Crossfit...dont get it...

[Mitch]

I'm a level 1 CF instructor for a non-profit fire department affiliate and have been training our firefighters in CF for the last year and a half. I'm a professional firefighter and don't have a degree in exercise science or anything related, being a trainer is secondary. We, as an organization, have witnessed the benefits of CF and its applicability to our profession and daily lives. I don't intend to sway anyone to the "CrossFit Way" or discredit traditional fitness programs and this isn't aimed at anyone taking part in this discussion. I simply feel the need to share some things about CF as they have been explained to me.

The aim of CrossFit is broad general fitness or to be able to perform well at any and all tasks. Having a strong deadlift is as important as running a 5k. We strive to improve performance in 10 physical attributes;respritory/cardio endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy and do this through constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement.

Instructors and certs - before the summer of 2010 Level 1 instructors paid money, went to a class, and got a cert. Today they pay money, go to class, take a test and if they pass they get a cert accredited by the American National Standards Institute. They must also retake the level 1 class every 5 years to maintain competency and their status as a trainer and/or affiliate.

Safety - is paramount, we endorse form before intensity. Unfortunately a new athlete can suffer from a coach's lack of experience or ability to identify and correct poor form, that can be said for any fitness program or sport. CF does not support poor form for the sake of an intense gut wrenching workout. We won't put a load on anyone (strong as an ox or not) if they don't demonstrate good form first, and if form deteriorates during a WOD then the load is reduced or removed until form is recovered. I won't deny however, that this isn't the case for all gyms or "boxes" but that is dependent more on the instructor than the program. Instructors have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their athletes by understanding and enforcing good form and to scale as needed to reflect that form.

All this information aside the argument will always remain and both sides will fling mud in order to validate their own beliefs. Whether you agree with any one program or not is irrelevant, fitness is a personal choice and whatever program helps you achieve your goals is a good one. Whether we're experts or a layman, people don't care what we think because they ultimately need to find out for themselves what works for them. Spend 30 days in both programs and take the time to educate yourself in their methodologies, then decide for yourself.

[DiabhailGadhar]

"I've done a few WOD's and I'm continuing to implement crossfit exercises that I've already been familiar with prior to my learning of CF. As a student I'm in the financial hole, once I'm out of that hole I hope to enroll in a crossfit gym considering the vast number of credible people I've heard swear about it."

Tom, some people here are missing the original intent of Crossfit, in idea crossfit was meant to be able to do for a few dollars from your garage. Like I do, or in your living room, or in a park on a playground the idea that you have to pay $100-xxxx is absurd. Just go to crossfit.com and read around, their journal even gives design idea's how to build the stuff with simple tools. Once you have the equipment to do the CF warm up you pretty much can use your imagination from there out...y buy a 45# olymipic bar when some PVC pipe from home depot with sand in it will get the same basic result, I'm not saying that you can completly avoid spending a little coin, God knows thats impossible now adays, but you can get started into CF really cheaply and you dont have to pay all that overhead, thats why youtube and google are so amazing watch for free and START SLOW...Build speed with profieciency..Just like Room Clearing...they dont start you with live grenades and a SAW you have to work your way up to it....

[DiabhailGadhar]

I'm a level 1 CF instructor for a non-profit fire department affiliate and have been training our firefighters in CF for the last year and a half. I'm a professional firefighter and don't have a degree in exercise science or anything related, being a trainer is secondary. We, as an organization, have witnessed the benefits of CF and its applicability to our profession and daily lives. I don't intend to sway anyone to the "CrossFit Way" or discredit traditional fitness programs and this isn't aimed at anyone taking part in this discussion. I simply feel the need to share some things about CF as they have been explained to me.

The aim of CrossFit is broad general fitness or to be able to perform well at any and all tasks. Having a strong deadlift is as important as running a 5k. We strive to improve performance in 10 physical attributes;respritory/cardio endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy and do this through constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement.

