I've tried to do a lot of reading on Crossfit and it's benefits and detriments, but I keep seeing a lot of people bashing it on bodybuilding forums. What problems do people see with it? I try and do a Crossfit workout every Friday and have noticed improved endurance, and it's great cardio. My goals are mostly athletic, so maybe that's the difference. Any input is appreciated, thanks guys!
And in case anyone's unfamiliar with it - www.crossfit.com just for a general explanation of the types of workouts.
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Thread: Crossfit - Why is it bad?
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06-13-2009, 05:21 PM #1
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Crossfit - Why is it bad?
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06-13-2009, 06:05 PM #2No brain, no gain.
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06-13-2009, 06:12 PM #3
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Hey man,
Crossfit is actually good for getting in shape and losing weight, but not too hot for building big muscles or bodybuilding type stuff. Its more endurance cardio type workouts with some resistance to be sure, but not really bodybuilding weightlifting. So, there is nothing wrong with it if thats the type of workout you are looking for.
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06-13-2009, 07:20 PM #4
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Its good for endurance training, toning, fat loss, etc but not so great for building size and power. You will gain strength on this kind of program, but not at the same rate as you would on Rippetoe.
A minute of perfection was worth the effort. A moment was the most you could ever expect from perfection.
-Chuck Palahniuk
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06-13-2009, 07:45 PM #5
Crossfit is great
Just depends on your goals. If you want real world strength and not just muscles for show then Crossfit is great. Bodybuilding will do just that, build your body, but Crossfit challenges you in a way that is going to provide "functional strength." It conditions your body to tackle the every day challenges that you face.
Bodybuilding is more for show. Your body is a machine that was designed to function a certain way. For example, biceps are designed to be used for pulling and other types of functions. Rowing and chin ups are a good example. They're not really designed for isolation movements like barbell curls, though curls will build big biceps. But, it is beneficial to train a muscle the way it is designed to work with your body if your purpose is functional strength instead of just big guns.
I do both bodybuilding workouts and Crossfit style workouts. My favorite type of "Crossfit workouts" as of late is Sandbag lifting. I also have a 100lb heavy bag that sits on the ground and I'll pick it up and throw it over my shoulder... hoist it here and there for 8 or 10 reps and then take a breather. This really engages your core and trunk muscles which are the foundation for whole body strength.
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06-13-2009, 07:58 PM #6
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06-13-2009, 08:00 PM #7
I would disagree that CrossFit doesn't help those wishing to develop power. In fact, think it would be fair to say that the ONLY thing CrossFit wants to do is develop power, and across a broad time and modal domain.
CF isn't for bodybuilders or powerlifters. However, I can't think of a single program that would so perfectly serve someone needed very good general physical preparednes. This is firefighters, cops, and soldiers seem to benefit quite a bit form this training becuause their jobs require optimum performance in strange situations.Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=112804051
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06-13-2009, 08:11 PM #8
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06-13-2009, 08:21 PM #9
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06-13-2009, 09:34 PM #10
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Thanks for all the responses! That was my view of Crossfit, athletic full body strength and conditioning - not so much big muscles for show. Glad to hear a few of you do the sandbag lifts and the 21 15 9. I try and Crossfit about twice a week just for endurance and conditioning.
Anybody else struggle doing 40 pullups for 4 rounds even with swinging your legs? I've been struggling. And the 21 15 9 is one of the hardest workouts I've ever done in 5 minutes.
Thanks for all the help!
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06-13-2009, 10:03 PM #11
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07-27-2009, 09:22 AM #12
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Neither would Cross-fit. Its kind of like the training program for someone who wants to be well-rounded in many area's, but not excel at any of them. For a serious athlete, regardless of sport, Crossfit is generally not a good idea which is why guys like Poliquin tend to be more amused by it than anything else.Russell Wilson, the first QB in NFL history to throw a game-winning interception.
