Crossfit

[Susan]

Have you tried it?
A Crossfit gym is about to open in my neighbourhood, and I'm thinking about joining. But the costs are quite high, especially for two (dh would like to join too). I'm not sure if it would be worth it, but am itrigued by the concept. I'd like to do more weighted exercises and our home gym has reached it's limits in this regard - I don't want to have weight plates all over the living room ;)
I think training in a group would be motivating and if they provide a lot of personal support it might be worth the cost.

[Wahine]

Hi Susan. I am quite familiar with Crossfit. Like all types of exercise it will work well for some people and not for others. Keep in mind that the Crossfit gyms here in the States might have a different vibe/attitudes and/or training of the affiliates. So what I'm saying here is from my experience with Crossfit gyms here in the US.

I think Crossfit is great for people who are already quite active, have a strong core and good body awareness. I love the concept of changing the workouts continuously, using the whole body to do exercises (not just one muscle group), using high intesity activity for a short duration to stimulate growth and change. Especially in a body that is already fit and needs something a little extreme to push it hard enough to create change.

What I don't like about Crossfit are the injuries that I see in my clinic. It seems like people get thrown into heavy and intense exercise before they are ready to do it or before they've learned the form. For example, I knew a lady go to Crossfit and after only doing 5 form practices she was asked to do box jumps to a height of 20 inches as many times as she could in a given time. She was being strongly "motivated", tried to do it and ended up straining a deep muscle in her hip. I've seen people at our Crossfit gym trying to pump out fast push-ups with terrible form, back sagging and no form correction given or adjustments made for their current strength level. I could give you pages worth of examples like this.

If you go to Crossfit, be prepared to be pushed very hard. Be prepared to have a "drill sargeant"-type standing over you and using quite strong verbal encouragement. It is definitely not for everyone. But there is a population that it works well for and who seem to love it.

I hope that helps.

[Susan]

Thanks for your insights. You are right it might be that Crossfit-training here differs from training in the US.
Watching a few crossfit videos on youtube, I too noticed quite a lot of bad form. Generally AMRAP-type workouts seem to encourage bad form and personally I don't like them as much as having a fixed amount of reps/sets to do (I tend to lose good form "in a hurry").

They offer a free trial day at the new gym and I think I'll give it a shot and see if I like it.

Another question: Do Crossfit-gyms/trainers generally advocate a certain type of diet ("Paleo"-diet?)?

[Wahine]

Around here they do. It's all part of the getting lean and mean thing. It seems like there are two types of Crossfitters. The ones that go to Crossfit to suppliment other training they are doing. They seem to not get sucked in to Crossfit as much, they use it as a gym and eat the way they feel they need to for their sport etc. Then there are the Crossfitters that have Crossfit as their primary mode of exercise. They seem to not do much cardio and are embrace some of the more cult-like aspects of Crossfit. I don't like to put it that way, but I can't think of any other way to get the idea across. They buy into everything that Crossfit preaches including diet.

Don't get me wrong, I still think that Crossfit has it's place and most of what they preach in terms of diet etc is pretty good for most people. What I have a problem with is that they seem to think that there is one right answer for everyone and they are kind of pushy about it, it seems to me anyway.

[Irulan]

Hi Susan. I am quite familiar with Crossfit. Like all types of exercise it will work well for some people and not for others. Keep in mind that the Crossfit gyms here in the States might have a different vibe/attitudes and/or training of the affiliates. So what I'm saying here is from my experience with Crossfit gyms here in the US.

I think Crossfit is great for people who are already quite active, have a strong core and good body awareness. I love the concept of changing the workouts continuously, using the whole body to do exercises (not just one muscle group), using high intesity activity for a short duration to stimulate growth and change. Especially in a body that is already fit and needs something a little extreme to push it hard enough to create change.

