A Recovering Crossfitter...

Off Topic
21

I had to see what all the hub-bub was about so I joined a CF gym. I love the facility to train in but I have to say I feel like the WODs are lame, totally random, and lack direction.

The beginners are never going to get better at o lifts just doing them once or twice a week – likewise, for other complex/strength movements. And boy, from what I have seen so far most of these people lack form and are just asking for an injury.

I will say this: the already fit people I see training look absolutely amazing as far as muscularity and leanness goes. I don’t think the unfit people have much of a chance, actually, and I am curious about the dropout rate.

22

[quote]theuofh wrote:

[quote]gregron wrote:

[quote]theuofh wrote:
The focus on metcons and starvation diets to increase “fitness”, is a sham and only makes you look fit with ripped abs, while generally decreasing performance across broad time and modal domains.
[/quote]

have you ever done crossfit? its a “sham and only makes you look fit with ripped abs, while generally decreasing performance across broad time”?
what experience are you basing that quote on because it is a very bold statement.

Also, the main diet that is adopted by crossfitters is the “Paleo” diet… how is eating “paleo” a “starvation diet”?? There are quite a few on this website who have BB style goals that eat Paleo.

I know hating on crossfit is the cool thing to do but its probably best if you use statements that loosely resemble facts to do so.[/quote]

I was talking about the zone diet dipshit, which involves measuring and weighing everything. Some of these people will seriously count out almonds, eat like 2.5 strawberries, half an apple, and crap like that, to make sure they get their blocks 100% correct, and if you even do the math on it, some of these people are eating about 1300 calories a day.
[/quote]

Just jumping right in with the name calling? I see. FTR, you never said anything in your post about the zone diet.

measuring and weighing out everything you eat in order to make sure that their diet is 100% correct? Dont a lot of BBers do that?

There are A LOT of people on this very site who pay $120+ a month on a gym membership and coaching/programing (which is what belonging to a CF gym is) I dont see what the big deal is about that?

23

Well I’m not a big fan of bodybuilding, so if you’re trying to convert me based on what bodybuilders are doing you are going to fail. On the same note, I don’t have any problems with it either, but ask a bodybuilder how he feels on contest day after dropping down to ~4% bodyfat, and the answer will be like shit.

Now, does that scale at all to a crossfitter who does the same thing, drops to an extremely lean level, and thinks they are going to get better. I’m taking about the mean population here, not the handful of guys who can maintain an extremely lean physique and still perform.

You are being a dipshit, based on the fact that this thread was discussing an article, which you probably still haven’t read to come whiteknighting for an organization that you are probably only vaguely familiar with, and by this I mean you probably have read about it on the internet and tried a couple workouts. I’m guessing here, so I may full well be wrong.

I’ve paid for programming and diet coaching as well in the past and it was money well spent. I would be perfectly fine with paying upwards of $150/month for a well equipped facility that had an open gym, where I can come in and do as I please.

Most Crossfit gyms don’t run on that business model, you come in and do what is on the whiteboard (most likely a random conditioning workout w/ maybe 10-15 minutes to get whatever strength work in if there is any at all) then leave without showering.

The sad thing is, a lot of these crossfitters coaches are not at all qualified to be coaching anybody. They go to a weekend certification and get a Crossfit Level 1 certificate, which makes them qualified crossfit coaches. A lot of them, can’t do the lifts themselves and end up coaching it to people.

24

[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
I will say this: the already fit people I see training look absolutely amazing as far as muscularity and leanness goes. I don’t think the unfit people have much of a chance, actually, and I am curious about the dropout rate.[/quote]

I was wondering this too. The fit people (hot chicks included) you see doing this probably would look just as good if crossfit never existed, they would just be doing something else for fitness. The chick who wrote that article did crossfit for 3 years and from what I could tell she pretty much in TOP shape her entire life, not just those 3 years.

25

If you think we get some threads coming up again and again (like Planet Fitness) then go visit the Crossfit boards and there’s tons and tons of questions about “Is this paleo?” and “how many Zone blocks do I need?” I mean a shitload. I mean like lots. So many. Millions.

Also, they will bring up someone like Jerry Rice…a PT god, and someone will wonder what his Fran time would be and speculate that it would likely not be very good. I myself participated in that thread there on the Crossfit board and had to say that saying anything bad about Jerry Rice was silly…I don’t recall my exact words.

That and they seem to be cultish about most everything…ther are about 500 threads about Vibram 5 Fingers. Sure, they may be great shoes or whatever, but soon people will be asking what color Crossfit says is acceptable.

Also, the only way the guys there seem to know how to compliment the women is by saying that “She could definitely kick my ass!”
Ugh.

