Confession: I want to be a part of CrossFit without actually doing CrossFit. Yes, I want to have my paleo gluten-free, grain-free, sugar-free cake and eat it too.
I’ve done CrossFit. I’ve done it as a formal Great Fitness Experiment twice and the Gym Buddies and I have mixed in various CF workouts into our schedule for over four years now. I’ve done it in a CrossFit affiliate gym, in a garage, in the YMCA, and in my house. (And with a mouse! And In a box! And with a fox! And in the rain and in the dark and on a train! Okay, not the train. But totally with a mouse. My house is a mouse farm.) So I like to think that I know of what I speak. Well, at least as much as I know what I’m talking about with anything which, I’ll admit it, can be dicey. And here’s the thing about me and CrossFit that I had to learn the hard way: I get injured if I do it the way it’s written.
The repetitive motions (100 handstand push-ups sounds hardcore but it was worse for my carpal tunnel syndrome than my 25 hours a day of typing), the high impact (the higher the plyo box, the farther down to the ground!) and the surprise 15K runs (I know very few people who can slam out nearly 10 miles with no preparation) all made me start to dread reading the WOD (workout of the day) when we were doing the CrossFit Experiments. Not to mention the damage you can do to yourself with the Olympic lifts if done improperly. (I thought the bruise/scrape from cleaning the bar into my clavicle would never go away. It looked like a hickey from a 1950′s Hoover.)
And I’m not the only one that has issues with CrossFit. It’s just that nobody really talks about it – it’s okay to say you’re not tough enough for CrossFit or that you simply don’t like it but it’s taboo to say you think the workout foundation has cracks. A fitness professional friend of mine (whom I won’t quote by name since I didn’t get their permission first) explained to me that they had quit CrossFit even though they were a certified CF trainer because they weren’t making progress any more and were getting injured. It turns out that CF may be one of those workouts that you need to be fit to do rather than one that you do to get fit.
My other problem with CrossFit is I don’t eat Paleo/Primal. I’ve tried it three times and those Experiments were the most epic fails I’ve had in the history of this site. I’m not saying it’s a bad way to eat but simply that it doesn’t work for me. And while CrossFit isn’t officially linked to Paleo you’d be hard-pressed to find a true devotee that isn’t eating that way. The pressure to conform to that diet is immense in many CF circles.
But I also happen to love CrossFit. I love how it trains both men and women to be tough. I love the challenge. I love the competition. I love the gymnastic elements (even if they are only pulled from men’s gymnastics – where are the cartwheels CrossFit?!). I love that I now not only know what a clean and press is but how to do one. Heck, I love being told what to do every day! And I love the cult(ure) of CrossFit. Some workouts inspire an unholy devotion that makes holy rolling look boring and CrossFit is definitely one of those. The 2012 Reebok CrossFit games were subtitled “Fittest on Earth” and I wanted to add “Most hyper” as well. I don’t know that I’ve ever met a group of people so enthusiastic and energetic about their workout. And I’ve been in a room with 200 women doing Zumba with a male stripper teaching the class. Although that class definitely won for loudest screaming of any workout I’ve tried. My ears are still ringing. (For other fitness programs with cult followings check out my Shape.com slideshow to see if your fave made the list! I drink the Kool-Aid!)
It wasn’t until I talked to a die-hard CrossFit friend that I learned the solution to my issue. “You do the WODs from the actual CrossFit site?” he scoffed. “Only noobs do that! No respectable affiliate gym even uses those!” Another friend introduced me to sites that either scaled down the workouts for more skill levels or offered alternate WODs. And that opened up a whole new world. It meant I got to pick and choose which CF workouts I did. (Yes to Fran and Fight Gone Bad, No to Elizabeth. I’m sorry but I just can’t do ring dips no matter how sternly I lecture my triceps.) It meant I could mix and match different moves. And… it also means that what I call a “CrossFit workout” now most likely isn’t one. Technically.
All of this was going through my mind as I bopped around The Games and interviewed some insanely fit people and admired the grass-fed burgers (from afar, the line went around the block). I love it but I can’t embrace all of it. Happy medium or huge cop-out? I’m still not sure but it’s where I’m at now. And my wrists have never been happier.
SO: for those of you who are interested in hearing more about The Games themselves, here’s my coverage for Shape!
