Crossfit???

alyssarenea1996
alyssarenea1996 Posts: 90 Member
edited December 1 in Fitness and Exercise
Thoughts on crossfit; benefits and risks - and go!?
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Replies

  • alyssarenea1996
    alyssarenea1996 Posts: 90 Member
    @LazSommer - haha well, that is very to the point. I'm starting crossfit for the first time today and am very nervous. I've never lifted or done anything of the sort, but I want to get strong. I'm just worried because everyone keeps talking about how they know someone that's had a injury from doing it.
  • aub6689
    aub6689 Posts: 351 Member
    Work on getting form down before trying to do the movements quickly or move a lot of weight. If you go to the crossfit box that does not support form as a priority.... RUN! A lot of people do get injured in crossfit. It can be an excellent workout, but without building a foundation first, it can be dangerous.
  • DreesPerformanceTraining
    DreesPerformanceTraining Posts: 187 Member
    All Crossfit boxes are different, so you're at the mercy of each coach. Anecdotally, I would say 1/4 are good, 1/2 are 'OK,' and 1/4 will send you to physical therapy.
  • Krissi1330
    Krissi1330 Posts: 16 Member
    I went to a crossfit gym without knowing anything about it - and the first class was brutal. So was every single class after that. The benefits: I got in shape super quick and increased my strength and endurance in a very short time. It also made me stronger mentally - I learned that I can push myself through damn near anything. But! I don't think it's safe. Some of the exercises focus more on speed than form, so you're more likely to injure yourself. There's also a greater (debatable) risk of major damage from rhabdo. I have a love/hate relationship with it - I don't do it anymore but overall it was an awesome experience.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    aub6689 wrote: »
    If you go to the crossfit box that does not support form as a priority.... RUN!

    That's the problem with the affiliation structure - there's no real central oversight so it's a bit of a punt as to what you will get.

    This is my own opinion but I think if a person's primary goal is to get stronger or work with resistance they are better off, on balance, with the traditional route of a personal trainer with a decent certification or using books and / or videos tutorials where resistance is used in a more controlled manner with suitable progression.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    DreesPerformanceTraining wrote: »
    All Crossfit boxes are different, so you're at the mercy of each coach. Anecdotally, I would say 1/4 are good, 1/2 are 'OK,' and 1/4 will send you to physical therapy.

    This.

    If it's a good box they should make sure your form is good and warn you off of weights that mess up your form.

    If they are encouraging you to go heavier or faster and your form is falling apart, find a different box.

    They also should have a good beginner or "on ramp" program to teach you form and how it works.
  • alyssarenea1996
    alyssarenea1996 Posts: 90 Member
    I think the one I'm going to today has a program for beginners. My coworker is who has been encouraging me to come with her and she said they usually start you off with just a light bar and show you the ropes before ramping you up any.
  • _Bro
    _Bro Posts: 437 Member
    It's pretty easy to rush into it and start overdoing exercises in a fatigued state and, consequently incur injuries from bad form.

    Furthermore, some of the exercises like Kipping Pullups involve a lot of excessive movement in the legs and lower spine, and as a result places unwanted/additional forces on your shoulders. This movement is (IMHO) less effective at building strength since you use momentum (not muscle) throughout most of the move. For most novices, a 'regular' pullup would be much more beneficial.

    The issues noted above with the Kipping Pullups underlie the main issue that I have with Crossfit -- it seems to put an emphasis on speed and weight instead of form and technique.

    So, for a novice I would probably recommend staying away from Crossfit to begin with....
  • alyssarenea1996
    alyssarenea1996 Posts: 90 Member
    @_Bro Thank you!
  • julie_broadhead
    julie_broadhead Posts: 178 Member
    I had a great experience with Crossfit. I had excellent trainers who started me off slowly. They always corrected my form and showed me how to improve my lifts.
    My coaches never let me move fast and sloppy.

