Crossfit vs regular gym

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  • VeronicaA76
    VeronicaA76 Posts: 1,116 Member
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    I prefer a regular gym.
    1. They are a cheaper
    2. I have specific goals that are better suited for a regular gym
    3. I don't like "class" settings, I'm quite antisocial when working out.
  • Helkaahaien87
    Helkaahaien87 Posts: 19 Member
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    I vote to take an intro class (from when I researched it almost all Cross Fit places have one) and see how you like it. They're very different and a personal preference.

    I'll add that I choose not to look more into Cross Fit when I was researching it due to the high risk of injury. Not only from typical google search results but my personal friends that are ER Nurses and Doctors all see a high amount of sports injuries from Cross Fit. I have injuries to my back and right leg so this makes me extra worried than to add in the very minimal training they get I voted to stick with my home gym and continue investing in that.

    So try it, research it, and keep asking around and do what you feel is right for you ^.^
  • melissaulmen
    melissaulmen Posts: 123 Member
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    Google or Pinterest Crossfit Training. There are also suggested training programs for Tough Mudder or Spartan Races. Get the workouts that they suggest and do them at your gym. maybe grab an encouraging workout partner.

    I have not done crossfit - mainly because I like to do my own thing. If you like the idea of encouragement, and people cheering for you to do that last pushup maybe it is for you.

    I can't believe how much some peoples gym membership is. Mine is 20/month. As many classes as I want to take. Hot yoga is extra, but we have a Birkram Yoga Studio in town that I would rather use.
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
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    AFGP11 wrote: »
    The real con of crossfit is that the trainers only take a 2 day course and most have no idea what they're doing. They aren't real fitness professionals. People get hurt there all the time and they will be competitive about making you do many, many heavy lifts. RIP to the spine of people who end up at the wrong "box" and get a trainer who doesn't even know the muscle names.

    Go to a real gym and pay a real professional. Get your money's worth and not a trip to the physical therapist.
    Like a Planet Fitness?
  • redmama70
    redmama70 Posts: 23 Member
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    I have had gym a d Y memberships, but Crossfit....I LOVE IT!!!!

    I am 47, have a 100lbs. to lose (well less now), jave limited mobility and I love Crossfit. I have been going for 3 months.

    My box is great, encouraging, supportive. I scale 95% of what we do...but who cares?! I am not there to impress anyone.

    I have list weight and gaining g a new mindset
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
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    AFGP11 wrote: »
    The real con of crossfit is that the trainers only take a 2 day course and most have no idea what they're doing. They aren't real fitness professionals. People get hurt there all the time and they will be competitive about making you do many, many heavy lifts. RIP to the spine of people who end up at the wrong "box" and get a trainer who doesn't even know the muscle names.

    Actually, 2 day "training" plus a fee is all that's required to open a Crossfit box but that doesn't' mean that the owner or trainers who work at a box only have 2 hrs of training as fitness trainers.

    However, I'd agree that the lack of proper training of the trainers in so far as they fail to take into acct individual physical limitations as well as the nature of the program to push participants to do the WOD as hard as possible are two factors that probably contribute most to injuries at Crossfit boxes.

    That said, participants need to take responsibility for their own safety by refusing to do more than they feel capable of doing, even if pushed by an unqualified trainer or other members in their group, which unfortunately may be hard for some people to do resulting in their injury.

  • rollerjog
    rollerjog Posts: 154 Member
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    whats the difference between cross fit and regular weight training
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
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    AFGP11 wrote: »
    RIP to the spine...
    Chuckle. Yeah hyperbole much?
  • Morgaen73
    Morgaen73 Posts: 2,818 Member
    edited August 2017
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    jseams1234 wrote: »
    MikeinNOLA wrote: »
    I bolded the part I believe you're wrong at.

    CrossFit isn't unfocused or random, it's constantly varied. You may need to step back to see the programming's intent, but we just finished a 10 week squat cycle and worked a 6 week strict pull up program inside that as part of our strength programming. If I go back and look at the metcons during that period, I see a good focus on core and explosiveness.

    We have a bunch of half marathoners and marathoners at our gym. None of us do it to compete against anyone but ourselves, but we can train for races and complete the WOD.

