Anybody do CrossFit?

Hollywood442
Hollywood442 Posts: 3 Member
edited October 7 in Fitness and Exercise
I have been highly addicted to crossfit for over a year.
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Replies

  • I had a personal trainer for a year who worked with me doing Functional Training. I no longer work with him but what he has taught me has been amazing. I now use the iCross WoD app (free one) everyday. It has a workout of the day - cross fit style. I do not have the equipment they have nor am able to do the heavy weight they do (135 lbs!!). The great thing though is they have a movie attached so you can see what they are doing. I have been creating variations for myself. I love it!

    For example...

    Today was 20 minutes of as many sets as you can do of the following:

    2 Muscle-ups
    4 Handstand pushups
    8 2-pood Kettlebell swings (which is basically an American Style Swing)

    Since I don't have rings or the ability (yet) to do handstand pushups I did:

    8 deep dips
    4 kettlebell shoulder presses
    8 American style kettlebell swings.

    I did a total of 16 sets in the 20 minutes... whew, what a workout!

    Tomorrow looks like a crazy long workout! Looking forward to it. They have a website too...

    Their website is crossfit.com I believe.

    If you've been doing it for a year, you must be in amazing shape! I am saving up for a Pullup/dip unit for my house. I have a pull-up bar but it doesn't fit any of my doors in my new place. :(

    Happy Days! :glasses:
  • tarajeand
    tarajeand Posts: 10 Member
    I just joined last week. Really tough so far!
  • Hollywood442
    Hollywood442 Posts: 3 Member
    Awesome that is great! I am very farmiliar with crossfit.com. I love going down there but am slowly putting together a home gym. I also have one of those doorway pullup bars, I dont ever use it because it doesnt compare to a real one. I would find a more sturdy one and mount it in your garage. You will be much happier with it plus you could hang a set of rings from it.
  • scicco
    scicco Posts: 58 Member
    I just saw a pullup dip unit at walmart for $98.00! Pretty good unit for the price.
    My husband was doing crossfit for a while and loved it. We are going to start again this week. can't wait
  • Hollywood442
    Hollywood442 Posts: 3 Member
    stay with it. it gets much better when you start seeing positive results in performance
  • I was considering getting the Stamina 1690 Power Tower:

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Y2SUU4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

    I do not have a garage. I could attach something to my fence or shed outside for the warmer months but it is winter (think snow, 13 degrees and less) so was considering the above for inside.

    Thoughts?
  • Health_Gal
    Health_Gal Posts: 715 Member
    I have been highly addicted to crossfit for over a year.

    I am so sorry you are addicted to Crossfit. You might want to check around in your area and see if they are any recovery groups for people that want to deal with their Crossfit addiction.

    I know several people that were severely addicted to Crossfit until one of their extreme workouts landed them in the emergency room.

    Reading this article from the New York Times might be a good place to start in breaking the grip of your Crossfit addiction:

    Getting Fit, Even If It Kills You
    http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/fashion/thursdaystyles/22Fitness.html?pagewanted=all
  • I just recently started and some of the exercises are so hard for me to do and I feel like I am pretty athletic. I am going to try and stick with it.
  • Health_Gal
    Health_Gal Posts: 715 Member
    I just recently started and some of the exercises are so hard for me to do and I feel like I am pretty athletic. I am going to try and stick with it.

    Some of the Crossfit routines are ok if you scale them way down. Most of what they do are just exercise moves that have been around for ages thrown together to make a "workout of the day." But when people go to the Crossfit gyms and come up against the pressure to compete with people in class that are much stronger than they are, a lot of injuries happen.

    However, other Crossfit workouts, such as Olympic lifts and jumping on tall boxes, for example, are best avoided all together if you don't want to end up in the emergency room.

    A small percentage of Crossfit gyms might be reasonable and safe, but the vast majority push people to exercise to the extreme, and many Crossfit coaches and participants have a very elitist attitude about Crossfit to the point it can feel cultish.
  • cheri0627
    cheri0627 Posts: 369 Member
    However, other Crossfit workouts, such as Olympic lifts and jumping on tall boxes, for example, are best avoided all together if you don't want to end up in the emergency room.

    Wait. What?

    Are you saying people shouldn't be doing Olympic lifts? Why the heck not? CrossFit aside, I LOVE Olympic weightlifting. Since I started doing Olympic lifting, I have gained flexibility, strength and speed, not to mention self confidence.

