Crossfit - is it safe? (soreness, bench press, build, working out)

[tommodonahue]

Originally Posted by hooligan

Tom, we know you are the exception to ALL rules...

Haha. Just tryin' to bait you out.

To be honest - I think Crossfit inadvertently got me into Olympic lifting. I saw some guys at the gym with terrible form doing Snatches/Cleans (they were doing reverse curls). I thought it was ridiculous. Anyways, scrolling around on youtube I found videos of CalStrength and Average Broz gym. . . caught my eye, the massive amount of weight and technical nature...plus I had already seen enough terrible form of those two movements from criticizing crossfit every chance I got. So, I gave it a try...

Did you try that burger place yet in STL?

[tommodonahue]

Originally Posted by Gatsby1925

I once saw a post on the CF forum that had a member state that he didn't want CrossFit to move away from an elite subniche into some more mainstream because he didn't want their standards to be dumbed down. I find that to a fallacy. CF can become mainstream while maintaining a high standard. It's the whole elitist "we are better and more fit than you" attitude that needs to change. It's fine to have pride in your workout program, but there's a difference between having pride and having a superiority complex.

It's like when Apply users got mad instagram went to Android.

Crossfit was never an elite subniche - coming from crossfit itself. The ideology is that anyone can do it, scalability etc. So, he doesn't even know the ideology of his own regime..

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by tommodonahue

Haha. Just tryin' to bait you out.

To be honest - I think Crossfit inadvertently got me into Olympic lifting. I saw some guys at the gym with terrible form doing Snatches/Cleans (they were doing reverse curls). I thought it was ridiculous. Anyways, scrolling around on youtube I found videos of CalStrength and Average Broz gym. . . caught my eye, the massive amount of weight and technical nature...plus I had already seen enough terrible form of those two movements from criticizing crossfit every chance I got. So, I gave it a try...

Did you try that burger place yet in STL?

Dude, I'm trying to eat *clean*. Actually my wife is coming out to STL over the holiday weekend - we'll check it out then.

I knew you were just funning about, Tom.

[hooligan]

Originally Posted by tommodonahue

...Crossfit was never an elite subniche - coming from crossfit itself. The ideology is that anyone can do it, scalability etc. So, he doesn't even know the ideology of his own regime..

This is a very good point.

There are horses asses everywhere in every group - CrossFit is no different and may well be worse than average.

[tommodonahue]

CrossFit Criteria by Greg Everett - Training: General - Catalyst Athletics Articles

[SIZE=3]Developing standards for CrossFit as a sport itself is a tricky endeavor. The argument can be made that because CrossFit is in essence a method of producing fitness, the sport should reflect this, and accordingly the standards for CrossFit as a sport should be identical to those for fitness. However, the pursuit of impressive times and feats encourages a relaxation of standards as a means to gain an edge on competitors. Of course, this is ultimately futile—comparison of performances must be made with regard to standards of execution. If an athlete turns in a lower time than a rival because of, for example, a wider push-up hand placement and a consequently shorter ROM, comparisons of the two performances cannot be accurate. This sort of disparity typically encourages the field to conform to the methods of the leaders, producing a gradual deterioration of technique standards that produce meaningless improvement. [/SIZE]

[burgler09]

Originally Posted by ducviloxi

I just finished my first Crossfit class a day ago. I found the workout extremely intense and I barely was able to get it completed. I haven't worked out in a few years and was out of shape (I'm not too overweight though..5'6, 145ish).

Initially I did great but the reps are what killed me as I didn't have the endurance so it quickly went downhill the longer I went right upto the point that I totally shocked my body into failure and could not continue.

Yet, the trainers pushed me and told me to finish...just a little more etc. Is this even safe? I read on the web that one can get kidney failure by broken down muscle in the bloodstream...this is scaring me!

After the workout I was so spent I could not even drive back, was just sitting in my car in a daze for about 10 mins and was even feeling sick.

I have the 2nd Crossfit session today...my body is still very sore from day before yesterday and I am wondering if I should just continue and see what I can do or should I just call it quits?

I'm thinking I will just do cardio and light weight training in my gym at my own pace so I can gradually ease into it rather than this shock and awe Crossfit method which may be unsafe...

I'm sorry but this post made me laugh.

Sounds like the OP just doesn't wanna work out hard. We wonder why our country is out of shape, now it's dangerous to work out hard hahahaha.

Maybe next time you can do a low intensity lift, you'll be sure to not be sore the next day

[tommodonahue]

In reference to exercise, intensity is 'weight'.

[wcu25rs]

Originally Posted by tommodonahue

CrossFit Criteria by Greg Everett - Training: General - Catalyst Athletics Articles

this one of those things that tick me off a bit about timed stuff. Most of us experienced CFers in our gym pride ourselves on knowing that when the workout is over, our time is legit because we did everything correctly. However, you always have those people that barely bend their knees on squats or folks who dont go chest to ground on pushups(you know, like those guys that claim they can do 80 pushups in 60 seconds with a full chest touching the ground, arm lockout at the top range of motion). Or the worst is the people who intentionally miscount their reps. We all know it doesnt affect us and that they only short themselves, but it still can be annoying....definitely some truth in that article.

[hooligan]

Part 2 of 4: Comparing Some Trends in Fitness; CrossFit!

Here is a different perspective on CrossFit from a first-timer. Cory Worf used to be the head coach at my gym in Charlotte prior to opening his own gym in one of the suburbs.

[AnonChick]

Originally Posted by ducviloxi

This is not what I felt, it is not Scalable and they don't make an effort to make it scalable...

My fitness level was never evaluated, being my first day they didn't care if I was going to injure myself doing the workout or not, all they cared about was getting the workout done...no matter what the cost, seemed like that was the attitude...to persevere and finish no matter what....

My fitness level is average, since I do go to the gym 3 times a week and each time do a 1 hour cardio session, but I have NEVER done strength training which is what is required for the huge loop of pushups, pullups, squats etc. your muscles have to have that kind of endurance to do it nonstop...

You cannot just ask someone who has never done resistance training to do 80 squats, 60 situps, 40 pushups, 20 pullups, 10 boxjumps and this is after running 1.5 kilometers nonstop. This routine REQUIRES one to be extremely fit to complete so it's not a program to GAIN extreme fitness.

You see, I didn't know what exactly Crossfit was until I was in the session, and once I was in the session I was put under intense pressure to continue till the end within the timeframe that others in my group were doing it, these other people were friends of mine who were more overweight than me but managed to finish the workout with much more success than me - afterwards they told me that they had done strength training before which explains it.

If you're in a group setting, then you can't expect the trainer to spend a -lot- of time working exclusively with you. Some, yes. But he has the rest of the group to deal with and he's on a schedule. Interval training has to be done briskly or your body ends up missing the point, so to speak.

YOU can adjust it to a slower or less intense pace. When the trainer starts yelling "get up there! Do it now now now let's GO!" just look at him squarely in the eye, and say "no." And then continue to *try* to go at the pace he wants you to go, and don't worry so much if you fall behind. If you only do 10 reps to everyone else's 20 - just keep up with the group and move on to the next exercise when they move onto it.

Your goal, in this class, will be to *improve* your pace, so that you can keep up with them eventually. You'll be better off going at a less intense pace and building up, than if you go fast and furious and then stop halfway through.

Your heart will thank you for the *steady* but brisk workout, and will curse you if you stop abruptly after it the heart rate shoots up.