What I don't like about Crossfit are the injuries that I see in my clinic. It seems like people get thrown into heavy and intense exercise before they are ready to do it or before they've learned the form. For example, I knew a lady go to Crossfit and after only doing 5 form practices she was asked to do box jumps to a height of 20 inches as many times as she could in a given time. She was being strongly "motivated", tried to do it and ended up straining a deep muscle in her hip. I've seen people at our Crossfit gym trying to pump out fast push-ups with terrible form, back sagging and no form correction given or adjustments made for their current strength level. I could give you pages worth of examples like this.

If you go to Crossfit, be prepared to be pushed very hard. Be prepared to have a "drill sargeant"-type standing over you and using quite strong verbal encouragement. It is definitely not for everyone. But there is a population that it works well for and who seem to love it.

I hope that helps.


Interesting about the injuries. I do a high intensity functional fitness program that's run by real trainers** at our PT facility. They see a lot of crossfit injuries. It really makes me value the highly trained professionals that lead our classes. They are great at modifying for existing issues, building agility and strength and conditioning and definitely NOT one size fits all. WE ( DH and i) have been working out there for over three years and they are super in helping to build strength and agility, working around things we do to ourselves, working around on going issues and so on.

**CSCS, MS, NSCA, etc none of this weekend certification stuff. :)

[GLC1968]

I've been considering trying crossfit for awhile and I've been reading up on gyms (locally and not) and there appears to be multiple types. What you want to do is make sure your gym is run by people with more than just a crossfit background/certification. The most success I've seen long term (long term being the key idea) comes from trainers who not only follow the crossfit method, but also know how to use it progressively to promote long term change. Random workouts might be fun for awhile but unless you are progressing in your exercises, you won't progress in your fitness. Crossfit trainers with backgrounds in other areas (endurance coaching, PT, strength and conditioning, yoga, etc) appear to be more successful. They offer better form instruction, they offer MORE than just a canned WOD, they offer training plans and progression and they recognize that not everyone is exactly the same.

And yes, as a group, crossfit used to preach the Zone diet and now they have embraced Paleo. This varies by group though and I would seriously question any gym that made a diet a requirement (unless you've signed up for such advice as part of a challenge or a package or something).

[Susan]

Just to keep you updated, I still haven't gotten around to do the free trial.
We had such nice biking weather and I will probably wait until fall until I give it a shot.
The Paleo-part could be a problem if they are pushy about it - even if a lot of the priciples of the diet make total sense, it's just not for me.

[murielalex]

I loved Crossfit, and miss both it and the great community of the Crossfit Delray Beach box. Sadly, due to "end stage" arthritis in my ankle from a car accident in the 80s, even though they modified a lot of the moves for me (no running, jumping, etc.), I decided to take a break. I'm still thinking of going back.

[RedDesert]

Hi ladies! I'm new here, and was skimming some of the topics when this thread caught my eye. I just wanted to give my two cents, because of my experience with CrossFit!

I started "CrossFitting" about 2 1/2- 3 years ago, to help lose some stubborn pregnancy weight, and to help strengthen my core for backpacking. I was planning a mid-summer backpack, on a great elevated trail for two weeks, and felt like I needed some help with that, since my core was shot from the pregnancy. I wasn't that overweight, and fairly active, eating a balanced, mostly sugar-free diet. I was just a hair shy of turning 26 when I started.

For the first year, I loved it, and totally bought into the Paleo diet and other CrossFit lifestyle changes. I felt stronger, healthier, and my muscle tone was incredible. Oddly, most of the remaining baby weight was still there (I only had about 10-15 pounds to lose), but I looked good, and felt good.

After the first year, and part way into the second, the extreme diet that I was on starting doing weird things to my body. (I was eating the Paleo way; minimal fruit, lots of veggies and lean meats, what I thought was a balanced portion of healthy fats, and minimal dairy). Looking back, I really do think that I was undercarbed, and later blood tests would show that my healthy fat level had bottomed out. I felt lethargic, and my stomach started hurting almost every day. My hair started falling out, and I was so into the lifestyle that I pushed and pushed and pushed myself, often times injuring myself and feeling bad that I couldn't keep up with my fellow crossfitters. The trainers would often tell me that I was cheating on the diet, or that I was allowing myself to be weakened, or that I wasn't trying hard enough. In reality, I was over-training my body. I continued like that until I tore my left meniscus, doing a standard jumping lunge.

