Crossfit advice please. I really want to try it out!
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nena0610
Posts: 3
Hi, I've been working out mostly doing cardio. Treadmill, stationary bike etc. s tarted with 16min and have now worked myself up to 30 min of moderate to vigorous intensity....I really want to try crossfit any advice on where to begin???? There's a crossfit gym I can go to but personal trainer is too much so I need a starting point to start on my own.
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Replies
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I've only been working out for about a month but I feel like I'm ready to try other things0
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I actually intern at a wellness center, where it is also a certified "Cross fit" facility. I would not recommend cross fit to anybody who has no experience in barbell training. Learn to squat, deadlift, press first. You will be expected to do "power cleans" "power snatches" and other very advanced movements in a circuit style of training along with stuff like box jumps, rowing, T2B, burpees. So it is a very intense thing, and if you can't preform these movements in a non fatigued state, it is putting you at a stupid high risk of injury to preform them in a fatigued state.0
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Crossfit is a fad an expensive one at that, their form is also terrible. Good form exists for a reason, to stop you getting hurt and to get the most out of the exercises. Many of the trainers merely did a quick weekend course after exercising for just a few weeks. They also have a cult mentality and they attempted to remove Eligin Intensity off youtube by abusing its inadequate system with fake copyright claims because he criticised them.
Find something kinder to your wallet that wont tear out your back.0 -
Thank you for the advice!0
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Hi
I just hired a personal trainer today and I am an experienced person with working out. I also spin 4 days a week. But I will tell you that it was hard for me to do the workout. Circuit trainer is no joke. I say go for it.0 -
Let me preface this by saying, I do train with a CrossFit group. That being said, read on.
I would say go for it but only if you know that the trainers at the particular CrossFit facility you will go to are good and have experience outside of CrossFit. CrossFit definitely has the potential to do a lot of good for people, but it also seriously has the potential to hurt you. My biggest issue with CrossFit is inexperienced trainers at some facilities teaching brand new lifters things like the snatch and clean/jerk. This is definitely not the case at every CrossFit "box" but it definitely IS the case at quite a few. Also, it's wicked expensive!
TLDR; Make an educated decision about which CrossFit facility you choose.0 -
I train at a Crossfit box and I love it. If you are interested in Crossfit I would definitely suggest trying it out. Just be careful with where you go. A good box with a good trainer isn't going to just throw a newbie out into the WOD, but they'll have an on-ramp program of some sort to get you familiar with the movements before you start out. Look for a place where they emphasize good form over heavy weights.0
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I do crossfit as a part of my program. I had experience with many of the lifts and exercises but not all of them (who knew you would have the rope go under you twice while jumping rope?) It is a great way to get and stay motivated. It is a great way to reach different fitness goals (strength, mobility, speed, balance, endurance). It is hard, but you can (and should) scale each workout to your capabilities.
The following points are an absolute must if you choose to do crossfit:
- Find one with a good foundations or elementals class. These typically go for four weeks for all new “athletes.” They teach you the basic exercises, with a good focus on form.
- Find one with good coaches. There are multiple levels in crossfit certification and they can also take specialty classes. When you talk to a coach, they should listen, and watch you work, and then provide verbal cues to help you improve your form.
- Use a journal or an app to keep track of your work and weights. You want regular progression and the best way to ensure that is to know what your maximum lifts are.
- Always scale the work to what you can do (this is especially important during the WODs). You’ll be moving fast and it is harder to hold good form. Don’t worry with what RX is, do what is right for you.
- Don’t cherry pick WODs. If it is challenging, work on it (scaled of course).
- Find things about crossfit that motivate you. I have no desire to write my scores/times on the whiteboard or on Wodify, but for others it is a primary motivation for them.
- Don’t feel like you have to go 5 times per week. I only signed up for and go 3 times per week. I walk and lift weights on three of the other days.
- Make friends. You’ll find that people generally come to the same class times each day. Cheer them on, they’ll cheer you on.
- Do mobility work outside of the box. Also, work on other challenges outside the box. If pull ups are your kryptonite, you won’t progress far if the only pull ups you do are in WODs. Work on it on you own outside the box.
- Enjoy!
There is a group called Crossfit Love that you should check out if you want more advice from people who do crossfit - http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/99-crossfit-love.0 -
AllanMisner wrote: »I do crossfit as a part of my program. I had experience with many of the lifts and exercises but not all of them (who knew you would have the rope go under you twice while jumping rope?) It is a great way to get and stay motivated. It is a great way to reach different fitness goals (strength, mobility, speed, balance, endurance). It is hard, but you can (and should) scale each workout to your capabilities.
