CrossFit's Dirty Little Secret

[Crankin]

The classes I go to at my gym are sort of like Catrin's, in that we do a lot of the same things as Crossfit, but it's not the same. However, the one instructor I refer to as evil, well, she is of the more is better variety. The only way I can maintain good form is to use lighter weights, which I do. She questioned me last week on this, and I just gave her a look. She mostly stays away from me, as she knows I have a fitness background.
I find that I need more rest now that I am doing these types of classes, as opposed to when I am just cycling, running, or nordic skiing. There's a good reason for this, I guess!

[Sky King]

My "gym" is quasi crossfit as well and I have no qualms telling the trainer "no". I do worry about people who aren't assertive enough to trust their own bodies.
To give the owner credit he will have us take an entire week and have us use very light weights to focus on form, usually once every 3 months.
The people I worry about are 1. my friends who use CD's and work out at home - no one is watching their form and 2. just heard of new gym in town where they make their own kettle bells using duct tape and sand bags and finally 3. the non trainer who shares their exercises with their friends - again one of my bike buddies is telling me about a kettle bell exercise where you swing the ball up and over your head - yikes.

[luvmyguys]

I do worry about people who aren't assertive enough to trust their own bodies.

Ultimately, that's what it comes down to - with both diet and exercise. Either that, or someone has been conditioned to think that their bodies are always lying to them.

[OakLeaf]

conditioned to think that their bodies are always lying to them.

considering that's like 99% of everyone in the developed world ... between Big Medicine and Big Food, we're told from infancy that our bodies are lying to us. It's a difficult process learning to listen to your body in adulthood, and it has to start with choosing a different way of eating and living BEFORE a person is able to sense how their body is reacting to it. They have to really, really, really, really want to.

[Jolt]

I don't have any stats, but the cases of rhabdo I have seen in the hospital have generally been older people who have fallen, been unable to get up and have been on the floor for a long period (sometimes a few days) without moving. Basically, the muscles in areas they have been lying on have not been getting blood flow and so there is muscle tissue damage from the ischemia. I have also seen milder cases in patients who have had multiple seizures. I'm not sure how the incidence of these kinds of cases compares to that of exertional rhabdo as described in the above articles, but in any case it sounds like there's a problem with the way some people are doing Crossfit.

[Raddogz]

From some of the articles I have been reading/googling it looks like there can be multiple reasons as it can occur doing different sports or activities.

This link http://www.joe-cannon.com/rhabdomyol...ness-bootcamp/

It even goes as far as spinning can cause rhabdo. Albeit I have not tried Crossfit myself but hope to one day in the future (I like variation in my fitness), I think circumstances will cause this rare ailment that can happen across many planes