The harder you slam the bar after a lift is how you express you’re hoardcore super elite fitness to others.
Crossfit is too poorly defined to come to a precise conclusion. That is, there are lots of problems, but most of them are easily solved. The only question is whether or not it ceased to be crossfit when you solved the problem. For instance:
–bad programming. Obviously this is easily solved by a semi-competent coach. Most top crossfitters don’t use the WODs that crossfit centrally programs anyways.
–A high rate of injuries. It’s clearly unclear as to how much more or less dangerous crossfit is compared to other types of exercise and training, but it stands to reason that with proper supervision and programming, it’s not more dangerous than basic weightlifting.
–Expensive. Access to a crossfit gym near my house is literally ten times more expensive than access to an average commercial gym. Although I prefer the equipment at the crossfit gym, I would estimate that equipping a crossfit gym is actually cheaper than equipping a commercial gym. The commercial gym probably has more total members but not 10 times more. And I’m hesitant to say that the staff at the crossfit gym are better qualified. In reality, the only good argument for the price of crossfit is that you don’t have to share the gym with people who aren’t committed to the workout (sort of like paying more for an apartment not because it’s better but because you know your neighbors are paying more, too, and are thus less likely to be thugs). It’s hard to say whether being expensive is a core part of crossfit, but every crossfit gym I have seen has been expensive.
–The culture. This isn’t necessarily a plus or a minus, but the group exercise mentality is definitely a core part of crossfit, and it doesn’t really sit well with some people.
–“pull-ups.” For the masses, kipping is probably a necessary evil when people can’t do strict pull-ups. And at high level competitions, the argument can be made that kipping is allowed just to make it easier to enforce the standard. When doing large amounts of pull-ups in rapid succession some body swing is inevitable. Since savvy competitors will try to push that to their advantage as much as possible, simply allowing kipping may be the fairest thing to do. If crossfit HQ was smart, they would start programming behind the neck pull-ups. It’s harder to kip. At the end of the day, I guess I would really just prefer that they stop calling them pull-ups. It’s like calling a push press a military press. It’s not that the push press is a horrible exercise. It just isn’t a military press. Call them kip-ups and they’ll get a lot less flack.
[quote]Silyak wrote:
Crossfit is too poorly defined to come to a precise conclusion. That is, there are lots of problems, but most of them are easily solved. The only question is whether or not it ceased to be crossfit when you solved the problem. For instance:
–bad programming. Obviously this is easily solved by a semi-competent coach. Most top crossfitters don’t use the WODs that crossfit centrally programs anyways.
–A high rate of injuries. It’s clearly unclear as to how much more or less dangerous crossfit is compared to other types of exercise and training, but it stands to reason that with proper supervision and programming, it’s not more dangerous than basic weightlifting.
–Expensive. Access to a crossfit gym near my house is literally ten times more expensive than access to an average commercial gym. Although I prefer the equipment at the crossfit gym, I would estimate that equipping a crossfit gym is actually cheaper than equipping a commercial gym. The commercial gym probably has more total members but not 10 times more. And I’m hesitant to say that the staff at the crossfit gym are better qualified. In reality, the only good argument for the price of crossfit is that you don’t have to share the gym with people who aren’t committed to the workout (sort of like paying more for an apartment not because it’s better but because you know your neighbors are paying more, too, and are thus less likely to be thugs). It’s hard to say whether being expensive is a core part of crossfit, but every crossfit gym I have seen has been expensive.
–The culture. This isn’t necessarily a plus or a minus, but the group exercise mentality is definitely a core part of crossfit, and it doesn’t really sit well with some people.
–“pull-ups.” For the masses, kipping is probably a necessary evil when people can’t do strict pull-ups. And at high level competitions, the argument can be made that kipping is allowed just to make it easier to enforce the standard. When doing large amounts of pull-ups in rapid succession some body swing is inevitable. Since savvy competitors will try to push that to their advantage as much as possible, simply allowing kipping may be the fairest thing to do. If crossfit HQ was smart, they would start programming behind the neck pull-ups. It’s harder to kip. At the end of the day, I guess I would really just prefer that they stop calling them pull-ups. It’s like calling a push press a military press. It’s not that the push press is a horrible exercise. It just isn’t a military press. Call them kip-ups and they’ll get a lot less flack. [/quote]
Good post.
