Crossfit?

My advice - stick with regular lifting

My neighbor who was never into fitness has been doing Crossfit for months, she has lost a ton of weight, and she LOVES it.... Her enthusiam is contageous.... I was thinkink about trying it

I am wondering why the previous poster said not to bother

Well consider that Crossfit isn't the cheapest way to do anything, the best way to gain muscle or strength, the easiest way to lose weight, the best way to gain endurance, or even to prepare for the crossfit games. Then google "crossfit dangerous"

For what it is worth I love cross fit and go weekly.... the complaints about the cost I understand but for me it is offered for free through my Company's Corporate Fitness program. I would recommend it if you're into a high intensity workout plan.

TRY ITTTT. i was hesitant and the cost definitely threw me, but i signed up for a trial month and once that was over, i was hooked. it is SO much fun, so high-energy, and most crossfit boxes (what they call gyms) are very community-oriented. they do a lot of good for the surrounding community as well as encourage members to encourage each other. it's like a big party at every session- everyone helps everyone else out, cheering each other on, etc. it's definitely worth at least trying.

Crossfit done right and with a good instructor is an absolutely great workout.

However, where crossfit can become dangerous and people risk injury, is that crossfit classes often emphasize quantity over quality. If you are inexperienced with lifting or only beginning to exercise, crossfit may not be the best choice. The problem I've encountered is that you are not always necessarily taught proper form for certain lifts and exercises and this can lead to injury.

I tried crossfit, got a good workout, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth the cost or injury risk. Here's a brief account of my experience


1. Timed group classes are great for experienced lifters, but for relative beginners (I've been doing free weights for 1 year only) it can be dangerous. When you put people in a competitive environment, where things are timed, it can get dangerous. I saw people doing kettlebell work with absolutely atrocious form and zero corrections from nearby staff.

2. It's expensive and offers nothing I can't get out of a traditional gym. The box I went to was in a converted warehouse, and was really rough. After learning a few of the workouts I conceded that I really could do these things anywhere (well not the crazy weight dropping perhaps.) without leaving with plywood splinters in my workout gear.

3. I was the only woman there in a room full of raging testosterone, and I didn't appreciate being leered at.

4. I can do standard pull-ups but was instructed not to, and to use the kipping method instead. I complied against my better judgement and ended up straining my shoulder a bit. It set me back on my usual routine for about a week.


Of course these are just my experiences, but definitely do a trial class at a box before you commit to anything.

I love CrossFit. Have been going for 7 months and totally addicted. To me, the cost is worth it. I hate going to the gym. CrossFit has shown me that I am capable of a lot more than I ever thought possible. I cannot express in words how much I LOVE CrossFIt. There is some bad hype regarding it because some trainers will yell in your face to push yourself harder, faster, heavier...DO NOT GO TO THOSE BOX'S!!!! I go 3 times a week and I wish I could go more but I work full time and have 4 young children. I have not been hurt. I have been sore. I have had problems with my wrist (broken several years ago) that some of the exercises aggravated, but the trainers have allowed me to modify the WOD (Workout of the Day) to not aggravate it worse and I listed to my body. I do not push myself past my own limits...I go to the edge a lot but you have to be smart about it. The only crying I have done is when I finish a workout that I thought looked like death to me and I did it. There is no better feeling in the world.

I credit CrossFit for my fitness level. I can do pull ups, I can do handstand push ups, I can run, I can do box jumps, I can deadlift 1.5 my body weight, I can do 3-4 rope climbs in a row without a break, I can bench 75% of my body weight. AND I am NOT bulky!!!

I would recommend going, trying and if you like it, GREAT!!!! If not, don't continue to go. It is addicting but make sure you are going to a good box with good trainers.

I do Crossfit in order to gain endurance and strength so I can get through my Kettle Bell routines. I have a trainer that plans them out and goes through it with me. It does cost, but I don't really care as long as I'm getting the results I want from it.

