Crossfit?

[skimomma]

This is kind of a spin off.....

What do people know about CF?  I have several friends who are heavily involved and are nudging me to try it.  I am very active already and run, bike, ski, or swim for at least an hour a day and I am currently training for a marathon.  But I do no weight training and have wanted to add that in.  CF seems like it might be a fun way to add weight training, especially since I would be able to go with people I know.

Years ago, dd was interested in doing a CF class for teen athletes but her coach warned us away from it because he thought the injury risk was too high.  And I have heard others say that the emphasis on speed and competition is a problem.  But my friends report that the local CF is not like this and there is a big emphasis on form and appropriate levels.  

What are your experiences?

[JustEm]

I think CrossFit can be a great addition to a well rounded workout routine. I would not do it as my sole form of exercise because of the risk of overtraining and injury.

I have not heard of a CF gun that isn't into speed and competition. Maybe individuals in the gym but not the overall atmosphere 

[AngelaR]

I’ve heard that the emphasis on speed and competition sacrifices the importance of form, which—if you’re lifting heavy things is HUGE if you want to keep training and avoid injury. If you are interested in weight training, I would recommend a few training sessions with a professional trainer—at any gym really. It’s also possible to educate yourself pretty well about weight training.  I utilized the Reddit subforum xxfitness and learned a TON. Make sure you look at the info section. Really great information there. Plus, it’s free. 

[ktgrok]

This is obviously humorous - but it's also VERY accurate.

Cross fit is a franchise as well as well, sort of cultish. LOTS of injuries. 

And I say that as someone that also enjoys an exercise type that can be kind of cultish, lol. (DDPY)

 

[Terabith]

All I know about Crossfit is that rhabdomyolysis rates skyrocketed with its proliferation.  

[Ann.without.an.e]

10 minutes ago, AngelaR said:

I’ve heard that the emphasis on speed and competition sacrifices the importance of form, which—if you’re lifting heavy things is HUGE if you want to keep training and avoid injury. 

This this this. I've just known so many people to get injured doing CF. 

[skimomma]

Ugh.  No one has any positive things to share?  This is pretty much what I have heard.  I have had gym memberships in the past specifically to do weight training but it just never sticks.  I hate driving somewhere and going indoors to do something boring so no matter my resolve, I end up quitting.  The CF gym here is within walking distance and having a class would make more accountable.  But I do not want to risk injury.

[jen3kids]

From someone who has been doing CF 5-6 days/week for 4.5 years....

 

 None of my injuries are the result of any CF workout. I have hurt myself while running (hamstring) and playing field hockey (shoulders, knees, calf muscle), sleeping wrong (neck).   And honestly, my quick recovery (shoulders excepted) from them are the result of being in better shape than if I hadn't been doing CF.   That's not to say I haven't been sore - there are days when I can barely sit down, straighten or raise my arms, and sometimes even laughing is painful.   As for the rhabdo stories, I would guess they are people (probably guys who don't want to look 'weak' in front of others) who are pushing themselves too hard.  And not just a little bit too hard, but a ridiculous number of reps and a lot of weight.... usually after not working out for a while (their first trip to the gym in 10 years/since playing high school football, etc).  

I don't think there is actually much of a risk for overuse injuries because (at least at my gym) the workouts vary a lot from day to day.  However, it does depend on the gym and the individual coach.  Some CF workouts are timed, but a good coach will not let you do the form in a way that will lead to injury, even if they are stressing the time.  That said, it takes a long time to perfect the technique of the Olympic lifts so there are ways to alter the form of the lift while you are learning.   You should definitely not be lifting super heavy if you don't have the correct technique; in fact, poor technique makes it difficult to lift heavy.  

Some questions to ask - how long is the intro program (before you are allowed to take a group class)? What if you have range of motion challenges, or chronic injuries?  How do they 'scale' the workout if you can't physically do a movement (like wrist issues so pushups are difficult)?  Do members enter competitions?  Is it expected of you?   

Finally, there has been a lot of research showing that strength training improves cardio activities like running.  If you opt not to give CF a try, I highly recommend doing some kind of strength workout.

