Started Crossfit - update - I'm less fat now

[Zivic]

That would be fine with me.

If you were big (and fat) you could be strong. If xfit made you runty, skinny fat, that would be OK?

I lost over 70 lbs just basically changingy diet. I did it. It wasn't some hand holding or competition that got me up at 4 am to train. It was some group fitness that had me atinh 20oz of chicken a day. Not some chanting and clapping that gets me through the second leg workout of the week.

You want to know what's motivating? Having a build like mine or kaido's. You get to wear it 24 hrs a day seven days a week. It is an objective measurement of your work. You have to want it. If you need an outside source to motivate you, you will not have long term success. If you can go to the gym on your own and hold hold yourself accountable the other 22.5 hrs a day, you won't succeed. You have to make the mental change that you are going to do it regardless if you go to a xfit gym and workout with the chubby soccer moms or if you hit up the east coast mecca bev Francis and train with the elite ifbb pros

 

[Sho'Nuff]

If you were big (and fat) you could be strong. If xfit made you runty, skinny fat, that would be OK?

I lost over 70 lbs just basically changing diet. I did it. It wasn't some hand holding or competition that got me up at 4 am to train. It was some group fitness that had me atinh 20oz of chicken a day. Not some chanting and clapping that gets me through the second leg workout of the week.

You want to know what's motivating? Having a build like mine or kaido's. You get to wear it 24 hrs a day seven days a week. It is an objective measurement of your work. You have to want it. If you need an outside source to motivate you, you will not have long term success. If you can go to the gym on your own and hold hold yourself accountable the other 22.5 hrs a day, you won't succeed. You have to make the mental change that you are going to do it regardless if you go to a xfit gym and workout with the chubby soccer moms or if you hit up the east coast mecca bev Francis and train with the elite ifbb pros

I'm glad you have achieved your goals and that you are happy with your results.

I think you need to realize that other people may have different goals and may measure success differently.

For me, success = being healthier. Both subjectively and objectively. A large part of that means losing some serious weight. 40lbs would be ideal. But even 20 would be a major improvement. I've worked out seriously in the past and the lowest weight I could attain was 205lbs. I was 11% body fat and felt great. But I also felt great through the entire process. And right now the focus is on losing some weight and improving cardiovascular fitness. Maybe I am weird, but a major concern I have been having lately is that if I keep doing what I am doing, I am not going to be around long enough to see my kids grow up. I have no idea why I feel that way, as I am generally a healthy guy (weight excepted). But as I get older I hear more and more stories of people my age kicking the can and frankly it scares the piss out of me. Not the dying part. The not seeing my kids grow up part.

Would I like to look better? Sure. But I don't need to be ripped to do that.

Also - I am not a 250lb marshmellow. I am pretty strong too. My legs in particular are strong, probably the result of all those pitching workouts years ago.

 

[Zivic]

I'm glad you have achieved your goals and that you are happy with your results.

I think you need to realize that other people may have different goals and may measure success differently.

For me, success = being healthier. Both subjectively and objectively. A large part of that means losing some serious weight. 40lbs would be ideal. But even 20 would be a major improvement. I've worked out seriously in the past and the lowest weight I could attain was 205lbs. I was 11% body fat and felt great. But I also felt great through the entire process. And right now the focus is on losing some weight and improving cardiovascular fitness. Maybe I am weird, but a major concern I have been having lately is that if I keep doing what I am doing, I am not going to be around long enough to see my kids grow up. I have no idea why I feel that way, as I am generally a healthy guy (weight excepted). But as I get older I hear more and more stories of people my age kicking the can and frankly it scares the piss out of me. Not the dying part. The not seeing my kids grow up part.

Would I like to look better? Sure. But I don't need to be ripped to d
Also - I am not a 250lb marshmellow. I am pretty strong too. My legs in particular are strong, probably the result of all those pitching workouts years ago.

I bet you can leg press a lot....

I have not reached my goals. I recognize what I have accomplished and push on towards being better. I want to be the best i can be.