    I think you are going to have a great time:-)
  • stingrayinfl
    stingrayinfl Posts: 284 Member
    injuries happens with anything one does...pros and cons of everything..one needs to find what they enjoy and do it. There are many similar cross fit threads on My Fitness Pal
  • alyssarenea1996
    alyssarenea1996 Posts: 90 Member
    @nomadcelt Thank you so much! Definitely the reply I was looking for on here with lots of explanations. I very much appreciate it.
  • Sarc_Warrior
    Sarc_Warrior Posts: 430 Member
    Crossfit is awesome. Good technique is better than high numbers /good times. Remember that and you're good to go.
  • SteveJWatson
    SteveJWatson Posts: 1,225 Member
    I looked into crossfit, but then I saw how much it cost and just decided to go to the free bootcamp classes my gym offers to members....
  • jonthemusse
    jonthemusse Posts: 106 Member
    edited May 2016
    TL;DR be aware of pitfalls, don't trust the box until you do. Read up on it. Have fun. Don't be proud of torn callouses. Get ripped.

    I was doing CF alone in the very early days when it was just about only in the public domain and no buzz, the time when you just looked weird doing it. Progressed to the only gym in my country, grew out of it before the box owner did. Things have gotten a bit crazy over the years, and the goals of CF have definitively murkified. I peek into the main site every now and then, and the direction it's taken is a bit weird, me thinks.

    That said, with correct subbing an absolute blast. Hinges totally on your box. There's nothing inherently special about CF other than it keeps an AD mind at peace, and beats you up in a very motivational way. It used to be an easy solution for all your exercise needs; just follow Glassman and check Rip for form.

    There's a point quite soon - 6 months to a year - when you'll grow out of the programming and you find yourself training for CF by not doing CF. At that point a re-evaluation is in order.

    All this discussion of kipping pull-ups and form is close to intermediate stuff at least. If you're playing with barbells against time on your first visits, consider walking out.

    I still occasionally (when in shape) do the first dozen girls for fun. They're a good fun tool to have in the kit.

    Edit: caveat, no idea what's been going on the last four years at least.

    Edit 2: all you really need is a pull-up bar, some exercise paraphernalia, a stopwatch and a friend to yell at you. Any corner of a decent gym will do the trick.
  • alyssarenea1996
    alyssarenea1996 Posts: 90 Member
    I tried it for the first time last night and it was great! The coach slowed it down and changed the workout to suit my level. Thank you all for your input!!
  • BalletAndBarbells
    BalletAndBarbells Posts: 334 Member
    nomadcelt wrote: »
    I'd have to provide some context to some of the debate above. I've been a CrossFit Trainer for 4 years and have coached in two gyms. I also get to a lot of boxes around the world through my actual day job.

    There is absolutely no evidence anywhere to support the 'anecdotal' theories that CrossFit (as a methodology) is any more dangerous than any other fitness training. I've spent a lot of time going through 'evidence' from supposedly reputable institutions, only to find they've got an axe to grind on other matters and the reporting is flawed or plain wrong. HOWEVER!!!!!
    People ARE dangerous. Many 'coaches' are not coaches. They do not have the moral strength to stop others from lifting incorrectly when the client's ego gets in the way. Personally, I've always taken the approach that if you're not willing to listen to the coach then I'm not willing to coach you and you can please leave. But that is down to the coach; a decent coach in anything is able to motivate their client well and have them understand the rationale for taking things slowly.
    Indeed, I was in the Middle East not so long ago and there was no CF gym to drop in to so I took part in a local 'HIIT' session. The trainer was a Les Mills-qualified instructor and the session was abominable. It was by far the worst PT session I've ever had the misfortune to take part in with weights being launched around the park, terrible form by most of the individuals and no actual movement coaching at all - it was all just against the music and stopwatch. I know he was instructed very well indeed by the Les Mills team originally but once he's out in the big, bad world, he is unregulated. It's obviously the same for CF. I would say the same as said above though, if the focus is not on Form First, then run away. That facility will soon shut down because people WILL get injured and they'll vote with their feet.