 

 

[jen3kids]

3 minutes ago, skimomma said:

Ugh.  No one has any positive things to share?  This is pretty much what I have heard.  I have had gym memberships in the past specifically to do weight training but it just never sticks.  I hate driving somewhere and going indoors to do something boring so no matter my resolve, I end up quitting.  The CF gym here is within walking distance and having a class would make more accountable.  But I do not want to risk injury.

Just posted 🙂

I will not do workouts on my own; I do not have the discipline.  The class is the only way I work out.  

[El...]

My much younger sister loves it, and her legs look fabulous due to all the squats! However, I have known several men who've slipped disks who were heavily into it. So maybe people aren't being careful, wearing support belts, etc. 

There was a funny tweet that said, "I tried to kill a roach with Axe body spray, and now his name is Brett and he won't shut up about crossfit." 😝

Edited June 24, 2022 by elroisees
Punctuation

[skimomma]

1 minute ago, jen3kids said:

Just posted 🙂

I will not do workouts on my own; I do not have the discipline.  The class is the only way I work out.  

Thanks for sharing!  

I know weight training would enhance my endurance training.  That along with pushing 50 and worries over osteoporosis has me pretty motivated, but dragging myself to a gym on my own is just not going to happen.

I know a few things already.  The "on board" training is 8 sessions before you can join classes and it is one-on-one with a trainer.  I have 5 close friends in it, 3 male, and none of them have ever mentioned competitions nor have any been injured.  The head trainer is very picky about form and my friends report that they all do modifications for many of the exercises.  The only bad thing I have heard is that there is no AC in the gym and it has been in the 90s this week so there has been a lot of complaining about that!  But I have heard so many bad stories from the general public that I just don't know what to think.

 

[jen3kids]

2 minutes ago, elroisees said:

My much younger sister loves it, and her legs look fabulous due to all the squats! However, I have known several men who've slipped disks who were heavily into it. So maybe people aren't being careful, wearing support belts, etc. 

There was a funny tweet that said, "I tried to kill a roach with Axe body spray, and now his name is Brett and he won't shut up about crossfit." 😝

 

Weight lifting belts can actually contribute to back problems when lifting.  You need a strong core to lift heavy, but core work isn't glamorous, so it is often ignored.  

[Katy]

It’s super fun, intense, a little culty, and extreme enough to make you crave slightly healthier food for 24 hours. Weird obsession with paleo/primal foods that is unhealthy IMHO. 

[Terabith]

6 minutes ago, skimomma said:

Thanks for sharing!  

I know weight training would enhance my endurance training.  That along with pushing 50 and worries over osteoporosis has me pretty motivated, but dragging myself to a gym on my own is just not going to happen.

I know a few things already.  The "on board" training is 8 sessions before you can join classes and it is one-on-one with a trainer.  I have 5 close friends in it, 3 male, and none of them have ever mentioned competitions nor have any been injured.  The head trainer is very picky about form and my friends report that they all do modifications for many of the exercises.  The only bad thing I have heard is that there is no AC in the gym and it has been in the 90s this week so there has been a lot of complaining about that!  But I have heard so many bad stories from the general public that I just don't know what to think.

 

That seems reasonable then?  Might be worth trying.  Though I think I'd wait till it was cooler to start!

[jen3kids]

Just now, skimomma said:

Thanks for sharing!  

I know weight training would enhance my endurance training.  That along with pushing 50 and worries over osteoporosis has me pretty motivated, but dragging myself to a gym on my own is just not going to happen.

I know a few things already.  The "on board" training is 8 sessions before you can join classes and it is one-on-one with a trainer.  I have 5 close friends in it, 3 male, and none of them have ever mentioned competitions nor have any been injured.  The head trainer is very picky about form and my friends report that they all do modifications for many of the exercises.  The only bad thing I have heard is that there is no AC in the gym and it has been in the 90s this week so there has been a lot of complaining about that!  But I have heard so many bad stories from the general public that I just don't know what to think.

 

I guess it comes down to trusting your friends who have actually been in the actual gym that you are considering joining.  

One-on-one for 8 sessions is a giant green light!  You will learn so much in private sessions.  