26

Rock, you’re a bad man =P

[quote]lanchefan1 wrote:

[quote]sdjohn67 wrote:
Interesting read but this woman had her body image problems long before ever stepping into a crossfit gym (gymnastics coaches are the worst about their athletes weight).

For what it’s worth at this years Crossfit games the top three females had the below height and weight.

  1. 5’5" @ 147#
  2. 5’2" @ 133#
  3. 5’9" @ 150#

[/quote]

That’s funny what I typed ended up under somebody else?[/quote]

There’s a fair bit of debate around whether the winners of the games actually do follow crossfit workouts and they certainly don’t follow zone dieting.

I don’t know too much about it but the diet part is a big part of the problem that is being talked about here in this article. Combine that with the fact that most women have body image issues and that is without growing up as gymnasts, but I do agree gymnasts are well known for that. The main point to me is that the author, as a longtime athlete, followed coaching the way an athlete is supposed, unquestioning, and wrecked herself in the process due to the really shabby standards of coaching from some Crossfit gyms. There are many great coaches too but (from what it sounds like from all the stuff flying all over the interwebs) it sounds like there is a real problem with the cult-like atmosphere where people are unable to question shitty coaching, stupid diets and dangerous workouts and the gyms themselves seem to have a cult like environment that going against it is like betraying friends and family so the peer pressure is strong.

I’ve been to a few Crossfit gyms lately to go train with some guest Oly coaches and there really is a weird atmosphere there, but very friendly and supportive, but with a level of intimacy that seemed a bit odd for a gym, so this doesn’t seem all that far fetched.

I have a bunch of friends who do Crossfit and they’re being coached fine and they are making great gains in their goals so it’s not universal but there does seem to be some weirdness in the organization.

The prices at the Crossfit gyms are crazy for what they offer IMO but for a lot of people the experience brings them a return to health and decent waistlines that is life changing it tends to infect them with a bit of zealotry and I’m sure the price is worth it to them.

Anyhow I really liked the article. I expect there is about to be a big blowup, at least online, between Crossfit and a crapload of angry ex-crossfitters who say they were led astray and mistreated.

27

[quote]Nards wrote:
Also, they will bring up someone like Jerry Rice…a PT god, and someone will wonder what his Fran time would be and speculate that it would likely not be very good. I myself participated in that thread there on the Crossfit board and had to say that saying anything bad about Jerry Rice was silly…I don’t recall my exact words.[/quote]

Donny Shankle showed up at a Crossfit once in jeans and did Grace in 1:47 not ever having done a crossfit workout before.

http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFitRogue_DonnyShankleGrace.wmv

28

[quote]debraD wrote:
Anyhow I really liked the article. I expect there is about to be a big blowup, at least online, between Crossfit and a crapload of angry ex-crossfitters who say they were led astray and mistreated.[/quote]

I thought it was well written and sincere, so I got a very different feeling from reading this article than others with Crossfit subject matter…and also an urge for chocolate milk and googling the author… :smiley:

29

Here’s another article by Jocelyn Forest, who had a similar experience and ended up switching over to oly lifting. She came in 5th at this year’s nationals with the silver in the c+j, in her weight class.

http://www.cathletics.com/articles/article.php?articleID=118

30

I’d hit it.

31

[quote]Nards wrote:
If you think we get some threads coming up again and again (like Planet Fitness) then go visit the Crossfit boards and there’s tons and tons of questions about “Is this paleo?” and “how many Zone blocks do I need?” I mean a shitload. I mean like lots. So many. Millions.

Also, they will bring up someone like Jerry Rice…a PT god, and someone will wonder what his Fran time would be and speculate that it would likely not be very good. I myself participated in that thread there on the Crossfit board and had to say that saying anything bad about Jerry Rice was silly…I don’t recall my exact words.

That and they seem to be cultish about most everything…ther are about 500 threads about Vibram 5 Fingers. Sure, they may be great shoes or whatever, but soon people will be asking what color Crossfit says is acceptable.

Also, the only way the guys there seem to know how to compliment the women is by saying that “She could definitely kick my ass!”
Ugh.[/quote]

I am wondering what happens when they start noticing I am not doing the WODs as written.

I already got a weird stare when I asked a cross-fitter how we were expected to get better at X exercise if we only did it randomly and no specific goal in mind but to “get better”.

32

I follow the “paelo” diet except I eat whatever else I want, too.

33

Cool article. My wife is currently having a similar conversion. She competes in triathlons and has done crossfit as an alternative training tool, all while trying to diet. She has a bad relationship with scales and mirrors. She had also become frustrated with the fact that her tri times had not improved in some time.

I tried to get her to strength train for a couple years, but she insisted that she “strength trained” at crossfit, because they used a barbell. Finally, some magazine article extolled the virtues of actual strength to improve tri times, so it became a good idea. I convinced her to use the Starting Strength template instead of what the magazine had.