    And, should we just automatically avoid everything out there that someone else might have injured themselves doing? I know two different people who broke their foot while dancing. Should I never dance and make sure everyone else in the world stops dancing? My sister broke her foot while walking and ended up in the emergency room. (True story!) Should I stop walking and tell everyone else to stop walking because of this?
  • Health_Gal
    Health_Gal Posts: 715 Member
    However, other Crossfit workouts, such as Olympic lifts and jumping on tall boxes, for example, are best avoided all together if you don't want to end up in the emergency room.

    Wait. What?

    Are you saying people shouldn't be doing Olympic lifts? Why the heck not? CrossFit aside, I LOVE Olympic weightlifting. Since I started doing Olympic lifting, I have gained flexibility, strength and speed, not to mention self confidence.

    And, should we just automatically avoid everything out there that someone else might have injured themselves doing? I know two different people who broke their foot while dancing. Should I never dance and make sure everyone else in the world stops dancing? My sister broke her foot while walking and ended up in the emergency room. (True story!) Should I stop walking and tell everyone else to stop walking because of this?

    Please read this article before you compare Crossfit with normal, everyday activities that land people in the emergency room

    Getting Fit, Even If It Kills You
    http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/fashion/thursdaystyles/22Fitness.html?pagewanted=all
  • Troll
    Troll Posts: 922 Member
    i printed something like 20 pages of the workouts off their site and do them 4 days a week. My fave right now is "the filthy fifty".
  • I'm a Crossfit Betty, love it, can't stop. I drank the Kool-aid. Looking forward to competing this year. It is the only sport that returned me to and under 8:00 mile.
  • However, other Crossfit workouts, such as Olympic lifts and jumping on tall boxes, for example, are best avoided all together if you don't want to end up in the emergency room.

    Wait. What?

    Are you saying people shouldn't be doing Olympic lifts? Why the heck not? CrossFit aside, I LOVE Olympic weightlifting. Since I started doing Olympic lifting, I have gained flexibility, strength and speed, not to mention self confidence.

    And, should we just automatically avoid everything out there that someone else might have injured themselves doing? I know two different people who broke their foot while dancing. Should I never dance and make sure everyone else in the world stops dancing? My sister broke her foot while walking and ended up in the emergency room. (True story!) Should I stop walking and tell everyone else to stop walking because of this?

    Please read this article before you compare Crossfit with normal, everyday activities that land people in the emergency room

    Getting Fit, Even If It Kills You
    http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/fashion/thursdaystyles/22Fitness.html?pagewanted=all

    Do you realize you linked to the wrong article? Also, if you've never done Crossfit, I'm about 100% certain you aren't in any position to be speaking on its merits or shortcomings.
  • madmags
    madmags Posts: 1,340 Member
    I read the article that you continually post and I personally don't find it intimidating. If I wasn't already a member of a gym and set up with a trainer who puts me through hard core circuit work outs, I would go to my nearest crossfit facility and sign up. Thanks for the post Rachel, that definitely peaked my interest in Crossfit.
  • cheri0627
    cheri0627 Posts: 369 Member
    However, other Crossfit workouts, such as Olympic lifts and jumping on tall boxes, for example, are best avoided all together if you don't want to end up in the emergency room.

    Wait. What?

    Are you saying people shouldn't be doing Olympic lifts? Why the heck not? CrossFit aside, I LOVE Olympic weightlifting. Since I started doing Olympic lifting, I have gained flexibility, strength and speed, not to mention self confidence.

    And, should we just automatically avoid everything out there that someone else might have injured themselves doing? I know two different people who broke their foot while dancing. Should I never dance and make sure everyone else in the world stops dancing? My sister broke her foot while walking and ended up in the emergency room. (True story!) Should I stop walking and tell everyone else to stop walking because of this?

    Please read this article before you compare Crossfit with normal, everyday activities that land people in the emergency room

    Getting Fit, Even If It Kills You
    http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/22/fashion/thursdaystyles/22Fitness.html?pagewanted=all

    I have seen that article. I also know that there are people in any sort of activity or sport that take things to the extreme. Most people I know who do CrossFit or bowl or take dance classes or play hockey do not take things to extremes. However, I know people who have been doing all of those activities, _except_CrossFit_, who have ended up in the emergency room. Should all of these activities be ridiculed at every single opportunity because there is some risk of hurting oneself?

