Crossfit

[chixwithtrix]

Oh boy, another crossfit thread

I was on the fence about doing crossfit because of the stigma I'd hear that it is 'hard on your joints' and 'they don't focus on form' etc etc.

After a year's membership at a regular gym I wasn't seeing results on the jet ski. Sure I lost weight, but my stamina wasn't improving during the races.

I started a membership at a crossfit gym a month ago and wow. I go during lunch to the cardio crossfit class and already gained 3lbs of muscle, lost fat and my cardio quality has pretty much doubled since my first class. That and it has pretty much stopped my daily liquor drinking problem that has developed over the last year from hating a lot of things. Just tried an actual crossfit (not specifically cardio based) class last week for the first time and it is an incredibly functional workout. I will be trying to go twice a day once work settles down.

If you have a local crossfit gym, at least check it out for a class or two! It works out your whole body rather than one muscle group or just doing cardio (boooring). Your heart rate mimics that of one during a ski competition so you aren't completely destroyed going all on the ski. Functional full body strength vs big muscles from working out individually.

Keep in mind this is coming from me who has a history of bad joints, back surgery, two knee surgeries, scoliosis and a locked right shoulder. The results are really worth it and I have never felt better, seriously.

Last year:


Two months ago on the left, last week on the right.

 

[cully37]

I am going on 6 years of Crossfit. I also come from 3 Shoulder surgeries, 2 on the left side 1 on the right. I refuse to get into discussions with people who try and bash it because it's a waste of time. You truly need to give it 2-3 months before you can get comfortable with all of the movements especially if you have no Olympic lifting backround. Just take the weight increases on the bar movements slow until you feel comfortable, THAT is how people get hurt. Even after 6 years I still look forward to going every morning and challenging myself to get better.

Your results look great! Stick with it and you will be amazed what you are capable of!!

 

[Vumad]

I enjoyed crossfit but it's not always a great fit. Injuries often cause compensation and crossfit is the sport of fitness. I see the gym as a sort of rehab to the sport so I am not sure that turning the gym into a sport itself is the best option for everyone. We can get in great shape while compensating until the next injury, many times caused by ignoring the compensation. Just remember when doing crossfit to spend at least some time ensuring the lifts and other motions are made with good body mechanics in mind. I did enjoy crossfit and was improving my physical condition but it wasn't doing a great job correcting my mechanics. I found I got through many of the exercises displaying similar bad mechanics I learned on the ski.

Not downing crossfit. Just a consideration to make, specifically for those recovering from injuries.

 

[Splash4195]

I love crossfit will be a year last September. I had some breaks and got sick haven't been hurt. Right now it's life getting in the way only managing 2 times a week.

 

[Jhucke]

I've really been enjoying crossfit also. It's easy to not be a stereotypical crossfitter and get hurt all the time, it is pretty obvious when your form is breaking down or when it's simply too heavy. It isn't life or death, go lighter if necessary. I've been doing it for months and have actually yet to see a single person become injured. It is an awesome workout and plan on sticking with it

 

[wizze]

I do crossfit also but can't hang with the "kids" so checking the ego and scaling weights has kept me in the game.

 

[mthomps]

I love the recent grave digging more than ever because now I can tell you why you should never do crossfit and do literally any 3 day a week total body session or a simple split routine with a wednsday off!

You will lose weight and maybe see gains in lifts such as the hump and pull<up> when u do crossfit

What you won't notice is the stress your spine takes as you bounce and grab a deadlifted bar as its lifted by a boomerang. <---your spinal cord.

So do the right thing for yourself. Weight training science is real. Cross fit is an adware app. If you can afford a cross fit membership you can get a heavy bag and a cheap mountain bike for cardio.

Don't mess up your body with crossfit.

 

[Sanoman]

I love the recent grave digging more than ever because now I can tell you why you should never do crossfit and do literally any 3 day a week total body session or a simple split routine with a wednsday off!

You will lose weight and maybe see gains in lifts such as the hump and pull<up> when u do crossfit

What you won't notice is the stress your spine takes as you bounce and grab a deadlifted bar as its lifted by a boomerang. <---your spinal cord.

So do the right thing for yourself. Weight training science is real. Cross fit is an adware app. If you can afford a cross fit membership you can get a heavy bag and a cheap mountain bike for cardio.

Don't mess up your body with crossfit.

l looked into crossfit when it first came into the gym l was working out at.l was doing a lot of group session classes as it basically took over most of the gym.l was definitely interested.But spoke to my chiropractor first who was a bodybuilder and in some of my group classes about trying it out.His answer was “you will eventually break your body down over a period of time at your (mid 40’s) age”.He went on to say that if l had started X-fit in my 20’s,my chances would have been better.But over the years l have seen friends that are way into it just plain old broke their bodies down with injuries.
What you have said is tried and true.Now we wait for the cross fitters to bust our chops...

 

[SXIPro]

Is cross fit even a ‘thing’ anymore? I thought it went the way of the dodo bird .

