Crossfit?

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  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    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.
  • tinak33
    tinak33 Posts: 9,883 Member
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    For what it's worth....

    One of the posters mentioned that in her experience, the class was all men.

    I would like to point out that the class I was taking was mostly women. I think at most, we had 4-5 guys. And they were all average or slightly above average. The women were mostly fit, and also there was a pregnant woman in the class. She modified things to accomadate her belly. hahaha
    When doing pushups she would put weights on the floor under her hands and feet so when she went down her belly didn't hit the ground. haha
    She is tough and lifts a LOT more than I do. But she looks average. She doesn't look buff, or ripped. The only girl who looked really ripped was this tiny person who was also a surfer and a runner. So naturally, she had muscle. But the CrossFit classes were a challenge to her too.

    And CrossFit is addictive. :wink:
    Just make sure you know your body and your limits. And don't go in trying to do everything at top level. Pace yourself. You don't want to pass out in the first 5 minutes... hahahaha (I almost passed out during the warmup on my first class.... it was my first big workout in over 14 months)
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,081 Member
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    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...
  • iWaffle
    iWaffle Posts: 2,208 Member
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    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
  • nexangelus
    nexangelus Posts: 2,081 Member
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    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!
  • rharris86dc
    rharris86dc Posts: 635 Member
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    I tried it once, and wasn't very impressed. The workout itself wasn't bad, but I couldn't see doing it more than once a week, let alone almost daily, like some people get into.

    They made me sign a waiver that said the "trainers" may not be licensed or certified. Basically, anyone off the street came come in and lead a workout. Red flag #1.

    I've read more articles that list the dangers of cross fit than articles expounding on the benefits of cross fit. Red flag #2.

    The competitive and timed nature of the workouts lead to people pushing themselves to the point of injury. This type of behaviour is actually encouraged, which is ridiculous. Red flag #3.

    Cost prohibitive - I can do interval training at my gym, and my own pace. I can also speak with a trainer about my form for free, or buy a couple of sessions when I feel like I need to change things up.

    But like others have said, it will all depend on your personal experience. Maybe you'll find a good location, with trainers who actually know what they are doing, and will keep you from getting injured. Good luck!
  • giggitygoo
    giggitygoo Posts: 1,978 Member
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    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
  • margoanton
    margoanton Posts: 13 Member
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    I would make sure you are relatively fit before starting or trying it. I was not, and while I loved and stil love the idea of it, my experience was pretty painful. The warm up was enough of a work out for me at that stage. I basically fell over about 1/3 through the actual workout as my legs quit working from all the squats. Walking was painful for the next week, even after using a foam roller on my thighs.

    Having said that, I'd like to try it again at some point. I think my fitness level is getting a bit closer to where I might actually be able to get through a workout.

    There are a lot of squats in Crossfit. I would suggest working up to about 100 in a row with body weight before trying.
  • horseplaypen
    horseplaypen Posts: 442 Member
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    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.
  • jamers3111
    jamers3111 Posts: 495 Member
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    I tried it once, and wasn't very impressed. The workout itself wasn't bad, but I couldn't see doing it more than once a week, let alone almost daily, like some people get into.

    They made me sign a waiver that said the "trainers" may not be licensed or certified. Basically, anyone off the street came come in and lead a workout. Red flag #1.


    Yikes... they must not have been an affiliated box then. Only affiliated boxes have certified trainers. Learn from this and make sure you choose a box where they are Crossfit affiliated AND the trainers are all certified.
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
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    I have plenty of experience lifting and I've also done Crossfit before. Safety comes down to the instructor. Crossfit by itself is a recipe for disaster but a good instructor can mitigate this. Crossfit involves doing a lot of very technical lifts that require lots and lots of coaching and focus to do correctly. *Most* crossfit gyms will give you little instruction and then ask you to perform these technical lifts as fast as you can for time! That's just dumb.

    The good is that with a great instructor, crossfit can get people into shape very quickly. Some people also thrive on the group/social aspect of it.
  • reasnableblonde
    reasnableblonde Posts: 212 Member
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    I hear good things from some of my old friends, but I don't know a reputable place close to me. I work with a personal trainer and am finding that a lot of his moves (which are pretty classic strength training stuff) have Crossfit counterparts with different names.

    It's one thing when I'm doing box jumping, lunge jumps, sprints, TRX rows, squat thrusts (burpees), etc. - but I'm not lifting heavy weights for speed. Not when I have to spend so much of my attention on my form, particularly my knees. My trainer works with me to correct my form and stay there. I don't think Crossfit will ever be a program I enjoy. But I admire those who do!
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
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    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"

    This coming from someone who obviously has never tried it... and has a picture of ice cream as his profile picture. And Crossfit is one of the best ways to gain endurance... it is exactly the workout that Firemen and the Military uses.