You sound like you would be happy being average.... Maybe xfit is perfect for you. You comment like you can't look healthy and be healthy. I am healthy, but damn it I want to look the part as well

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I bet you can leg press a lot....

I have not reached my goals. I recognize what I have accomplished and push on towards being better. I want to be the best i can be.

You sound like you would be happy being average.... Maybe xfit is perfect for you. You comment like you can't look healthy and be healthy. I am healthy, but damn it I want to look the part as well

I'm not going to get into a pissing match with you over who is stronger. You are. Happy? Good. I could not care less.

Also - despite how hard you are trying this thread is not about you.

 

[Zivic]

I'm not going to get into a pissing match with you over who is stronger. You are. Happy? Good. I could not care less.

Also - despite how hard you are trying this thread is not about you.

Its about how people are content with being average. You brought up any strength comparison. My potential is my potential; be it strength, health, fitness, or physique. And your potential is yours.

 

[SP33Demon]

OP, I'd recommend OLY lifting or powerlifting competitively first, you can even hire a coach and join a team. Then, if you still want to try Crossfit then go for it. Reasoning:

1) It will teach you how to perform lifts in a much safer environment and learn advanced technique. Crossfit will have you lifting heavy weights while aerobically tired, which is a recipe for structural disaster for those who aren't experienced with the advanced lifting mechanics of a squat or deadlift or C&J. E.g., If you slack on breathing mechanics for a 20+ max rep squat (like Crossfitters idiotically partake in) you could really do some damage to your lower back as your form breaks down.

2) You'll learn how to control your weight, OLY/Powerlifting has weight classes so you have to watch what you eat at all times unless you want to do a crazy cut with laxatives (very unhealthy) the night before. For example, I just started a new job and my diet at the new job isn't as clean as my old job. I'm still adjusting but have until December to lose the extra 5lbs I've put on and get my shit together.

3) OLY/PL meets will show you how to prepare mentally. Crossfit meets will tax you more mentally since it's hitting aerobic more, so jumping into a Crossfit meet cold turkey is not something I'd even want to do.

4) Less stress on the heart. Not only will you be stronger than Crossfitters, but you aren't subjecting your heart to crazy high BPM sessions. The human heart wasn't meant to be remodeled in such a fashion; recent studies suggest this is taking years off your life. Yes, OLY and PLers do HIIT but not anywhere near the level that Crossfitters do, that much cardio simply isn't necessary. They take GPP to dangerous levels IMO.

5) More muscle mass percentage. More muscle = more fat burned, see recent threads on resistance training vs cardio for weight loss. You're going to maintain more muscle since you're not using it as fuel for silly Crossfit endurance exercises which has a snowball effect for kcals passively burned.

6) Competitive aspect and team comraderie. You'll make friends, maybe even rivals in OLY/PLing. However, almost everyone has a strong respect for everyone at the meets because they know you sacrificed just like them to make it there. Winning is nice but being around people like you makes it fun in the end.

 

[repoman0]

Its about how people are content with being average. You brought up any strength comparison. My potential is my potential; be it strength, health, fitness, or physique. And your potential is yours.

Maybe he just wants to be "good enough" in this area of his life and excel elsewhere. His goals are to not die and ensure he can watch his kids grow up. He'll achieve that whether he does crossfit or learns to deadlift 500 lbs relative to doing nothing, and he's already stated that he thinks the social aspect of crossfit is what will get him in the gym. No need to troll him.

I find going to the gym boring as hell too unless I'm with a friend, but I force myself to go 3 days a week for 1 hr anyway because I'm too much of a cheap bastard to go to a crossfit gym. My lifts aren't great relative to many here (though my form is solid and my cleans are pretty good) but I don't care because I look good and am healthy. I'd rather dedicate the time it would take to be in exceptional shape to piano, work and grad school, and relaxing (god forbid)

(I do agree that in general people should strive to be exceptional at something in their lives but my point is it doesn't have to be fitness)

 

[Zivic]

Maybe he just wants to be "good enough" in this area of his life and excel elsewhere. His goals are to not die and ensure he can watch his kids grow up. He'll achieve that whether he does crossfit or learns to deadlift 500 lbs relative to doing nothing, and he's already stated that he thinks the social aspect of crossfit is what will get him in the gym. No need to troll him.