    I'm not going to argue with your experience, but I would reflect back to the point about quality of trainers. If a trainer can't have a coherent conversation with me about how the programme is structured, and what the objectives are, then I'd challenge the integrity of the programme. I'd also suggest they shouldn't call themselves a trainer.

    My own experience of CrossFit may have been an exception, but it wasn't impressive.

    That's been my experience as well. With the exception of a few workouts, it's Gym ADD on steroids flailing from one thing to another. I'm sure it's possible to make progress, but the more likely case is that any other structured method will be faster and more effective.

    It's like the Monday crowd at my gym. They hit every machine for one spastic set and jump around like monkeys on meth. ;)

    I went to my first crossfit session on Monday and felt the same ... until DOMS. I can feel my back, hamstrings and calves hurting so I guess it wasn't so random after all. I'll be going again this evening.

    My plan is to do the 6 complimentary sessions and then basically start off with 1 session a week and see how I can integrate it into my normal lifting workout. This might change in future but for now this is my plan.

    I like the fact that you work with a trainer who constantly checks your form.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
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    rollerjog wrote: »
    whats the difference between cross fit and regular weight training

    More conditioning, more variety of movements (Like gymnastics and olympic lifting) Potentially more volume than what you might be used to. Sometimes you have to run. :o
  • giantrobot_powerlifting
    giantrobot_powerlifting Posts: 2,598 Member
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    rollerjog wrote: »
    whats the difference between cross fit and regular weight training

    More conditioning, more variety of movements (Like gymnastics and olympic lifting) Potentially more volume than what you might be used to. Sometimes you have to run. :o

    I gotta say, I added CF as a corrective to the specificity in my powerlifting training and so far my body, because of this "weird" stuff is feeling all right. I liberally scale either weight or movement (or both), because I know what my body needs and what my overall weekly training schedule is like.
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,216 Member
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    Morgaen73 wrote: »
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    MikeinNOLA wrote: »
    I bolded the part I believe you're wrong at.

    CrossFit isn't unfocused or random, it's constantly varied. You may need to step back to see the programming's intent, but we just finished a 10 week squat cycle and worked a 6 week strict pull up program inside that as part of our strength programming. If I go back and look at the metcons during that period, I see a good focus on core and explosiveness.

    We have a bunch of half marathoners and marathoners at our gym. None of us do it to compete against anyone but ourselves, but we can train for races and complete the WOD.

    I'm not going to argue with your experience, but I would reflect back to the point about quality of trainers. If a trainer can't have a coherent conversation with me about how the programme is structured, and what the objectives are, then I'd challenge the integrity of the programme. I'd also suggest they shouldn't call themselves a trainer.

    My own experience of CrossFit may have been an exception, but it wasn't impressive.

    That's been my experience as well. With the exception of a few workouts, it's Gym ADD on steroids flailing from one thing to another. I'm sure it's possible to make progress, but the more likely case is that any other structured method will be faster and more effective.

    It's like the Monday crowd at my gym. They hit every machine for one spastic set and jump around like monkeys on meth. ;)

    I went to my first crossfit session on Monday and felt the same ... until DOMS. I can feel my back, hamstrings and calves hurting so I guess it wasn't so random after all. I'll be going again this evening.

    My plan is to do the 6 complimentary sessions and then basically start off with 1 session a week and see how I can integrate it into my normal lifting workout. This might change in future but for now this is my plan.

    I like the fact that you work with a trainer who constantly checks your form.

    That's primarily an effect of a new routine. When you force your body to do something "new" the likelihood of DOMs increases exponentially. I once had a trainer that changed the workout every session. I had DOMs so debilitating at times I couldn't straighten my arms and could barely get myself off the toilet... however, no progress after several months of training (by progress I mean I wasn't getting bigger and I don't know if I was getting much stronger as there was no consistent metric being used). I finally dropped that trainer and started a strength and bodybuilding program that was consistent and incorporated progressive overload... DOMs are still present although not debilitating and and I've made incredible gains in both size and strength. My aerobic conditioning probably suffered a lot - but that was never my goal. I want Bear Mode. ;)
  • Morgaen73
    Morgaen73 Posts: 2,818 Member
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    jseams1234 wrote: »
    Morgaen73 wrote: »
    jseams1234 wrote: »
    MikeinNOLA wrote: »
    I bolded the part I believe you're wrong at.