Top 10 Moments of the 2012 Reebok CrossFit Games (as defined by… me)
10 Fitness Tips from CrossFit’s Elite (10 is, like, the Internet’s favorite number)
My interview with Valerie Calhoun, the youngest female competitor (she puts the beast in “beast mode”!)
10 Seriously Fit Chicks of CrossFit (If you need some inspiration, check out these amazing athletes!)
What’s your opinion on CrossFit? Have you ever tried it? Do you do a workout with a hardcore following?
If you just swooned, you are a true CrossFit nerd. Guy or girl!
for more of my crazy antics and uncomfortable over-shares!
{ 42 comments… read them below or add one }
Still awake. Still really dark in here!
As if you didn’t already have my love and devotion, now you go and question Cross Fit in the same post as you attach a photo of Ryan Gosling! I chose the background of my blog specifically because the birds reminded me of the love and serenity of the ocean scene in The Notebook.
And, in my opinion, there can never be too much love and serenity in life:0)
~Kari @ Dreamingintherealworld.blogspot.com
“My Top 10 Reasons to Work Out as a Family, Part:1″
http://dreamingintherealworld.blogspot.com/2012/07/my-top-reasons-towork-out-as-family.html
“It turns out that CF may be one of those workouts that you need to be fit to do rather than one that you do to get fit.”
Yep, that’s my opinion of it in a nutshell.
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I’ve never tried CrossFit, and probably won’t. Ever. It looks so intimidating! While I love a good challenge that gets my out of my comfort zone from time to time, I don’t want to ‘kill myself’ in every single workout, still feeling bad about myself because I’m not as strong/fast/flexible as the others. It’s just not my style of exercise.
Plus, I have some personal ‘beef’ with the Paleo diet.
Zumba on the other hand? Anytime!
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Ha ha ha… This made me laugh because as someone who has always challenged authority, it would never occur to me NOT to modify a WOD if it didn’t meet my needs. (one of those needs being “not get injured”).
As for the paleo diet- been paleo/primal (80/20 rule) for 18 months for mental health reasons- not body-image reasons. I think that’s why I have been able to stick with it (without feeling “deprived”). Relief of depression/anxiety is a much bigger motivator that body image issues!
I have been doing crossfit for over 2 years and I still enjoy it. But the culture around it is getting a little much; can’t I just go for exercise and not have to be competing with the clock/with others/with more weight? I am so not competitive and while I do like to see improvements in myself, I will just never be like the girls at the games based on genetics alone. And that IS OKAY.
I adore CrossFit and always will, because it was the first time in my life that I became active. And that means a lot. But pushing myself too hard (in running, actually, outside of CrossFit) caused me to develop bursitis in my hips. So I’ve had to take time off of CrossFit (going from 5 days a week down to 3) and I’m realizing that it’s a good thing. I’m starting to see that I need to modify more often and go less often. This makes me feel a little guilty when I see the 20 year old studs pushing themselves to perform when I don’t get to the same level. But I don’t think those men have the same physiology as most women and certainly not as me. I’ve found that pushing myself that hard every single day leads to skyrocketing cortisol and wears me out in a bad way. The universe is doing everything it can to teach me about moderation. And I hate the lesson, because extremes are my favorite place to be, but I’m learning slowly.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that the problem I really see with CrossFit is the blind devotion. All sports have injuries, all activity can lead to burn-out, and no system is perfect. Everyone fights about how much weight to lift, how long to rest between sets, whether or not to do cardio, how long to do cardio, etc. But so many people in CrossFit are afraid/ashamed to scale when needed. And I think that devotion without adjustment is what really causes the problems. I thank CrossFit for getting me active and now I’m learning how to be the best to myself that I can be.
It boggles my mind that there are people who don’t consider the option of scaling workouts- from day 1 of the foundations course I took at my local affiliate, they drummed “everything is scalable” into our heads. Eight months later, I’m still scaling many of the workouts and I’ve learned that there’s some exercises that I’ll just never do, no matter how strong and fit I get, I don’t see the need to do snatches or overhead squats. Just because I modify many workouts doesn’t mean I’m not doing CrossFit. The same goes for the Paleo diet, I’ve tried it, my diet is probably 60-70% within Paleo guidelines these days, and that works for me.
As for results, I’m 42 and have been in the Army for 15 years and since starting CrossFit have posted my highest Army Physical Fitness Test scores EVER.