And I've been out since, and couldn't be happier for it. I know that my experience is my own, and CrossFit can do a lot of great things for the right people. Looking back, there were a ton of red flags about the "qualified" trainers at the gym I went to. I'm pretty sure that there are awesome CF gyms, with great, qualified and knowledgeable trainers. Definitely go in with your eyes open, and take everything with a grain of salt. Take a look at the people working out there. Are they happy? Ask lots of questions, and don't be bullied into doing something that you aren't comfortable with!

[Irulan]

The trainers would often tell me that I was cheating on the diet, or that I was allowing myself to be weakened, or that I wasn't trying hard enough.

Wow. This underscores what I've heard about CF. I'm glad you got smart about it. Training is good, over doing it, or being told not to trust yourself, is not. This makes me love my trainers ever more. :p

[chatnoire]

My experience with CrossFit was through law enforcement training, and the pseudo-military like approach they use seems to really resonate with some people. I have have friends who ran Xfit box for a couple years, but they just sold it to focus on a sepaarate business of health and nutrition. The coach part of the couple was really into paleo, but his wife was a doctor and nutrition adviser, and through her I got work outs that were more tailored to my lifestyle and goals (ie, I'm a vegetarian ballerina cyclist - extreme is fine, but I don't need to do box jumps and tire flips to build my core.)

I agree with the other people that it's a good tool, when used in moderation.

[Catrin]

The degreed trainers at my gym do use cross-fit exercises, but they don't call it "CrossFit", but metabolic training. They also don't do the pseudo-military like approach. One or two of the trainers approaches the latter, but I think that is just their own style. I DO like the metabolic style training, regardless of what it is called. It doesn't focus on any one thing and is a good cross-training for the bike - especially in the summer when I back off from higher volume weights as my riding increases.

[Irulan]

What does "metabolic training" mean? Where I work out they call it "functional fitness".

The thing is, cross fit didn't really come with anything new, they just packaged it. There is only so much "new" stuff that has been invented for fitness. Most of the new thinking on fitness pulls from the same new thinking: multi discipline, higher intensity. Much of it , including the training I do (so this is not meant to be disparaging) is glorified circuit training: multiple kinds of movement done at a higher intensity. By multiple discipline, I mean pulling from many different schools of exercise such as weights, cardio, plyometrics, yoga, balance work, Pilates and so on combined together.

I think that the big thing is working with people who really understand what they are teaching,are knowledgable, and understand the differences in bodies, fitness levels, and abilities to help people get the most out of it.

[Catrin]

What does "metabolic training" mean? Where I work out they call it "functional fitness".....

I think that the big thing is working with people who really understand what they are teaching,are knowledgable, and understand the differences in bodies, fitness levels, and abilities to help people get the most out of it.

Yes, this is what matters the most.

They separate functional fitness from metabolic training. They refer to the latter as very intense exercises that utilize as many muscle groups as possible and they have different group training classes (paid and free) that focus on both functional fitness and metabolic training - though of course everything has elements of both.Your last point they focus on very much.

No place is perfect, but they suit me. The cool part is they have free bike lockers outside, so on days I ride to work I can swing by on the way home, lock my bike up and get a bit of a workout in on my way home.

[Irulan]

well you know me, miss "what is it anyway google is my friend"...

Metabolic Training (http://www.builtlean.com/2011/01/10/metabolic-training-101-definition-benefits-exercises/)
Sounds like a new name for circuit training. ;)

[Catrin]

well you know me, miss "what is it anyway google is my friend"...

Metabolic Training (http://www.builtlean.com/2011/01/10/metabolic-training-101-definition-benefits-exercises/)
Sounds like a new name for circuit training. ;)

Yes, there is little new under the sun - but perhaps a better understanding of what it does to the body? Perhaps.