(I do agree that in general people should strive to be exceptional at something in their lives but my point is it doesn't have to be fitness)

I can't think of an area in my life where I think "good enough" is good enough.... maybe in my house cleaning???

if I am going to go to the effort of joining a gym after admitting I was a fat@ss, becoming "not a fat@ss" is not good enough.... and I don't need a gym partner, or a box full of fat housewife cheerleaders to get there

 

[Zivic]

I find going to the gym boring as hell too unless I'm with a friend, but I force myself to go 3 days a week for 1 hr anyway because I'm too much of a cheap bastard to go to a crossfit gym. My lifts aren't great relative to many here (though my form is solid and my cleans are pretty good) but I don't care because I look good and am healthy. I'd rather dedicate the time it would take to be in exceptional shape to piano, work and grad school, and relaxing (god forbid)

if you had more success I bet you would find it more enjoyable and would be more self motivated.

 

[repoman0]

I can't think of an area in my life where I think "good enough" is good enough.... maybe in my house cleaning???

Good for you, you must have infinite time :thumbsup:

if you had more success I bet you would find it more enjoyable and would be more self motivated.

Nah, probably not -- I look good and would not trade my build for yours. I can bike a century and a half and deadlift nearly 2x my bodyweight the next day (a fun challenge to myself this past summer) and don't care to lift more.

What I would do is accept 80% the results for 50% of the time in the gym so I can go home and practice piano for longer, since that's a thousand times more enjoyable for me, and more important to me than lifting more, just like OP spending time with his kids is more important than ultimate gainz.

 

[Zivic]

Good for you, you must have infinite time :thumbsup:



Nah, probably not -- I look good and would not trade my build for yours. I can bike a century and a half and deadlift nearly 2x my bodyweight the next day (a fun challenge to myself this past summer) and don't care to lift more.

What I would do is accept 80% the results for 50% of the time in the gym so I can go home and practice piano for longer, since that's a thousand times more enjoyable for me, and more important to me than lifting more, just like OP spending time with his kids is more important than ultimate gainz.

I only work every single day for 7-8 months.. 60 days of that are 15+ hrs. Now, I'm only working 10-12 hr days.... So yeah, other than my job it leaves me with a lot of free time to train..... I make time. Now that time is 4:30-6 am

 

[Zivic]

Good for you, you must have infinite
What I would do is accept 80% the results for 50% of the time in the gym so I can go home and practice piano for longer, since that's a thousand times more enjoyable for me, and more important to me than lifting more, just like OP spending time with his kids is more important than ultimate gainz.

Do you think I think everyone's goal is to look like me?

 

[repoman0]

I only work every single day for 7-8 months.. 60 days of that are 15+ hrs. Now, I'm only working 10-12 hr days.... So yeah, other than my job it leaves me with a lot of free time to train..... I make time. Now that time is 4:30-6 am

Do you think I think everyone's goal is to look like me?

I have no idea what you think, just making the point that people have different priorities in life and you coming in here trashing the crossfit thing because it'll make the OP "average" isn't helping anyone. He wants to lose weight and get into decent shape and thinks a social atmosphere will help -- and it probably will. The guy could be a chubby Einstein coming in here asking about crossfit to lose 40lbs during his free time when he's not pioneering theoretical physics and you'd tell him he's average

FWIW the only crossfit folks I've come across were super fit, one guy was squatting 3x+ BW and C+J a good 225 at my weight/height (~160 5'10)

 

[Zivic]

I have no idea what you think, just making the point that people have different priorities in life and you coming in here trashing the crossfit thing because it'll make the OP "average" isn't helping anyone.

his attitude and effort will make him average. crossfit is fine. it is all about what you put into it.


