Crossfit, dont knock it, till you try it.

Rocko820
Rocko820 Posts: 53 Member
Not for èveryone, however work at your own level and it may just grow on you.
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Replies

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Who....exactly is knocking it?
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    That's true of more or less anything is it not? I mean I have my reasons for not trying crossfit, but had I given into my anxiety and quit rowing, I wouldn't have realized how much I love it. Thankfully I had the foresight and self awareness to realize that I had to persevere through it to get to the otherside (I'm not quite on the other side, but I'm very close to it).
  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
    I tried it, does that mean I get to knock it? Lol. I went years ago with my wife. It wasn't for me. She loved it though and was a big crossfitter back then.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    Who....exactly is knocking it?

    I've seen a few articles criticizing it (I think one may have been in Wired Magazine?) but that was years ago. That and just about every other article I've read criticising crossfit was primarily about how individual gyms deal with pushing people (especially beginners) and the number of people emergency departments were seeing with rhabdomyolysis as a result of the workouts people had done at crossfit gyms. There has also historically (though really not that long ago) been criticism surrounding how they deal with trans people in competitions (of the same type of criticism that power lifting gets), but I think the general public hears about that less.

    That said, I don't think any of the criticism has hurt crossfit. Or rather, I see a ton of crossfit gyms in my day to day life.
  • Okie_Gal82
    Okie_Gal82 Posts: 23 Member
    Always wanted to try CrossFit!
  • belairlarissa12
    belairlarissa12 Posts: 3 Member
    Would you say I could get a similar crossfit workout at home as I could a crossfit gym? Minus giant tires etc. Lol I have a toddler so it's hard for me to make it to a gym but I do like how straight forward crossfit is
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Since my goal is specific optimal strength of a 1RM on a platform of the big three, I won't be trying it.





    @Chieflrg said it so well, I'll just quote him. :p
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I think it's great if you love it. But I personally will not be trying it. I workout at home and CrossFit is not a part of my personal goals.
  • VegasFit
    VegasFit Posts: 1,232 Member
    edited May 2019
    Tried it a couple times at different gyms. It's not for me. But I have plenty of friends that love it.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    Since my goal is specific optimal strength of a 1RM on a platform of the big three, I won't be trying it.





    @Chieflrg said it so well, I'll just quote him. :p

    Glad you shared that...
    Why?
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    I’ve cherry-picked the WODs without joining the cult.

    ^^^^this
    or rather my PT cherry picks WODs and every now and again she'll get me to do an amrap, or strangely named workout. But she's there 1-2-1 making sure I keep form while she shouts at me to go quicker.

    In fact I guess a lot of my workouts are crossfit style, I just don't do them in a box
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    aokoye wrote: »
    GiddyupTim wrote: »
    Cahgetsfit wrote: »
    My only issue with it is that every.single.person I know who does it has had shoulder issues, some to the point of having to operate. EVERY SINGLE ONE. 100% rate. Of people I know who do it. Granted, I only know about 6 people who do/have done it, so it's not a very large cross-section of the population, but still.... 6/6 have shoulder damage? And do CrossFit? Bit too much of a coincidence there.

    Which brings me to what others have said above - it's not for beginners and also, the competitive aspect of doing particular exercises for time, can result in loss of form, which in turn can lead to injury.

    Each individual exercise is fine tho. Slower. With good form.

    Oh yeah - and the cult-vibe. Kind of like keto. That has a cult-vibe too.

    Actually, I don't have the exact figures down.
    But people have had concerns about shoulders and weight lifting generally. So researchers have looked at the available data. Which may or may not be any good, but it is what we have.
    Shoulder injuries are not especially more common than injuries to other body parts, and there is no more risk of shoulder injury in Crossfit than there is powerlifting or Olympic lifting.
    Moreover, it seems that if you try to dig down into the exact exercises that lead to shoulder injuries the bad exercise is primarily the upright row movement, which can lead to shoulder impingement.
    Everybody has done, or does, upright rows. I have seen them in all kinds of gym programs.
    You can google around and look it up if you want. I did because I have a friend with a rotator cuff and he was told to never lift weight above the clavicle.
    I wouldn't be surprised, however, if part of the issue has to do with speed and using (or not using) good form. I'm essentially repeating what @Cahgetsfit said in that regard, "Each individual exercise is fine tho. Slower. With good form." Given the number of crossfit videos I've seen with people who own gym, are competing, or are on crossfit's youtube channel using atrocious form on the rowing machine, I would be far from surprised if that transfers over to other exercises that are done in Crossfit.

