Is crossfit worth it?

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  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    Don't most people do crossfit so they can brag about doing crossfit to other people?

    http://liferxd.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/memecrossfit.jpg

    I figure if I can listen to and support my friends numerous daily post about little Sally or Johnny learning how to use the toilet, they can humor a few CrossFit posts.
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    If you are a novice and are doing muscle ups, I bow to you. Or you have a background in gymnastics already.
    I was CrossFitting for nearly a year, my husband is still for over 1 1/2 year and neither of us are even near attempting a muscle up.
    We are still on the developing the basic movements and building the strength to do one, a lot of stuff I learned in a gymnastics seminar put on by my gym with an instructor who has a background in gymnastics, still teaches gymnastics as well as CrossFits. Only a handful of very seasoned people on our gym do them.

    I also haven't done a kipping pull up yet because I have not yet gotten a strict pull-up. I was almost there before pregnancy.

    There is a world of difference between what your average CrossFitter does in a daily workout than what you see the elite CrossFitters doing.

    My post wasn't about muscle ups, it was about crap form in general, but that image from Ripptoe's Starting Strength clearly shows how ANY joint may be overloaded with improper form.

    You shouldn't be doing muscle ups until you have a 1.5x bodyweight FROM A DEAD HANG pull up, probably the same for a chin up, and to make sure your shoulder and rotator are protected, you should probably be proficient with a two handed press, or simply, a press.

    But since you made mention of the muscle up, How ridiculous is it to perform ANY weight pull up with a kipping motion, you're reducing the weight lifted by using momentum at the top and bottom of your pulls, in the name of VO2 max.

    Yeah, it's an awesome pump, but for a real world "functionality"standpoint, NO person anywhere hangs off a cliff and puts their chin over the side as fast as they can, over and over, they pull themselves up after a dead stop.

    The differences between any style of exercise is the goals you are trying to attain with that style of workout. Crossfit is equally mediocre at everything, as it was designed to be. Weight lifting is for strength, running is for endurance, and agility drills are for agility.

    Are quickly performed kipping muscle ups and pull ups impressive? Hell yes. Are they useful for attaining a goal OTHER than to become profficient at either kipping muscle ups or kipping pull ups? No.

    Sorry.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Don't most people do crossfit so they can brag about doing crossfit to other people?

    http://liferxd.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/memecrossfit.jpg

    I figure if I can listen to and support my friends numerous daily post about little Sally or Johnny learning how to use the toilet, they can humor a few CrossFit posts.

    PREACH!!!

    although- I don't support all the numerous daily posts about little susie or sally or jonny or billy. I just scroll quickly past them.
    yuck.

    But I assume for my less than athletic friends- they do the same to me.
  • PRMinx
    PRMinx Posts: 4,585 Member
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    Don't most people do crossfit so they can brag about doing crossfit to other people?

    http://liferxd.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/memecrossfit.jpg

    I figure if I can listen to and support my friends numerous daily post about little Sally or Johnny learning how to use the toilet, they can humor a few CrossFit posts.

    PREACH!!!

    although- I don't support all the numerous daily posts about little susie or sally or jonny or billy. I just scroll quickly past them.
    yuck.

    But I assume for my less than athletic friends- they do the same to me.

    AMEN!
  • ValGogo
    ValGogo Posts: 2,168 Member
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    Don't most people do crossfit so they can brag about doing crossfit to other people?

    http://liferxd.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/memecrossfit.jpg

    rotflmfao!
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
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    If I'm hanging off of a cliff, I'm going to cheat form as necessary to get back up on it.

    That sounds like a pretty strong argument for kipping being more functional than strict.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    Ok?

    Perhaps I misinterpreted your post, but I am not sure why the need for the bite me part.

    Actually, I was reading it over again, and there wasn't one. My apologies. I retract my offers of biting. Friends?

    :flowerforyou:
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    If I'm hanging off of a cliff, I'm going to cheat form as necessary to get back up on it.

    That sounds like a pretty strong argument for kipping being more functional than strict.