He wants to lose weight and get into decent shape and thinks a social atmosphere will help -- and it probably will. The guy could be a chubby Einstein coming in here asking about crossfit to lose 40lbs during his free time when he's not pioneering theoretical physics and you'd tell him he's average

FWIW the only crossfit folks I've come across were super fit, one guy was squatting 3x+ BW and C+J a good 225 at my weight/height (~160 5'10)

Not everyone is going to take things as far as I have, not everyone can. I have been strong. I joke stronger than most will ever even lie about. There is a certain high and appeal to moving big weight. But at the end of the day, I wasn't all that happy with how I looked. and I was really only as good (strong) as my next lift. I have gotten over that and focused on how I look... how I want to look. when youre training and food are consistent, you are going to be healthy, so why even bring it up as being the goal?

whether OP is pioneering new theories, if he his training 3x a week, he could get in better shape than just "not a fat@ss" or "decent" by controlling what he does outside of the gym. that's where the majority of how I look is made. you can say, I don't want a build like yours.... that may be the case, or it may be the case that you aren't willing to do what I do to have a build like this. and that is fine. I also think there is a misconception about how 'big' I am. I was 268 lbs at one point. Carried 235-240 lbs around most of the time, and did it pretty well; even at only 5'8". I am MUCH smaller than I was at that weight. 6" on my waist, 4" on my chest, 1-2 shirt sizes smaller...
how many people in here are 235+? OP is... so why would he want to 'get as big as me'? he wouldn't he would have to get smaller. I had people see me in street clothes and ask me if I had gotten sick because I looked so skinny (compared to what I was) They don't say oh my, he's a freak, no way would I want to look like that. I pose a mirror shot of my arm and people can say gross, or whatever, but that same arm fits comfortably in all my shirts

Rich Fronning has a good build, and there are probably others doing crossfit that do as well. Relatively speaking though, there doesn't seem to be many. when ever I ask xfitters who has a good build in their "sport" they always say rich, maybe I get one or two other names---- that's it. I look at the people I know that do crossfit, and those same people seem to be good at it, yet, they don't look all that good. I have a friend of mine that owns a box in the next town. Same kid that xfit changed his life, lost 60 lbs... and I say jeff, you don't even look like you lift. You are skinnier, but big deal, you physically look like any other guy that isn't fat.... not lean, not muscular. I would expect a chiseled midsection, a little vascularity in the biceps....

I'm ranting and carrying on.... anyways search the net for some good crossfit humor.

 

[SP33Demon]

...
Rich Fronning has a good build, and there are probably others doing crossfit that do as well. Relatively speaking though, there doesn't seem to be many. when ever I ask xfitters who has a good build in their "sport" they always say rich, maybe I get one or two other names---- that's it. I look at the people I know that do crossfit, and those same people seem to be good at it, yet, they don't look all that good.
...
I'm ranting and carrying on.... anyways search the net for some good crossfit humor.

The problem is that Rich Froning has 1 in a million genetics. He's a powerlifter with 81% of Lance Armstrong's VO2 Max (85 vs 69~) which is an almost unheard of combination. The average person's VO2 Max is 45 and most will never have the fast twitch muscles to squat double their bodyweight like Froning (445@200) or almost triple bodyweight deadlifts (545@200). People see genetic freaks like this on ESPN at the CrossFit Games and think they can do the same thing, when most will just end up hurt due to the proliferation of boxes for profit.

There are very real risks for noobs like the OP that do CrossFit like rhamdomyolysis (i.e. if your piss is brown, see a doc IMMEDIATELY), SLAP tears in the shoulder from the stupidity that is Kipping "pullups", and your other usual shit (see below).
http://www.outsideonline.com/fitnes...wing-Pains-CrossFit-Injuries-On-the-Rise.html

But behind the competitive, puke-inducing workouts is a growing list of injured participants, many of whom suffer from telltale injuries: slipped disks, torn rotator cuffs, knee tendinopathy. Neither the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) nor any other association tracks injury rates, but Robert Hayden, a Georgia chiropractor and spokesman for the American Chiropractic Association, says he has noticed a rise in CrossFit patients over the past two years. "Among my colleagues, we often share the anecdotal observation that CrossFit is good for our practices," says Hayden.