    This is an educated guess mind you. However given that the organization is essentially endorsing the use of poor form on a rowing machine by showing various videos of people using poor form, I seems logical that this would be similar for other exercises.

    Sorry. Maybe I wasn't clear.
    The upright row is not done on a rowing machine. it is a barbell movement.
    My wife is on a crew team. She continually informs me that my rowing form is horrible.
    I suspect that we non-rowers will never get our erg form down well enough to earn any respect from the real rowers...
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    GiddyupTim wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    GiddyupTim wrote: »
    Cahgetsfit wrote: »
    My only issue with it is that every.single.person I know who does it has had shoulder issues, some to the point of having to operate. EVERY SINGLE ONE. 100% rate. Of people I know who do it. Granted, I only know about 6 people who do/have done it, so it's not a very large cross-section of the population, but still.... 6/6 have shoulder damage? And do CrossFit? Bit too much of a coincidence there.

    Which brings me to what others have said above - it's not for beginners and also, the competitive aspect of doing particular exercises for time, can result in loss of form, which in turn can lead to injury.

    Each individual exercise is fine tho. Slower. With good form.

    Oh yeah - and the cult-vibe. Kind of like keto. That has a cult-vibe too.

    Actually, I don't have the exact figures down.
    But people have had concerns about shoulders and weight lifting generally. So researchers have looked at the available data. Which may or may not be any good, but it is what we have.
    Shoulder injuries are not especially more common than injuries to other body parts, and there is no more risk of shoulder injury in Crossfit than there is powerlifting or Olympic lifting.
    Moreover, it seems that if you try to dig down into the exact exercises that lead to shoulder injuries the bad exercise is primarily the upright row movement, which can lead to shoulder impingement.
    Everybody has done, or does, upright rows. I have seen them in all kinds of gym programs.
    You can google around and look it up if you want. I did because I have a friend with a rotator cuff and he was told to never lift weight above the clavicle.
    I wouldn't be surprised, however, if part of the issue has to do with speed and using (or not using) good form. I'm essentially repeating what @Cahgetsfit said in that regard, "Each individual exercise is fine tho. Slower. With good form." Given the number of crossfit videos I've seen with people who own gym, are competing, or are on crossfit's youtube channel using atrocious form on the rowing machine, I would be far from surprised if that transfers over to other exercises that are done in Crossfit.

    This is an educated guess mind you. However given that the organization is essentially endorsing the use of poor form on a rowing machine by showing various videos of people using poor form, I seems logical that this would be similar for other exercises.

    Sorry. Maybe I wasn't clear.
    The upright row is not done on a rowing machine. it is a barbell movement.
    My wife is on a crew team. She continually informs me that my rowing form is horrible.
    I suspect that we non-rowers will never get our erg form down well enough to earn any respect from the real rowers...

    No no I knew what you meant (though I did have to look up what an upright row was). I may not have been being clear. What I was saying was that, given that Crossfit seems to be endorsing poor rowing machine form, I wouldn't be surprised if that transferred over into other areas. That is to say, it's not that weightlifting itself is bad, it's that when you do things incorrectly and quickly, injuries happen.

    Have your wife sit down with you and give you tips on how to row with good form. It's not super difficult or complex, but I suspect it's really easy to bake in bad habits. Concept 2 also has a lot of good videos on this.
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
    edited May 2019
    barbell upright row can be done properly...wide grip, limited ROM (lower pec, elbow bend max perpendicular/90 degrees/not high enough to begin internal rotation)

    yx4s154i81qb.png
    -wouldn't believe how difficult it is to google image a correct/safer variation just using the term "upright row" (part of the problem being too many people do this wrong whether gripping too close or using too much ROM)
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    aokoye wrote: »
    That is to say, it's not that weightlifting itself is bad, it's that when you do things incorrectly and quickly, injuries happen.