Most successful programs don’t really follow the criteria that makes people hate Crossfit. For example, one very successful program is Crossfit Football. No kipping. No dangerous moves. Progressive strength programming followed by intense conditioning. What makes it “Crossfit” is that you never really know what the conditioning will be like (i guess?).
In the kingdom of the blind the triffid is king.
Brick, I can’t read the tiny text, even after clicking the picture to open it in its own window. Is that for all athletes that do Crossfit that are affiliated and tracked, or is that for the top competitors in the competition?
If the former, then you are calculating in newbie gains all the way to the guys who are already elite. Its a bell curve, but the drastic improvements on the low end will affect the overall.
If the latter, the top competitors train year round, and none of us know what they actually do for training. I’m willing to bet it isn’t 100% WOD’s as already mentioned - which is what the Crossfit gyms do. Also if top competitors, then you can compare those values to top Olympic lifters, Powerlifters, Strength Athletes, etc. and you’ll find that the “elite” of those crush the numbers of the Crossfitter.
So mediocrity is relative. Those are impressive numbers for an average human being, gym goer or not. They are impressive even for regular training folks. They are mediocre when compared to Elite level athletes, so it depends on your comparison point. I am willing to bet an average Crossfit male can not do those numbers, so I assume those are the elite guys/gals.
[quote]Quasi-Tech wrote:
Brick, I can’t read the tiny text, even after clicking the picture to open it in its own window. Is that for all athletes that do Crossfit that are affiliated and tracked, or is that for the top competitors in the competition? [/quote]
I believe it is for competitors.
[quote]
If the former, then you are calculating in newbie gains all the way to the guys who are already elite. Its a bell curve, but the drastic improvements on the low end will affect the overall. [/quote]
True.
[quote]
If the latter, the top competitors train year round, and none of us know what they actually do for training. I’m willing to bet it isn’t 100% WOD’s as already mentioned - which is what the Crossfit gyms do. Also if top competitors, then you can compare those values to top Olympic lifters, Powerlifters, Strength Athletes, etc. and you’ll find that the “elite” of those crush the numbers of the Crossfitter. [/quote]
This is true, but powerlifters and Olympic lifting base all their training around improving the power and Olympic lifts and only compete with those lifts. Crossfiters are, as people describe them, “jacks of all trades”. So competition deems who is the best jack of all trades.
I’m still puzzled as to what’s wrong with this? If Crossfit isn’t some people’s thing, then they should back off and let others enjoy.
[quote]
So mediocrity is relative. Those are impressive numbers for an average human being, gym goer or not. They are impressive even for regular training folks. They are mediocre when compared to Elite level athletes, so it depends on your comparison point. I am willing to bet an average Crossfit male can not do those numbers, so I assume those are the elite guys/gals.[/quote]
That’s exactly right! However, those athletes you speak of can’t do vice versa in most cases: compete with elite Crossfiters. So yes, it is relative. If people want to discuss who’s the best at Crossift, leave at that. Why should they be compared to other athletes when other athletes are not even competing in Crossfit and vice versa.
By the way, where did all the guys calling Crossfit “gay” and “queer” go after I showed IFBB and NPC brass dressed as the Village People, arm wrestling a dirty old man, and sporting BDSM geat?
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
By the way, where did all the guys calling Crossfit “gay” and “queer” go after I showed IFBB and NPC brass dressed as the Village People, arm wrestling a dirty old man, and sporting BDSM geat? [/quote]
Probably to their nearest crossfit gym. I imagine they’ve now come to realize how awful it is to be a low socioeconomic status gay near-cripple and now want to become a super edgy break-all-the-rules crossfitter.
Brick, Kudos to you man, you’re killing me with those pics.
I’ve heard of the gay for pay thing a bit here and there, but never knew it was so rampant or at that level.