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07-27-2009, 09:35 AM #13
Crossfit is great for people trying to get in shape and being mediocre at everything. Now that may sound like a bad thing, but like 50% or more of people in the US suck at every component of fitness, so if they could bump that up from suck to being okay, we would all be a lot healthier.
My only issue with it is the people that try to pass it off as God's gift to earth and act as if it is some type of religion or cult.
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07-27-2009, 09:44 AM #14
Crossfit is really awesome for letting people see and know how cool you are too. Also if you can get in one of their little crossfit groups (anyone elses gym have these?) its pretty much like a gang which makes you look even cooler.
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07-27-2009, 10:16 AM #15
That is pretty random too, isn't it?
Why wouldn't it?
Define a "serious athlete."
Is this a high school athlete? Is this a college level athlete? Is this a pro? I'm an amateur strongman, do I qualify as "serious?"
Crossfit was never set up as a means by which an elite athlete would improve. It was set up to take people who a) don't really know how to lift and b) have been trying to get in shape with a half arsed bodybuilding routine and get them in shape. In shape for what? Who cares. These people are in good shape (think they aren't conditioned, I'd have you try it and see if you can hang. Think they aren't strong, some of the more experienced crossfitters have done some pretty impressive things). Most adults aren't athletes. So being a jack of all trades isn't the worst thing for average joe.
^^^^^^^
All of this.GoRuck Challenge Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=150446113
"No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." -Edmund Burke
"Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also." -Marcus Aurelius
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07-27-2009, 10:40 AM #16
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Crossfit is excellent for certain people. My boss is 50 years old and is able to climb mountains all the time and do cool things that other 50 year olds can't do because of his crossfit training. I use some of their workouts for GPP.
However, crossfit has a dark, kind of gay side, where the people who run around in their little crossfit clans say things like "we are almost as good as you at what you do, but you could never do what we do." My answer to that is true, but who the f*ck wants to do 50 pullups and 100 bodyweight squats then run 400 meters. It doesn't even make sense.
Bottom line, it's not the best out there, it's not the worst. If it works for you go for it. GPP is often the first step for people who are so weak and out of shape that walking into the gym and picking up a barbell won't do a lot for them.
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07-27-2009, 11:05 AM #17
I don't think it is the "doing" that stuff so much as being ABLE to do it. I would say "who the f*ck wants to run 23 miles?" But the truth is people do all kinds of things just because they can. I can't find fault in people challenging themselves, even if it is in a fashion that doesn't thrill me.
Why wouldn't it work?
So... GPP is for people who can't lift? Careful what you say.GoRuck Challenge Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=150446113
"No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." -Edmund Burke
"Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also." -Marcus Aurelius
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07-27-2009, 11:09 AM #18
Crossfit (when used as the only training tool) makes women's physiques astoundingly hot but makes the vast majority of men skinny and weak looking.
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07-27-2009, 11:27 AM #19
Just for the sake of not confusing some people, GPP, on General Physical Preparedness, is a broad term that most people use interchangeably with conditioning or energy systems work. For the average trainee, everything is GPP, simply because there is no SPP or Specific Physical Preparedness.
On thing a lot of people could take from Crossfit is the addition of aerobic exercise and generally more metabolically demanding exercise that is performed. Not to provide generalizations or blank statements, but I bet many people here could meet their goals without the typical "bodybuilding" approach. Rather a more balanced program based on function can have you looking good as well, while being more healthy than the strict weight gain, no conditioning crowd. However, as mentioned previously, I think we can safely assume Crossfit has not developed any professional bodybuilders.
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07-27-2009, 11:43 AM #20
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07-27-2009, 11:47 AM #21
So now Crossfit makes women lean and beautiful and it turns men into 95lb weaklings?
Anyone here bagging on Crossfit ever try it? Or are we all armchair quarterbacking here? Anyone here that hates Crossfit a top level athlete who's career was destroyed by this methodology?
...I didn't think so.
