Why I don't do crossfit

[Pseudonym]

http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/why-i-dont-do-crossfit/

There's a lot of interesting points in this article. I'd be curious to hear from our crossfitters what they think? Does your crossfit box encourage reps for time, and is it safe?

[Wookie]

I never thought I'd be the one to defend Crossfit, but that article is garbage.

1. There is no such thing as Crossfit Programming. Individual coaches do their own programming, and they vary greatly. Not all coaches prescribe 30 rep snatches to people who have not learnt solid technique. Many don't.

2. Now if you want to knock anything about Crossfit, some of the workouts developed by Dave Castro for the open are unsafe and stupid. Swimming in a pool followed by bar muscle ups? Dumb.

3. The author of the article is developing her own alternative to Crossfit. The bias makes sense when seen from that angle. She has an axe to grind.

4. The author doesn't do deadlifts because of "risk vs reward." At this point, no one should listen to a thing she says.

5. Reps for time are fine, if decent form is used. Burpees for time are unlikely to result in an injury. Snatches for time may well do so, and a smart coach would not allow newbies to jump right into such workouts.

[jimmybro1]

Crossfit has encouraged hundreds of people into getting active. I think its a good thing, they have there own warehouses also which helps with the over population of gyms. I do think it is a bit of a fad though and will eventually become more quite. Just like Zumba and other spin offs. Although the crossfit games many keep it alive as there is a competive arena. 

The issue with crossfit IMO is that every thing is time based which isn't necessarily a bad thing for the experience athlete but for the desk jockey (like myself) who has not experience or understanding of correct technique for oly lifts injury is likely. ACC has reported this also. 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/9854547/Fitness-can-be-bad-for-your-health 

FYI: I don't agree with all the statements in the article. Media went full retard. 

[teamfatboy]

Having joined a 'box, done an On-Ramp, gone to WoDs, and actually done an Olympic lifting course under the aegis of that box...

Wookie and Jimmybro are both spot-on (especially Wookie's #4 point).  CrossFit has a lot going for it, but like anything, it is extremely dependent on the specific environment.  At the 'box I went to, the operators were very careful to insist on scaling, correct bad form (at least as they saw it) and to promote a balanced approach. 

For instance, they enforced an active warm-up (I hate the Junkyard Dog warm-up!) every time.  They did balance AMRAP and Reps-for-time WoDs, and were visible on the floor, coaching and guiding, even slowing down - better a good rep than a fast rep.

Put another way, little of what the author commented on is unique to CrossFit - some of the criticisms could be levelled at any gym full of Bro-science.  A bad gym's a bad gym, no matter what the label.

[Spacebound]

My non-informed and unprofessional opinion is,

 

The way i see, the hard-core gym bro's and the single minded cross fitters are as bad as each. They both just go in there throw some non-specfic weight on the bar, do non specfic reps and sets and have terrible form.

Training isnt neccessarily about trying your hardest and pushing every last rep out. Its about smart programming, techincal knowledge and preperation. Anyone can be lacking these aspects regardless of what you train for, weather it be crossfit, aesthetics, strength or any other sport.

Train Smart > Training Hard, but dont be a lazy sack of shit.

[Leeroid]

Crossfit has become the new target to throw mud at. Yesteryear it was big buff bodybuilders, more recently it's been aesthetic seeking Zyzz loyalists, and now it's Crossfitters.

[GyzzBrah]

I guess it really comes down to the individual coaches and gyms. Cuz you see stupid stuff that happens in any gym, not just crossfit alone. I think the problem happens when too many coaches turn crossfit into a highly competive "circut race" regardless of the training experience of clients, leading to broken limbs etc. But I feel that the original Idea of crossfit is really good - develop strenghth in all areas of fitness, like speed, strength, endurance, agility, control etc, rather than just one. It is likley that while crossfit has a lot of problems at the moment, the sport will get better, safer and more refined as time goes by, just like any other sport. For example, some bodybuilders in the 50's and 60's believed in things like "lower biceps" and doing high reps to burn fat off a specific area and would spend nearly 5-8 hrs a day in the gym. But now, we know that we dont have to do all that, and bodybuilding has gotten more to-the-point and specific, due to scientific advancement. Same will happen to crossfit, just give it time.

There was even a video elliot hulse made of him doing a "crossfit" style workout, but with major improvements regarding form in the olly lifts etc.

[Realtalk]

Author is an idiot.

[M.T]

Stopped reading after this "The workout was going to have deadlifts, which I had never done; to this day, I still don’t do them (but that’s another post altogether on risk: reward ratios)."

:-O

[Kalidane]

M.T wrote:

Stopped reading after this "The workout was going to have deadlifts, which I had never done; to this day, I still don’t do them (but that’s another post altogether on risk: reward ratios)."

[Michael Knight]

How do you know if someone does crossfit?

Don't worry..... they'll tell you.

[baud13]

many backs are being thrown out at crossfit gyms and this is because of bad form. so it mainly depends on the trainer. also the creator of crossfit isn't really the poster boy to use if you want people to get into crossfit..

[donz]

I can't stand 2 things about cross-fit;

 

1: Kipping - just replace it, seriously it looks so rank

2: the allowance of hitching ruthlessly for deads ( applies to strongman too )

 

thats it, I give it a lot of stick but really since it's gone mainstream it's been churning out some seriously HOT female physiques with some of the meanest quads and asses around. My fiance is going to rehab some stuff then look into doing it.

 

Was at fit-X this year and this one brunette girl walking round in her comp shorts.. fuarrrk me and the mrs kept following her.. yes, in a really creepy couple kinda way. Dang!

[DecaCards]

On 9/8/2015 at 11:20 PM, baud13 said:

many backs are being thrown out at crossfit gyms and this is because of bad form. so it mainly depends on the trainer. also the creator of crossfit isn't really the poster boy to use if you want people to get into crossfit..

If you consider the number of individuals doing crossfit it's actually not bad considering each workout is essentially a race. What a lot of new athletes and inexperienced coached don't understand is the balance between performance (e.g. speed or ROM) and safety. The average person today does not understand their body to the level at which they should, because of this and the fact that crossfit uses the measurability of workouts as motivation through competition, many people push past the point which their body can handle. For example on a 1RM DL in competition if you are truly going to go as heavy as you can of course you are going sacrifice your form in order to complete the rep to stay competitive. However your average person doing crossfit does not understand the this and then goes into the gym thinking they will be fine if they do what they see on TV. This is not what is taught in the coaching seminars nor is it encouraged, however, individuals in competition who are fighting for placings do sacrifice form (safety) for more weight (performance). Also, although the importance of maintaining a neutral spine is taught in the coaching seminars, it is something that is very hard to maintain for an untrained athlete and even harder to notice for an unexperienced coach. Furthermore there is the factor of the individual athlete and coach that prevent this point from being taught or exercised. As a coach it is often awkward approaching an athlete and telling them what they are doing wrong. Many individuals get offended or self conscious and are too stubborn to appreciate its importance. In my opinion, the good that crossfit is doing for many far outweighs the bad that it is doing for a select few who choose to ignore what crossfit is actually teaching.

[kiwicannon]

ffs! author has no idea.

 

Ive seen f*ck tards at the gym using the most horrific form just trying to get the weight up then walk around chests puffed up like they've just won a gold fucking medal,  then on the flip side you see an experienced lifter using half the weight executing perfect technique, same applies to cross fit, you see good form and bad form but really at the end of the day who really gives a flying f*ck? I think cross fit is great its just another form of exercise and if it gets more people out there and moving well thats awesome.