    This coming from someone with a pic of themselves all muddy as their profile pic. Let me guess, you;re some bro nutritionist who thinks ice cream is bad because you have no clue about real nitritional science. I said it isn;t the best way to build endurance, and it isn't. Since you're so big on pics, here's an arm for ya.



    photo-1.jpg
  • jamers3111
    jamers3111 Posts: 495 Member
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    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"

    This coming from someone who obviously has never tried it... and has a picture of ice cream as his profile picture. And Crossfit is one of the best ways to gain endurance... it is exactly the workout that Firemen and the Military uses.

    This coming from someone with a pic of themselves all muddy as their profile pic. Let me guess, you;re some bro nutritionist who thinks ice cream is bad because you have no clue about real nitritional science. I said it isn;t the best way to build endurance, and it isn't. Since you're so big on pics, here's an arm for ya.



    photo-1.jpg

    I'm the female. And ice cream is filled with sugar... but too enjoy it. And my husband's arm is way better than yours :tongue:
  • FullOfWin
    FullOfWin Posts: 1,414 Member
    Options
    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"

    This coming from someone who obviously has never tried it... and has a picture of ice cream as his profile picture. And Crossfit is one of the best ways to gain endurance... it is exactly the workout that Firemen and the Military uses.

    This coming from someone with a pic of themselves all muddy as their profile pic. Let me guess, you;re some bro nutritionist who thinks ice cream is bad because you have no clue about real nitritional science. I said it isn;t the best way to build endurance, and it isn't. Since you're so big on pics, here's an arm for ya.



    photo-1.jpg

    I'm the female. And ice cream is filled with sugar... but too enjoy it. And my husband's arm is way better than yours :tongue:

    O noes not sugar. I knew you were the chick. Comparing me to your husband is about as fail as can be. Why don't you both run off to narcissist land together. O wait, he owns a Lolfit box. You can just go there.
  • jamers3111
    jamers3111 Posts: 495 Member
    Options
    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"

    This coming from someone who obviously has never tried it... and has a picture of ice cream as his profile picture. And Crossfit is one of the best ways to gain endurance... it is exactly the workout that Firemen and the Military uses.

    This coming from someone with a pic of themselves all muddy as their profile pic. Let me guess, you;re some bro nutritionist who thinks ice cream is bad because you have no clue about real nitritional science. I said it isn;t the best way to build endurance, and it isn't. Since you're so big on pics, here's an arm for ya.



    photo-1.jpg

    I'm the female. And ice cream is filled with sugar... but too enjoy it. And my husband's arm is way better than yours :tongue:

    O noes not sugar. I knew you were the chick. Comparing me to your husband is about as fail as can be. Why don't you both run off to narcissist land together. O wait, he owns a Lolfit box. You can just go there.

    Chill, buddy. I was only teasing. No hard feelings. To each his own.
  • RunningDirty
    RunningDirty Posts: 293
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    It doesn't hurt to check out any gym to see if it's a good fit. I take a strength and conditioning class at a crossfit gym, but I do not do crossfit. I wouldn't have known about the lifting program because it wasn't advertised. They also just started to offer yoga classes. Some crossfit gyms are having to change it up and now offer lifting programs because some people simply don't like crossfit. So, I would just keep an opened mind and check it out! Worst case, you get a free workout or trial so you know for yourself if it's for you.

    :flowerforyou:
  • xiamjackie
    xiamjackie Posts: 611 Member
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    Thanks for everybody's replies :) I mainly just wanted some opinions from people who have tried it and I like hearing how people both DID and DIDN'T enjoy it.

    I am aware of the cost, but a couple of my college friends just do the "daily workout" from crossfit.com and get their routines from there (they also post videos showing how to do all of the exercises in the workouts) instead of going to a box. I think there are ways to do crossfit without getting a crossfit membership, just like there are ways to lift without hiring a personal trainer.

    I think the main concerns people have had with it are safety and cost, and you run into those with almost any exercise regiment involving weights, so I think I'll give it a go. Thanks everybody :wink:

    Edit to specify that crossfit.com posts the videos how to do the workouts.... not my friends. That sounded confusing the second time I read it.
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    ITS AWESOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
  • yoovie
    yoovie Posts: 17,121 Member
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    This coming from someone with a pic of themselves all muddy as their profile pic. Let me guess, you;re some bro nutritionist who thinks ice cream is bad because you have no clue about real nutritional science.

    WAIT.... im so confused and kinda scared now......... doing mud runs means you dont know anything about nutrition and keeps you from getting in shape??????????????????????????????????

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