Easy to throw stones because you hear someone else do it. It is also easy to train elite athletes who have very specific requirements for their sports and say "Crossfit isn't specific enough for them."
The problem is that the vast majority of people around the country don't have a specific sport that they are training for. They want to be capable, strong (probably not looking to deadlift a car, just feel like they can carry all the groceries in one trip without being gassed or pick up the end of the couch so their spouse can fetch the remote control... strength for the common man doesn't involve 3x bodyweight lifts, get over it), and look/feel better. Crossfit has proven pretty useful at doing those things. Sadly, it has proven infinitely MORE useful than your typical trip to Lifetime fitness with an in-house "personal trainer." Why? Well, it isn't that the method is wonderful, but Crossfit does utilize lifts that matter. Common sense alone tells me that a guy/girl doing squat cleans is going to get better results than someone on the thighmaster or the stationary bike. Solike someone said, it may not be perfect, but it is still a good step better than the crap that most people undertake in the name of fitness.GoRuck Challenge Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=150446113
"No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." -Edmund Burke
"Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also." -Marcus Aurelius
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07-27-2009, 12:20 PM #22
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07-27-2009, 12:46 PM #23
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Hm, I don't really remember this thread haha. Uhh I dunno, we hardly went to the weightroom so it didn't play a huge role in my training for races. I think all we did were..hammer curls, barbell reverse curls? or maybe I just did hehe, behind the back pulldowns, bench(or machine) press.. I think that's it.
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07-27-2009, 12:58 PM #24
Yes... Lawyer Cook. (Actually that is my wife) Now may I remind you that you are under oath!
GPP probably makes more sense for your average soccer mom, or 9-5 work dad guy with no aspirations to wear a speedo or a squat suit. Again, it is all about what they are training for. I will admit my own guilt in assuming too much about what a person's goals are. I see people at the gym or in a fitness bootcamp and think "Dude, go heavier, push harder, yadda yadda." But that guy isn't me. He is looking to be able to carry his girlfriend to the house when she had a little too much to drink, or help a buddy move an entertainment center any given Saturday. Those people don't come here too often, and it is easy to assume that the entire world has some athletic aspirations. I've heard the whole "You can't be a master of anything if you try to do everything" bit, but what, exactly are Crossfitters trying to master? That mentality alone is narrow minded. Why can't people aim to be "better?"
Do you think it would have hurt your racing, assuming that you kept your training reasonable and conducted it in a fashion that supported your own training needs? I'll bet you could have seen improvements from proper training and not just curls for the girlsGoRuck Challenge Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=150446113
"No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." -Edmund Burke
"Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also." -Marcus Aurelius
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07-27-2009, 01:04 PM #25
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I'm not too sure since I didn't do any. Maybe had I gained TOO much muscle(for a runner) it could have slowed me down?maybe affected flexibility? Maybe could have done me wonders! I really don't know man haha. yeah I dunno why we didn't also do tricep stuff, hmm. Only tricep excercise I knew was the tricep kickback. I used to be in perdy good shape with knowledge of a few excercises
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07-27-2009, 01:15 PM #26
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Interesting discussion going on here. I was able to carry all my groceries by myself before I started crossfit....now I just don't huff and puff as much.
I think Cook has some very valid points. I personally do it because I want to just be better all around. It was also a way for me to learn how to do the olys. Something I would never trust any of the personal trainers to teach me at my regular gym.CONTROLLED LABS - Winning the WAR against GENETICS
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07-27-2009, 01:56 PM #27GoRuck Challenge Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=150446113
"No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." -Edmund Burke
"Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also." -Marcus Aurelius
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07-27-2009, 02:15 PM #28
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07-27-2009, 02:18 PM #29
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07-27-2009, 02:35 PM #30GoRuck Challenge Journal: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=150446113
"No one could make a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little." -Edmund Burke
"Because your own strength is unequal to the task, do not assume that it is beyond the powers of man; but if anything is within the powers and province of man, believe that it is within your own compass also." -Marcus Aurelius
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