I use modifications in so many exercises - everyone at my gym does.  None of us are training for the CF Games.

We have AC but it's rarely on (we use the wall mounted fans instead) and it does get pretty steamy in there on occasion, but you get used to it.

[skimomma]

24 minutes ago, Katy said:

It’s super fun, intense, a little culty, and extreme enough to make you crave slightly healthier food for 24 hours. Weird obsession with paleo/primal foods that is unhealthy IMHO. 

There's a food obsession?  I can state that the people I know have never mentioned that and eat pretty much everything.

It's the fun I am hoping to capitalize on.  If it's fun, I'll keep at it.  I'll even keep at it if it's not fun but I get to see my friends more!  I might not keep at it on 90 degree days with no AC.....

[ktgrok]

I'd look at what certifications and experience the trainer has. 

[Moodflow]

I've heard mixed reviews. On the negative side, the people who are the trainers tend to have differing levels of expertise and experience. It seems like some of them may not really know what they're doing. Then again, I know people that love it and find it a great way to stay in shape and meet new people. I guess it boils down to the trainer and the group ultimately. I think exercise is always a good thing, but you have to be sure you're doing it safely and, in the case of crossfit, with someone who knows what they're doing. 

[ktgrok]

Part of the issue is you only need one weekend of training  get the CrossFit level 1 certification and open a new franchise. That’s nowhere near enough to be safe. 

edited to add - which is why I'd want to know the actual credentials of the people doing the training. 

Edited June 25, 2022 by ktgrok

[wathe]

2 hours ago, Terabith said:

All I know about Crossfit is that rhabdomyolysis rates skyrocketed with its proliferation.  

This matched my anecdotal clinical experience. 

the competition aspect seems to encourage people to over-exert themselves, then I see them in the Ed the next day.

Not common, but not uncommon either.  I wouldn't say I see very many cases, but every rhabdo case I've seen over the past 5 years or so has been linked to CrossFit.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30846355/

[Terabith]

I have one friend who got rhabdo from an ultramarathon, and another one who got it because of some weird diabetes complication.  But I've heard about a lot linked to Crossfit.  

[jen3kids]

2 hours ago, skimomma said:

There's a food obsession?  I can state that the people I know have never mentioned that and eat pretty much everything.

It's the fun I am hoping to capitalize on.  If it's fun, I'll keep at it.  I'll even keep at it if it's not fun but I get to see my friends more!  I might not keep at it on 90 degree days with no AC.....

 

I think it comes down to 'some' gyms - some gyms don't have well trained coaches, some gyms push competitions, some gyms focus on speed over technique, some gyms push their clients into rhabdo, some gyms focus on paleo/primal eating....

 

The gym your friends belong to and enjoy doesn't seem to fit any of these stereotypes.   To me, it sounds like their gym is well-run with competent and compassionate coaches.   Trying it out for yourself is the only way to know for sure!   Working out with friends is fun, and that's one of the things that keeps me going back 5-6 days/week.

[AmandaVT]

I got into it a few years back - it was really fun at first and I liked the classes and camaraderie. It started getting a little much with the food pushes - really into the primal stuff. No one was told to push to hard, but the culture is to really push yourself, which leads to injuries. My elbow is still messed up from all of the pull-ups I was doing to work my way out of not needing a band for assistance. Someone (previously quite healthy) died mid-workout one day and that was enough to make me realize that it was too much for me. The unspoken and quietly spoken messages to push yourself farther than you should, the push to eat primal, the push to workout more than you planned (don't miss a daily WOD! workout of the day) It was fun for a bit, but then it didn't feel good.

[Katy]

3 hours ago, skimomma said:

There's a food obsession?  I can state that the people I know have never mentioned that and eat pretty much everything.

It's the fun I am hoping to capitalize on.  If it's fun, I'll keep at it.  I'll even keep at it if it's not fun but I get to see my friends more!  I might not keep at it on 90 degree days with no AC.....

It might depend on the gym. But yeah, it seems like it. 

