humiliated.
i would check out the gym- most offer a free beginners class. if the box is a good one they will scale for you... and you will get better really fast! (but it NEVER gets easy!)0 -
I am brand new to CF. I just completed my 5 session on-ramp/fundamentals classes. Before I signed up and started the classes, I did two free workouts. The days I visited, the trainers looked at the WOD, asked me what I was capable of and scaled it from there. I'm on the old side to be taking up CF - 52yrs - and I'll likely always have to scale something. Honestly, everyone is so into surviving their own WODS they don't notice me, nor do I notice them. Once it's over, the encouragement and support are amazing.
I spent weeks looking at the website, driving by, lurking, doubting, etc. Now, only 7 days in, I really wish I hadn't wasted those weeks. The best part about starting from where you are instead of crazy strong and crazy fit is that the improvement you will see will be remarkable.
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I agree with all of the above. My box always lists three different levels for each part of the WOD. A beginner level, a fitness level, and an Rx level (doing it as prescribed). Often for each exercise, there are even 4 or 5 ways to scale it down.
For example, a pistol. This is when you stick one leg straight out horizontally and then basically squat using the other leg. It takes a lot of leg strength, core strength, and balance to do even one. So a scaled down version might be to hold onto a pole to balance yourself while you do it. If that's too hard, then you might use a band to help give you a little assist on the up and down. If still hard, maybe a thicker band. If still hard, maybe just do regular squats. There's ALWAYS a way to modify the exercise so that you find the right level for you. There have been lots of times using doing an lift where my coaches strip off all the weights and just have me do the lift with the bar only. If they are good, they watch out for you and help you adjust on the fly as you need.
At my box, the coaches often say "This is your workout. You do it the way you need to in order to push yourself at your level of fitness. Don't worry about anyone else." Believe me, I'm almost always the last person to finish anything that's timed. And usually have the rest of the class cheering me on for the last minute. If they have any breath left.0 -
You won't be able to to join Crossfit until you do an on ramp course. This is to prepare you for the basic movements. Mine was 12 weeks and while I was in decent shape from going to the gym, nothing prepares you for CF - it's so awesome because it is always different! I don't think I have repeated a WOD twice and I have been going sionce July last year. You will scale a lot, most people do, but you should always push yourself. You are competing against yourself, no-one else, that's the beauty of CF. Just do it - you will either love it or hate it - most people love it!0
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nothing prepares you for CF
Agree! I don't think I could have done anything to get me "ready" for CF. You just have to jump into the deep end!0 -
Quinn - I spent nearly 2 years debating on joining. I worked with the owner at her "other job" and I was terrified and fascinated by it. I finally "jumped in" in November 2012. I absolutely LOVE it! In January our company paid for every single employee to have a free membership for the entire year at the newest fitness center in town and I STILL pay to go to CF! You just can't get that kind of training and support anywhere else! Most days you'll walk out of there feeling very accomplished and proud of yourself.0
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nothing prepares you for CF
Agree! I don't think I could have done anything to get me "ready" for CF. You just have to jump into the deep end!
I totally agree! It's a kick in the pants for the in-shape and out-of-shape alike. I went to Crossfit when I was in the worst shape of my life. It was so HARD, but I fell in love with it. It's still hard, but not as scary/god-awful as it was in the beginning.
Crossfit is a humbling experience, but also a great one!0 -
When I first started Crossfit I was soooooooo out of shape. During our Foundations class, they would have you do simple WODS after just to get a workout in. I remember this one very vividly, nearly 2 years later. It was so simple too. Three rounds of a run around the building (maybe 100 m?) with a 10 lb weight and 15 burpees. I. almost. died. I literally almost didn't finish it. Bwahahaha. I did it again a year later and was amazed at how easy it was to me.
My point is there really is no starting point to Crossfit. You just have to do it! Of course you adjust your workouts to what you can do. It does take time for your body to adjust to the workouts. I won't ever say that your body gets used to it, but you will learn to love the soreness. Every day you're doing something different, working a different body part, pushing yourself to a different limit. You will at first think you are mad, that you're going to die, and what the hell did you just sign up for, but after a few months you get addicted to that feeling of pushing yourself.
Your box should offer a free class. Our gym would take newbies and do a special WOD, not a part of the class, at the back of the gym.0 -
Thank you all, I emailed the closest cross fit studio and they answered me right away with an offer to try it out at a beginner class for free. As soon as my ankle (I sprained it last weekend) heals I think I will go. I'm scared. I doubt myself big time. It can only be good for me right?0
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Thank you all, I emailed the closest cross fit studio and they answered me right away with an offer to try it out at a beginner class for free. As soon as my ankle (I sprained it last weekend) heals I think I will go. I'm scared. I doubt myself big time. It can only be good for me right?
When I first started CF, the warm-ups would wear me out! Now I look forward to working out as much as possible!0 -
The other day I was laughing with a co-crossfitter that, the "warm up" was much harder than our "baby-wods" from our on ramp.0
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What do you do for a warm up?0
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What do you do for a warm up?
this is a typical warm-up at the box I go to:
2 rounds of: 10 shoulder passes, 25′ bear crawl, 25′ over/under, 25′ crab walk, 10 burpees
1 round of: row/run 400 meters, banded shoulder stretch, reverse hypers0 -
For most places, you beat the piss out of yourself until you can't go any further or you break a bodypart.
Fad. Avoid for the most part.0 -
For most places, you beat the piss out of yourself until you can't go any further or you break a bodypart.
Fad. Avoid for the most part.
I don't know if this applies to "most places" or not (because I have only been to one CF facility), but I think that all CF facilities scale every and all workouts to individual needs/goals. So... if someone is "beating the piss out themselves" it's because they are choosing to.0 -
For most places, you beat the piss out of yourself until you can't go any further or you break a bodypart.
Fad. Avoid for the most part.
I don't know if this applies to "most places" or not (because I have only been to one CF facility), but I think that all CF facilities scale every and all workouts to individual needs/goals. So... if someone is "beating the piss out themselves" it's because they are choosing to.
I have been to a number of different Crossfit facilities, and all of them will allow you to scale your movements to your abilities. Sure, you push yourself but most of us know to stop/slow down before we injure ourselves. Like with any workout, you need to listen to your body. No one at Crossfit is holding you at gunpoint and making you do things that you don't feel comfortable with.0