    CrossFit isn't unfocused or random, it's constantly varied. You may need to step back to see the programming's intent, but we just finished a 10 week squat cycle and worked a 6 week strict pull up program inside that as part of our strength programming. If I go back and look at the metcons during that period, I see a good focus on core and explosiveness.

    We have a bunch of half marathoners and marathoners at our gym. None of us do it to compete against anyone but ourselves, but we can train for races and complete the WOD.

    I'm not going to argue with your experience, but I would reflect back to the point about quality of trainers. If a trainer can't have a coherent conversation with me about how the programme is structured, and what the objectives are, then I'd challenge the integrity of the programme. I'd also suggest they shouldn't call themselves a trainer.

    My own experience of CrossFit may have been an exception, but it wasn't impressive.

    That's been my experience as well. With the exception of a few workouts, it's Gym ADD on steroids flailing from one thing to another. I'm sure it's possible to make progress, but the more likely case is that any other structured method will be faster and more effective.

    It's like the Monday crowd at my gym. They hit every machine for one spastic set and jump around like monkeys on meth. ;)

    I went to my first crossfit session on Monday and felt the same ... until DOMS. I can feel my back, hamstrings and calves hurting so I guess it wasn't so random after all. I'll be going again this evening.

    My plan is to do the 6 complimentary sessions and then basically start off with 1 session a week and see how I can integrate it into my normal lifting workout. This might change in future but for now this is my plan.

    I like the fact that you work with a trainer who constantly checks your form.

    That's primarily an effect of a new routine. When you force your body to do something "new" the likelihood of DOMs increases exponentially. I once had a trainer that changed the workout every session. I had DOMs so debilitating at times I couldn't straighten my arms and could barely get myself off the toilet... however, no progress after several months of training (by progress I mean I wasn't getting bigger and I don't know if I was getting much stronger as there was no consistent metric being used). I finally dropped that trainer and started a strength and bodybuilding program that was consistent and incorporated progressive overload... DOMs are still present although not debilitating and and I've made incredible gains in both size and strength. My aerobic conditioning probably suffered a lot - but that was never my goal. I want Bear Mode. ;)

    I get what you are saying.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
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    rollerjog wrote: »
    whats the difference between cross fit and regular weight training

    Google "Crossfit WOD" to see what various Crossfit workouts look like.
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
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    rollerjog wrote: »
    whats the difference between cross fit and regular weight training

    More conditioning, more variety of movements (Like gymnastics and olympic lifting) Potentially more volume than what you might be used to. Sometimes you have to run. :o

    I gotta say, I added CF as a corrective to the specificity in my powerlifting training and so far my body, because of this "weird" stuff is feeling all right. I liberally scale either weight or movement (or both), because I know what my body needs and what my overall weekly training schedule is like.

    I'm still working on getting my schedule ironed out - as you know - but things are starting to go pretty smoothly. I agree, the "weird" things aren't so bad haha. Turns out there's lots of movements that I really suck at (core, body weight movements, etc etc, basically everything that isn't SBD lol) that "doing my own thing" in a commercial gym was overlooking. I have no doubts I will become well rounded and a much better athlete from doing the weird things! And as a result, improve what I am able to do on the power lifting movements as well.
  • rollerjog
    rollerjog Posts: 154 Member
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    so what makes cross fit better than regular weight training or what makes regular weight training better than cross fit
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    rollerjog wrote: »
    so what makes cross fit better than regular weight training or what makes regular weight training better than cross fit

    Neither. They're just different. It's more a question of whether either one better supports your objectives or not.
  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,978 Member
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    rollerjog wrote: »
    so what makes cross fit better than regular weight training or what makes regular weight training better than cross fit

    Neither. They're just different. It's more a question of whether either one better supports your objectives or not.

    Or just simply whether you prefer doing one rather than the other.

    I prefer to do workouts on my own w/o anyone "pushing" me to do more or to do "it better.

    So, I work out ALONE in my garage gym lifting, or on my rower and spin bike in my house, or doing Crossfit type workouts (using a tire, ropes and a sled) in my backyard, or using equipment not otherwise available to me at my public gym.

    That's just how I prefer it.