[footballmom]

I dabbled in CF and then dabbled right out, lol.  I liked that I did weights and moves I would never do on my own.  I didn’t love the gym culture at my particular CF - pushing ourselves to the max so you were pretty much shredded after each workout,  I want to be pushed, but not so extreme and to the edge.  The gym owners would go home and nap during breaks in their morning and afternoon classes because they were worn out from pushing so much weight.  Not realistic for me and homeschooling my kids.

[jen3kids]

1 hour ago, AmandaVT said:

I got into it a few years back - it was really fun at first and I liked the classes and camaraderie. It started getting a little much with the food pushes - really into the primal stuff. No one was told to push to hard, but the culture is to really push yourself, which leads to injuries. My elbow is still messed up from all of the pull-ups I was doing to work my way out of not needing a band for assistance. Someone (previously quite healthy) died mid-workout one day and that was enough to make me realize that it was too much for me. The unspoken and quietly spoken messages to push yourself farther than you should, the push to eat primal, the push to workout more than you planned (don't miss a daily WOD! workout of the day) It was fun for a bit, but then it didn't feel good.

 

Sounds like a very toxic environment.  I am sorry you had that experience.

 

 

59 minutes ago, Katy said:

It might depend on the gym. But yeah, it seems like it. 

 

It definitely depends on the gym.  

In my opinion, anyone (or any gym) that pushes paleo, primal, or any other fad diet is unrealistic regarding their clients' eating habits.  Fad diets are not sustainable for the majority of the population and usually lead to rebound weight gain + more.

 

[Hen]

I've been going to a CF gym for at least 5 years now and have never been injured there.  My only 2 injuries were this year and were from me increasing my running outside of CF...which I've quit (the running) after my 2nd injury.  I am older and cautious and lift light and focus on my form rather that weight.  There is a component to the workouts that are timed, but really it is your discretion about going slower/ lighter or even quitting half-way through the workout...which I have done, when I felt like my heart was racing too high or it just wasn't feeling right. I think you have to be able to walk a line of pushing yourself but not letting the timing and competition push you or drive you.  Maybe my box is unique, but I've never felt pressured and always had coaches back off if I need to go lighter or slower.  When I am there, it is me against me- and being older, I really don't want to have to deal with injuries.  

all that said, I think crossfit can be what you want it/ need it to be.  And I do think the varied workouts are great at working muscles I don't really use, wouldn't think about, and I for sure wouldn't be trying to use free weights by myself at a normal gym, but at crossfit I do use them and get help with how to use them.  It's been really a good thing for me. 

[skimomma]

11 hours ago, ktgrok said:

Part of the issue is you only need one weekend of training  get the CrossFit level 1 certification and open a new franchise. That’s nowhere near enough to be safe. 

edited to add - which is why I'd want to know the actual credentials of the people doing the training. 

That is a really good point.  I will be asking some questions.  

[skimomma]

9 hours ago, AmandaVT said:

I got into it a few years back - it was really fun at first and I liked the classes and camaraderie. It started getting a little much with the food pushes - really into the primal stuff. No one was told to push to hard, but the culture is to really push yourself, which leads to injuries. My elbow is still messed up from all of the pull-ups I was doing to work my way out of not needing a band for assistance. Someone (previously quite healthy) died mid-workout one day and that was enough to make me realize that it was too much for me. The unspoken and quietly spoken messages to push yourself farther than you should, the push to eat primal, the push to workout more than you planned (don't miss a daily WOD! workout of the day) It was fun for a bit, but then it didn't feel good.

That would be a hard no for me....the pushiness.  I believe the fee rate is month to month so I don't have to commit for a long period, but even the on-boarding is such a commitment for me.  I know most people go 3-5 times a week and it would have to be no more than 2-3 for me due to my endurance training on top.  And I am quite happy with my mostly-vegan, whole foods diet, TYVM.  I know the head trainer at our gym is vegan because one of my friends asked for one of my veggie burger recipes to share with him.  But if he is pushing that, it is NOT working on my friends!  Lots to think about.

[Soror]

I was into it for a bit maybe 10+ years ago. The closest gym at that time was 1.5 hrs away so I went for training so I could at home. The gym did not do what was advertised for their overpriced training. I was not pleased. I continued on my own for awhile at home doing what I could and followed along closely with the CF boards but eventually dropped it.

