[n0000]

Crossfit does have some good points to it. They utilize excellent exercises such as the squat, kettlebell swing and deadlift so people will see good results over time. The problem is that as the number of "boxes" has exploded they have failed to maintain a high level of coaching. There exists a high rate of injury due to the misuse of exercises such as the snatch which should only be taught to people who can squat 1.5 x bw and are capable of the required flexibility. They also have some WODs I have seen that have you doing 10+ snatches in a row and other insanity. Though I am not an olympic lifter I go to a gym that has produced some nationally competitive olympic lifters and they would never do 10+ snatches in a row due to the breakdown in form. They told me that 3 is the maximum set of snatches/cleans that are performed sequentially.

If you are doing crossfit you need to avoid exercises that do high levels of snatching/c&jing and be an absolute form nazi or you will suffer pretty severe and possibly irreparable injuries, particular to the shoulders and the lumbar spine. Also you should focus on WODs that have significant strength components as opposed to the "met con" focuses WODs.

If you want to read some really disturbing stuff that can happen when idiots train google "rhabdomyolysis crossfit". It is a condition where your muscles breakdown and the proteins are released into your blood stream. It is life threatening and requires hospitalization and dialysis. Apparently going situps on a glute ham raise machine causes this too happen.

Here is one account:
http://www.crossfitsantacruz.com/crossfi...story.html

In short, no one should really be doing crossfit until they can deadlift and squat at least 1.5 times their bodyweight. A basic barbell progression such as the starting strength program will safely allow you to get quite strong in a short amount of time.

[A War You Cannot Win]

It seems like a lot of the WoDs are completely random. One day they wanted me to push press until the cows come home, then the next they wanted me to do 300 BW dips. Sounds great for your shoulder joints and tricep muscles. Not.

The military has a hard-on for Crossfit because its supposed to be more 'functional' than long distance runs or ruck marches and lifting weights but I find myself disagreeing with that assessment. The average enlisted grunt on the USMC side of things simply doesn't get enough rest to recover from a Crossfit workout. There's no one around to teach proper form, and when I did Crossfit seriously the only thing I got better at was doing Crossfit. I needed to run to get better at running. I needed to lift heavy ass weight to get stronger. Crossfit wasn't a cure all.

[Aliblahba]

I spent some time with these guys:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/CrossFit-...4499133100

The workouts were brutal, but you work at your own pace. All the instructors were certified, and watched everyone like hawks. Especially my old ass. It was the most efficient workout I've ever done. If executed correctly, it really will get you in shape.

I love going to the gym, but it's useless strength. There's nothing functional about it. I've done both and prefer crossfit, as much it hurts.

In the Marines we were beat down with calisthenics. All that running was great for cardio but nothing else. I never had time to recover after running8 miles in the morning, swimming with 1st Force at lunch, then hitting the gym after last formation at 1830. Crossfit would have been a godsend back in those days.

[V6Wrestler]

I have been to both crossfit and another style of training called ''caveman''

I thought the caveman was much betetr than cross fit. the caveman training emphasised the whole functional strength circuit routine but did not include any BS kipping pull ups or Olympic weightlifting movements that are not suitable for a circuit.

Olympig weightlifting is a skill that shouldn't be done tired . When I went to cross fit I saw exhausted guys doing terrible form overhead squats. It was really stupid and a recipe for injury.

[V6Wrestler]

(07-19-2013 07:48 PM)Doctor Wrote:  

(07-19-2013 04:00 PM)Divorco Wrote:  

The functional aspect uses heavy Olympic lifts and power lifts. But there is not a focused linear progression on single exercises. Crossfit also has an important aerobic aspect. Crossfit says "We can do what you do almost as well as you, and you can't do our stuff at all." For example, one elite weightlifter could clean and jerk 400+ pounds. So they timed him doing "Fran", using "only" 135 pounds (the normal prescription is 95 pounds). It consists of 21 clean and jerks, 21 pull-ups, then 15 clean and jerks, 15 pull-ups, and 9 clean and jerks, 9 pull-ups. The best Crossfit guys do Fran in four minutes, but the elite lifter took 20 minutes!

"Heavy" is relative.

And the whole "We can do what you do almost as well as you, and you can't do our stuff at all" I don't buy. I don't know of the circumstances involved in this cross training so it is tough to say exactly, but I see some holes.
For starters, the oly lifter was using 135 while the regular weight was 95. That's a 45% difference (give or take). That's a significant difference for a timed event. Who was the oly lifter? Was he at 250+lbs lifter cleaning just over 400? Or a 205lbs lifter cleaning well over 400? There is a significant difference between the two. And irregardless, to clean and jerk 400+ I'd say you'd have to be able to front squat close to if not over 500lbs. If you can front squat over 500, 45 reps with 135 won't be that difficult no matter what. And kipping, regardless of how stupid it is, has technique to it. You have to practice to be efficient at it.
And what does "almost as good as you" mean? Almost is a pretty vague term. If the oly lifter can do 400, even being 10% away means 360. If I benched 360 I wouldn't say I almost bench 400.

So your putting someone who trains the movements in a timed event against someone who doesn't train those specific movements in a timed event with heavier weight. I am not surprised at all that the olympic lifter was that far behind.

And there are CFers who excel at the olympic lifts. There always will be genetic freaks. A few examples don't justify generalizations.

And not to discredit any American olympic weightlifter (I give them all the credit in the world as they do things that I can't), but on the worldwide scale American weightlifting is pretty poor compared to the top countries. Going off the top of my head (numbers may be incorrect) the Olympic records are roughly a 580C&J in the 2000 olympics by Iranian Hussein Rezzezzadah (sp?) and a 490 Snatch by another Iranian in 2012 (whose name I can't remember and it might have been at Worlds not the olympics). I don't think there is any American who can snatch over 400 (I remember Pat Mendes attempted in the gym with straps and might have gotten it, not sure) and maybe a handful who have C&J over 500.

You're thinking of Behdad Salimi for the snath WR. He is from my dad's province in Iran ha. Strength is in the blood.

Don;t forget this crossfitter only qualifies to enter, it doesn't mean he wins.

I agree being able to do a clean and jerk by no means is the same as being almost as good as an olympic level lifter.

[Stun]

I don't like Crossfit's insinuation that you have to pass their 'fitness test' in order to join a class. I would destroy their test without breathing hard (and I'm late 30s) but I am turned off by their "prove it" attitude. Either you want my money or you don't.