Is Crossfit enough?
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Ceffy
Posts: 235
Bearing in mind that the reason I'm on MFP is to lose 6.5 stone / 90 lbs, I'm wondering if CF is enough.
I do CF at my local box about 5 times a week, some weeks 4 as I have to travel with work. As with the nature of CF, there is true variety, some sessions leave me dead on my feet and drenched in sweat , but others I come away without even aching muscles.
It is (has) improving my health, fitness, shape and weight. but when I was first losing weight it was based on 4-5 cardio sessions of 1.5 hours in the gym rather than the average WOD of 15-20 minutes plus weights.
So for those trying to lose weight through CF, are you doing other activities also?
I do CF at my local box about 5 times a week, some weeks 4 as I have to travel with work. As with the nature of CF, there is true variety, some sessions leave me dead on my feet and drenched in sweat , but others I come away without even aching muscles.
It is (has) improving my health, fitness, shape and weight. but when I was first losing weight it was based on 4-5 cardio sessions of 1.5 hours in the gym rather than the average WOD of 15-20 minutes plus weights.
So for those trying to lose weight through CF, are you doing other activities also?
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I did crossfit for a few months, I got stronger, healthier, body changed a little, but number on the scale did not move. .. which I was OK with because I was healthy.
Then I changed my diet (to paleo), I leaned up very very quickly.
I wouldn't have leaned up though if I hadn't done both paleo and crossfit together0 -
Thanks, should have mentioned that I do Paleo (mostly)0
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I think it is as long as you are fueling your body appropriately.
How long have you been doing crossfit? If you leave some workouts without feeling tired or sore, maybe you didn't push hard enough or use heavy enough weight? I have been crossfitting for about 6 months, and it took awhile to figure out how hard to I push myself to make sure I don't burnout too quickly but still get the workout I need (proper pacing for a WOD). It is something that takes time to figure out.
Have you thought about adding supplemental lifting program? Wendler or Starting Strength might be something you want to consider. Talk to the coaches at your box otherwise and see what their thoughts are on helping you add some programming.0 -
i run a couple times a week in addition to Crossfit. For me, the other big factor is my eating. I was Crossfitting a lot and lost a little bit of weight. Then I went Paleo... and that kicked my weight loss into high gear.0
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Shift your thinking to how your body looks and fits into clothes versus the number on the scale.
I believe if doing it a few times a week, Crossfit is supplemental. I personally do it about 9x a week, so for me it's enough. However, if you're doing it 4-5x a week, that's great! But if you're aim is to slim down a bit quicker, I'd also add in some running and other activity like biking, hiking, sports, etc a few times a week.0 -
I'm in the same boat currently! Thinking of adding more cardio as well.0
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Shift your thinking to how your body looks and fits into clothes versus the number on the scale.
This right here is exactly what I would say. I have actually gained some weight through CF but my clothes still fit great.0 -
I started crossfit 3x week about 4 mobths ago and I saw a difference. Then, 2 months ago, i dtarted running, also 3x week, in addition to my crossfit and i really saw a difference. Again, food is a major factor.0
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Shift your thinking to how your body looks and fits into clothes versus the number on the scale.
This right here is exactly what I would say. I have actually gained some weight through CF but my clothes still fit great.
my mother is a great example (also a crossfit coach). she weighed 120 and was a size 6. now is about 128 and is a size 2.0 -
Depends on your body. I love CF, but I also need to incorporate a lot of stretching/yoga/pilates to my weekly mix in order to protect my joints.
It also depends on your goals- get healthy, get definition, build muscle, drop size... all of those goals take different paths for me (well, get healthy is included with the other three lol)
I find to drop weight I have to concentrate on more cardio (my fave is walking on treadmill at high incline) and if I just do cardio (with good nutrition) my weight (and SIZE) go down immensely, but I don't like my shape after those seasons, so I always come back to adding in weights or programs like CF0 -
Maybe speak to your coaches about your goals, which are to drop bodyfat as opposed to weight itself. I find that what you eat really helps. I have gone under sub 10% in 2013, through not eating junk, eating clean and making treats myself to avoid the crap you get in the supermarkets and also not drinking alcohol. I was always hovering at 15-16% because i kept eating 15-20 chocolate bars a week. I didn't eat out for a period of 5-6 weeks and my bodyfat just plummeted to 8-9%.