I'm no longer a fan with the caveat that it will vary wildly based on the gym and coaches-- my issues-----

1) the structure and programming often invites injuries-- lifting heavy weights in complex moves should never be about time --- even if the coaches or people are not pushy if it is timed you are going to inherently go faster--- the biggest focus when weight training should be form, speed should not be anywhere in the equation

2) coaches may or may not be well trained

3) environment-- this obviously varies-- it can be cultish-- it be can be pushy on diet/exercise and as mentioned before the group environment is the motivation for many but there is a fine line between motivation and someone going outside what they should actually do. If you are a competitive person it can be easy to push too hard as we get older the chance of injuries goes up and up.

4) the food they got really behind Whole30 and Paleo--- I was on the boards when Melissa and her hubby were starting out-- they were not qualified to give nutritional advice but made it into this big thing people followed-- they were ideal spokespeople and good salesman

5) they've had some really toxic leadership over the years

6) watch your pelvic floor the way they push and the exercises they push lead a lot of women to pelvic floor trouble and it has been laughed off by way too many

[Wilma]

I've crossfitted for 8 years. I super duper like it. Roughly 3x per week, sometimes 2, sometimes 4. My mom, who's juuuust about to be 70, Crossfits. She loves it! 

The only time I've ever been injured in Crossfit was turning an ankle a little bit during a 200m run - I hadn't been paying attention and stepped in a hole. So really, that was my fault and not Crossfit's. 

At my gym, the flow of the hour includes the coach checking in with each person about their plan for the workout. So: warm-up/stretch as a group (never more than 12 athletes), gather at the whiteboard for a chat through the workout, then as people are getting their weights/gear out for the thing, the coach pops around and checks in with people about their plan. So that could be "hey, how's your shoulder? Would doing ___ be better for you today rather than going overhead?" or "If that 400m run is taking more than about 2:30, why don't you drop it to a 200 so you can keep moving."  Or, to someone who isn't yet able to do the prescribed movement, the coach would offer a couple of options they can do.  I've had a few different coaches and been at 2 different gyms during the 8 years, and this is consistently what I've seen.

 

[skimomma]

11 hours ago, AmandaVT said:

I got into it a few years back - it was really fun at first and I liked the classes and camaraderie. It started getting a little much with the food pushes - really into the primal stuff. No one was told to push to hard, but the culture is to really push yourself, which leads to injuries. My elbow is still messed up from all of the pull-ups I was doing to work my way out of not needing a band for assistance. Someone (previously quite healthy) died mid-workout one day and that was enough to make me realize that it was too much for me. The unspoken and quietly spoken messages to push yourself farther than you should, the push to eat primal, the push to workout more than you planned (don't miss a daily WOD! workout of the day) It was fun for a bit, but then it didn't feel good.

That would be a hard no for me....the pushiness.  I believe the fee rate is month to month so I don't have to commit for a long period, but even the on-boarding is such a commitment for me.  I know most people go 3-5 times a week and it would have to be no more than 2-3 for me due to my endurance training on top.  And I am quite happy with my mostly-vegan, whole foods diet, TYVM.  I know the head trainer at our gym is vegan because one of my friends asked for one of my veggie burger recipes to share with him.  But if he is pushing that, it is NOT working on my friends!  Lots to think about.

[skimomma]

For those of you that have had good experiences, do you have any advice as to how to incorporate it into an already pretty rigorous cardio training plan?  Or know the questions to ask?  I am thinking that if I do try this, I will not want to go more than twice a week, at least until after my marathon training time is done.  One of my friends is also training for a marathon so I will be picking her brain on this, but I also believe she is overdoing it in general so I am not sure her advice is what I should follow.  For instance, if I do CF and a training run in the same day, which should be first and should I do them back-to-back or on opposite ends of a day?  One the the reasons I am considering weight training at all is because I am hoping it will help prevent injury from running (while ironically also being worried that i will injure myself doing it.....).  The last time I trained for a marathon, I had some minor setbacks during training that I think would have been avoided if I was doing more cross training and working on strength training.  