[quote]RyuuKyuzo wrote:
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
By the way, where did all the guys calling Crossfit “gay” and “queer” go after I showed IFBB and NPC brass dressed as the Village People, arm wrestling a dirty old man, and sporting BDSM geat? [/quote]
Probably to their nearest crossfit gym. I imagine they’ve now come to realize how awful it is to be a low socioeconomic status gay near-cripple and now want to become a super edgy break-all-the-rules crossfitter. [/quote]
As I said, you’re a good guy to talk to–coherent, understanding, lucid, and empathetic.
[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
Brick, Kudos to you man, you’re killing me with those pics.
I’ve heard of the gay for pay thing a bit here and there, but never knew it was so rampant or at that level.
[/quote]
I’m glad you can have some laughs from all this.
Oh yes, it’s rampant.
IFBB pro Tom Prince.
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
[quote]RyuuKyuzo wrote:
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
By the way, where did all the guys calling Crossfit “gay” and “queer” go after I showed IFBB and NPC brass dressed as the Village People, arm wrestling a dirty old man, and sporting BDSM geat? [/quote]
Probably to their nearest crossfit gym. I imagine they’ve now come to realize how awful it is to be a low socioeconomic status gay near-cripple and now want to become a super edgy break-all-the-rules crossfitter. [/quote]
As I said, you’re a good guy to talk to–coherent, understanding, lucid, and empathetic. [/quote]
Handsome, too.
[quote]RyuuKyuzo wrote:
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
[quote]RyuuKyuzo wrote:
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
By the way, where did all the guys calling Crossfit “gay” and “queer” go after I showed IFBB and NPC brass dressed as the Village People, arm wrestling a dirty old man, and sporting BDSM geat? [/quote]
Probably to their nearest crossfit gym. I imagine they’ve now come to realize how awful it is to be a low socioeconomic status gay near-cripple and now want to become a super edgy break-all-the-rules crossfitter. [/quote]
As I said, you’re a good guy to talk to–coherent, understanding, lucid, and empathetic. [/quote]
Handsome, too. [/quote]
You got it all.
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
[quote]RyuuKyuzo wrote:
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
[quote]RyuuKyuzo wrote:
[quote]BrickHead wrote:
By the way, where did all the guys calling Crossfit “gay” and “queer” go after I showed IFBB and NPC brass dressed as the Village People, arm wrestling a dirty old man, and sporting BDSM geat? [/quote]
Probably to their nearest crossfit gym. I imagine they’ve now come to realize how awful it is to be a low socioeconomic status gay near-cripple and now want to become a super edgy break-all-the-rules crossfitter. [/quote]
As I said, you’re a good guy to talk to–coherent, understanding, lucid, and empathetic. [/quote]
Handsome, too. [/quote]
You got it all. [/quote]
Not quite. Still can’t manage to kip my pullups.
Brick, I’m just discussing at this point, not trying to argue. My only problem with Crossfit is that some of their techniques/methods encourage injury and that for me is detrimental to the community. Its ability to build hype around athletics and get girls into yoga pants and covered in “white stuff” is fully supported by me however. I also like Tough Mudder which I believe was probably inspired by the Crossfit crew.
As much as other folks may enjoy the pictures, I find them rather disturbing and are no fun to try to quickly scroll past while reading a thread at work. So thanks :P.
[quote]Quasi-Tech wrote:
I’m willing to bet it isn’t 100% WOD’s as already mentioned - which is what the Crossfit gyms do.
[/quote]
If you go into a crossfit gym and all they have for you on a daily basis is a WOD off the main site you are at a terrible Crossfit Gym.
Run away
Do not pass go
Do not collect $200
Can I at least collect my welfare check? Oops, wrong thread. 
[quote]Smashingweights wrote:
Do not collect $200[/quote]
I’m pretty sure most crossfit gyms charge you $200 just to a take a tour of their super hardcore elite training facility in the otherwise empty industrial park.
I cant argue against going to the gym to see the hot chicks. But for the price of a one year crossfit membership im pretty sure you could buy all the equipment needed and still have some money left over for internet access to look up all the lifts.
But if there is nobody there to hear you slam the bar down, are you still a hardcore elite fitness athlete?