 

[SXIPro]

Overtraining seems to be a common theme with Crossfit, although one can overtrain in any Sport or Exercise Regime.

Breakdown of Muscle Fibers by Overtraining is common with Crossfitters; the dreaded Rhabdomyolysis can lead to Kidney failure.

For anybody over 40 years old, must remember that our muscles and connective tissues are not as elastic as they used to be in our 20's.

Any single exercise or movement that is done repeatedly to failure can lead to inflammation(-itis), strains and tears of the associated Muscles, Tendons and Ligaments.

For 40+ Adults, Functionality should be the primary goal. Better to get up from a Chair quickly and pain-free than to be able Squat 400 lbs for a triple and then walk in pain with knees popping for days after.

Better to sleep on your side with pain-free Shoulders than to Bench Press 300+ lbs and then live with Rotator Cuff pain all day and night.

Better to be able to sprint from a standstill without tearing a Hamstring than to dead lift 600+ lbs and have an injury-prone rigid Lower Back, Quads and Hams.

I realize that some 40+ are on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and Growth Hormone (HGH) and feel like a Million Bucks, and, while you may not feel the pain or see the inflammation, you will see and feel the damage once the "Supplements" are discontinued.

For Stand-Up Racing, Cardio-Strength is King, not big tight Gym Muscles; the kind of Cardio-Strength that Wrestlers and MMA Fighters are known for: Calisthenics and Body-weight Exercises done in a High Intensity format for short time periods more closely simulate a Race Moto.

80% of Body Fat reduction is achieved thru sound eating habits. It takes less than a second to ingest 100 calories and it takes almost an hour of exercise to burn it. A tough way to go if you try to reduce Body Fat with just Exercise.

A huge factor in Fat Loss, is your Glucose (Sugar, Honey, Fructose, Lactose, Molasses, etc) Intake and also your Insulin Resistance level. If you're not a Diabetic, reducing your Glucose Intake to a minimum will go along ways to burning stubborn Fat. You'll be amazed how much Sugar is added to Packaged Foods. It's everywhere.

As you age, Quality of Life (able-bodied and pain-free living) becomes more important.

Just ask any retired NFL Player...

One of the most well thought out and well written (and accurate) posts I have read on this or ANY forum. Thank you for this.

 

[wydopen]

Overtraining seems to be a common theme with Crossfit, although one can overtrain in any Sport or Exercise Regime.

Breakdown of Muscle Fibers by Overtraining is common with Crossfitters; the dreaded Rhabdomyolysis can lead to Kidney failure.

For anybody over 40 years old, must remember that our muscles and connective tissues are not as elastic as they used to be in our 20's.

Any single exercise or movement that is done repeatedly to failure can lead to inflammation(-itis), strains and tears of the associated Muscles, Tendons and Ligaments.

For 40+ Adults, Functionality should be the primary goal. Better to get up from a Chair quickly and pain-free than to be able Squat 400 lbs for a triple and then walk in pain with knees popping for days after.

Better to sleep on your side with pain-free Shoulders than to Bench Press 300+ lbs and then live with Rotator Cuff pain all day and night.

Better to be able to sprint from a standstill without tearing a Hamstring than to dead lift 600+ lbs and have an injury-prone rigid Lower Back, Quads and Hams.

I realize that some 40+ are on Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) and Growth Hormone (HGH) and feel like a Million Bucks, and, while you may not feel the pain or see the inflammation, you will see and feel the damage once the "Supplements" are discontinued.

For Stand-Up Racing, Cardio-Strength is King, not big tight Gym Muscles; the kind of Cardio-Strength that Wrestlers and MMA Fighters are known for: Calisthenics and Body-weight Exercises done in a High Intensity format for short time periods more closely simulate a Race Moto.

80% of Body Fat reduction is achieved thru sound eating habits. It takes less than a second to ingest 100 calories and it takes almost an hour of exercise to burn it. A tough way to go if you try to reduce Body Fat with just Exercise.

A huge factor in Fat Loss, is your Glucose (Sugar, Honey, Fructose, Lactose, Molasses, etc) Intake and also your Insulin Resistance level. If you're not a Diabetic, reducing your Glucose Intake to a minimum will go along ways to burning stubborn Fat. You'll be amazed how much Sugar is added to Packaged Foods. It's everywhere.

As you age, Quality of Life (able-bodied and pain-free living) becomes more important.

Just ask any retired NFL Player...

^this
After my second kid I was way out of shape. Probably 210lbs and wearing 36's..with a belt but still....also had a tore up shoulder and knee and lower back...Started eating zero processed foods...basically only meat and vegetables and a little fruit and started working out again...a little cardio for warmup but mostly pushups, pullups, dips (could barley do 2 pullups when i started again) and a little bit of weights in a circuit with no rest and in 3months I was down to 172lbs and wearing 31's with a belt...my diet wasn't even that bad before..no fast food or doritos or anything but I ate pasta and bread and cheesy burritos..