I am inclined to at least try it as I am pretty immune to pressure or pushing myself.  And have no problem walking away if I feel it is unsafe or unhealthy.  I have been into distance swimming for some time but did take a swim clinic earlier this year.  I felt that the exercises were not appropriate in some cases and the warm-up stretching was completely inadequate so I modified my own activities to avoid injury.  The "coach" was pushy but I would not budge and finally explained my concerns.  She actually adjusted the activities for the whole class afterwards.  Not that I plan to get pushy with a CF trainer, but I think I am pretty good about setting and sticking to my own limits.  I have done the same in yoga as well. 

[Wilma]

1 hour ago, skimomma said:

For those of you that have had good experiences, do you have any advice as to how to incorporate it into an already pretty rigorous cardio training plan?  Or know the questions to ask?

I think that could be a great way to figure out whether the coach at your Crossfit is a good one. Will she/he care about your personal goals, listen to your concerns, check in with you later to see how it's going? If yes, it's probably a good fit! But if not, watch out.

[ktgrok]

My understanding is generally, you do strength training before cardio, so your muscles are not fatigued during the strength training, as that would limit what weights you can lift and could prevent strength gains. 

But if you separate them out by morning/evening it may not matter as much. 

[jen3kids]

On 6/25/2022 at 8:50 AM, skimomma said:

For those of you that have had good experiences, do you have any advice as to how to incorporate it into an already pretty rigorous cardio training plan?  Or know the questions to ask?  I am thinking that if I do try this, I will not want to go more than twice a week, at least until after my marathon training time is done.  One of my friends is also training for a marathon so I will be picking her brain on this, but I also believe she is overdoing it in general so I am not sure her advice is what I should follow.  For instance, if I do CF and a training run in the same day, which should be first and should I do them back-to-back or on opposite ends of a day?  One the the reasons I am considering weight training at all is because I am hoping it will help prevent injury from running (while ironically also being worried that i will injure myself doing it.....).  The last time I trained for a marathon, I had some minor setbacks during training that I think would have been avoided if I was doing more cross training and working on strength training.  

I am inclined to at least try it as I am pretty immune to pressure or pushing myself.  And have no problem walking away if I feel it is unsafe or unhealthy.  I have been into distance swimming for some time but did take a swim clinic earlier this year.  I felt that the exercises were not appropriate in some cases and the warm-up stretching was completely inadequate so I modified my own activities to avoid injury.  The "coach" was pushy but I would not budge and finally explained my concerns.  She actually adjusted the activities for the whole class afterwards.  Not that I plan to get pushy with a CF trainer, but I think I am pretty good about setting and sticking to my own limits.  I have done the same in yoga as well. 

I definitely think you will be able to prevent injuries by getting stronger.  If you're stronger, your body can handle heavier stressors during your runs.

 

On 6/25/2022 at 10:21 AM, Wilma said:

I think that could be a great way to figure out whether the coach at your Crossfit is a good one. Will she/he care about your personal goals, listen to your concerns, check in with you later to see how it's going? If yes, it's probably a good fit! But if not, watch out.

This!  

 

A good coach will listen to you and want to know why you are there and what your goals are.  They will adjust the workout for you, and should be able to tell you how to optimize your training.  If not, try another gym.    

 

On 6/25/2022 at 10:38 AM, ktgrok said:

My understanding is generally, you do strength training before cardio, so your muscles are not fatigued during the strength training, as that would limit what weights you can lift and could prevent strength gains. 

But if you separate them out by morning/evening it may not matter as much. 

I actually think for runners you do weights after you run because running is the focus.  I could be wrong though; I'm not a runner.  For the few times I do go on a trail run, it is after my CF workout because I'm warmed up and feeling energetic, but most times I just go home and wait for that feeling to pass 🙂

 

[ktgrok]

How does the cost for CrossFit membership compare to hiring a personal trainer a few times a month? Like if you met once a week with a trainer, then had "homework" from them to do another time a week. Maybe you'd have more motivation to go work out on your own if you knew you were meeting with the trainer the next session, and they'd want to see waht you had done?

A personal trainer could help you target the specific muscle imbalances that runners get, to help prevent injury and balance out your body.