Crossfit yes or no

13

Replies

  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    Yes. Every box is different, find one that has good coaching. Also, it's important to listen to your body. Nobody forces you to do the reps at the prescribed weight. Scale the workouts as needed. Check your ego at the door, a lot of people get hurt because they have too much pride and won't use a lighter weight.

    I second this^ The coaches and owners at the box I go to are amazing. They are serious about proper form and scaling down to a safe level. Another thing, CF used to have "prescribed" workouts with set weights for each lift and I think it made people more competitive and likely to injure themselves, they have gotten rid of this now and I think it's great. Just find what works for you, be safe, and ask the coaches about form if you are new to a lift or movement and you'll be fine. Could just as easily get injured running or playing a sport if you don't use proper form.

    The workouts are still laid out as prescribed, they haven't done away with that at all. But common sense and improved coaching has directed more people to scale the wods to an appropriate level instead of trying RX all the time. Unfortunately some places are still stuck in the RX mentality.
  • KarenSmith2018
    KarenSmith2018 Posts: 302 Member
    Yes. Every box is different, find one that has good coaching. Also, it's important to listen to your body. Nobody forces you to do the reps at the prescribed weight. Scale the workouts as needed. Check your ego at the door, a lot of people get hurt because they have too much pride and won't use a lighter weight.

    I second this^ The coaches and owners at the box I go to are amazing. They are serious about proper form and scaling down to a safe level. Another thing, CF used to have "prescribed" workouts with set weights for each lift and I think it made people more competitive and likely to injure themselves, they have gotten rid of this now and I think it's great. Just find what works for you, be safe, and ask the coaches about form if you are new to a lift or movement and you'll be fine. Could just as easily get injured running or playing a sport if you don't use proper form.

    we still have "RX" which is "as prescribed" and scaled but the coach will check form before allowing anyone to complete the workout RX and they actively encourage the class to scale if required. No point in injuring yourself!
  • stanmann571
    stanmann571 Posts: 5,727 Member
    I can't justify the cost.

    This, and I find it a bit pretentious to refer to your gym as a "box". I get the douche chills just hearing it, the same kind of chills I get when someone tells me they're Zumba Certified.

    IT was cute when crossfit was "underground" and doing training in warehouses or other disused facilities. Now that "boxes" are being purpose built from the ground up with no more sharp edges or unfinished corners it's definitely something that is silly.
  • Okiludy
    Okiludy Posts: 558 Member
    I can't justify the cost.

    This, and I find it a bit pretentious to refer to your gym as a "box". I get the douche chills just hearing it, the same kind of chills I get when someone tells me they're Zumba Certified.

    It expresses an idea more efficiently than saying "Crossfit gym" as they are doing a specific program in a space dedicated to that program. Nothing pretentious in my opinion. It's just a word that they decided to reuse for their purpose.

    Now calling out an entire fitness program's vocabulary because it doesn't agree with what you consider "right" sounds entitled to me. Then again everyone has the right to wear their *kitten* on their shoulders.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    Luxduca wrote: »
    @Luxduca it's Monday...did you check it out?!

    Moved to this Saturday. I couldn’t attend on Monday.
    So,Saturday morning at 9am. I will give you my verdict.

    Can't wait to hear!
  • robhunt25
    robhunt25 Posts: 54 Member
    A few things to consider,
    1. Your goals- cross fit is classified as a sport. It's not used by athletes to train because it is not a viable method of training and is not tested by research.
    2. The competitive aspect of it can be harmful to individuals who are inexperienced with Olympic lifts. Movement deficiencies can lead to more harm than good when working out with a crossfire regimen.
    3. It only takes a trainer one weekend to be certified to teach a course. Granted, it is getting a lot better than it was originally. These things are important to consider. Good luck with your goals.
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  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    For those who say " it only takes a weekend course to get certified"...you realize,that that's
    pretty much par for most trainer certifications?
    Some don't even require in person education, just studying for a test. I also assume you folks only use trainers with a 4 year degree in exercise science?
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    edited December 2017
    Motorsheen wrote: »
    I only did Crossfit, well... not because of the training but only because I had a real thing for group photos....


    2013-6-1-CFL1Group.jpg



    Brussels_L1_170422.jpg


    CFB21.jpg


    Definitley yuppie!
  • rybo wrote: »
    For those who say " it only takes a weekend course to get certified"...you realize,that that's
    pretty much par for most trainer certifications?
    Some don't even require in person education, just studying for a test. I also assume you folks only use trainers with a 4 year degree in exercise science?

