How you feel about crossfit?

Expect it to be $$$$$$$$$$$. Although I do know people who do it and really love it, there is no way I could afford it. Plus I'm a bit of a loner when it comes to working out and wouldn't want people cheering me on and crap.

Do you feel like it's just another fad workout routine?
Did it work for you?
What should I expect?
Any other options or ideas?

Crossfit is not a "fad" workout routine. It's not necessarily the best there is, but it combines a variety of tried and proven fitness approaches into a random mix that is ever changing. You won't do the same workout twice for at least 4-6 weeks, and then when you do it again you'll find you're better - faster, stronger, more of everything even though you haven't done those exact exercises at all in between.

Crossfit worked for me because the trainers in my area were great. I ultimately stopped because I was going at 6AM and I couldn't keep that up forever, but I look forward to going back again.

Expect a combination of skilled olympic lifts with various cardio activities, mixed up. For example: Row 400m, 10 burpees, 5 power cleans, repeat as many times as possible in 7 minutes (this is called an "AMRAP" workout in crossfit-speak: as many rounds as possible within the time limit). Or sometimes, it's do the workout as fast as possible. Or sometimes, it's discover your maximum weight for a particular lift. Loud music and solid gym equipment in a garage-like setting are the norm: don't expect fancy showers, workout clothes, or beautiful squeaky clean floors.

I personally think that you can't go far wrong with crossfit. You should wind up strong but not body-builder like, with plenty of endurance and fat-burning muscle mass.

Expense wise I haven't compared it to other options, but the gym in my area didn't seem more expensive than the other options to me. Plus, if you are worried about cost, once you've had the training and are confident you can perform the exercises with correct form, it's reasonably easy to get what you need to do the workouts at home.

Osric

I think Crossfit is fantastic!

Are you competitive with yourself and others? Are you not afraid to try new things? Do you like to work hard, often times out of your comfort zone? Do you like lifting weights??? Do you like change or predictable routines?

It just depends on your personality. I enjoy working out with others, lifting and competing with others. It drives me.

I don't enjoy aerobics classes and predictability. I like the challenge of a new WOD and the Rx factor, someone saying you need to try this weight during this workout.

You also need to use commonsense in Crossfit. It's great to work hard, learn new stuff, and push yourself, BUT you need to find that balance so as not to get injured. It's ultimately your body and you know it best and there is NOTHING WRONG with choosing a lighter weight than is Rxed. Sometimes I do part of the workout at the Rx weight, then drop down to a lighter weight or vice versa. The point is to challenge yourself in a SMART way, and not just be stagnant as so many people are in weight room gyms!

Have FUN with it!! And good luck!

What I think? Any supposedly health conscious company who's CEO thinks 'this could kill you, if you can't accept that, we don't want you' doesn't deserve anyone's time, money or anything but a swift kick to the head.

But considering the workouts? That might hurt less than the WOD.

There are better alternatives that are less expensive and less likely to make your muscle cells explode and destroy your kidneys. Just sayin'.

I work in a fitness facility, and the trainer I work with teaches "onramp" for people who are not quite fit enough to go to crossfit. I know the cost in my town is $100 a month, and people who go there, are very addicted, and my coworker is always commenting on how tough the workouts are. She's a professional athlete, so I think she knows what she's talking about.

I suppose the real thing about Crossfit is philosophical. I'm not sure what the point of it is. In that, it's all training for what? What's the goal?

Without judging crossfit correct or incorrect, I think it's only fair to point out that their materials clearly spell out their answer to your question.

"There are ten recognized general physical skills. They are cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. (See “General Physical Skills”, pg. 4, for definitions.) You are as fit as you are competent in each of these ten skills. A regimen develops fitness to the extent that it improves each of these ten skills.
...
The implication here is that fitness requires an ability to perform well at all tasks, even unfamiliar tasks, tasks combined in infinitely varying combinations. ... Nature frequently provides largely unforeseeable challenges; train for that by striving to keep the training stimulus broad and constantly varied."

(Quoted from: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ-trial.pdf)

I think it's a little disingenuous to post as though you know what crossfit is about and question their basic definitions as though they don't exist. It's completely reasonable to argue that they've defined fitness incorrectly, or that their program doesn't achieve their goals, but to ask "What's the point?" when it's clearly spelled out is unfair.

Osric

I just joined a crossfit gym about 3 weeks ago. I wanted to start some strength training, and also still do cardio - which is why crossfit was perfect for me. I also hate running because it's boring.

The workouts are tough enough that sometimes I question whether or not I'll get through it - but that's what I want. You do need the mindset that you'll get through every workout regardless of how hard you think it is. That being said, everything can be scaled. The workout yesterday called for 135 lbs and I used 75. I'm still working on getting good form down. The point is that the exercise should be intense and leave you breathless. I'm sure I could do closer to 135 lbs, but I would take more breaks in between reps and that would decrease the intensity.

It is pricier - but I get coaching on form. They also worry about the programming so I'm not exhausting the same exact muscle group everyday. This may seem insignificant but it's nice not having to plan my own workouts. My gym has class 7 days a week and diverse trainers (some are olympic lifters, some are endurance runners, etc.). Those are the two main reasons I chose it. I do get coached on form, and I'm sure some gyms won't correct you and let you throw your back out.

