Crossfit

[Jr Mouse]



Eh, his comment DOES make sense. If your goal is to be strong in the gym, Crossfit is just about the most inefficient way to do it.

I agree in the sense that you really don't stack on muscle with crossfit. The workouts are designed to for someone to get lean and fast. If your goal is to look like a body builder Crossfit makes little sense.

 

[TeeKay]

JMRouse, you ought to make your way over to the RHET thread and join us. We'll get you swole.

 

[Mark it 8]



Eh, his comment DOES make sense. If your goal is to be strong in the gym, Crossfit is just about the most inefficient way to do it.

The reason it doesnt make sense is because he is assuming what someone else's goals are. Thats like going up to a guy training for a marathon and saying, "hey man, your training is ****. You'll have a much faster time on the 100 if you practice sprints."

 

[Jr Mouse]

I forgot to add something to this post. Part of the reason I believe I, and other, might have issues with developing pain and injuries from Crossfit is the workout themselves. By this I mean you do a lot of olympic style lifting, but at an execrated pace. Most of these exercises were designed to be done at a controlled steady pace with a minimal amount of reps per set. It's hard to maintain proper form doing 5 rounds of 10 power snatches for time, all the while having to run 400 meters and do 15 burpees between sets. WOD's like this are not uncommon and I know my form often turns to **** as I work through it to finish quickly.

Sorry if I am venting here, but I do believe these types of gyms have fundamental issues like that that one needs to be aware of.

Still, they do get addicting...

 

[Mark it 8]



While I have been a proponent of Crossfit on this board, I am starting to develop mixed feelings about the whole thing. Been a member for a year and a half and can honestly say I have not developed the results I would like. Don't get me wrong, I am in OK shape. Just not getting to what I would like to be at. I'm also finding myself developing joint and muscle pains including a recurring ankle pain that my Doctor said is likely the early stages of tendonitis. I average about 4 work outs a week, and would like to increase the frequency but these pains have held me back.
Part of the problem is that the coaches are really not trained in any type of injury prevention. They know the routines and how to help you develop the right form, but that's about it. A level one coach only has to do a two day course to get certified by Crossfit. This leads to many not really knowing much, running workouts that are complex and injury prone. My gym has some great coaches, but it does rub me wrong when some of them are not able to provide any productive answers when I try to speak with them about the problems I have been having.
I can't speak for others, but simple observation over the time I have been at this gym has allowed me to come to some conclusions. A lot of out of shape people join and quickly drop a decent amount fo weight. They find themselves stronger and faster. It gets addicting and they are hooked. The problem is most seem to plateau after 6 months to a year. I honestly have not seen anyone really "transform" there body. We do have a fair amount of guys and women who are in fantastic shape, but they were already ahead of the game when they joined. The workouts are hard on your body and it seems like the people who excel the most at them are those who already had an athletic background.
Right now I am working on some strategies to minimize these issues and improve my diet, but if I don't start seeing better results soon I may try something else. The membership cost feels too high for the results I have seen.

I agree with much of what you say. I did not mean to infer in my previous post that Crossfit is the answer for all goals. My personal goals dont match with Crossfit super well, which is why I break it up with other routines. Adjusting my diet has really made a major impact.

 

[Jr Mouse]



I agree with much of what you say. I did not mean to infer in my previous post that Crossfit is the answer for all goals. My personal goals dont match with Crossfit super well, which is why I break it up with other routines. Adjusting my diet has really made a major impact.

My rant was by no means directed to you. It's something I have had on my mind for a while now and was meaning to make a post about it.

Yes, I agree on diet. It's been hard for me to maintain a good one, but I am working on focusing on it. For me I need to cut out the drinks and drastically increase my protein intake.

 

[Mark it 8]



I forgot to add something to this post. Part of the reason I believe I, and other, might have issues with developing pain and injuries from Crossfit is the workout themselves. By this I mean you do a lot of olympic style lifting, but at an execrated pace. Most of these exercises were designed to be done at a controlled steady pace with a minimal amount of reps per set. It's hard to maintain proper form doing 5 rounds of 10 power snatches for time, all the while having to run 400 meters and do 15 burpees between sets. WOD's like this are not uncommon and I know my form often turns to **** as I work through it to finish quickly.
Sorry if I am venting here, but I do believe these types of gyms have fundamental issues like that that one needs to be aware of.
Still, they do get addicting...