Blame the nature of the training. Most Workout of the Day routines (WODs, as CrossFit disciples refer to them) include Olympic lifts like squats and power cleans, which require near perfect form to prevent undue strain. Newbies rarely have the stamina or guidance to maintain that form. Combine that with the high number of reps and it's a recipe for injury.

"If you have a preexisting condition—an old ACL tear, tendon damage, or a slipped disk—this kind of exercise will bring it to the surface," says Hayden.

Bolded near perfect form. Let's take something as simple as the squat. When you perform a squat or deadlift, your hips should always be 100% forward. If it's shifted back on 1 side even 1degree, then your knees are going to pay the price because it's going to be stressed at an un-natural angle during flexion/extension in the knees/back. Do 250 squats in a day as a noob doing CrossFit, and I'm willing to bet your hips aren't always going to be forward unless you are taught how to make sure they are before each rep. As the weight increases and this isn't fixed, something will break as the uneven microtears add up. This is why I recommended that the OP do OLY lifting or powerlifting to get the advanced techniques of squatting down. If he can survive a year injury free in those competitions, then he's ready for Crossfit. Because Crossfit will have you do stupid-ass WOD's like this one:
http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/008279.html
5 rounds of 50 squats followed by 25m swim underwater while holding your breath. That sounds like a good idea if you're a Navy Seal, not a noob. I'd love to measure these crossfitters' form during their last 2 sets as they're extremely fatigued and rushing to "get under a sub 10 minute time". If it was weighted, it'd be a chiro/doc's wet dream and everyone eventually squats with weight for insane amounts of reps.

In CrossFit's defense, the organization goes out of its way to warn people that if they can't maintain proper technique, they should back off.

Of course they do. It's called CYA (Cover Your Ass). Except noobs are going in with coaches who don't know what proper technique is, like keeping the hips forward (ask a Crossfit coach how to always guarantee that the hips are forward, I bet most don't know). A physical therapist will tell you this, but a certified Crossfit coach usually isn't going to have his DPT, which means he's not qualified to advise people when they're hurting and how to fix the cause of the pain from a biomechnical standpoint that involves a client's range of motion and the physics that impart forces on that ROM.

In 2011, the U.S. military, in conjunction with the ACSM, advised soldiers to avoid CrossFit, citing "disproportionate musculo-skeletal injury risk."

Yep. The military isn't stupid, injured soldiers aren't useful and Uncle Sam has to pick up the check.

Another article:
http://www.businessweek.com/article...y-reputation-as-community-aspect-fuels-growth

...
This makes the nine cases of overuse or injury from the Ohio State study an important and often-quoted point of evidence.

This is driving CrossFit, the company, nuts. In July, I made plans to attend the CrossFit Games, a competition sponsored by Reebok and broadcast on ESPN. After the company discovered that I was interested in the Ohio State study, it considered revoking my press access, which it granted only after two days of conversations to determine whether I knew enough about the lawsuit to get past the gate.

The OSU study really has them pissed off. 9 out of 11 participants were injured.

New CrossFit trainers—they’re called “coaches”—pay $1,000 for a two-day course, which Berger sometimes teaches, before they can lead a class at an affiliate. I ask Berger whether he’s worried that the rapid growth in affiliates will lead to a decline in the quality of coaching. Not really, he says. “I can’t tell you how many times I hear people in our own community say, ‘CrossFit is really safe if you have a good coach, if you’re doing it right.’ ”

Of course it’s better to train with a good coach and good technique, he explains. But he tells me to compare the risk of imperfect technique and coaching with the alternative: preventing a town from getting its affiliate. “Then,” he says, “you get a bunch of people who are sick and fat and not exposed to the program that, even done poorly, could have made their lives better.” Berger is making the case that the alternative to CrossFit isn’t an exercise bicycle; it’s nothing.