The following points are an absolute must if you choose to do crossfit:
- Find one with a good foundations or elementals class. These typically go for four weeks for all new “athletes.” They teach you the basic exercises, with a good focus on form.
- Find one with good coaches. There are multiple levels in crossfit certification and they can also take specialty classes. When you talk to a coach, they should listen, and watch you work, and then provide verbal cues to help you improve your form.
- Use a journal or an app to keep track of your work and weights. You want regular progression and the best way to ensure that is to know what your maximum lifts are.
- Always scale the work to what you can do (this is especially important during the WODs). You’ll be moving fast and it is harder to hold good form. Don’t worry with what RX is, do what is right for you.
- Don’t cherry pick WODs. If it is challenging, work on it (scaled of course).
- Find things about crossfit that motivate you. I have no desire to write my scores/times on the whiteboard or on Wodify, but for others it is a primary motivation for them.
- Don’t feel like you have to go 5 times per week. I only signed up for and go 3 times per week. I walk and lift weights on three of the other days.
- Make friends. You’ll find that people generally come to the same class times each day. Cheer them on, they’ll cheer you on.
- Do mobility work outside of the box. Also, work on other challenges outside the box. If pull ups are your kryptonite, you won’t progress far if the only pull ups you do are in WODs. Work on it on you own outside the box.
- Enjoy!
There is a group called Crossfit Love that you should check out if you want more advice from people who do crossfit - http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/99-crossfit-love.
Thank you! I am going to my first intro Crossfit class tomorrow! A bunch of my coworkers go and there is a foundations program that you must complete before getting into the regular WODs. I'm super excited!0 -
holly_wendelin wrote: »
Thank you! I am going to my first intro Crossfit class tomorrow! A bunch of my coworkers go and there is a foundations program that you must complete before getting into the regular WODs. I'm super excited!
Enjoy! Let us know how it went.
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Crossfit is a fad an expensive one at that, their form is also terrible. Good form exists for a reason, to stop you getting hurt and to get the most out of the exercises. Many of the trainers merely did a quick weekend course after exercising for just a few weeks. They also have a cult mentality and they attempted to remove Eligin Intensity off youtube by abusing its inadequate system with fake copyright claims because he criticised them.
Find something kinder to your wallet that wont tear out your back.
Have you actually tried CrossFit?
I have and that was not my experience at all. I have actually been to a number of different boxes in two different countries. Each one was a stickler for form. The box here, the staff have extensive training. The head guy competes and has a national champion powerlifter as a coach and years of lifting experience behind him (as do the other coaches).
Meh, some people view it with a cult like mentality but it is no different than my running group and triathlon group.
OP - if you want to try it. I almost didn't try it because of posts like this on this website. My husband wanted to so I went along. I'm glad I did. I absolutely loved it and still miss it.
I had very little experience with Oly lifts when I tried it. I am not currently doing CrossFit because I took a break to have a baby and am focusing on a longer course triathlon now. Are there bad boxes? Probably. But not all are.0 -
I tried it a couple years ago...personally wasn't a fan...it seems to be a love it or leave it kind of a thing. I was in the military once upon a time and that's all it reminded me of, and I'm just kind of done with that part of my life.0
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I tried it twice on "Bring a Friend Days" at my local Crossfit facility.
My biggest piece of advice: Don't judge a book by it's cover. From all the Youtube videos and comments I've seen on the internet, I was fully expecting to walk into a gym to see people throwing out their backs doing one rep maxes, people pushing themselves to the point of exhaustion, and silly kipping pull-ups. That wasn't the case at all. Everyone was extremely nice, encouraging, and all the coaches encouraged form and safety. I got a great workout both these times too. While the style wasn't particularly for me, I really think you need to try it before you can make a judgement or before you take someone elses judgment, good or bad.0 -
3dogsrunning wrote: »Crossfit is a fad an expensive one at that, their form is also terrible. Good form exists for a reason, to stop you getting hurt and to get the most out of the exercises. Many of the trainers merely did a quick weekend course after exercising for just a few weeks. They also have a cult mentality and they attempted to remove Eligin Intensity off youtube by abusing its inadequate system with fake copyright claims because he criticised them.
Find something kinder to your wallet that wont tear out your back.
I have and that was not my experience at all. I have actually been to a number of different boxes in two different countries. Each one was a stickler for form. The box here, the staff have extensive training. The head guy competes and has a national champion powerlifter as a coach and years of lifting experience behind him (as do the other coaches).