In just a few weeks, she looked different (better) and her bike and run times started to improve. She has more confidence, and I believe it has even had a positive influence on her hormone balance. Her training partners noticed the changes in her body and her improved times, and they are now slowly dipping their feet in the strength pool.

34

[quote]debraD wrote:
Rock, you’re a bad man =P

[quote]lanchefan1 wrote:

[quote]sdjohn67 wrote:
Interesting read but this woman had her body image problems long before ever stepping into a crossfit gym (gymnastics coaches are the worst about their athletes weight).

For what it’s worth at this years Crossfit games the top three females had the below height and weight.

  1. 5’5" @ 147#
  2. 5’2" @ 133#
  3. 5’9" @ 150#

[/quote]

That’s funny what I typed ended up under somebody else?[/quote]

There’s a fair bit of debate around whether the winners of the games actually do follow crossfit workouts and they certainly don’t follow zone dieting.

I don’t know too much about it but the diet part is a big part of the problem that is being talked about here in this article. Combine that with the fact that most women have body image issues and that is without growing up as gymnasts, but I do agree gymnasts are well known for that. The main point to me is that the author, as a longtime athlete, followed coaching the way an athlete is supposed, unquestioning, and wrecked herself in the process due to the really shabby standards of coaching from some Crossfit gyms. There are many great coaches too but (from what it sounds like from all the stuff flying all over the interwebs) it sounds like there is a real problem with the cult-like atmosphere where people are unable to question shitty coaching, stupid diets and dangerous workouts and the gyms themselves seem to have a cult like environment that going against it is like betraying friends and family so the peer pressure is strong.

I’ve been to a few Crossfit gyms lately to go train with some guest Oly coaches and there really is a weird atmosphere there, but very friendly and supportive, but with a level of intimacy that seemed a bit odd for a gym, so this doesn’t seem all that far fetched.

I have a bunch of friends who do Crossfit and they’re being coached fine and they are making great gains in their goals so it’s not universal but there does seem to be some weirdness in the organization.

The prices at the Crossfit gyms are crazy for what they offer IMO but for a lot of people the experience brings them a return to health and decent waistlines that is life changing it tends to infect them with a bit of zealotry and I’m sure the price is worth it to them.

Anyhow I really liked the article. I expect there is about to be a big blowup, at least online, between Crossfit and a crapload of angry ex-crossfitters who say they were led astray and mistreated.[/quote]

The last several years worth of winners of the Games have gone (mostly) away from the mainpage style WOD’s and to more strength based workouts.

Mikko Salo for instance learned how to do several Xfit style moves hours before he won the games.

Glassman(helped by the Gin)/Budding/Castro have turned Xfit into a joke.

And to address the other point above… Crossift changed from Paleo diet based to Zone after they kicked Robb Wolf to the curb.

35

I just stopped by this thread hoping that Deb posted pics of her glorious ass.

I was disappoint.

36

[quote]Edgy wrote:
I just stopped by this thread hoping that Deb posted pics of her glorious ass.

I was disappoint.[/quote]

Deb has retired her ass so I’m sure “disappoint” is an understatement.

38

great article. sums up my feelings about crossfit in general. I trained at a crossfit for a year, and the only thing they were better at than me from day one is the stuff that being skinny gives you and advantage.

39

Damn good read, and having been exposed to the Xfit phenomena personally, I have to agree. While it is not the most evil thing out there, it is laughable to me.

40

[quote]UtahLama wrote:

[quote]debraD wrote:
Rock, you’re a bad man =P

[quote]lanchefan1 wrote:

[quote]sdjohn67 wrote:
Interesting read but this woman had her body image problems long before ever stepping into a crossfit gym (gymnastics coaches are the worst about their athletes weight).

For what it’s worth at this years Crossfit games the top three females had the below height and weight.

  1. 5’5" @ 147#
  2. 5’2" @ 133#
  3. 5’9" @ 150#

The last several years worth of winners of the Games have gone (mostly) away from the mainpage style WOD’s and to more strength based workouts.

Mikko Salo for instance learned how to do several Xfit style moves hours before he won the games.

Glassman(helped by the Gin)/Budding/Castro have turned Xfit into a joke.

And to address the other point above… Crossift changed from Paleo diet based to Zone after they kicked Robb Wolf to the curb.[/quote]

This is spot on. The Metcons are great for conditioning, but the top dogs(ie Salo, Khalipa, Orlando, Holmberg) do their own programming which is much more strength/Oly lifting based.

I can’t hate on Xfit b/c it has given me an alternative to just running/jumping rope for conditioning. I do metcons after 5/3/1 and now look and feel better than ever.