    (In case you weren't aware of it, that is what you have been doing, RachelSNO. You are ridiculing a whole activity because you read an article that talked about people taking it to an extreme and you know someone personally who took it to an extreme and got hurt. The title of this topic is not, "Please ridicule me and everyone else for talking about CrossFit" but it's "Anybody do CrossFit" and looking for other people who enjoy it.)
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    I hesitate to criticize any workout program, because even bad workouts are usually better than nothing, but I don't find crossfit to be an intelligent way to approach strength training.
  • kminnucci
    kminnucci Posts: 5 Member
    Love Crossfit. I've been crossfittting for 4 years. The olympic lifting clinic taught me alot. I work out at home now but spent three years at a box learning it right.
  • I have seen that article. I also know that there are people in any sort of activity or sport that take things to the extreme. Most people I know who do CrossFit or bowl or take dance classes or play hockey do not take things to extremes. However, I know people who have been doing all of those activities, _except_CrossFit_, who have ended up in the emergency room. Should all of these activities be ridiculed at every single opportunity because there is some risk of hurting oneself?

    (In case you weren't aware of it, that is what you have been doing, RachelSNO. You are ridiculing a whole activity because you read an article that talked about people taking it to an extreme and you know someone personally who took it to an extreme and got hurt. The title of this topic is not, "Please ridicule me and everyone else for talking about CrossFit" but it's "Anybody do CrossFit" and looking for other people who enjoy it.)

    Here here! By the way I would LOVE to see extreme bowling or extreme ballet.
  • midwifekelley2350
    midwifekelley2350 Posts: 337 Member
    i printed something like 20 pages of the workouts off their site and do them 4 days a week. My fave right now is "the filthy fifty".

    just did this workout this morning...not my fave! i renamed it "the f-ing 50!".
  • I hesitate to criticize any workout program, because even bad workouts are usually better than nothing, but I don't find crossfit to be an intelligent way to approach strength training.

    May I ask why?
  • christina423
    christina423 Posts: 33 Member
    I just bought personal training sessions at my gym. He said he does cross fit - excited to start!
  • Health_Gal
    Health_Gal Posts: 715 Member
    I just bought personal training sessions at my gym. He said he does cross fit - excited to start!

    When you find out how sore you are going to be after a Crossfit workout, you might be a bit less excited than you are now.

    I know people that are in great shape, and could barely walk for 3 or 4 days after they started doing Crossfit. They went back a few times times to see if they felt any better, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth the pain and suffering to continue, even though they could not get a refund for the rest of the month they had already paid for at the Crossfit gym.
  • Nopedotjpeg
    Nopedotjpeg Posts: 1,805 Member
    However, other Crossfit workouts, such as Olympic lifts and jumping on tall boxes, for example, are best avoided all together if you don't want to end up in the emergency room.


    Clean & Jerks + Snatches with weight appropriate for apparently land you in the emergency room. Lol riiiiight.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member
    I hesitate to criticize any workout program, because even bad workouts are usually better than nothing, but I don't find crossfit to be an intelligent way to approach strength training.

    May I ask why?

    Without turning this into an entire blog post:

    -Strength training should involve progressive overload, meaning your goal is to get stronger, little by little. Crossfit does a poor job of that.
    -The risk of injury is unreasonably high. This is because of poor coaching (obviously it varies from place to place) and for using high reps for Olympic lifts. Olympic lifts were meant to be done for low reps, trying to do 20 reps or whatever of a clean and jerk will invariably cause form breakdown and a greater risk of injury.
    -The macho platitudes. These are mostly harmless, but there are times they are taken to the extreme, such as working out to the point of vomiting being touted as a positive thing.
    -The sometimes clult-like attitude. This is just slightly annoying, lol.

    In fairness, I'll say that the positive aspects of it is that it encourages people to work hard, introduces people to weightlifting that otherwise would never have tried it, and entourages commitment to ad consistency with the program.
  • I just bought personal training sessions at my gym. He said he does cross fit - excited to start!

    When you find out how sore you are going to be after a Crossfit workout, you might be a bit less excited than you are now.

    I know people that are in great shape, and could barely walk for 3 or 4 days after they started doing Crossfit. They went back a few times times to see if they felt any better, but ultimately decided it wasn't worth the pain and suffering to continue, even though they could not get a refund for the rest of the month they had already paid for at the Crossfit gym.

    You are definitely a little sore after the first session of Crossfit, but that is what On-Ramp is for. It is meant to slowly guide you into Crossfit.