    ROFLMAO

    Nice one. In retrospect, I'd cheat like a MOFO too... but, my point was, if one was to go to the gym with the intention at becoming the most proficient at pulling themselves over something in a life or death situation, I don't wanna have to kip to get the job done.

    Cliffhanger and not trained for it? Kip away!
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    If I'm hanging off of a cliff, I'm going to cheat form as necessary to get back up on it.

    That sounds like a pretty strong argument for kipping being more functional than strict.

    well- if you're hanging off a cliff 50 times in a row- I suspect you got bigger issues than kip vs non kip. LOL
    Well, then, by all means.. bite away. I didn't know I was in here with the "we like it rough" crowd ;)

    ETA: Now that song is stuck in my head. Na na na na na come on, I like it like it come on =)
    HEH. that make wind up on ze ipod for the workout tonight. LOL and yes- we are definitely all about that here. ;)
  • shmerek
    shmerek Posts: 963 Member
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    ^^ Lol

    I lift and I do cf for the cardio I hate the "brand" but the workouts are fun. I know it isn't going to bulk me up. If I had to choose one it would be the lifting hands down. I don't kip, I don't post about the WOD, when we are doing deadlifts or other oly lifts I slow down to concentrate on form so that usually makes me the last to finish but who gives a ****? Wait do I even cf?
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    yeah- some of their workouts are fun. I have done them. I definitely cherry pick- I tend to avoid the OLY lifting ones- and go more for the speed/calesthestic/plyo ones- it's a nice balance for cardio- I got really into Bodyrock/HIIT style workouts for about 2 years and found supplementing for "just getting my workouts in" was perfect.

    Now I'm off crazy work schedule- lifting wins- but they are really good to supplement for an entertaining work out- no questions asked.
  • SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish
    SoLongAndThanksForAllTheFish Posts: 831 Member
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    If I'm hanging off of a cliff, I'm going to cheat form as necessary to get back up on it.

    That sounds like a pretty strong argument for kipping being more functional than strict.

    Good luck "swinging" on the edge of a cliff, or getting your fingers round the "bar" on the cliff. Cliff rock tends to prevent swinging for some reason...but maybe you just lean over cliffs made of free hanging bars, then it would help you.

    OP I'd say weigh the possibility of encouraging friends at Crossfit vs the real increased injury risk and high cost. I'd say its not worth it, but I'm not a big social exerciser, even though I still need to find a decent replacement spotter :P
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    I can see where this thread was going after just a couple posts. Your goal is to lose weight, so if that's the case your money would be better invested in a dietitian or reputable nutritionist. If your goal is gain endurance and some strength improvement, then CrossFit would be a good investment.
    I like the idea of crossfit for a couple of reasons.

    I hate doing cardio and know that doing cardio is a beneficial thing
    I love lifting heavy things
    People who do crossfit are motivated to exercise

    My main problem with it (outside of the form issues and such that have been discussed over and over) is that outside of an untrained and out of shape individual, I don't see how crossfit can make you "stronger".

    If you've never done any weight training at all, and have pretty low cardio "fitness", doing any amount of lifting regardless of the progression/programming is going to make you improve. I think that's where a lot of the love for Crossfit comes from, people enjoy doing it, they improve their previously basic strength and they get into better fitness.

    But once you get to that certain level of strength/fitness, crossfit can't help you improve any more. You can't simply push yourself harder to get strong doing those types of workouts. You need a program that's designed to slowly increase your body's capacity to move heavier things.

    I always hear crossfitters say things like "You gotta keep your body guessing", and "you never know what today's workout is going to bring", as if that's a good thing, but it seems more than a little silly to me. If your goal it to get stronger, how can you do that when you might not do the same lift 2 times in a month?

    Maybe if I had trouble sticking to a program for any amount of time, I'd be more interested in trying it out, but I enjoy lifting for its own sake, whether or not I'm racing the guy next to me to finish. I also enjoy the progression, knowing that last week I did x and this week I'm going to do x+2.