So the spokesman for Crossfit is on record for stating that he'd rather have coaches who teach imperfect technique than not have Crossfit at all. Ugh.

 

[NAC]

I did an 8 week starter program at a Crossfit gym. Designed to get people into Crossfit. One workout had us do weighted thrusters to time, intermixed with running and something else I think. To a beginner, a weighted thruster is not the simplest movement, and I injured my wrist. Nothing major, but it was a problem for a few months. Because of that experience, I don't recommend Crossfit.

Now then, other Crossfit gyms may be more cautious for beginners. But in general, some Crossfit workouts use technically difficult moves with heavy or decent amount of weight to time. For my needs: to be in shape – I don't see the point. Why risk injury?

If a gym was to separate _entirely_ the technically difficult and/or heavy weight days from the jump around and push yourself to a good time and become exhausted days then it would make sense and I'd recommend it. Example workouts from Crossfit homepage which I'd rather not push myself to do and risk injury are below.

MONDAY 141006
3 rounds for time of:
30-second L-sit hold
20 pull-ups
135-lb. thrusters, 10 reps

SATURDAY 141004
4 rounds for time of:
45-second L-sit hold
135-lb. deadlift, 30 reps
15 handstand push-ups

FRIDAY 141003
Feeks
For time:
2 x 100-meter shuttle sprint
2 squat clean thrusters, 65-lb. dumbbells
4 x 100-meter shuttle sprint
4 squat clean thrusters, 65-lb. dumbbells
6 x 100-meter shuttle sprint
6 squat clean thrusters, 65-lb. dumbbells
8 x 100-meter shuttle sprint
8 squat clean thrusters, 65-lb. dumbbells
10 x 100-meter shuttle sprint
10 squat clean thrusters, 65-lb. dumbbells
12 x 100-meter shuttle sprint
12 squat clean thrusters, 65-lb. dumbbells
14 x 100-meter shuttle sprint
14 squat clean thrusters, 65-lb. dumbbells
16 x 100-meter shuttle sprint
16 squat clean thrusters, 65-lb. dumbbells

MONDAY 140929
7 rounds for time of:
45-lb. dumbbell thrusters, 7 reps
15-ft. rope climb, 1 ascent

FRIDAY 140926
3 rounds for time of:
Run 400 meters
75-lb. hang power snatch, 21 reps
12 chest-to-bar pull-ups

 

[z1ggy]

I still vote OP stick with the normal gym routine. You're either a motivated person or your not. No amount of clapping and cheering your name is going to get you up that rope; you are. The only people I've generally seen do well and stick with xfit, were people who were already extreme athletes to begin with.

Numerous people I am friends with have done it, and only 1 or 2 still do it. One was a top D1 hockey player, and was already accustomed to the power lifting moves and other dynamic movements.

I'm not sure what OP did during his D1 baseball days, but as a D3 baseball player, we didn't do shit like xfit. We lifted normally, ie squats, various presses and a few baseball specific shoulder things. Otherwise, we were running, shagging fly balls, or throwing a bull pen.

OP, what about playing some beer league softball for the competitive & social stuff? It's something you'd be better at than like 90% of players (I played beer league through work, people looked at me like I was Derek Jeter, even though my entire baseball career was pitching) and still have some fun, with lower injury risk.

If you're content with being "average" in the sense all you want is to drop some weight and ensure you're around to watch the kiddies grow up, why add more possible risk into things with xfit?

 

[smackababy]

I did an 8 week starter program at a Crossfit gym. Designed to get people into Crossfit. One workout had us do weighted thrusters to time, intermixed with running and something else I think. To a beginner, a weighted thruster is not the simplest movement, and I injured my wrist. Nothing major, but it was a problem for a few months. Because of that experience, I don't recommend Crossfit.

Now then, other Crossfit gyms may be more cautious for beginners. But in general, some Crossfit workouts use technically difficult moves with heavy or decent amount of weight to time. For my needs: to be in shape – I don't see the point. Why risk injury?

