Crossfit??

[mic_]

Whats your thoughts on Crossfit?

It seems to be really popular in Vancouver. From what i've seen it's super expensive but an interesting way to train. Just wondering if anyone has experience with it.

[Marat]

Here's Mark Rippetoe on CrossFit from a TNation article:

Testosterone: Coach, I know you've been certified through the NSCA since 1985 (with their first certification group), you've been a competitive powerlifter, and you've been involved with Crossfit. How'd it all come about?

Mark Rippetoe: I don't read around the web much, because I'm old and busy, and just haven't got time. If I'm on the Internet, I'd rather be looking at porn. So, I didn't really see anything about Crossfit for a long time.

But it came to my attention a couple of years ago, and I just recognized it. I may have minor methodological problems with them, but they're the only organization I see with momentum that's moving in the right direction.

They advocate basic methods of human movement that all serious trainers have used for a long time, and they've formalized the process through randomness. Crossfit doesn't pretend that they're anything but GPP [general physical preparation]. We're not saying powerlifters need to do Crossfit. We're not saying Olympic weightlifters need to do Crossfit, or bodybuilders.




But for people for whom the random use of their body, and physical abilities, comes up at work or for certain sports, Crossfit is the best program out there... for them. We're not saying that it's anything else. But it is, quite literally, the best synthesis of all this stuff that's been formalized.

If you look at Crossfit from the standpoint of, 'This is what they're trying to accomplish for these particular athletes,' I don't see that there should be any controversy about it at all.

T-Nation: Sometimes there does seem to be a misinterpretation of those goals. While it's not ideal for bodybuilding, it does appeal to a lot of firefighters, law enforcement, and the military. I think people in those lines of work seem drawn to it.

Rippetoe: I do too, because it works. One of the reasons our methods fit into Crossfit so well, is because the stronger you are, the more effective you are at Crossfit. Lots and lots of people have figured that out through experience. And that's why we're so widely accepted as a nice adjunct program, at least in terms of our methods detailed in Basic Barbell Training.

[Marat]

But aside from all that up there:

[gtbmed]

Used to not be a fan of it because it seemed to follow a disjointed progression that I didn't like.

But they are the only people in the fitness world preaching proper form, teaching olympic lifts, and advocating GPP. I would say I respect the organization more than I respect their actual program, but I've considered doing crossfit at times when I just didn't want to come up with another program.

[mic_]

Yeah i guess it's the proper form and olympic lifts that has attracted me to it

[gtbmed]

Yeah i guess it's the proper form and olympic lifts that has attracted me to it

The one thing I hate, though, is that not everyone who does Crossfit has that proper form, and they sometimes preach things that few O lifters would really attempt (high rep power cleans and deadlifts and stuff like that).

I see so many people who do the workouts of the day without paying any attention to proper form. When you see them arm-pulling on cleans trying to do tons of reps, you want to cry.

What Crossfit advocates is great. The problem is that the WODs are accessible to anyone and are widely used by people who don't know or care about safety.

That's why I get nervous whenever people instruct newbies to do cleans or hang cleans. It's a lot easier to learn a squat or a deadlift than it is to learn a clean. And even if the squat or deadlift is executed improperly, the potential for injury is less than that of an explosive, coordinated movement like a clean. Add to that - very few newbies even have the requisite flexibility to do the olympic lifts.

[MDR]

The one thing I hate, though, is that not everyone who does Crossfit has that proper form, and they sometimes preach things that few O lifters would really attempt (high rep power cleans and deadlifts and stuff like that).

I see so many people who do the workouts of the day without paying any attention to proper form. When you see them arm-pulling on cleans trying to do tons of reps, you want to cry.

What Crossfit advocates is great. The problem is that the WODs are accessible to anyone and are widely used by people who don't know or care about safety.

That's why I get nervous whenever people instruct newbies to do cleans or hang cleans. It's a lot easier to learn a squat or a deadlift than it is to learn a clean. And even if the squat or deadlift is executed improperly, the potential for injury is less than that of an explosive, coordinated movement like a clean. Add to that - very few newbies even have the requisite flexibility to do the olympic lifts.

Great post. Elements are very interesting, but in practice can be problematic, especially if proper form and execution are not followed. Olympic lifts are technical. Takes time and practice, and in my case, good instruction from someone who really knew what he is doing. I'd been lifting for a number of years before attempting Olympic lifting as well.

[stepaukas]

the word "crossfit" may be a bit new these last 5-10 years, but that style of training has been around for a lot of years. when i was a little punk, i went out to the garage with my dad and got on his back when he did pushups, he jumped right up and did pullups then i remember him skipping rope. then he repeated these 3.. he did the weights like this too. 3-4 exercises in a row, hard and fast..
he said he trained this way since he was in gymnastics classes when he was young. so yea, this style of training, be it 2-3-4-5 bodyweight exercises in a row as fast as you can go, or weights the same way, its just a certain style of training..crossfit training, circut training, or whatever you want to call it..

[mic_]

The one thing I hate, though, is that not everyone who does Crossfit has that proper form, and they sometimes preach things that few O lifters would really attempt (high rep power cleans and deadlifts and stuff like that).

I see so many people who do the workouts of the day without paying any attention to proper form. When you see them arm-pulling on cleans trying to do tons of reps, you want to cry.

What Crossfit advocates is great. The problem is that the WODs are accessible to anyone and are widely used by people who don't know or care about safety.

That's why I get nervous whenever people instruct newbies to do cleans or hang cleans. It's a lot easier to learn a squat or a deadlift than it is to learn a clean. And even if the squat or deadlift is executed improperly, the potential for injury is less than that of an explosive, coordinated movement like a clean. Add to that - very few newbies even have the requisite flexibility to do the olympic lifts.

Nice post, I assumed the Olympic lifts didn't happen over night.