All CrossFit, All the Time!

Hi all!

I know that Blacktiger started a thread in 2010 asking about CrossFit, but I figured this one would be different.

Come here to talk about CrossFit, whether to share your workouts, wax poetic, post PRs, or what have you.

You know how it is...

 

So, I will start...

Tonight was like a 2 for 1... lol Normally, our classes are structured as Skill>Strength>WOD.

Well, we recently got GHDs, and our coach is all 'LET'S USE THEM ALL THE TIME!' ROFL.

Tonight, our strength was a 2 part Max Wall Ball and reverse hypers with supermen. It took 20 minutes total (5 minutes for each partner doing wall balls, then you had the full 10 minutes to do the reverse hypers when you switched). UGH. I wasn't feeling well, and I hate wall balls, so I was all like 'WHY GOD, WHY?!' lol

Then, the WOD, we had an 11 mins AMRAP: 6 plate squats, 12 KB swings, 24 pike jumps.

Yours truly cannot do a pike jump to save my life. So, I had to do MOD 1, which was RX weight for the KB (35lbs), Rx for the plates (15lbs for women) and tuck jumps. Freaking tuck jumps. But I loved the plate squats because I've been trying to work on my squats lately, especially supporting my core.

I got through 5 rounds. I'm OK with this. It was a crappy day for me overall, but I still got stronger. Onward and upward!

 

Keep up the excellent work!

 

My biggest gripe about Crossfit is how they improperly teach Olympic Weightlifting lifts and use them as some form of metabolic conditioning tool when they are NOT designed for that at all and are highly technical lifts.

You should not be doing 10 reps of clean and jerks using half of your body weight or whatever the WOD suggests. That's a good way to get injured really fast.

 

Really? How do you know this, blackbrah? I am confused because I hear the exact opposite. And if it is wrong, then how is it that Ursula Papandrea, a senior international USAW coach and technical director of the organization's board of directors has been quoted as saying that CrossFit is the reason people are returning to Olympic Lifting and it is due to the highly qualified coaches teaching very difficult skills.

Mike Burgener, a full-time USAW certification teacher, said "CrossFit has been the best thing thag has ever happened to weightlifting."

It is only wrong if you don't do them correctly, and I am inclined to believe the words of the USAW and their continued support of the sport of CF that all is well.

 

Well said Huntress, my box has an excellent reputation here in Wales. We have an ex Wales International Rugby player as one of our head coaches plus we regularly have powerlifting classes taken by actual powerlifting coaches and competitors. In addition to our own CF coaches who do stress that technique is everything.

In the WODs cleans, jerks and snatches get scaled down so they can be performed with correct form and still with high volume.

 

This is what I'm seeing across the Internet pretty often

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/fitness/inside-cult-crossfit?page=2

The title is loaded as many people find cults to be derogatory, but there is a quoting from a spine doc who pretty much reaffirms Olympics lifts being no no for high reps like that

 

I'm not knocking it tho...it does seem like a legit way to workout where conditioning is key, kinda like the AFPT

Top scores on that have excellent all around endurance , which is better for that line of work than benching 500lb or looking like Arnold

 

I don't do crossfit and don't want to get in the right or wrong battle. Just be careful and careful of who you work with. Everyone I know who has done it has ended up injured. I had a real interest and I even posted a video a couple of years ago here but I have no interest in having a back, knee or shoulder injury......and those are what is very common to this regime. You can Google and find what Dr's are saying and why they think it happens with this workout. Just be aware and do things the correct way.

 

I'll expound later on it but olympic lifts are really designed as explosive lifts and as mentioned they are highly technical lifts. Actually have some of the lowest injury rates of strength athletes, party due to the attention to detail of the lift.

My bias is due to being trained by an olympic weightlifting coach (John Coffee) and knowing people who compete on the national level on it.

Yes it is only wrong if you do it incorrectly, but it's hard to perform an advanced lift consecutively such as a clean or snatch at such a high volume where you will have spot on form every time. Your body is going to get exhausted, you will break form, and that is where you are most prone to injury on these lifts. That's my biggest gripe about how they use olympic lifts as some sort of cardio fat burner. You can't perform a lift where you are throwing weight up in the air 5-10x in a row and not expect something bad to come out of it.

EDIT: but not everything that Crossfit does is 'wrong'. I think it is a bit overpriced but it offers a variety of things for people who want to train to get into. Mark Ripptoe, author of Starting Strength, does a lot of clinics for Crossfit and he teaches people correct form in the basic lifts.

 

The problem with this article....well, one of several, is that this guy is outside of the sport. Visiting one WOD is not the way to do it...especially if you don't check your ego at the door. My coaches say that every single day. They are chiropractors, trainers, athletes, and CrossFit coaches If one of them told me to do something...I do it. Without question. Why? Because they have earned my trust from the hours they have spent training on their own and the way they watch all of us and make sure we are being safe.

This article came out and we all talked about it. Our coaches said that you are as responsible for your health and safety as they are. Check your ego. Don't be a hero. And don't be so consuned with beating women or others, like the author of that article is, or you will get hurt. Our WOD tonight was all snatches, jerks, and back squats. I scaled to 65lbs because...dude. it js a WOD and you would be stupid, unless you have a PR of 225 on snatch, to do the 125# comp weight or even thr low mod 95#. I had my knee wrapped with voodoo tape today and they stopped me and said to take off 10lbs. No messing with knee injuries.

Sure, there are some boxes that are not on the up and up and have meathead coaches. You do have to be mindful of that and watch. Pay attention to the community. Do the coaches prCtice wgat they preach? And as my coaches say..."CrossFit IS for everyone, but everyone is NOT for CrossFit."

 

lol@meathead coaches

just stay safe and healthy, that's all

there's nothing cool about being injured and being kept out of the gym

 

Absolutely! Agreed. Sorry for typos. On my phone.

I am super sensitive to all of this BS CrossFit is a scary cult stuff. I could sent you to my box's Facebook page where they just did a post where they got everyone to share their story. Story after story of incredible success, and no injuries. None. Outside of pulled muscles or the occasional box jump shin crazy.

 

LOL @ calling Crossfit a 'sport'. Sorry. I trust those meathead coaches, but that's prob because I did powerlifting a lot.

Crossfit is exposing people to a lot of sports, but their general training and protocols introduced by the coaches who head the Crossfit gyms is what scares me.

 

that was just the article and in fact i did make that known that the author displayed bias with a pre-loaded title

when u train with people u become like family, and the guys i rolled with in BJJ were the same way. the group is close knit and some people really do believe in the philosophy and spirituality associated with judo and jiu-jitsu. i've had guys tell me how much it meant to them and that they would literally be lost without it. someone on the outside might be thinking that shit was a cult....u know..bowing to photos of dead masters, believing in the art and living the life of a martial artist. i'm the last one to judge...should be anyway.

 

Excellent post. Makes complete sense.

 

I personally don't do crossfire. I knew plenty who swore by it while I was in the military and know of some who do it now. Just be careful as you would with anything. I noticed that the crossfire weights aren't as heavy so you have a lower chance of injury but, with anything whether its bodybuilding jujitsu or trying out a Pilates machine just be careful and safe. Injuries are no fun. I hope it continues to workout for you.

 

I so desperately want to learn the whole crossfitting thing, but for now, I'm mostly a cardio person. I'm sure the transition isn't that hard, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice!

 

Crossfit, sorry, Iphone.

 

If y'all want to learn about training in general, fitness, health and nutrition though don't hestiate to ask me.