A good example of one of the more difficult efforts in a 12 week metabolic training class I had this spring which was a body-fat loss challenge:

After a really strong warmup and some initial exercises we went to the track and did 5 burbees, 5 lunges, 5 burpees, 5 lunges, repeat around the track. Then we did the rest of the workout. It was fun. Brutal...but fun...and what made it even more fun was I could actually do it and didn't get sore :D

We are starting a 6-week long repeat of a similar group class next week and I am really looking forward to it.

[Irulan]

Yes, there is little new under the sun - but perhaps a better understanding of what it does to the body? Perhaps.

A good example of one of the more difficult efforts in a 12 week metabolic training class I had this spring which was a body-fat loss challenge:

After a really strong warmup and some initial exercises we went to the track and did 5 burbees, 5 lunges, 5 burpees, 5 lunges, repeat around the track. Then we did the rest of the workout. It was fun. Brutal...but fun...and what made it even more fun was I could actually do it and didn't get sore :D

We are starting a 6-week long repeat of a similar group class next week and I am really looking forward to it.

that sounds like the class I've been doing 2x a week for 3 years. Every time is something different. Mostly it's sets like that for an hour. We mix up dumbells,boxes, balls, medicine balls, movement, bosus and so on.

[Catrin]

that sounds like the class I've been doing 2x a week for 3 years. Every time is something different. Mostly it's sets like that for an hour. We mix up dumbells,boxes, balls, medicine balls, movement, bosus and so on.

Yep, its all good, and we also have TRX and a large set of kettlebells that we use as well as part of it all :) I was in individual training at my last gym for 2.5 years, which was was quite good - but I can't swing that any longer. They have group training at my current gym for about 1/5th of what I used to pay for individual training and it is all metabolic training. Later this year I will sign up for the winter.

[Crankin]

I've been doing similar type classes for about 7 months now. They have made a huge difference in my fitness and they whip my butt almost every time. I have become stronger and now I am seeing the benefits in my cycling. Some days it is called boot camp, other days ball and core, but it's really circuit training. It's so intense, I have to take at least one full rest day a week and sometimes 2, or at least another day when i do nothing more than an easy 10 mile ride or recovery yoga.
I chose to continue this rather than continue running.

[Catrin]

I really like being able to run again, even though I just run short distances, and I NEVER dreamed I was capable of doing all the things they have us doing. I thought my knee was shot and I would never run again. I can really tell a difference in my overall fitness and well being. The workouts might be brutal, but they pay off. I cannot ride on the days we have those workouts and won't even consider it. I might ride a bit less often during the week when I am in an ongoing class, but I am a lot stronger when I do ride. Another class fires up next week ;)

[Irulan]

I really like being able to run again, even though I just run short distances, and I NEVER dreamed I was capable of doing all the things they have us doing. I thought my knee was shot and I would never run again. I can really tell a difference in my overall fitness and well being. The workouts might be brutal, but they pay off. I cannot ride on the days we have those workouts and won't even consider it. I might ride a bit less often during the week when I am in an ongoing class, but I am a lot stronger when I do ride. Another class fires up next week ;)

I had a long discussion with my trainer today about all this stuff. (Crossfit, metabolic training, etc etc) He was saying that the biggest thing he sees is that some programs don't modify... it's do or don't do, and that's where people get hurt. His comment on metabolic training was, "it depends on which metabolism you are wanting to train" and then went on some - so I'm not even going there, it got way too deep and scientific for me in a hurry.

But yes, these multidisciplinary programs are amazing. We started for ski conditioning after DH had his big bike wreck. His core was so shot that he couldn't even stand on one foot. I could ski, but my knees were a mess for hiking. I had not been able to hike without pain on descending for 10 years. Part of our program, because it is affiliated with a PT facility, is some free PT. I talked to one of the PTs about my knee ( had an evaluation) and was told, do this for six months and then try a big hike. I have been pain free hiking now, for the first time in years. It was so amazing... I hiked to the top of the peak, and I was terrified of returning as for years it's been excrucating on the downs... not any more. I love being strong for all the sports we do. Skiing three powder days in a row? I'll take it . Another side benefit is being able strong for general whether it's work around the house or yard, lifting, etc and not be over doing it all the time.