Meh, some people view it with a cult like mentality but it is no different than my running group and triathlon group.
OP - if you want to try it. I almost didn't try it because of posts like this on this website. My husband wanted to so I went along. I'm glad I did. I absolutely loved it and still miss it.
I had very little experience with Oly lifts when I tried it. I am not currently doing CrossFit because I took a break to have a baby and am focusing on a longer course triathlon now. Are there bad boxes? Probably. But not all are.
In response to "Have you actually tried CrossFit?" This is a rather weak defence of crossfit. I would wager that few people have tried drinking bleach but they know it is not a good idea. One does not need to try something to have an informed opinion. The notion that someone can not possibly have an idea on something because they have not tried it is a logical fallacy.
Most of the public faces of crossfit are known to train outside of the crossfit system. You can not be a national powerlifting champion on a endurance style circuit training program which is what crossfit is, but simply attaches a brand name to it. All of the studies point to this. Many have also built a foundation of strength before starting cross fit, so to say that they are strong because of crossfit is also a flaw in reasoning. And while it was not explicitly mentioned that crossfit provides world class strength by the mention of nation powerlifting
in the context it was implies that was the case being made. To claim that something must work simply because a particular kind of person without considering other influences is another logical fallacy.
There was also a comparison of crossfit being similar in mentality to a pair of specific running and triathlon groups while I know little of those communities I have head nothing of them abusing an automated copyright system to silence critics. That can not be said about the official crossfit group, and at the least that action would seem to demonstrate certain tendencies in the administration.
My main contention with crossfit ( a concern that was not addressed) was the pricing. It is very expensive and does not give anything that a cheaper ( or even free) option would provide. There is nothing special or unique about crossfit training that makes it worth the price. A person traininer for example is quite capable for teaching exercises and creating a circuit training program for people at a fraction of the cost. I would draw upon a compression between crossfit and fashion brands in that regard as such a comparison seems rather apt.
Given how crossfit compares to other options out there the cost imbalance is just too great to justify it as an avenue worth exploring.
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3dogsrunning wrote: »Crossfit is a fad an expensive one at that, their form is also terrible. Good form exists for a reason, to stop you getting hurt and to get the most out of the exercises. Many of the trainers merely did a quick weekend course after exercising for just a few weeks. They also have a cult mentality and they attempted to remove Eligin Intensity off youtube by abusing its inadequate system with fake copyright claims because he criticised them.
Find something kinder to your wallet that wont tear out your back.
I have and that was not my experience at all. I have actually been to a number of different boxes in two different countries. Each one was a stickler for form. The box here, the staff have extensive training. The head guy competes and has a national champion powerlifter as a coach and years of lifting experience behind him (as do the other coaches).
Meh, some people view it with a cult like mentality but it is no different than my running group and triathlon group.
OP - if you want to try it. I almost didn't try it because of posts like this on this website. My husband wanted to so I went along. I'm glad I did. I absolutely loved it and still miss it.
I had very little experience with Oly lifts when I tried it. I am not currently doing CrossFit because I took a break to have a baby and am focusing on a longer course triathlon now. Are there bad boxes? Probably. But not all are.
In response to "Have you actually tried CrossFit?" This is a rather weak defence of crossfit. I would wager that few people have tried drinking bleach but they know it is not a good idea. One does not need to try something to have an informed opinion. The notion that someone can not possibly have an idea on something because they have not tried it is a logical fallacy.
Most of the public faces of crossfit are known to train outside of the crossfit system. You can not be a national powerlifting champion on a endurance style circuit training program which is what crossfit is, but simply attaches a brand name to it. All of the studies point to this. Many have also built a foundation of strength before starting cross fit, so to say that they are strong because of crossfit is also a flaw in reasoning. And while it was not explicitly mentioned that crossfit provides world class strength by the mention of nation powerlifting
in the context it was implies that was the case being made. To claim that something must work simply because a particular kind of person without considering other influences is another logical fallacy.
There was also a comparison of crossfit being similar in mentality to a pair of specific running and triathlon groups while I know little of those communities I have head nothing of them abusing an automated copyright system to silence critics. That can not be said about the official crossfit group, and at the least that action would seem to demonstrate certain tendencies in the administration.