    Current literature is suggesting this not to be true. Load management is considered to be the cause of injuries.

    Meaning you can do a clean with bad form(which there is no clear definition that works for every individual bte) with a broom stick 3 sets of triples with one min rest in between sets and the injury risk is next to nil even with the most atrocious form because the load was managed within capabilities of most healthy individuals.

    But take a weight that is considered to be 92% of a e1RM and try to clean it four times. Yep injury risk is high now even with the best form.

    Or take a weight that you can triple with three left in the tank. Lets say 83% of a e1rm and do 8 sets of it with only one min rest in between sets. This is poor load management "good or bad form".

    Its the buildup of stress at a inappropriate weight that is now consideref to cause injury.

    The body can deal with a lot of things if the load is appropriate.



  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    That is to say, it's not that weightlifting itself is bad, it's that when you do things incorrectly and quickly, injuries happen.

    Current literature is suggesting this not to be true. Load management is considered to be the cause of injuries.

    Meaning you can do a clean with bad form(which there is no clear definition that works for every individual bte) with a broom stick 3 sets of triples with one min rest in between sets and the injury risk is next to nil even with the most atrocious form because the load was managed within capabilities of most healthy individuals.

    But take a weight that is considered to be 92% of a e1RM and try to clean it four times. Yep injury risk is high now even with the best form.

    Or take a weight that you can triple with three left in the tank. Lets say 83% of a e1rm and do 8 sets of it with only one min rest in between sets. This is poor load management "good or bad form".

    Its the buildup of stress at a inappropriate weight that is now consideref to cause injury.

    The body can deal with a lot of things if the load is appropriate.


    I would argue that inappropriate load management would fall in the "incorrectly" box.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    aokoye wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    That is to say, it's not that weightlifting itself is bad, it's that when you do things incorrectly and quickly, injuries happen.

    Current literature is suggesting this not to be true. Load management is considered to be the cause of injuries.

    Meaning you can do a clean with bad form(which there is no clear definition that works for every individual bte) with a broom stick 3 sets of triples with one min rest in between sets and the injury risk is next to nil even with the most atrocious form because the load was managed within capabilities of most healthy individuals.

    But take a weight that is considered to be 92% of a e1RM and try to clean it four times. Yep injury risk is high now even with the best form.

    Or take a weight that you can triple with three left in the tank. Lets say 83% of a e1rm and do 8 sets of it with only one min rest in between sets. This is poor load management "good or bad form".

    Its the buildup of stress at a inappropriate weight that is now consideref to cause injury.

    The body can deal with a lot of things if the load is appropriate.


    I would argue that inappropriate load management would fall in the "incorrectly" box.

    Fair though if "form" by itself without relation to load is part of "incorrectly" I would be on the side of what current literature suggests.

    Meaning form might improve efficiency but certainly doesn't equate higher injury risk by itself.

  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    That is to say, it's not that weightlifting itself is bad, it's that when you do things incorrectly and quickly, injuries happen.

    Current literature is suggesting this not to be true. Load management is considered to be the cause of injuries.

    Meaning you can do a clean with bad form(which there is no clear definition that works for every individual bte) with a broom stick 3 sets of triples with one min rest in between sets and the injury risk is next to nil even with the most atrocious form because the load was managed within capabilities of most healthy individuals.

    But take a weight that is considered to be 92% of a e1RM and try to clean it four times. Yep injury risk is high now even with the best form.

    Or take a weight that you can triple with three left in the tank. Lets say 83% of a e1rm and do 8 sets of it with only one min rest in between sets. This is poor load management "good or bad form".

    Its the buildup of stress at a inappropriate weight that is now consideref to cause injury.

    The body can deal with a lot of things if the load is appropriate.


    I would argue that inappropriate load management would fall in the "incorrectly" box.

    Fair though if "form" by itself without relation to load is part of "incorrectly" I would be on the side of what current literature suggests.

    Meaning form might improve efficiency but certainly doesn't equate higher injury risk by itself.

    For what it's worth, I think we're more or less agreeing. Another way I could state what I said earlier today is, "Crossfit doesn't appear to promote healthy practices on the rowing machine by way of showcasing people who appear to be well respected erging in ways that promote injury. Given that, it's safe to assume that similar things happen with regards to lifting."