[chatnoire]

That PT benefit to your workout sounds awesome. I too have knee issues, and hiking down, descending steps, wearing my beloved 4" heels all cause pain. The PT associated with my insurance won't do multi-target conditioning, even though I've got records saying its a knee issue associated with previous dance and sport injuries, plus hip and foot problems. So annoying.

[Catrin]

I had a long discussion with my trainer today about all this stuff. (Crossfit, metabolic training, etc etc) He was saying that the biggest thing he sees is that some programs don't modify... it's do or don't do, and that's where people get hurt. His comment on metabolic training was, "it depends on which metabolism you are wanting to train" and then went on some - so I'm not even going there, it got way too deep and scientific for me in a hurry....

Sounds like you have a great trainer - and he nailed it regarding metabolic training :) Fitness "fads" are one thing, understanding goals and how different fitness tools support those is something else - and sadly there are trainers who are more into the former than the latter. Thankfully I've never known any in that first category, but I've heard enough stories about them.

My gym is a very large university based sports/fitness research facility - they have great trainers who are accustomed to working with everyone from the most elite athlete to someone who just walked into a gym for the first time in their life.

They do push, and push hard to help us progress and meet our goals BUT they are also careful to teach us modifications at the same time and educate us about the exercises we are doing (THIS is good for THAT, etc). All of the classes aren't brutal, well, at least not in the same way, and everything can be adjusted to our specific level. They do have individual training available, but they focus on small group training. They won't hesitate a second to stop us (even if we are working out on our own) and make suggestions if they see we are having problems with something.

As I do more of the metabolic training, or whatever one wishes to call it, I find my overuse injuries less likely to act up - as long as I don't try to ride that day or do a long ride the following day. I've had to change my riding schedule a bit but I see so much benefit from this...

[Crankin]

I also notice that one of the instructors of the early AM classes I go to absolutely does no modifications. She also is a bit more of a drill instructor than necessary; I don't like her barking in my ear (I'd like to have her meet my son, who really is a sergeant). I rarely go to her class anymore, but for me, it was OK, since I knew how to modify in the beginning. What's bad, is that if a new person comes to this class, they don't return. The thing is, I was already fit when I started this, I am a certified (though lapsed) fitness instructor, and I know what hurts me. Yet, I still felt like I was going to faint for the first few weeks. If I felt like this, no wonder others don't return.

[Irulan]

That PT benefit to your workout sounds awesome. I too have knee issues, and hiking down, descending steps, wearing my beloved 4" heels all cause pain. The PT associated with my insurance won't do multi-target conditioning, even though I've got records saying its a knee issue associated with previous dance and sport injuries, plus hip and foot problems. So annoying.

(find a new pt?)

A good athletic trainer should be able to give you a set of exercised for knee stability.

Now, I am NOT a fitness professional. All the usual caveats apply. Here's what I worked on, at the suggestion of the PTs and trainers where I work out. There's probably more but we do so many different thing I can't always remember the specifics.

Box step downs. This was one of the main ones.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReJJzlp0eeU
you can do it at home on stairs if you don't have a box.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbsk0jjHE8E more advanced.

You can vary foot position with the "free" foot: heel forward, foot in front of the hips, heel back, foot behind the hips, always staying balanced on the weighted foot.

Lateral bounds. Sideways jumps landing on the outside foot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eaq4d3wTUFw&feature=related

Balance work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wPn5u0WgLg


who knows if this is the right stuff for you. All I know that was to do an 11 mile hike, half of it down hill, and be pain free for the first time in years was amazing.

[kiwi rider]

Oh...I so will be looking up "functional fitness" in this area........I am all for training safely!

[kiwi rider]

thank you