If a gym was to separate _entirely_ the technically difficult and/or heavy weight days from the jump around and push yourself to a good time and become exhausted days then it would make sense and I'd recommend it. Example workouts from Crossfit homepage which I'd rather not push myself to do and risk injury are below.

The crossfit place nearest to my house requires new members (beginner or not) to attend their beginner workouts for like 2 weeks before they get into the normal workouts. Those are supposed to be smaller in class size and have a lot more focused attention by the trainers / coaches to get you into the proper form for the movements you will be doing as well as gauge your individual fitness level to scale the real workouts for. Now, that sounds like an extreme outlier in terms of crossfit gyms though. And even then, if you don't know what good form is, you wouldn't know if what was being taught was good anyway. So, it can be dangerous.

As far as what the OP wants (a gym environment that is more community based in their trainer) a normal gym won't cut it. I go to a normal gym and I rarely talk with anyone, but that is what I prefer to do. His questions weren't so much on the merits of crossfit, but on whether a total beginner could join a box.

 

[NAC]

The crossfit place nearest to my house requires new members (beginner or not) to attend their beginner workouts for like 2 weeks before they get into the normal workouts. Those are supposed to be smaller in class size and have a lot more focused attention by the trainers / coaches to get you into the proper form for the movements you will be doing as well as gauge your individual fitness level to scale the real workouts for. Now, that sounds like an extreme outlier in terms of crossfit gyms though. And even then, if you don't know what good form is, you wouldn't know if what was being taught was good anyway. So, it can be dangerous.

As far as what the OP wants (a gym environment that is more community based in their trainer) a normal gym won't cut it. I go to a normal gym and I rarely talk with anyone, but that is what I prefer to do. His questions weren't so much on the merits of crossfit, but on whether a total beginner could join a box.

Note that at the place I went to they taught form, and I thought they did a reasonable good job teaching it. The teaching of form is one thing. But even if you know good form, if your intention is to get X thrusters in the air in as short a period of time, you need to either sacrifice time to keep your form, or sacrifice form to push yourself to get a better time. Or perhaps you can be perfect and be right on the edge of good form in the very least amount of time. That is the intention I suppose, I just believe people aren't perfect.

I'm 40, I've got kids like the OP, and I'm certainly not perfect. So if I choose to do thrusters I'll do them slow and methodological without someone specifically pushing me to do them faster.

I totally like the idea of pushups, burpees, air squats, lots of cool things you can do as fast as you can. And doing it in a social setting and pushing each other. I can see how that exhaustion is satisfying, almost fun in a way.

But with a 135 barbell? I don't need or want to impress anyone in the gym. I'll leave that to other folks.

 

[smackababy]

Note that at the place I went to they taught form, and I thought they did a reasonable good job teaching it. The teaching of form is one thing. But even if you know good form, if your intention is to get X thrusters in the air in as short a period of time, you need to either sacrifice time to keep your form, or sacrifice form to push yourself to get a better time. Or perhaps you can be perfect and be right on the edge of good form in the very least amount of time. That is the intention I suppose, I just believe people aren't perfect.

I'm 40, I've got kids like the OP, and I'm certainly not perfect. So if I choose to do thrusters I'll do them slow and methodological without someone specifically pushing me to do them faster.

I totally like the idea of pushups, burpees, air squats, lots of cool things you can do as fast as you can. And doing it in a social setting and pushing each other. I can see how that exhaustion is satisfying, almost fun in a way.

But with a 135 barbell? I don't need or want to impress anyone in the gym. I'll leave that to other folks.

If you are sacrificing form for anything, you're doing it wrong. A good trainer should have said this. Sure, the idea is to maintain perfect form in the quickest possible time, and that remains true no matter what. If you were unable to do say 30 @ good form in a minute, you should have been doing them slower, not improperly. 15, instead, or possibly lower the weight to a more maintainable setting. A good crossfit box should do this. Now, do they? I have my doubts.

