Should I start crossfit?

Ok, I avoided this because this question usually turns into a CrossFit bashing thread.

I do CrossFit. I love it. It's the only workout I have ever done that has kept me engaged consistently for more than a year. I went from being in terrible shape, to being in pretty good shape. I'm enjoying the muscle tone that I'm getting from lifting and body weight exercises and I can actually run a 5k in under 30 minutes now. Also, I've met some awesome people that have become really good friends.

If you are going to do CrossFit, however, make sure you are going to a reputable gym. They should put you through an Elements class for several week where you learn the moves and proper form. From there, they should watch you closely to make sure you aren't taking on too much weight, too soon.

I'd say try it and see if you like it. At the same time, your workout routine now is great too.

I'm going to have to agree with Paige's comments. I am waiting to see the comments, too! hahaha

I started 2 years ago and it is the only thing that I have stuck to in years. All the haters can hate, but they are obviously doing something right. Most people who CF stick to it. It's pricier than a gym membership, but I'd give up my cable bill before I'd give up CF. It was good advice to find the right CF Box and coaching. Most do offer comp sessions or a one month GroupOn. Look for variety. My Box has weight lifting, a WOD (workout of the day), and then 'extra credit' type things and mobility. They don't just do a 15, 20, or 30 minute WOD and send you home. I like the competition, but go into it with the outlook to keep getting better and don't worry about everyone else.

As far as weight loss...it will help you with fat loss. But, you will likely remain the same weight for a while because you gain muscle and lose fat. I stayed the same for about a year, but my body compostion has changed a lot. It helps to do a BodPod fat test if you have one around you. I wish I would have done one at the beginning.

I recently went on vacation for a week (where I couldn't find a CrossFit) and then had a business trip the following week. It's the longest time that I have been out of CF since I started. I did heavy weights at the hotel gym, which was actually very nice and I ran, so I didn't just take the weeks off. But, this is my first week back to CF and I am as sore as ever. I'm not complaining...it just showed me that my CF workouts are intense. Particulary the Olympic lifting. And, I'm even more convinced that it's the right thing for me. I do still run a few days but not long runs....like 2-3 miles, 20-30 minutes.

There is a CrossFit group here, so if you decide to try it, you may want to join the group for support.

Good luck!

CrossFit has it's ups and downs just like every other routine. It's not magic and it will only work as well as the amount of effort you put into it. I can say that if you do partake in CrossFit, be careful, I've seen many injuries. Also, as someone else mentioned, make sure to go to a reputable place, it doesn't take much to start a CrossFit group and call yourself a "trainer".

I love cross fit - It keeps things interesting. The only part that I am not a fan of is the max rep. Its not one of my personal goals so I just do not participate in it. If you are going to do is as well, make sure you find a place that is safety oriented. You want to make sure you have proper form in order to avoid injury.

Like much of the competition of CrossFit, it's a competition with myself, not the other athletes. Max rep is part of that; a benchmark, like any other. I like to know it not only to have an idea of how I'm progressing, but it's also a reference point for other WODs. Doing the same movement at 60% of 1RM, for example.

Agreed, always be sure you're using proper form. WODs "for time" are one of the more misunderstood things about CrossFit. Those against say it promotes bad form in favor of the clock. It's just the opposite, actually. If you can't maintain good form then the weight is too heavy. As you get faster using proper form, you can gage when to start upping the weight. Never sacrifice form in order to use more weight or to beat the clock (or the guy next to you). That's a sure way to get hurt.

Give it a try, I love it. Most CrossFit boxes offer a free class to do the baseline and try a class.

What do you mean by it got competitive? I'm a former athlete so I do have a very competitive streak in me.

For the record, I am not down on crossfit like a lot of people are. I think if you find something fitness wise that you really like and motivates you, that will help you more than something "better" that you hate doing. And just like you can injure yourself doing crossfit, you can do the same thing lifting weights or running, etc if you don't know what you're doing and/or go to hard to early.

I only went once, but basically the WOD (workout of the day) which is normally timed. So you might have a circuit of burpees, pushups, squats (or whatever) and they say do 10x10x10, and see how many circuits you can do in 10 minutes. When I went, everyone put their results up on a chalkboard. Or there was a lifting portion and the amounts people could lift were put up on the chalkboard. So if you are the type that is self-conscious, you might not like this level of exposure. Or you might not care. At the one my wife went to there wasn't really a division between beginner classes and advanced, so once more people showed up there were big guys working out with their shirts off in the same class as the women beginners. There were people who would exaggerate on their numbers since it was on display. Cases where the really fit people were correcting others form. Granted this is all stuff could happen in any class setting or even a gym you workout by yourself, but I guess having the numbers posted on the board seemed to encourage people showing off (in her opinion).

Well, according to my Facebook feed, the only way to get results from Crossfit is to constantly tell everyone you are doing Crossfit.
On a serious note, it really looks like it works. One of my friends went from regular fit to beefcake after doing crossfit. I would do it, but it costs a lot. So go for it. Worse that happens is you aren't pleased with it and stop.

Personally, I love it. I belong to a crossfit gym as well as a standard gym and do both. The variety of crossfit keeps it interesting because you never know what is coming at you on a daily basis. It is however, not for the faint of heart