I don't think crossfit is a fad...it may die down in popularity but the workouts will get you results. Like any exercise program though, diet plays a big part in achieving your goals.

Most gyms post their workouts on their websites - so if you're interested see if any look like they're in line with your fitness goals. Then sign up for an intro class (most gyms have a free class). and see if you like the gym.

I love cross fit... Would highly recommend it if your looking to get your booty in high gear

There are pros and cons to it. A lot of it depends on how good the specific gym ('box') is. If you get a good one, it can be great. A bad one, and you'll get a lot of this



Pros
-great community
-interesting exercise routine
-individual support and attention
-great variety of equipment
-easy tracking of progress

Cons
-expensive. Like, prohibitively expensive
-sometimes lacks direction (WODs working the same muscle groups many days in a row)
-paleo diet pushers (again, depends on the gym, but I've seen some horrible nutrition brosciene laid out by crossfit trainers)
-'trainers' have varying levels of qualification
-oly lifting for reps/time is a sure path to injury.

If you have the money and it seems like a good place, go for it. I would say its best asset is the community. You can get the same results with a normal gym membership, but it doesn't come with the same built-in support.

All the crossfitters I know are a bit obsessive. Which has turned me off from it.
Because the runners I know aren't at all obsessive. :-)

And a few key notes. Some gyms (I hate saying box) will push paleo, and there are a good amount of *kitten*. All sports, gyms, and exercise programs you do will have some people who think they're better than everyone else. That's life. I think when people start to define themselves as a 'crossfitter' rather than someone who uses crossfit to better themselves - you start seeing the pretentiousness.

I suppose the real thing about Crossfit is philosophical. I'm not sure what the point of it is. In that, it's all training for what? What's the goal?

Without judging crossfit correct or incorrect, I think it's only fair to point out that their materials clearly spell out their answer to your question.

"There are ten recognized general physical skills. They are cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. (See “General Physical Skills”, pg. 4, for definitions.) You are as fit as you are competent in each of these ten skills. A regimen develops fitness to the extent that it improves each of these ten skills.
...
The implication here is that fitness requires an ability to perform well at all tasks, even unfamiliar tasks, tasks combined in infinitely varying combinations. ... Nature frequently provides largely unforeseeable challenges; train for that by striving to keep the training stimulus broad and constantly varied."

(Quoted from: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/CFJ-trial.pdf)

I think it's a little disingenuous to post as though you know what crossfit is about and question their basic definitions as though they don't exist. It's completely reasonable to argue that they've defined fitness incorrectly, or that their program doesn't achieve their goals, but to ask "What's the point?" when it's clearly spelled out is unfair.

Osric

Lol! Well consider me truly slapped down!

So, I'd just like to clarify, the point of Crossfit is to expect the unexpected? Doing a bunch of random stuff and hoping it carries over into other unspecified/unknown activities/arenas is the kind of rubbish that used to (and still does in many places) infect the S&C world.

My "what's the point?" is exactly questioning this "throw lots of *kitten* at a wall and hope some of it sticks" approach. I believe you are wilfully misconstruing my post. You cannot truly train all the qualities listed to their highest level. You have to pick which one's you want (and hope they don't conflict with each other) in an effort to achieve what you set out to do.

For instance, there's another thread here somewhere with an intelligent discussion with the mum of a teenage cross-country runner who wants to bulk up and get some explosive strength (the son, not the mum!). These qualities are competing. Sometimes you have to choose what you want to do and do it properly. Or else you end up doing a lot of things in a mediocre fashion.

You can't be both Mo Farah and Usain Bolt. If you think you can, then you are wrong.

You obviously ignored the part where I said "to be fit is to be fit for a task". I have already set my position out in opposition to the one you outlined above in reply to me. I disagree with what they have labelled "fitness". I thought that was clearly stated.

As far as the idea behind the workouts themselves, I think it's fine, it's just a different way to get fit and the idea of HIIT has been around forever. However, I am not a fan of the extreme competitiveness and pushing your body to its limit every single day that I have witnessed in my local CF gyms and programs. Physically, that is a recipe for major injury and, psychologically, it feels like high school gym class on steroids. While that is just a personal opinion based on my experiences with local boxes, it's enough to turn me off even without the insane price tag.

My gym offers crossfit and I'd like to start joining their classes, but I find it a little intimidating. I have done tabatas and boot camp classes and I weight train and do spin classes. I feel comfortanble with suicide sprints, air and jump squats, push-ups burpees, but I can't do a chin up to save my life. I'm wondering if I should be at a certain fitness level to start or possibly work with a PT that coaches the classes to get ready to join the classes. Any reccomomendations on where a person's fitness level should be at before joining?

I have done crossfit on and off, mainly due to the price. I have learned that it depends heavily on the box that you join on how good it is. Also, if you are a motivated individual, you can do most of the workouts at a normal gym or in my case my home gym much easier. I don't like to give up my heavy lifting either though so I end up lifting heavy half the days and crossfit the other half.