    Our team is three people who all have degrees
    In either kinesiology or physiology. We're also very expensive and treat people like experiment but you get what ya pay for. Real results backed by solid metrics and science or a person who spent a few afternoons at a seminar and took a test online. A good trainer doesn't need a four year degree but they need to continue their education in some form or another.

    Side note where is this gym full of dogs that's fantastic !
  • Bry_Fitness70
    Bry_Fitness70 Posts: 2,480 Member
    edited December 2017
    robhunt25 wrote: »
    A few things to consider,
    1. Your goals- cross fit is classified as a sport. It's not used by athletes to train because it is not a viable method of training and is not tested by research.
    2. The competitive aspect of it can be harmful to individuals who are inexperienced with Olympic lifts. Movement deficiencies can lead to more harm than good when working out with a crossfire regimen.
    3. It only takes a trainer one weekend to be certified to teach a course. Granted, it is getting a lot better than it was originally. These things are important to consider. Good luck with your goals.

    When I did crossfit briefly (about 3 months), half the people would have to foam roll their backs between exercises because they were in severe pain. I started experiencing back pain and just stopped doing it and went back to traditional strength training. I did feel like the trainers knew what they were doing, and they would jump in and make corrections, but there are times when there were a dozen people doing different exercises at the same time and it was chaotic (plus they had gym business happening simultaneously and had to step aside at times)
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    The competitive aspect of it is what leads Crossfit into risky territory.

    Why would you want to do Olympic weightlifting movements for max reps or to see how many of them you can do in a time period? That is foolish.

    Real Olympic weightlifters usually work in sets of 1-3 reps. Technique is #1.

    Something doesn't add up in Crossfit. The money being made adds up though.

  • cbrealtor55
    cbrealtor55 Posts: 37 Member
    JerSchmare wrote: »
    I have some issues with it.

    The training is not consistent. Each day you walk I. And do random exercises that do not build on what you did before. To me, that’s stupid. But, it depends on your goals.

    Group training sucks. I don’t like it. I don’t like having a specific time to workout. I like to do it when I want to do it.

    It is very expensive.

    The oly lifts are very complicated. I feel uncomfortable not knowing if they really know. And when people say, “ you have to check them out”, I don’t know what to look for. A good salesman or a slick talker can talk some serious game. It’s hard to tell.

    For me, the deal killer is the random training protocol. It’s BS. I want to work on my squat and constantly do my squats in a predictable way so each workout builds from the last one in a progressive manner.


    I understand if you don’t like group fitness. At my box we go through cycles usually six to eight weeks. You work on certain lifts and areas then you change so it does give you the chance to build. We use an app so we always know ahead of time what is going on. Like I said every box is not the same with how they program, so find a good one.
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  • canadianlbs
    canadianlbs Posts: 5,199 Member
    This, and I find it a bit pretentious to refer to your gym as a "box".

    i kind of agree; my old-school, mcgyveresque trainer is going to *kitten* himself when i tell him his space technically qualifies as a box if that's the definition of one :tongue:

    otoh, kind of have to concede too that at least when someone says 'box' you know which niche of the activity world you are talking to.

    other than that, i think it's funny. but mostly because of this thing my brain does with the think-outside-the-box meme in combination with it, which i'm not sure i'd know how to parse or explain to anyone else.
  • Luxduca
    Luxduca Posts: 979 Member
    Peeps, tomorrow morning at 9am i have my first crossfit training. I learned s lot about it on here with all your comments. I will let you know what i think about it tomorrow.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,508 Member
    Luxduca wrote: »
    Peeps, tomorrow morning at 9am i have my first crossfit training. I learned s lot about it on here with all your comments. I will let you know what i think about it tomorrow.

    Break a Leg !
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    Most crossfit gyms are in rectangular warehouse like buildings so that's probably why they call it a "box".
  • MrsLannister
    MrsLannister Posts: 347 Member
    I've actually never heard anyone refer to my gym as a "box," including the owners and trainers.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I tried it years ago...my biggest thing I think was that it all seemed very random. I'm a former competitive athlete in a few different sports and my training has always been pretty specific and the randomness of cross fit was a bit off putting to me. It was an intense workout, but it just seemed like I was doing whatever just to be doing whatever.

    I also started Oly Lifting in high school so was interested in getting back into that, but I've never heard of doing Oly lifts for reps which I thought was pretty silly given that the movements are so technical. I also didn't like working on a schedule...I like to go to the gym when I so desire.