My main contention with crossfit ( a concern that was not addressed) was the pricing. It is very expensive and does not give anything that a cheaper ( or even free) option would provide. There is nothing special or unique about crossfit training that makes it worth the price. A person traininer for example is quite capable for teaching exercises and creating a circuit training program for people at a fraction of the cost. I would draw upon a compression between crossfit and fashion brands in that regard as such a comparison seems rather apt.
Given how crossfit compares to other options out there the cost imbalance is just too great to justify it as an avenue worth exploring.
The question wasn a defence. You can't claim they all have terrible form if you haven't even set foot inside a box.
I don't think anyone here claimed that those who are at the top of Crossfit train outside of it. All of the competitors at my gym also do. I'm pretty sure I mrntioned that when I said the owner of my box has an oly coach. That would depend entirely on your goals. Many of the top in other sports train outside their sport.
The pricing is due to the fact that unlike a regular gym, they cannot accommodate as many members due to the way classes are setup. A gym can have hundreds of members, most of whom aren't going to show up at the same time everyday. Crossfit has to limit the number of members to allow for availabilty in the limited classes. It's is no different than my local yoga place. Their prices are far higher than the gym and the gym offers yoga.
Whether the price is too high is up to the individual. The box here is about $30-40 a month more than the regular gym. My husband has had membership after membership to the gym. He would go two, maybe three times a month. Then he joined CrossFit. He goes 3-4 times a week. He may be paying more but he is getting a lot more for his money.
There are NO trainers in the area here that would cost less than the CrossFit membership.
I get it might not be worth It to some but you can't judge that for everyone.0 -
Do what others have suggested - make sure the box/gym you visit has a good intro program.
My CF box had a mandatory month long intro program that you had to complete before joining the regular workouts. It was terrific - gave you the opportunity to meet people, and the coaches taught you all the basic movements and gave you a taste of what you were getting yourself into.
A good box will also review the weight lifting moves before any workout. Never be afraid to lower your weights if you feel the prescribe weights are too heavy, or your form isn't good.
I've been doing CF for over a year now and I love it. It's the longest I've ever stayed with any fitness program.0 -
My main contention with crossfit ( a concern that was not addressed) was the pricing. It is very expensive and does not give anything that a cheaper ( or even free) option would provide. There is nothing special or unique about crossfit training that makes it worth the price. A person traininer for example is quite capable for teaching exercises and creating a circuit training program for people at a fraction of the cost. I would draw upon a compression between crossfit and fashion brands in that regard as such a comparison seems rather apt.
I'll take this one - as I finally figured out what the deal is with this.
stop thinking of cross fit like zumba- or a gym.
Start thinking of it like an actual hobby- like hockey- or horse riding- or martial arts- or dancing.
There are incured expenses- training from instructors- time spent etc etc.
When you flip the focus from it being "a gym" to " a hobby" it becomes a joke in terms of pricing.
The value of my training on a monthly basis is about 300$ a month. This does not cover rehersal fees- costuming- workshops- or the cost to travel and perform. That is JUST for my instruction on a monthly basis.
The same can be said for hockey- golf- skiing- kayaking- etc etc
It's a none issue if you stop looking at it like an actual gym.
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I went to the Crossfit Intro class on Saturday and absolutely fell in love with it!!! I'm signed up for the elements class which begins in two weeks. So excited! I would recommend this to anybody that is bored with long slogs on the treadmill, headphones, and zoning out at the gym. The exercises felt like playing and everybody was cheering each other on. Most of the exercises were things I did in P.E. class as a kid; jumping rope, climbing ropes, box jumps, and sprints. It was fun! Can't wait to go back.0
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I'd search for some body weight exercises you can do at home - that said, from my own experience, nothing really matches (for me) actually just going to a CrossFit gym. Being in front of others makes me accountable to do the work - I could do the same workouts at home often (I have a pull-up bar, KB, abmat, some dumb bells and a jump rope) but I wouldn't push myself anywhere near as hard.
The thing about CrossFit is that everything is scaleable - the coaches are there to help you figure out which movements will work best at your current fitness level while still utilizing the muscles to build strength, endurance and stamina. For instance, I do ring rows instead of pull-ups because I can't even do a banded pull-up yet. Some boxes will have a ramp-up program, and you may be more comfortable with that to help you learn the basic movements. My box doesn't have one, but our classes are small enough the newbies can still get one on one attention as they learn the movements so they can do them safely with good form.
So, my own advise would be to check Yelp! and other word of mouth reviews (if you have any friends or acquaintances who CrossFit), take advantage of free trial classes and test out the gyms available in your area - pick the one you like best and just dive in!0
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