TRY ITTTT. i was hesitant and the cost definitely threw me, but i signed up for a trial month and once that was over, i was hooked. it is SO much fun, so high-energy, and most crossfit boxes (what they call gyms) are very community-oriented. they do a lot of good for the surrounding community as well as encourage members to encourage each other. it's like a big party at every session- everyone helps everyone else out, cheering each other on, etc. it's definitely worth at least trying.

YES!!!!!! If it is a good box. We have more women than men @ our box and I have never felt like I have been leered at. The guys have always been respectful (but I also do not come in with only a sports bra and volleyball shorts either). I feel like my trainers know me and know what I am capable of.

I have friends that have done Crossfit as well. One has really worked out efficiently and gained a lot of endurance. The trainers focus on the quality of the workout. Another friend in the same area has done Crossfit at a different gym.. or box.. or whatever the term is. He's wound up hurt.

I think there's enough variation out there. People that go to Crossfit gyms where the trainers KNOW what they're doing have good experiences and will back it up here and everywhere else. Folks that go to a Crossfit gym where the trainer isn't as focused have bad experiences and wind up blasting them online.

Isn't that the same for any gym though?

That being said, it's going to be personal experience.

Well consider that Crossfit isn't the cheapest way to do anything, the best way to gain muscle or strength, the easiest way to lose weight, the best way to gain endurance, or even to prepare for the crossfit games. Then google "crossfit dangerous"

Yep what he said, it is way more expensive than the gym...at least here in the UK it is...

4. I can do standard pull-ups but was instructed not to, and to use the kipping method instead. I complied against my better judgement and ended up straining my shoulder a bit. It set me back on my usual routine for about a week.

F**k form! Start kipping and throwing your weight around willy-nilly.

Kipping Everything!
http://youtu.be/UKp7fBtj81c

Ha! That made me laugh, love the kipping vid...wheeee!

4. I can do standard pull-ups but was instructed not to, and to use the kipping method instead. I complied against my better judgement and ended up straining my shoulder a bit. It set me back on my usual routine for about a week.

F**k form! Start kipping and throwing your weight around willy-nilly.

Kipping Everything!
http://youtu.be/UKp7fBtj81c

Ha! That made me laugh, love the kipping vid...wheeee!

ERMAHGERD! Kipping push ups LMFAO

I've been doing CrossFit for just over a year, five days a week, at a couple different places. It's the first time in 10 years that I've been able to stick to an exercise routine after trying what felt like EVERYTHING else, so for me that's a point in it's favour right there.

Pros:
- variety: I get bored doing the same thing more than once or twice, so even having a workout routine that repeated itself weekly would bore me to tears, and I'd be more likely to quit
- good community: I went to a regular gym once when I was away from home, and I felt so sad that there was no one cheering me on or even just to chat with! having everyone encourage you really feels great when you're trying to finish those last 10 squats. Getting to know everyone also makes me more likely to go back, because people actually notice when you don't come in for a while
- the stuff you do is just plain fun. it can be easy to forget you're working hard when you're running around flipping tires, swinging across monkey bars, doing handstands, and climbing ropes... it's like being a kid again!

Cons:
- expensive (but again... I'd rather pay $90/month for a gym that I USE than $40 for one that I don't - which is obv not the case for everyone, but would be and has been the case for me)
- not every box is the same. the one I'm at now is awesome, but I've been to others where I didn't like the programming as much... some places seem to focus more on strength, others on cardio. I like to have a good balance. Also the expertise of the trainers seems to vary a lot from box to box... I'd try out all the ones you can get to in your area, and talk to the coaches about their background. And, as some others have mentioned, some places focus more on numbers than on proper form. Coaches at my gym always emphasize movement standards over weight, and you're not supposed to do certain exercises if you aren't strong enough to do them properly yet. So that's something else I'd look for as well.

Overall, I love CrossFit, and I'm super glad I started. I was probably in the worst shape out of everyone I know at the beginning, and I feel like I've made a ton of progress, even just in my attitude towards exercise and overall confidence.