As you may know I don't even log food, i just use my hands as measuring tools. ie. a handful of carb, a handful of protein, sprinkle of fat and a tone of greens. Also snack on fruits and dark chocolate, peanut butter and raw milk.0 -
I have always had the same issue with CF. Keep in mind that CrossFit encourages you to take part in other activities. The hard truth is that many CrossFitters refuse to admit is that it is not the greatest method for losing weight. Most WODs are designed to last around 20 minutes, and that is not usually enough time to get the caloric burn you need to produce drastic weight loss. Even if the intensity of the WOD is the highest you could possibly muster, you would probably lose more weight by maintaining a constant moderate intensity for a much longer time period (like 60 minutes).
CrossFit wasn't designed to help people lose weight so much as it was designed to help people become more fit. In other words it will help condition your body to perform when called upon to do so. And while this will usually lead to weight loss in a lot of us, it will not get the drastic results seen with other fitness regimens. And that's ok. Many CrossFitters will tell you to forget about the scale, but that is not always realistic. Sometimes you really need to get below a certain weight.
My story: After doing CrossFit almost daily for 6 months, I found myself having only lost about 10 pounds. This is not normal for me being as overweight as I was. So I made the decision to cut out a few days a week to dedicate to cardio (which I hate), and I got the results I wanted quickly. I still did CF, but I needed the extra cardio to meet my goals. That being said, everybody's body is different. You just need to keep an open mind and understand that a faster weightloss might mean less CF.0 -
Moe0303 driving the truth bus! Couldn't agree more, well said.
The only thing I'd add is to advise to not necessarily cut out any cf days, but to instead add other activities, like wod in the morning, and jog at night.0 -
The real question is, am I restricting the right number of calories from my TDEE to lose the weight I want?
Crossfit nor any other sport has nothing to do with your weight loss. It's about your nutrition.0 -
The real question is, am I restricting the right number of calories from my TDEE to lose the weight I want?
Crossfit nor any other sport has nothing to do with your weight loss. It's about your nutrition.
wrong, they go hand in hand. neither is more important than the other. and she's already eating super clean.0 -
I started using CrossFit as a method to cross-train for my triathlons (cycling, swimming, running) and as another source of cardio. I had gotten bored with the typical programming at my local gym. As first I noticed a weight-gain, but within a month, I was down a pant size and a shirt size. I also began to notice faster times and greater endurance in ALL aspects of my training.
But I still wanted to loose weight, so I talked w/ my coaches. Against what sounded wrong, but trusting in my coaches - I had to increase my caloric intake and modify my eating choices & habits (*I'm 80% paleo at this stage) and BINGO - not only did the weight start to come off, but I also saw even more increases in my endurance and faster WOD times, heavier weights and faster runs, rides and swims.
You'll still need to increase your "other" methods or choices of cardio to help loose the weight, but nutrition is the primary key need for unlocking the best results.
Good Luck !!!0 -
I do beginners crossfit 2-3 times a week and then my elliptical bike 2-3 times a week as well. My trainer said that he hates cardio but does advocate for that type of bike.0
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I WOD 6 days/week. Been doing CF for about 7 months now and honestly the scale hasn't moved. BUT, how I look in the mirror, how my clothes fit, compliments from others, my fitness level, etc have all dramatically improved. As others have said, the scale won't show you your true progress.
I supplement my WODs with Olympic Lifting.
Does your programmer build in any Strength sessions prior to the WOD?
As for leaving not sore... you didn't push yourself hard enough probably. In over 200 days of CrossFit I have yet to leave the Box dry and not sore.
I'm about to do a 6 week Paleo challenge and I'm upping my caloric intake a lot to see if I can restart my weight loss.0 -
Welllll.... I've kind of come to a plan which funnily enough incorporates a lot of your suggestions!
I've researched my calorie allowance again and upped it by 300 (eek) as my coach has always said its not about calorie counting but the quality of the food. From the 6th I'm banishing festive food from the house and starting back 80% paleo as I was pre Christmas.
Our box is starting up weight lifting & gymnastic classes so that will be an extra two hours of "challenging" work for me to do a week.
From there my plan is that the opposite end of the day to my WOD, I do *something* for 30 minutes, whether that be walk the dog, dance like a fool, yoga or a cardio dvd. I'm fairly limited at the moment in terms of high impact cardio as I'm under physio therapy for a maligned knee due to malfanoid tendencies (only took the hospital 10 years to diagnose).
Thanks for all your advice - good to know there;s some others that have the same issue but hoping that clean eating and mixing up the movement during the week will help with losses
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Great plan!0