    I'll mention the kipping pull up, just because it's been written above. Bang on.....again, sometimes people are more focused on speed then technique. The Kipping Pull Up (Butterfly or regular Kip) will rip that shoulder apart in moments. However, if it were dangerous as a technique then gymnasts wouldn't use it to move around the rings and bar - it is a fundamental gymnastic movement. I don't allow any form of kipping in the pull up until the individual can strict (with pause) pull up a minimum of 5 times, in order to demonstrate requisite strength and control. Yes, it relies heavily on momentum and is not a strength developer in the same way that a strict pull up is. Neither is it supposed to be. It is a gymnastic movement that requires significant amounts of coordination, agility and balance (3 of the fundamentals of CrossFit) to achieve properly; it is just a shame that some 'coaches' do not have the courage to stop athletes from attempting it before they are ready.

    The perks of CrossFit though? A lot of work done in a short amount of time (power) generates genuine change in the body. Stick with it, keep safe and have a thirst to learn as much as you can from your coaches, and you will achieve a fantastic amount. However, don't listen, dive straight in and let your ego guide you and you will get injured....and will blame it on CrossFit ;)

    Where are you a CF trainer as I'd like to give it a go and you sound like you know what you're doing?!
  • lancehietpas
    lancehietpas Posts: 13 Member
    The theory behind crossfit is good. Combining all sorts of different approaches to fitness to become well-rounded. The practical application of crossfit as a whole is bad. Why?

    Because it's a fad, a lot of inexperienced people from the general populace try to jump into crossfit.

    It's often very large group classes with 1 or 2 instructors trying to teach very advanced techniques.

    A lot of instructors are simply bad. They barely know what the exercises are. So they can barely teach 1 person at a time, nevermind 20 at a time.

    A big emphasis is placed on olympic lifts. And a big emphasis is played in using olympic lifts for high reps. Olympic lifts are highly technical and are generally never performed for more than 3 reps at any moderate or higher weight. It's just stupid trying to turn such a lift into a cardio exercise. A recipe for inuries.

    A lot of people try to jump 100% into crossfit, pretending they're seasoned athletes and breaking down their bodies. Some people experience injuries. Some people even get rhabdomyolysis (ordinarily only commonly experienced by high level athletes when put under extraordinary pressures of athleticism). However rhabdomyolysis is far more common in crossfit than any other sport.

    Training crossfit will make you OK at crossfit. If you want to be great at crossfit you won't do any crossfit-specific workouts until a few weeks before competition.
  • Upstate_Dunadan
    Upstate_Dunadan Posts: 435 Member
    With all sports, and I consider CrossFit one, you run the risk of injury. Ask a runner what their last injury was and I bet they'll be able to tell you without hesitation and it likely was within the last 6 months. Heck, tennis and gold even have an injury named after them.

    I've been doing CrossFit for almost a year now and love it. I don't think you'll ever find a better full body workout if your goal is general fitness and conditioning. I also guarantee, with a few exceptions, you'll never push yourself as hard as you will in CrossFit. The goal, as has been mentioned above, is YOU have to be able to leave your ego at the door and not care about how much weight you are lifting. Yes I'm sure there are bad coaches, but that doesn't excuse people from attempting something they know at heart is dangerous. If you find yourself with a bad coach, you should look around for another box, but I don't think you can entirely blame the coach.

    Now if you have a good coach, not only will they help you know your limits, they'll be able to help you improve your form, and no matter how good you think your form is, if you have not had proper training, I'll bet it's not that good. My injury rate since starting CrossFit is much lower than when I was working out in the gym on my own, thinking my form was great.

    I do agree CrossFit is not for everyone, but I would hazard to guess that most people who have strong negative opinions on it, have never really given it a chance and put in the effort to find out what it's really all about.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
    edited May 2016
    As a competitive powerlifter who's shared the platform with many CFers, I'm totally cool with CF and all the criticisms of injury and qualified coaches are irrelevant insofar as CF as an exercise methodology. And I'm stating this even though I think Glassman is a total arrogant dick.