    IMO Crossfit is good because it gets people motivated who have never lifted, but at some point those people are going to stop seeing the progress they get initially and get frustrated and quit or move on to an actual program.

    IMO it's not a lifting program. I previously ran and swam or did sports conditioning. Now I do CF metcons for my cardio and most of my strength training outside of CF or at open gym time at CF (or at our oly classes at CF)...Anyway, I used it to replace cardio and learn more about lifting and gymnastics, not as a strength program.
  • kelly_e_montana
    kelly_e_montana Posts: 1,999 Member
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    Don't most people do crossfit so they can brag about doing crossfit to other people?

    http://liferxd.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/memecrossfit.jpg

    I figure if I can listen to and support my friends numerous daily post about little Sally or Johnny learning how to use the toilet, they can humor a few CrossFit posts.

    PREACH!!!

    although- I don't support all the numerous daily posts about little susie or sally or jonny or billy. I just scroll quickly past them.
    yuck.

    But I assume for my less than athletic friends- they do the same to me.

    AMEN!

    No joke! Or see pics of your dinner every night...
  • chrystee
    chrystee Posts: 295 Member
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    SO worth it for me.

    My box is like part of my family, we've become friends and my coaches are amazing.
    The cost keeps me motivated to go.
    I'm getting SO much stronger.
    It always changes, so its always something different.
    I love it.
  • chrystee
    chrystee Posts: 295 Member
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    I absolutely love CrossFit.

    Its what gets me out of bed in the morning when I'm having a depressive episode. The community support is second to nothing and is the best motivational tool I've ever found.

    But I don't pay anything like $140 dollars a month to be fair.

    And no, it won't make you bulky. Most men at my CrossFit gym aren't even bulky. It tends to make them lean and athletic but it doesn't make for huge muscles.

    ANd talk to the owners of the box.. If you can't afford 140, you can usually scale down.. Ours is 150 for unlimited sessions, and believe me, I'm there at least 5-6 times a week, twice on tuesday, becuase we have an extra yoga WOD. Tehre's also no contract at my box, so if I decide tomorrow that I can't afford the cost, I don't have to pay for the next month. Our's will also put it on hold if you go out of town for 2 weeks, or vacation, or whatever comes up.
  • chrystee
    chrystee Posts: 295 Member
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    My wife has a good deal of experience with weight lifting and its over all pretty fit muscle wise. She does want to lose 15-20 lbs, and recently started crossfit.

    Starting crossfit though has NOTHING to do with those lbs and everything to do with being more fit. Provided you go to a good gym for it (key word being good) crossfit will push you beyond what most people will do at the gym.

    What I love about it, is that it doesn't coddle women like most PT's do. You are not doing idiotic bosu ball exercises, or shying away from real lifts. We recently had a tree fall in our yard and my wife was rolling 300 lb segments at 5'7" 147lbs.

    If you want to be very FIT then crossfit may be you, if this is about weight loss, then you still need table push aways and fork put downs.

    Hell yea.
  • susie7172
    susie7172 Posts: 5
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    I bought a Groupon for Crossfit. I was so excited because I'd heard so many good things about it.

    I hated it.

    I've been working out regularly for at least 20 years, so it wasn't my first time with weights. But, there was so little instruction to new folks. It was so loud, I couldn't hear the instructor anyway. Everyone was throwing around their weights and they'd go crashing down. After class, I talked to the owner and expressed my concern about the lack of instruction. Someone could very easily get hurt.

    I haven't gone back. I've considered giving another location a go, but I've found other workouts that are satisfying to me.
  • workshardplaysharder
    workshardplaysharder Posts: 44
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    If you want to be very FIT then crossfit may be you, if this is about weight loss, then you still need table push aways and fork put downs.

    You don't need crossfit to be very fit.
  • Siege_Tank
    Siege_Tank Posts: 781 Member
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    If you want to be very FIT then crossfit may be you, if this is about weight loss, then you still need table push aways and fork put downs.

    You don't need crossfit to be very fit.

    Reading comprehension fail. She said "want" and "may"..

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