Our owner is an ex Olympian weightlifter, so to get that kind of advice is priceless.
You beat me to it, I watch some of it was forced to do some of it and most but not all the exercises are dangerous and bad.
Paleo = Natural protein.
Natural protein = Hunting.
Combine high end endorphin/fitness junkies and a need for organic protein. Need I say more? Peas and carrots.
BTW, Crossfit had a commercial last year that featured a dude who incorporated Crossfit into his lifestyle to support his hunting habit. That kind of unapologetic cultural support of hunting is valuable.
Crossfit is an a social positive, though, I disagree with timed events using heavy weights and reps to fatigue. That's a tweaking issue (pun intended), however. Turning fitness into a sport of its own is a positive.
I do agree to a point. I tell all folks that if you already have issue(s), like a bad back or trick knee, don't do it!! Now if like me and you have none of these, go for it!!
I don't know how other boxes are set up, but we are trained for FORM, FORM, FORM!! Of all the folks doing it, no one hurts themselves (knock on wood)by doing this type of workout and I've seen too many success stories, like mine (down 40 lbs.)to think otherwise. As with most things, there are some bad apples I'm sure.
I read somewhere like 1-5 people will get injured at some point doing it. I cant afford to get injured..
I may get back in it and just do light weight so that i dont get injured and do it more for the cardio
At our box ( where I now coach from on the days I'm not at work at my regular job ) ... We are also from Nazis! We practice a lot with scaled down weights until the athlete is capable of such moves as dead lifts, cleans etc and I'd say at least 50% of our regular members are women of ages well up to 60 years of age.
As for the dangerous injuries.... Trust me, there is more in football, basketball, hockey and even archery that happen each and every weekend. One rule I tell all new comers to Crossfit is to leave your ego at the door... This is hard stuff and like anything in life it takes practice and time. Don't expect to turn up in the first 6 months expecting to do complex moves like rope climbing and power snatch...
As for fitness.... I've seen nothing that compares to it... Show me something better if there is?
As a side note, people disapproved of MMA and the UFC when it started making headway... Now it's one of the fasting growing sports in the world watched and practiced by millions.
Come drink the cool aid and eat clean... Your life will take a change for the better!
WPA.
I do find it funny they are suing the National Strength and Conditioning Association for publishing a study that largely complimented crossfit and similarly structured training as a way to improve aerobic power simply because the authors did note that the injury rate was higher than in some forms of exercise. Crazy to sue a well established group, over a largely complimentary, peer reviewed article.
So im a coach. I've coached for 22 years, not too long by most standards.
If we relate crossfit to weight lifting. Weight lifting has exercises, bench press, squat, curls, etc…. Now my question is does everyone who weight lifts have the same form the same standards when they lift??? Do they do the same exercises exactly the same with the same reps, sets, form???
Crossfit is a concept and each coach/ box has different standards of excellence and ego. Each box/ owner comes up with their own workouts and administers them to their clients. So would it be safe to say that each Crossfit workout at each Box in the US at 6pm on a tuesday afternoon is different???
I would like to see every workout from every Box of a particular day and see if even 2 match??? I think the chances would be very very slim.
So if all the workouts are different wouldn't it be safe to say all the coaches/ owners are different too? Different standards, warm ups, different ideologies as to how to implement crossfit?
Crossfit can be beneficial and dangerous, however you can be hiking in the woods chasing elk, step over a log and break you ankle. Cutting up an elk with a knife, slice and slip. Oh my cut your femoral artery?!?!?!?
Crossfit WODS can be constructed to benefit any sport or passion.
So with crossfit at a box take a slow approach to reaching your goals. Do less weight, stay below 80% of max, show up everyday. Elk don't care how many burpees you can do in 7 Min, or what your FRAN time is, or what you can bench!!! Unless its more than them!!!
The only thing elk care about is staying away from YOU!!!!!
Have fun and GL this year.
I live way up in northern Minnesota...no gyms for miles. In fact, I have my free weights, rack, and pullup bar set up in the maintenance shop of my excavating business. For different workouts, I flip a grader tire out in the yard. I have my bag target set up on pile of crushed concrete right outside my office door so it's easy to get a few practice shots in on a moments notice. Do what you can with what you have.
However, it would be nice to have a crossfit gym here. And, I think I could get enough people interested in it to make it at least break even. I just want to have the gym here and have enough memberships to make the payments ~ I'm not doing it to get rich.
And regards to injury. I played sports, including TCU football. There was always a hurt body part through those years. With crossfit I never have those problems.aibly because I'm working out for just me and not trying to whip the other guy across the line of scrimmage from me.
Crossfit is a powerful medicine designed for maximum stimulation. I think those that are doing crossfit year round will agree that there is not much left to do to prepare physically for the rigors of a high country elk hunt other than acclimation to altitude.
That feeling you get when your 10 hours into getting an elk out of a nasty place can't be had with a leisurely tour through the gym. Everyone that has been there knows it is a complete mind ***K sometimes. A full blown crossfit workout will get you pretty close. As far as getting hurt in crossfit.....well you can get hurt on a elk hunt if your not prepared mentally and physically for what your doing.
I will say that I feel like I get a great workout in with far more cardio than I expected. Many of the maneuvers are very precise and target specific muscles that I normally wouldn't be able to get with my standard weight lifting techniques. I'm 100% behind it so far. For me having that structured and competitive environment focuses me on better performance and pushes me beyond my own self-perceived mental limits.
Always wondered why they just didn't tip it on end and roll it....
Amen!
As a general rule of thumb I tell people if you wake up day after crossfit with more than just "muscle soreness" and you feel a specific pain, you did something incorrectly at some point and come see me first before going back to make sure you didn't make something worse. Unless they're physical therapists and not personal trainers they should not be diagnosing injuries either so keep this in mind as well when attending.
-Good advice for any strenuous endeavor.