    Have you ever even done a session yourself? All this talk of other people makes me think you've never even tried it. Instead, you're trying to fear monger and badger other people who haven't even begun. Stay classy.
  • Health_Gal
    Health_Gal Posts: 715 Member
    No, I've never tried Crossfit, but than again, I've never tried jumping off a 3 story building either. Both are activities that I'm pretty sure I would not enjoy.

    It is much better not to ever try Crossfit than to be sore all the time from their extreme workouts or end up in the emergency room.

    The people I know that got too sore to function were enrolled in the Crossfit on ramp program. And when they saw the kind of stuff that would be expected of them in regular Crossfit classes, it made them even more sure of their decision not to continue.
  • I hesitate to criticize any workout program, because even bad workouts are usually better than nothing, but I don't find crossfit to be an intelligent way to approach strength training.

    May I ask why?

    Without turning this into an entire blog post:

    -Strength training should involve progressive overload, meaning your goal is to get stronger, little by little. Crossfit does a poor job of that.
    -The risk of injury is unreasonably high. This is because of poor coaching (obviously it varies from place to place) and for using high reps for Olympic lifts. Olympic lifts were meant to be done for low reps, trying to do 20 reps or whatever of a clean and jerk will invariably cause form breakdown and a greater risk of injury.
    -The macho platitudes. These are mostly harmless, but there are times they are taken to the extreme, such as working out to the point of vomiting being touted as a positive thing.
    -The sometimes clult-like attitude. This is just slightly annoying, lol.

    In fairness, I'll say that the positive aspects of it is that it encourages people to work hard, introduces people to weightlifting that otherwise would never have tried it, and entourages commitment to ad consistency with the program.

    Last night we did 8,3,5 at 90% on back squats. It was a strength training warm-up before the WOD. The majority of Crossfit gyms build strength exercises, not the other way around. Unfortunately, the general population only considers the WOD instead of the entire hour you attend. You understand that we aren't doing 20 Olympic lifts in one sitting at 100% right? That is a misconception; if someone tells you that, they are an idiot. The WODs are always at 60-80% max weight in order to account for the speed and the reps. As for injury, that varies greatly with the gym and the trainers, but trainers are required to become certified before ever leading a workout. Certification is expensive and hard so I don't take it lightly.

    Macho-like attitudes sure. Even I have one to a degree. But then again it is hard not to be confident when I warmed up by squatting 115#, 130#, and 145#. That being said, I've never been to a gym where people cheer, literally yell, for you to finish and that you are capable of completing the workout. I would not replace the sense of community for anything. Cults can be fun in that we have social events, competitions, and encourage each other. I received a phone call after missing my WODs for 2 weeks. Since I have a contract, it wasn't about the money. My coach was worried that I was missing WODs for other reasons and encouraged me to come back. That's commitment,

    But you are entitled to your opinion and I appreciate the feedback. Hope you can try a WOD at a good box some day!
  • No, I've never tried Crossfit, but than again, I've never tried jumping off a 3 story building either. Both are activities that I'm pretty sure I would not enjoy.

    It is much better not to ever try Crossfit than to be sore all the time from their extreme workouts or end up in the emergency room.

    The people I know that got too sore to function were enrolled in the Crossfit on ramp program. And when they saw the kind of stuff that would be expected of them in regular Crossfit classes, it made them even more sure of their decision not to continue.

    Read: It is much better not to ever try.

    You said a mouthful there.
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,519 Member

    Last night we did 8,3,5 at 90% on back squats. It was a strength training warm-up before the WOD. The majority of Crossfit gyms build strength exercises, not the other way around. Unfortunately, the general population only considers the WOD instead of the entire hour you attend. You understand that we aren't doing 20 Olympic lifts in one sitting at 100% right? That is a misconception; if someone tells you that, they are an idiot. The WODs are always at 60-80% max weight in order to account for the speed and the reps. As for injury, that varies greatly with the gym and the trainers, but trainers are required to become certified before ever leading a workout. Certification is expensive and hard so I don't take it lightly.

    -When is the next time you will back squat, and what will be the weight/rep scheme?
    -I understand the Olympic lifts are done and low weight for high reps. My point is that this is not how Olympic lifts are meant to be done, and it will lead to form breakdown and injury risk. This is not even counting if your form was any good in the first place. Olympic lifts are HARD to learn properly, I'd doubt that most of the coaches are even doing them right.
    -The crossfit certification process certainly is expensive, but I would not classify it as rigorous.
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