    *Given that I, and apparently others, have read a number of accounts of Crossfit gyms pushing beginners in ways that lead to injury, I would imagine that I'm not too far from the mark.

    *And yes, I've read accounts of beginners being well served by crossfit gyms as well. I also personally have at least one friend who adores crossfit.
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    aokoye wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    Chieflrg wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    That is to say, it's not that weightlifting itself is bad, it's that when you do things incorrectly and quickly, injuries happen.

    Current literature is suggesting this not to be true. Load management is considered to be the cause of injuries.

    Meaning you can do a clean with bad form(which there is no clear definition that works for every individual bte) with a broom stick 3 sets of triples with one min rest in between sets and the injury risk is next to nil even with the most atrocious form because the load was managed within capabilities of most healthy individuals.

    But take a weight that is considered to be 92% of a e1RM and try to clean it four times. Yep injury risk is high now even with the best form.

    Or take a weight that you can triple with three left in the tank. Lets say 83% of a e1rm and do 8 sets of it with only one min rest in between sets. This is poor load management "good or bad form".

    Its the buildup of stress at a inappropriate weight that is now consideref to cause injury.

    The body can deal with a lot of things if the load is appropriate.


    I would argue that inappropriate load management would fall in the "incorrectly" box.

    Fair though if "form" by itself without relation to load is part of "incorrectly" I would be on the side of what current literature suggests.

    Meaning form might improve efficiency but certainly doesn't equate higher injury risk by itself.

    For what it's worth, I think we're more or less agreeing. Another way I could state what I said earlier today is, "Crossfit doesn't appear to promote healthy practices on the rowing machine by way of showcasing people who appear to be well respected erging in ways that promote injury. Given that, it's safe to assume that similar things happen with regards to lifting."

    *Given that I, and apparently others, have read a number of accounts of Crossfit gyms pushing beginners in ways that lead to injury, I would imagine that I'm not too far from the mark.

    *And yes, I've read accounts of beginners being well served by crossfit gyms as well. I also personally have at least one friend who adores crossfit.

    I agree.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Regarding the Mehrab paper, there is no comparison to other kinds of exercise or sports activity and the definition of injury is pretty vague, which makes it difficult to judge how severe these injuries are. It could be an injury that warranted a physician visit. Or just one that prompted the athlete to adjust their training for a bit.
    It's hard to move at all without getting that kind of injury! They say that better than 50 percent of runners get an injury that interrupts their training at some point in a year.
    A 30 percent rate of shoulder injuries means that that is the most common type of injury in Crossfit; it doesn't mean it is a lot!
    So, if you ask a bunch of Crossfitters, 30 percent say they had at least a sore shoulder at some point in a year. But did a high number need to stop using their shoulder completely for any length of time? Is 30 percent any worse than the rate for other active sports? Was the rate of surgery or medical treatment high?
    The Mehrab paper is a survey, with all the unreliability of memory recall and no comparison. That's not reliable or meaningful data.
    I mentioned the shoulder injury rate in my first post, because that was reported as the most common site of injury in Crossfit in a previous paper, a paper that made comparisons. That paper said that, yes, Crossfitters injure their shoulders, but it was not at a rate higher than gymnasts or powerlifters or Olympic lifters -- ie, people who use their shoulders.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Murph today!
    Run a mile
    100 pull-ups
    200 push-ups
    300 air-squats
    Another one mile run
    In a weighted vest, if you want
    One tough workout. But that feeling of accomplishment when you are done. Worth its weight in gold.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
    GiddyupTim wrote: »
    Murph today!
    Run a mile
    100 pull-ups
    200 push-ups
    300 air-squats
    Another one mile run
    In a weighted vest, if you want
    One tough workout. But that feeling of accomplishment when you are done. Worth its weight in gold.

    My pt regularly gets me to do something similar (minus the weighted vest). I'm not a fast runner so we do
    Run a mile
    100 trx rows
    100 squats
    100 push ups
    Run
    (We only get 25min once stretch is included).

    I cried first time she made me do it. And she does make me do it all with good form