I used to lift heavy olympic lifts so I had a base but even back then I wasn't as lean because I didn't have the diet, and I lifted way harder back then...even when I was doing 15k+ feet of climbing a week on a mtb I wasnt as lean because I was still eating regular food...also I have almost zero problems now with my knee/back/shoulder..

Once you dont eat that crap for awhile you dont even want it anymore..the couple times I had processed sugar at my kids bday's I felt terrible after...If you think about it humans aren't supposed to eat that stuff...we've had less than 200years of eating it and obviously if you look around it's not doing humanity any favors...lately I've been slacking on the workouts since Ive been busy working on skis but I've maintained the diet and havent gained any weight....

Also you save allot of $ not eating at restaurants. Although I do spend allot on meat it's cheaper than eating out and I just cook enough to take the next day for lunch

 

[SXIPro]

^this
After my second kid I was way out of shape. Probably 210lbs and wearing 36's..with a belt but still....also had a tore up shoulder and knee and lower back...Started eating zero processed foods...basically only meat and vegetables and a little fruit and started working out again...a little cardio for warmup but mostly pushups, pullups, dips (could barley do 2 pullups when i started again) and a little bit of weights in a circuit with no rest and in 3months I was down to 172lbs and wearing 31's with a belt...my diet wasn't even that bad before..no fast food or doritos or anything but I ate pasta and bread and cheesy burritos..

I used to lift heavy olympic lifts so I had a base but even back then I wasn't as lean because I didn't have the diet, and I lifted way harder back then...even when I was doing 15k+ feet of climbing a week on a mtb I wasnt as lean because I was still eating regular food...also I have almost zero problems now with my knee/back/shoulder..

Once you dont eat that crap for awhile you dont even want it anymore..the couple times I had processed sugar at my kids bday's I felt terrible after...If you think about it humans aren't supposed to eat that stuff...we've had less than 200years of eating it and obviously if you look around it's not doing humanity any favors...lately I've been slacking on the workouts since Ive been busy working on skis but I've maintained the diet and havent gained any weight....

Also you save allot of $ not eating at restaurants. Although I do spend allot on meat it's cheaper than eating out and I just cook enough to take the next day for lunch

And it's crazy how little of processed food or sugar can keep you from shedding fat. A while back I decided to give keto a try. I cleaned up my diet 99.9999% except for the fact I'd have whole grain 'heart healthy' Cheerios for breakfast with a few slices of banana. The needle on the scale never budged. I finally gave up the cheerios and bananas and I was dropping 1-2 lbs A DAY beginning the very first day. That is no BS and no exaggeration. The fat just fell off of me. In a week my jeans that were like skin on baloney were so loose I looked like a gangsta.

 

[Sanoman]

Wow! thanks for all the posts.All,great advise!

 

[mthomps]

A huge factor in Fat Loss, is your Glucose (Sugar, Honey, Fructose, Lactose, Molasses, etc) Intake and also your Insulin Resistance level. If you're not a Diabetic, reducing your Glucose Intake to a minimum will go along ways to burning stubborn Fat. You'll be amazed how much Sugar is added to Packaged Foods. It's everywhere.

Just to add to that, the book Nutrient Timing is a great read and based on sound science. It helped me get down to single digit body fat in my early twenties bodybuilding days.

 

[Sanoman]

One question @mthomps that l have been wondering and wanted to ask you from your post.About 6 years ago l contacted a nutritionist over some medical issues l was having.l wanted to try a more natural path to help me get better.Her suggestions were a vegan diet,no processed foods and no processed sugars.The only thing she said l could use was honey and agave nectar.Which l still do today.Not a vegan anymore and really hate the label,but probably the healthiest feeling l ever felt.This lifestyle did take care of my health issues and a lot better off today.So you got my interest when said no honey.l use raw unpasteurized l buy from a local beekeeper.l don’t buy that crap from the grocery store.What is your opinion

 

[wydopen]

One question @mthomps that l have been wondering and wanted to ask you from your post.About 6 years ago l contacted a nutritionist over some medical issues l was having.l wanted to try a more natural path to help me get better.Her suggestions were a vegan diet,no processed foods and no processed sugars.The only thing she said l could use was honey and agave nectar.Which l still do today.Not a vegan anymore and really hate the label,but probably the healthiest feeling l ever felt.This lifestyle did take care of my health issues and a lot better off today.So you got my interest when said no honey.l use raw unpasteurized l buy from a local beekeeper.l don’t buy that crap from the grocery store.What is your opinion

If you keep it to a minimum and exercise enough you will burn it off..natural local honey is also better than regular processed sugar. If you have an active lifestyle I don’t think eating anything that’s natural in moderation is going to hurt you. I still eat a little carbs and natural sugar (brown rice, sweet potatoes, nuts, fruit) but if you are tying to lose weight then yea should prob cut it all out..there’s a balance though to having a diet you will actually follow and stick too. One thing I didn’t mention was I also basically only eat twice a day. I eat “lunch” around 930 and dinner at 6 and don’t usually eat anything else. I used to be starving all the time now I can go the whole day and I’m barley hungry.

 

[Sanoman]

l wanted to mention beer was nutritional too!