Crossfit or Triathlon training...Can't decide

lostalykat

I know two pretty big different types of commitments but I am trying to decide what I want to focus on. I have done races in the past and didn't get great weightloss but still felt amazing about myself. I only tried crossfit for a few months and had to quit due to injury/money. Any thoughts or opinions are welcome!

PureAdamic

What is your goal?

lostalykat

I want to get strong and lean mainly. Also keep myself accountable and lost 10-15lbs.

PureAdamic

Then CF, Triathlon is waaay more cardio based which will make it very hard to get stronger.

lostalykat

I know! I also found it harder to lose weight when I was tri training.

caribougal

You can do both if your box offers Crossfit Endurance. It's specially designed to help people doing endurance races to get stronger and faster.

shutupandlift13

IMO, focus on a strength program with moderate cardio. I know I really have struggled in the past trying to keep seeing strength gains plus balancing out half marathon training, partially because I work a lot and just don't have the time for both and also its exhausting to lift 3-4 times a week and be running 5+ miles 3-4 times a week as well.

CrossFit would be a decent place to start. If you do it at a gym (box) try to look for one that actually has strength programming built into the workouts and not JUST a metcon everyday. The most successful and efficient boxes I've been to have a similar set up for most of their workouts:

10-15min warm up and mobility
10-15min of strength training, usually only one lift, common rep schemes are 5x3, 6x2, 8x3, 12x2, or finding a 1RM
15-30min of metcon, this is where you see a workout that is so many rounds for time (RFT) or as many rounds/reps as possible
Remaining time if any doing a cash out (situps, pullups, pushups, usually all bodyweight work less than 5min) or just stretching and rolling out

If money is a concern I would just a program like Stronglifts 5X5, Starting Strength or NROLFW and workout at a "globo" gym with a squat or power rack or two. This has been my main focus for the past 6 months and that's really when I started to see major comp changes. When it all averaged out I was eating in a very tiny deficit, probably 0.5lbs/week, lifting 3-4 times a week, running short distances (<2miles) a couple times a week and going to one CrossFit class just for funsies. You can pick whatever form of cardio you want, but something will have to give. If your lifting starts crapping out you'll need to cut back cardio. Initially you'll be able to do more cardio than later because you really don't start pushing your body due to the comfort level in lifting until about 4 weeks.

Anyway... TL;DR. Hope this information helps.

lostalykat

Thanks everyone. The main reason I am leaning towards crossfit is that I have a hard time forcing myself to lift on my own. I do body pump at the gym and enjoy it but I get bored easily.