Instructors and certs - before the summer of 2010 Level 1 instructors paid money, went to a class, and got a cert. Today they pay money, go to class, take a test and if they pass they get a cert accredited by the American National Standards Institute. They must also retake the level 1 class every 5 years to maintain competency and their status as a trainer and/or affiliate.

Safety - is paramount, we endorse form before intensity. Unfortunately a new athlete can suffer from a coach's lack of experience or ability to identify and correct poor form, that can be said for any fitness program or sport. CF does not support poor form for the sake of an intense gut wrenching workout. We won't put a load on anyone (strong as an ox or not) if they don't demonstrate good form first, and if form deteriorates during a WOD then the load is reduced or removed until form is recovered. I won't deny however, that this isn't the case for all gyms or "boxes" but that is dependent more on the instructor than the program. Instructors have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their athletes by understanding and enforcing good form and to scale as needed to reflect that form.

All this information aside the argument will always remain and both sides will fling mud in order to validate their own beliefs. Whether you agree with any one program or not is irrelevant, fitness is a personal choice and whatever program helps you achieve your goals is a good one. Whether we're experts or a layman, people don't care what we think because they ultimately need to find out for themselves what works for them. Spend 30 days in both programs and take the time to educate yourself in their methodologies, then decide for yourself.

EXACTLY .....

[5566]

I have been doing Crossfit mainsite workouts since 2006 with the exception of three months I spent doing Rippetoe's Starting Strength in 2008. As others have mentioned, if you have a specific goal it makes more sense to choose a more specific program. However since I have started I have made steady improvements in strength, speed, and endurance, and developed skills I probably would never have attempted otherwise like muscle ups and handstand push-ups.

I understand why people are skeptical about the program, I was too before I had done it for several months. Can you get hurt doing it? Of course. But if you spend some time learning the movements before doing them quickly and/or with heavy weights and approach each workout with a realistic goal the risk can be minimized.

I train in my basement with equipment I have gradually accumulated over several years, so it really hasn't cost me anything. However looking back, if I wouldn't have had that option it would have been worth it to me to pay $100/ month to get to where I am now.

[comprido]

I am not a crossfitter, but I have dabbled in following the WOD from time to time.

I'm curious to know if the critique in the OP is coming from actually trying it for awhile, maybe even joining/attending a crossfit gym, or just looking at the website?

and I haven't seen any real criticism here other than "I don't like it".

You didn't see a previous thread on @Fit.

Some thoughtful and experienced S&P coaches certainly have their reasons for not liking Xfit. Among them are beliefs that:

*the high intensity all the time doesn't allow for recovery

*the seemingly random nature of the workouts isn't the most productive programming

*performing certain movements against the clock inevitably creates bad form and therefore injury

*it doesn't program enough heavy lifting for the average person (though the influence of various hybrid CF programs is changing this)

*CF's general physical preparedness (GPP) approach may be good for workout meant for the general population but a specific physical preparedness (SPP) program tailored to a specific athlete or sport will provide better results

There are more. That's just off the top of my head.

I'll add that none of the top crossfitter use CF as envision by Couch or programmed by CFHQ. That ought to tell you something. Heck, it seems most of the folks posting on the crossfit forum aren't even doing the WODs anymore, but instead are trying to get stronger on Starting Strength or 5/3/1. A lot of the top competitors at the Crossfit games are relatively new to @F (as in a year or two), that ought to tell you something too. Why are none of the original CF firebreathers dominating, since they've been doing @fit longer?

And yes, I've done more than dabble in it. I drank the koolaid back before it was cool. I didn't get stronger. I did get better at lifting low weights for high reps.

Yes, some of the exercises require very good form, and in turn often require that you be in pretty good shape to start with. A good Crossfit gym will work with you on this and give you coaching on form and alternates if you're not up to the full bore WOD just yet.