The best part? The camaraderie at my local affiliate mixed with the competitive nature of many of the workouts, it keeps me coming back for more.
Fun bit of trivia: Rob Wolf, who is a huge paleo celebrity having written popular books and a podcast etc used to do the nutrition seminars for the Crossfit organization. Being also a trainer and gym owner he criticized some of the things you mentioned, as well as the lack of periodization (basically having the same types of exercises several days in a row) and they kicked him out! His gym is no longer crossfit affiliated and they don’t let him do nutrition stuff for them. Don’t adapt, just kick out people who aren’t on board seems to be the mantra (I don’t know the guy personally, he has talked about it on his podcast). And I too want to like Crossfit, but can’t quite.
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As someone who rarely ever follows a training plan that anyone else sets out without modification, I think you’re right on. We’re all very different and what works for me may not work for you. I think crossfit sounds like a fun challenge, but also sounds like something that you have to be a certain level of fit to do.
I’ve had thoughts about spending some time this winter during off season doing cross-fit type workouts. I’ll need SOMETHING to keep me from just trying to log more and more miles when I’m not training for anything.
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I’ve only admired crossfit from afar, but thank you for pointing out that is customizable! I do think the cultish aspects are a bit of a turnoff, but wowza, I do like the way so many strong women seem to be part of scene.
Someday, I’ll try to get brave enough to check it out!
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I agree whole-heartedly. I avoid any exercise that doesn’t fit the body’s genetic programming. We weren’t designed to run ten miles. We were designed to sprint, which is why runners eventually batter their joints into powder. My workout regimen consists of mainly bodyweight routines and I’m in the best shape of my life at 40 years old. Workout routines are supposed to build us up, not break us down.
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i agree with you. mostly because i hate running long distances, haha.
also, crossfiters are a bit intense for my liking. many of them are in fantastic shape, although a lot of those particular people already tend to be on the athletic side prior to starting crossfit. a lot of injuries result from crossfitting, i’m 36 now and i get injured enough as it is (let alone the healing time these days if i get injured)!
I’ve never had any desire to try crossfit personally-and I’ve felt like exercises you enjoy doing will always be more effective than ones you dread and put off. That said, I do tend to think that everyone’s body is different and it’s ok if what works for me doesn’t work for you. (I’m vegan, could never do paleo, but some people just can’t do vegan and paleo works for them. That’s great. Fanatacism, however, never seems to end well-especially when it’s concerning food or exercise habits. (and often seems to go hand in hand with “this works for me therefore it must be the miracle cure for EVERYONE and if it doesn’t work for you the problem is you.”)
Well, I’m going to come out and say that I am a wuss by nature, and although I’d love to try CrossFit, it scares the crap out of me! Partly because I have hip problems and a bung shoulder, and some of the CrossFit things I’ve seen seem as though they would aggravate it.
The other thing that puts me off it are the hard core devotees who are into the Paleo/Primal diet. Some of the things I’ve read sound like they come from a cult manual :-O
Megan @ Weddings and Workouts recently posted..Out of the loop!
I love Crossfit – and usually scale the workouts. I livein Australia and we don’t have such the cult aspect to it over here – Aussies just aren’t “booya!” as Americans. Also, the owner of the CF gym I go to is a mature grown-up with a strong background in rehab. We’re definitely not a “shirts off” kind of a gym! We were just talking this morning about the fact that I think CF needs to reposition itself a bit after the Games – impressive atheletes but it’s not looking like an inclusive sport. There are plenty of older people doing CF as well as those who have not been active before. You certainly don’t need to have a been a collegiate athlete to enjoy CF. I’d encourage people to shop around and find a CF gym that suits your needs – and not one that just focusses on PRs, paleo and low body-fat. Really, it’s a great program if you do it right.
I don’t like the cult-like attitude that has built up around CrossFit, which is one of the reasons I don’t do it ( the main reason being that I checked the other day and, yup, I’m still a wuss). I think that as time goes by and more people get injured and/or bored, the frenzy will calm down.
A couple years ago P90X was THE workout. Before that, Pilates (hello!), and now it’s CrossFit. Another one will come along. In the meantime, those of us who still love Pilates will keep doing it. As will the P90X-philes, Zumba lovers, runners, yogis, swimmers, etc.
It’s all about doing what you love, that keeps you active and healthy.