Yeah, I just accept that I'll be one of the slower people in the class and try to focus on form. Some of those movements are just stupid to do when you're panting so hard you feel about to pass out. I dont do rebounding box jumps either. I just jump up and step off. My achilles is more important than my time.

 

[Jr Mouse]

You mention also doing powerlifting. Does your Crossfit let you go in on off days and do this? I can't imaging paying what Xfit charges and still pay for another membership at a regular gym.

Since I have been having these ankle pains, I do the rowing machine a lot more. That has helped, but I find they are hard to get in the same level of cardio. Doing step-offs from the boxes would probably help me too.

 

[Mark it 8]



You mention also doing powerlifting. Does your Crossfit let you go in on off days and do this? I can't imaging paying what Xfit charges and still pay for another membership at a regular gym.
Since I have been having these ankle pains, I do the rowing machine a lot more. That has helped, but I find they are hard to get in the same level of cardio. Doing step-offs from the boxes would probably help me too.

My gym actually has a separate powerlifting coach. They also allow members to come in and use the equipment for their own routines. I'm pretty happy with what they offer, but if it were not for these extras, I would have a difficult time justifying the cost.

 

[globetrotter]

thanks - this is a great conversation for my needs.


I did a crossfit class last week and really enjoyed it. I usually try to do a very diverse workout week - one day running, one day swimming, one day powerlifting, one day yoga, and a few sessions of boxing. crossfit seems to cover soem of the things that I don't get elsewhere - mostly related to explosivness and sprining, when I run I run a long distance, but at a slow jog.

the other thing is that I like to excersize before 7 in the morning, 5 or 6. my gym has crossfit 3 mornings a week at 9:30 and 6 days a week at 5:30 pm. but there is a crossfit only place that has about 30 sessions a week, including a 5 am daily, but it costs 100 bucks, and that's on top of what I pay now for my boxing gym and my wieght gym. so, I am toying with the idea of joining, to get more cardio at the time that I like, and then maybe giving up some of the private boxing lessons I do.

I want to see how it goes doing 2 crossfit classes a week, on top of my regular stuff. I think that it will give me something that I am not getting with the rest of the stuff I do, then I'll see. but the idea of going to only crossfit isn't really the way I'd like to go, right now

 

[Oli2012]



Because every man on earth wants a 400/300/500 total.

A 400/300/500 total isn't much to ask. It's pretty much the standard for ametuer athletes, bodybuilders and powerlifters.

Most people just want to reduce their bodyfat to the 10s and put on some muscle mass. Yes it can be done without a 400/300/500 total, but getting there and maintaining it without it is incredibly inefficient.

 

[deadly7]



A 400/300/500 total isn't much to ask. It's pretty much the standard for ametuer athletes, bodybuilders and powerlifters.
Most people just want to reduce their bodyfat to the 10s and put on some muscle mass. Yes it can be done without a 400/300/500 total, but getting there and maintaining it without it is incredibly inefficient.

This is so ******* stupid it's incredible.

 

[Oli2012]

This is so ******* stupid it's incredible.

How?

Please find me a strong, natural physique of someone who isn't close to any of those figures.

Is it, none?

 

[jarude]



A 400/300/500 total isn't much to ask. It's pretty much the standard for ametuer athletes, bodybuilders and powerlifters.
Most people just want to reduce their bodyfat to the 10s and put on some muscle mass. Yes it can be done without a 400/300/500 total, but getting there and maintaining it without it is incredibly inefficient.

This is so ******* stupid it's incredible.

im going to interpret the 400/300/500 thing as "if you want to reduce your BF and put on muscle mass, aiming for 400/300/500 is a good way to do it."

sure, no two ways to getting sub-10/big guns are equal, and aiming for 4/3/5 is a pretty dumb-proof way to get there, but i do dislike the modern-day e-lifter dogma. dude was up in rhet preaching 5/3/1's particular assistance setup as "the best" for natty lifters - because we all know there is such a thing as "the best program ever" - so take it with a grain of salt

 

[Oli2012]

This is so ******* stupid it's incredible.

Please find me an example of a natural lifter with a decent physique who can't get anywhere near these numbers.

Is it, none?

I'm sensing I'm arguing with a <300lb squatter...