 

[NAC]

If you are sacrificing form for anything, you're doing it wrong. A good trainer should have said this. Sure, the idea is to maintain perfect form in the quickest possible time, and that remains true no matter what. If you were unable to do say 30 @ good form in a minute, you should have been doing them slower, not improperly. 15, instead, or possibly lower the weight to a more maintainable setting. A good crossfit box should do this. Now, do they? I have my doubts.

I guess we are saying the same thing. I would just argue that it is almost impossible to push yourself hard to do an activity to time and not make mistakes. The two demands are at odds with each other by definition. And if you are exhausting yourself, then your ability to remain in control and not make mistakes decreases be definition. And if there are cheerleaders pushing you to get a good time, that is probably not a push in the right direction.

For a healthy, strong young person, the risk of injury may not be too great.
For a hard core crossfit person, this risk is inherent in the appeal of crossfit – it isn't risk free, it isn't for wimps.
For me – I want to stay in shape, maybe build some muscle. It is more than overkill, it is risk without reward.

 

[SP33Demon]

I guess we are saying the same thing. I would just argue that it is almost impossible to push yourself hard to do an activity to time and not make mistakes. The two demands are at odds with each other by definition. And if you are exhausting yourself, then your ability to remain in control and not make mistakes decreases be definition. And if there are cheerleaders pushing you to get a good time, that is probably not a push in the right direction.

For a healthy, strong young person, the risk of injury may not be too great.
For a hard core crossfit person, this risk is inherent in the appeal of crossfit – it isn't risk free, it isn't for wimps.
For me – I want to stay in shape, maybe build some muscle. It is more than overkill, it is risk without reward.

Yep, the goal should be to get stronger and build muscle mass in the safest environment possible. That seems to run counter to Crossfit. I know in powerlifting it isn't like that. After my last meet, my PCL felt a little sore so I started wearing knee sleeves for squats, lightening the weight on accessory movements and babying the hell out of it. It took about 2 months but it's back to 95% healed and I just hit some new beltless PRs. The body will adapt if you give it time to heal, but if I was doing Crossfit I doubt it'd be healed by now b/c of the very high volume they do. It probably would have gotten worse while I was trying to beat a timed heavy squat set. They can keep the timer, that shit is crazy.

 

[Murloc]

I can't wait to read about your WODs every day.

I've read so much bad stuff about crossfit. For someone just trying to lose weight, it doesn't sound very useful....

 

[Sho'Nuff]

update in op. Summary - I have joined a crossfit gym and I am loving it.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

I guess we are saying the same thing. I would just argue that it is almost impossible to push yourself hard to do an activity to time and not make mistakes. The two demands are at odds with each other by definition. And if you are exhausting yourself, then your ability to remain in control and not make mistakes decreases be definition.

See this is where I think you may misunderstand some aspects of crossfit. Yes, many workouts are timed. But most elements of the workout are not time limited. At least not from what I have seen. I.e., your time to complete a workout is tracked, and its used as a benchmark to assess progress. Competitive crossfitters may be shooting for the lowest possible time, but the everyday shmoes are just using the time measurement as one measurement of their progress. The few workouts I have seen that are time limited are "do as many X's as you can in Y time." To me that translates to do as many X's "correctly and safely" as you can in Y time.

As for form breaking down when you get tired . . . that of course happens. But the key to avoiding injury in crossfit is to have a good understanding of your limits. If you are doing 30 reps of something you are not going to use 80% of your one rep max. You are going to go much lighter because that 30th rep is going to be a bitch.

We can respectfully agree to disagree with respect to merits of crossfit and/or its safety. But after going to a few workouts it doesn't seem all that much different from any other intense workout routine I've done, and I have done quite a few in the past, both in college and with personal trainers. The overall plan is different, but the risks and risk management are pretty much the same. Know your limits, select appropriate weight, and use proper form. If you go too heavy early on and are too worn out to continue safely, rest or cut weight as necessary. No one cares. And if someone cares, who gives a crap? It's your body. Be safe and do what you need to do.