Crossfit isn't for everyone, especially those that can't get past what they've been taught. Finding a good gym, with good trainers, seems critical to me to ensure that you don't get hurt, but the people that like it seem to really, really like it.

You may still get hurt. No matter how good that trainer is, who by the way probably started training people after just a weekend seminar, overuse injuries will occur.

[Tom Swift]

"I've done a few WOD's and I'm continuing to implement crossfit exercises that I've already been familiar with prior to my learning of CF. As a student I'm in the financial hole, once I'm out of that hole I hope to enroll in a crossfit gym considering the vast number of credible people I've heard swear about it."

Tom, some people here are missing the original intent of Crossfit, in idea crossfit was meant to be able to do for a few dollars from your garage. Like I do, or in your living room, or in a park on a playground the idea that you have to pay $100-xxxx is absurd. Just go to crossfit.com and read around, their journal even gives design idea's how to build the stuff with simple tools. Once you have the equipment to do the CF warm up you pretty much can use your imagination from there out...y buy a 45# olymipic bar when some PVC pipe from home depot with sand in it will get the same basic result, I'm not saying that you can completly avoid spending a little coin, God knows thats impossible now adays, but you can get started into CF really cheaply and you dont have to pay all that overhead, thats why youtube and google are so amazing watch for free and START SLOW...Build speed with profieciency..Just like Room Clearing...they dont start you with live grenades and a SAW you have to work your way up to it....

I completely get what your saying but I live in residence here at University unfortunately and can't have all that equipment I have a $50 gym membership with the school although can only do so much without a trainer and without like minded individuals. The places I wanna go and the things I want to do will require me to be at the top of my game.

This summer I'm planning to be doing "Murphs" with a Eagle LVAC & a pullup bar at my cottage. I want a trainer though, I'm tired of working out in a gym where dudes are bigger then me and lifting less or have arms the size of my legs but a giant gut.

I'm already trying to work up to just completing a "Fran" and I'm in better than average fitness compaired to most people in general. I've also done WOD's like "Cindy". Right now I just don't have the time to jump into CF unfortunately.

[DiabhailGadhar]

If interested, my take on CF with a link to an extensive review on CF:

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About CrossFit

Well that is certainly better written and more subjective then what that other, shall I say asinine, link had to say about it. Thanks for bringing that to the discussion Will.

[DiabhailGadhar]

I completely get what your saying but I live in residence here at University unfortunately and can't have all that equipment I have a $50 gym membership with the school although can only do so much without a trainer and without like minded individuals. The places I wanna go and the things I want to do will require me to be at the top of my game.

This summer I'm planning to be doing "Murphs" with a Eagle LVAC & a pullup bar at my cottage. I want a trainer though, I'm tired of working out in a gym where dudes are bigger then me and lifting less or have arms the size of my legs but a giant gut.

I'm already trying to work up to just completing a "Fran" and I'm in better than average fitness compaired to most people in general. I've also done WOD's like "Cindy". Right now I just don't have the time to jump into CF unfortunately.

Bro as long as you're doing something it's better then sitting on the couch wasting perfect minutes of your life and the great thing about crossfit IMHO you get a really great work out catered to what your desired form of out put is in under 30 min...all the people on here saying "I don't get it" is usually because they haven't got off their arse and tried to..as we say...get some! Good luck with your workouts and don't stress those cats at the gym...all the muscle in the world won't stop a controlled pair of 5.56 to the chest..

[BooneGA]

Covered a lot of different aspects here.

Look at the highest performance athletes around. Be it olympians, triathaletes, or military athletes. NONE of them do "crossfit". Some of their training may look occasionally like a "crossfit" workout but none do it exclusively.

As ive said in the other thread. It is quite a bit better than regular weight lifting, but its just a step on the path to true fitness training.

[chuckman]

It seems to me that a lot of crossfit, the USMC CFT, and a lot of these circuit programs are just variations on a theme of metabolic resistence training. All of it is ice cream (or beer, pick your analogy), just different flavors.