I don’t push myself enough on my own to do cross fit. If I was going to seriously try it, I’d need a coach. Or, maybe I need to review those websites you mentioned. I couldn’t ever get past the “warmup”
I am going to do something I rarely do, disagree with you. But also thank you as you broke through my writer’s block and got a post written on why I love CrossFit so much.
http://nodrama4mama.com/2012/07/24/living-la-vida-crossfit/
nodrama4mama recently posted..Living La Vida Crossfit
I haven’t tried Cross Fit and it seems this game is so interesting to try so I will consider to play this game. I think it can develop my cognitive mind.
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This. This article here, articulates every issue I’ve had so far with CF. I started going to a box in my town that claimed to have the best CFtrainers in town, 3 weeks in I was in the hospital getting an MRI on my knee because one of their trainers didnt seem to understand that for a beginner form is more important that the speed or amount of weight on the bar. I still have some pretty negative feelings about CF gyms and their method of training, but I really believe in their idea of functional fitness being the best type. (Also I agree with you and love how they teach both men and women to be tough!) What are some of the CF modified websites you use?
I think it’s perfectly fine to take the elements that work for you and leave the rest. Everyone who finds the diet or fitness regime that works for them, thinks they have found THE ONE that will work for everyone else. That’s why you get zealots of nutrition + workouts. By doing the parts of the workout that bring you joy and not injury, well isn’t that intuitive fitness?
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Charlotte, I hate gyms. I hate sweating (it takes me so long to actually sweat that I practically get heatstroke every time I raise my heartrate). But you make me laugh pretty much every post! (get a mousetrap!!)
And yeah, despite never setting foot in a ‘box’ I can smell the CF fanaticism and it frightens me. It seems so… Navy SEALS – very ‘booyah’, as the Aussie commenter said. Not my thing, and to me a risk factor for a lot of strong, fit people being led into something nasty. Like swimming out to Alcatraz to take it over, or something.
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I’ve been in this training business for about 12 years now and have used similar concepts (basically metabolic training with a variety of exercises) for much of that. I even gave my workouts a name. Dammit, I should have branded it and made a bazillion like the CF peeps!
Ah well, couldashouldawoulda.
I’ve never used it as a complete program. As a workout from time to time yes, especially as a quick way to shed body fat, but it lacks, as Sabrina stated before, periodisation if done ALL the time.
With that said though I have many friends who are fanatics (so far as us in Australia can be called fanatics relative to the Americans), and are happy in that element so who am I to say “don’t do it because…” It’s not a ‘Children of the Immaculate Glowstick’ cult. I’m sure they’ll jump ship when/if they get over it.
I did crossfit for about two years. I came into it being pretty fit with a long history of lifting and distance running. I however was new to olympic lifts and had the worst form ever. The trainers where I went only cared about me getting more weight on the bar and I’m pretty sure that their weekend of Level 1 training didn’t qualify for expert status. After sustaining a mild concussion and a dislocated rib at separate times I decided to hang up my crossfit badge. Yes I miss some of the community aspect of it, but I don’t miss the aches and pains, nor posting my latest WOD on my facebook profile. At the end of the day who really cares how fast you did Fran. If that is what you want to put on your tombstone than be my guest….so much more to life than that!
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I only started doing Crossfit in February of this year. It has been exceptionally good for me, in terms of my fitness level and confidence. I’ve learned and improved upon many skills & exercises and learned not only how to push myself but also what my limits are.
I truly look forward to working out now, whereas it used to be tough to get myself out the door most mornings. Everyone at my gym is kind and supportive. Since I feel comfortable there, I’m far more willing to try new lifts, add more weight, or push through a WOD than I ever was at the gym. No one judges – they want you to succeed almost as much as you personally do. And, my coaches are great. They keep your skill level in mind (helping to scale WODs and suggest alternatives) and are always willing to correct your form so you aren’t getting hurt.
Understandably, not everyone’s gym is like mine and not everyone has had the same experience…but mine has been amazing so far! I feel that sometimes the “bad” (injury, cult-ishness, etc) can overshadow the good that Crossfit has to offer.
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I meant to add that I wasn’t really in great shape prior to starting. At first, almost all of my workouts were scaled for a lower weight or an alternative exercise. Now, I’m starting to do a few of the WODs RX’d!