    Regarding kipped pull-ups... For those that Olympic Lift, the kipped pull-up has tremendous crossover to those lifts where the body must get into triple extension.
  • Mummyadams
    Mummyadams Posts: 1,125 Member
    alyssarenea1996 wrote: »
    I tried it for the first time last night and it was great! The coach slowed it down and changed the workout to suit my level. Thank you all for your input!!

    Awesome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
    I found crossfit through MFP also and I love love love it. All I can suggest is get the basics down and you will have a strong foundation to progress. There is a crossfit love group on here too.
  • kdogni
    kdogni Posts: 124 Member
    I love it! Our gym (box) has a variety of programs from cross fit to barbell club to power programs.
    A good box will get you sorted.
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
    edited May 2016
    alyssarenea1996 wrote: »
    Thoughts on crossfit; benefits and risks - and go!?

    Hi Alyssa, I've been doing CrossFit for about 6 months and I love it. I can tell you I've had zero injuries. I've had more injuries in a season of basketball, volley ball, and softball than I've had at CrossFit. I will also tell you, my gym has fantastic trainers.

    However, like any exercise there is a risk of injury. If you check your ego at the door and listen to your trainers and your body you should be fine but make sure you go to a gym that has experienced trainers. Don't listen to all the hype against CrossFit. It's generally from people who don't understand it and have never even been to a CrossFit gym.

    I will also tell you that because of CrossFit I understand my body better than I ever have before. I know that when my lower back is sore it's because my hip flexors are tight. I know that when my knees hurt it's because my quads need stretching. It's one of the few workouts that encompass many aspects of fitness like strength, met con, and flexibility.
  • shank35l
    shank35l Posts: 102 Member
    Maybe it's me, but a lot of CF just seems like stuff I did in the military in the field to keep in shape. By in shape I mean back in those days I had 15% body fat and could lift like a beast.
  • beautifulwarrior18
    beautifulwarrior18 Posts: 914 Member
    shank35l wrote: »
    Maybe it's me, but a lot of CF just seems like stuff I did in the military in the field to keep in shape. By in shape I mean back in those days I had 15% body fat and could lift like a beast.

    It's not just you. CrossFit was specifically modeled after military training.
  • Upstate_Dunadan
    Upstate_Dunadan Posts: 435 Member
    In the early days, as I understand it, small pockets of the military, and law enforcement and fire service, really got behind CrossFit. At the time, Glassman was posting workouts on his website that people could do for free, then post their results. Because of the dramatic performance improvements seen in all these sectors, CrossFit spread through them. At the same time, the same thing was happening with the public, and as people heard about this new thing, they wanted to get involved.
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    I did it for almost 2 years and it was my first experience with anything to do with lifting. I learned a lot, and I'm glad I did it, but ultimately it was too much upper body for me...I didn't feel like it was a good fit for the body type I was/am going for.

    Now I do Orange Theory which also incorporates lifting but more lower body female stuff, and also rowing and cardio. I like a well balanced workout and I didn't think I was getting that with CF. I feel like CF is better suited for a dude who wants to be ripped and lean. Also there are a lot of cult like factors involved that I didn't care for, but I suppose that can happen in any group setting.
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    kdiamond wrote: »
    I did it for almost 2 years and it was my first experience with anything to do with lifting. I learned a lot, and I'm glad I did it, but ultimately it was too much upper body for me...I didn't feel like it was a good fit for the body type I was/am going for.

    Now I do Orange Theory which also incorporates lifting but more lower body female stuff, and also rowing and cardio. I like a well balanced workout and I didn't think I was getting that with CF. I feel like CF is better suited for a dude who wants to be ripped and lean. Also there are a lot of cult like factors involved that I didn't care for, but I suppose that can happen in any group setting.

    If you didn't get enough lower body work and rowing/cardio, you had a terrible box. Not really a reason to blanket all of CF that it's not geared towards women. The reality shows CF providing women with a huge benefit and interest for a women to embrace being strong and powerful and getting rid of the ridiculous cardio bunny & pink dumbell idea.
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