    I did it for about a month and decided it wasn't my bag.
  • robhunt25
    robhunt25 Posts: 54 Member
    rybo wrote: »
    For those who say " it only takes a weekend course to get certified"...you realize,that that's
    pretty much par for most trainer certifications?
    Some don't even require in person education, just studying for a test. I also assume you folks only use trainers with a 4 year degree in exercise science?

    I am aware that any legitimate certification ultimately only requires the passing of a certification exam. However, the amount of experience and training you would get during a four year degree or even more gives them way more qualification as a trainer. You simply know more. I have my bachelors degree in exercise science and I can just see the flaws everywhere.
  • Davidsdottir
    Davidsdottir Posts: 1,285 Member
    Luxduca wrote: »
    Ok,so i just got done. It was what they call “partner” Saturday. We were all coupled. It literally kicked my *kitten*. A very intense hour. I’m not used to the intensity and so much cardio. Give me a bench, a squat rack and we can do it all day but this? Wow! It was a small class, about 10 people, trainer seemed prepared. Everyone cheering each other. It was kind of cool. They asked me if i will go back, I answered probably so. I liked it. I feel very good now.

    Glad to hear you liked it! I prefer days that are more lifting-focused, but the cardio there kicks my butt unlike anything else, including distance running.
  • Luxduca
    Luxduca Posts: 979 Member
    Luxduca wrote: »
    Ok,so i just got done. It was what they call “partner” Saturday. We were all coupled. It literally kicked my *kitten*. A very intense hour. I’m not used to the intensity and so much cardio. Give me a bench, a squat rack and we can do it all day but this? Wow! It was a small class, about 10 people, trainer seemed prepared. Everyone cheering each other. It was kind of cool. They asked me if i will go back, I answered probably so. I liked it. I feel very good now.

    Glad to hear you liked it! I prefer days that are more lifting-focused, but the cardio there kicks my butt unlike anything else, including distance running.

    Really did. We had front squats clean and jerks and deadlifts but doing all with no pause killed me. And those burpees in between all the sets!!!! Hare them lol
    Then we had the running at the beginning as warm up. It kicked my butt but i feel accomplished.
  • jfan175
    jfan175 Posts: 812 Member
    Luxduca wrote: »
    We had front squats clean and jerks and deadlifts but doing all with no pause killed me. And those burpees in between all the sets!!!! Hare them lol

    Holy Cow! If someone ever asks me how to ruin their back, I'm going to use this.

  • Lindajh13
    Lindajh13 Posts: 1 Member
    Im new here but I thought I would give you my 2 cents. I started CF in the middle of July this year and before that I had no experience with exercise. My only form of exercise was walking my 2 boys to school. In fact I hated exercise and would avoid it like the plague. Anyway, on the way to school I would walk past the box and I'd look over but I'd keep walking. It intrigued me but I was too scared to go in because I always thought CF was for really fit people.

    Anyway, I'm really loving it. My trainer is awesome and only pushes us if he thinks we can do it. If we can't he'll tell us to do something else. Like sometimes I can't run so I do rowing instead.

    My advice is see for yourself. Try it out. Don't let our opinion sway your judgment. I was like that. I'd ask for someone's opinion and based on that opinion I wouldn't do it. It's like someone telling me don't see that movie but then I end up watching it and loving it. You gotta do you.
  • shor0814
    shor0814 Posts: 559 Member
    Luxduca wrote: »
    Luxduca wrote: »
    Ok,so i just got done. It was what they call “partner” Saturday. We were all coupled. It literally kicked my *kitten*. A very intense hour. I’m not used to the intensity and so much cardio. Give me a bench, a squat rack and we can do it all day but this? Wow! It was a small class, about 10 people, trainer seemed prepared. Everyone cheering each other. It was kind of cool. They asked me if i will go back, I answered probably so. I liked it. I feel very good now.

    Glad to hear you liked it! I prefer days that are more lifting-focused, but the cardio there kicks my butt unlike anything else, including distance running.

    Really did. We had front squats clean and jerks and deadlifts but doing all with no pause killed me. And those burpees in between all the sets!!!! Hare them lol
    Then we had the running at the beginning as warm up. It kicked my butt but i feel accomplished.

    Do you have a strong background in Oly lifting and weight training? On day 1 you are doing compound and Oly lifts for time? or reps? and then throwing in burpees for good measure between sets and you had no form breakdown?

    Something here just makes me wonder.
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