MassachusEATS recently posted..WIAW #23
I can so relate Charlotte! I got I into Crossfit a couple years ago and Before getting too deep into it I flew to Vegas for my certification. After which I resolved to put some distance between it and what I do.
I figure we are like many folks. There are parts we like and parts we dont. Im just selective over what I keep ( body weight exercises, timed workouts, daily variation) and what I don’t (weights, paleo, endless plo)
After All, both fitness and lifestyle freedom come from the power of choice and the self confidence to be picky
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Thank you for this post! It sums up my reservations about Crossfit and the Crossfit lifestyle precisely, plus it made me laugh and nod at the same time. All good.
I’m kind of obsessed with CrossFit even though I don’t do it. My reasons are two-fold:
- It costs quite a bit to join a box, and I already am a member of a fitness center that I really like a whole bunch.
- Also when the eff am I supposed to find the time to do it? I already train between 5-6 hours a week and that feels like plenty.
I have seen the cultish-ness that you refer to, but I also have a lot of friends who swear by it. I imagine that as long as you can keep a clear head and a critical perspective on what it is you are actually doing, the CF way of doing things can be beneficial. I’d say the same to anyone who runs or does multisport or fill-in-the-blank. I know, all things in moderation, what a shocking and revelatory way of looking at the world! But it’s also true.
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Most people who are really successful in CrossFit don’t do main page programming. Check out off-shoots for balanced good programming like crossfit football. It’s what you really want and need if you like being awesome and not injured, and you drank the kool-aid.
I am doing a professional photography fitness experiment of my own. Because of this, I have collected a few trainers who are following my progress. Two of them are cross fit trainers. They are both beyond ripped. But I have no desire to try it with them. Yikes!
I’m in a bad shape physcially, but CrossFit intrigues me because it looks fun – all those gymnastics elements etc. CF reminds me of Ashtanga yoga which is hot in Finland. When I started going to a hard-core class I was in a state of serious overtrain in 5 weeks and had to stop doing it completely. The nasty aftereffects lasted over a year.
It’s a shame because I really liked it.
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When I first strated crossfit I weighed about 280lbs. Every workout I did (and still do) is scaled. My box never does the WOD’s from the main page. It was very intimidating at first. I online stalked it for about a year before I finally got the courage to join. I love it. It can be a challenge to learn your body and it’s limitiations, especially when you were coming from being so out of touch with your body like I was. I’m currently pregnant and still doing crossfit. I had to learn new limits for my body as it changes. I’m stronger than I’ve ever been and feel better than I’ve ever felt. I love how women are treated at crossfit. It’s such an empowering feeling doing the same things (even if modified) as super it guys. I am absolutly NOT an endurance athlete and very much struggle with the longer WOD’s. If there was ever a WOD that said I had to run 15k, I would never run that much. I would do what I felt ok doing and then stop. Yes your trainer is there to help push you but you are ultimatly the person responsible for you and making sure you know what your limits are. Sometimes you push past your limits and you learn from that and move on.
It looks like so much fun. Both the workout part, and the camaraderie. But I like to run on my own. And its so darn expensive. So I just try to use as many different exercises as I can to push myself, but I’m not going to join any time soon…
It’s foolish for ANY gym/trainer/workout program to not allow modifications.
When I put together our Crossfit workouts,
I take into account our last workout,
any injuries we’re working through;
I’ll take into account the fact that while I can do handstand pushups,
I can reasonably expect my friends to do simple elevated pushups instead.
Honestly,
it’s about knowing your body, and standing up for that.
…
And you can pry my grains out of my cold, dead hands.
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This was a great post and I could totally related to the cross fit pedestal that it’s been put on as well as the bruises/hickey’s on my clavicles! I am relatively new to CF but have been weight training for over 10 years. CF does have it’s flaws just like any die hard sport. I love it for the fact that it incorporates many aspects of athletics and that it’s not as body centered or vain as weight training/figure/fitness I was once involved in. Yes, it’s all about the Rx and the WOD but it’s less focused on what my calves currently look like or are my abs coming in yet.
I was recommended this website by my cousin.
I’m not sure whether this post is written by him as no one else know such detailed about my problem. You’re incredible!
Thanks!
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I love Crossfit, I have been going for about 18 months now. I would say I scale the workouts about 90% of the time! I am 47 and dont want to risk any injury. If it is not a running, rowing, push up or sit up workout…I am scaling. I feel great and am in the best shape of my life!
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