Discussion
Is it really as dangerous as people say?
Ive been to a few training classes at a crossfit gym, learning how to do the barbell movements like squat etc before i embark on a membership.
All i hear about on the internet is how likely you are to get injured doing it, i was looking forward to starting it but now im a bit dubious?
The coach seemed to speak a lot of sense, talked about using hip muscles for squats and talked about keeping a straight back during deadlifts etc.
Ive been to a few training classes at a crossfit gym, learning how to do the barbell movements like squat etc before i embark on a membership.
All i hear about on the internet is how likely you are to get injured doing it, i was looking forward to starting it but now im a bit dubious?
The coach seemed to speak a lot of sense, talked about using hip muscles for squats and talked about keeping a straight back during deadlifts etc.
dieseluser07 said:
Is it really as dangerous as people say?
Ive been to a few training classes at a crossfit gym, learning how to do the barbell movements like squat etc before i embark on a membership.
All i hear about on the internet is how likely you are to get injured doing it, i was looking forward to starting it but now im a bit dubious?
The coach seemed to speak a lot of sense, talked about using hip muscles for squats and talked about keeping a straight back during deadlifts etc.
No it's not, I think it looks great fun- the internet throws up the worst examples, if it was really that dangerous, it wouldn't be massively popular. The people I've see at my local 'box' look better than 90% of the people you see in most other gyms. Do it, and enjoy!Ive been to a few training classes at a crossfit gym, learning how to do the barbell movements like squat etc before i embark on a membership.
All i hear about on the internet is how likely you are to get injured doing it, i was looking forward to starting it but now im a bit dubious?
The coach seemed to speak a lot of sense, talked about using hip muscles for squats and talked about keeping a straight back during deadlifts etc.
I'm sure someone will soon be along to tell you it's rubbish and dangerous though.
If you go on youtube and search for "crossfit fails" or worse "crossfit athlete breaks back" there are some pretty horrendous accidents which is where the rep comes from.
It depends entirely of course on what you do, how prepared you are before you start doing it and how hard you want to push it. Personally I don't think the ethos of crossfit would work for me but I'm sure its helped a lot of people get fitter and stronger and feel better about themselves.
It depends entirely of course on what you do, how prepared you are before you start doing it and how hard you want to push it. Personally I don't think the ethos of crossfit would work for me but I'm sure its helped a lot of people get fitter and stronger and feel better about themselves.
Well i never want to do competitions, just use it as an all round motivational group class way of building strength/fitness while hopefully have the coach keeping an eye to make sure im not doing anything incorrectly.
The coach was drilling it into us about numbers and targets but im not really wanting to do that
The coach was drilling it into us about numbers and targets but im not really wanting to do that
All of the CrossFit "fails" I've seen are from people with poor form and/or lifting too much weight, therefore overexerting themselves.
My exposure to CF is limited to only a couple of gyms however I've always seen it as basically lifting in a group however instead of lifting where the majority of people care about proper form, progressing at a sensible rate and being sensible when starting, CF seems to attract a type of participant who believe their ability is far beyond what it actually is. This is not helped by usually overexuberant instructors who encourage participants - who have never really trained properly before - to combine technically difficult lifts (snatch etc.) with high-intensity workloads (sprints and the like) to create a training environment that is ripe for injury.
My exposure to CF is limited to only a couple of gyms however I've always seen it as basically lifting in a group however instead of lifting where the majority of people care about proper form, progressing at a sensible rate and being sensible when starting, CF seems to attract a type of participant who believe their ability is far beyond what it actually is. This is not helped by usually overexuberant instructors who encourage participants - who have never really trained properly before - to combine technically difficult lifts (snatch etc.) with high-intensity workloads (sprints and the like) to create a training environment that is ripe for injury.
MrBarry123 said:
All of the CrossFit "fails" I've seen are from people with poor form and/or lifting too much weight, therefore overexerting themselves.
My exposure to CF is limited to only a couple of gyms however I've always seen it as basically lifting in a group however instead of lifting where the majority of people care about proper form, progressing at a sensible rate and being sensible when starting, CF seems to attract a type of participant who believe their ability is far beyond what it actually is. This is not helped by usually overexuberant instructors who encourage participants - who have never really trained properly before - to combine technically difficult lifts (snatch etc.) with high-intensity workloads (sprints and the like) to create a training environment that is ripe for injury.
Exactly this! I've had a fair bit of experience with CF. People join up, get bang in to it, buy all the kit (they all dress in the same cloths and shoes) then start an immediate rushed attempt at hitting PB's in every lift or exercise going. Add those moves into a high intensity WOD and it's a recipe for torn rotator cuffs and back injuries.My exposure to CF is limited to only a couple of gyms however I've always seen it as basically lifting in a group however instead of lifting where the majority of people care about proper form, progressing at a sensible rate and being sensible when starting, CF seems to attract a type of participant who believe their ability is far beyond what it actually is. This is not helped by usually overexuberant instructors who encourage participants - who have never really trained properly before - to combine technically difficult lifts (snatch etc.) with high-intensity workloads (sprints and the like) to create a training environment that is ripe for injury.
Viewed as a form of keep-fit it's excellent. If you turn up as a relatively sensible person with a progressive attitude towards strength and conditioning you'll be fine, if you get into the clique however you could end up at the physio within days.
agree with most of the stuff that's been said so far
basically the lifts (squat, dead lift, clean/jerk, snatch....) are complex and take time to learn to do correctly, before even thinking of stacking weights on the bar. so take your time, learn proper technique/form, build up slowly. also the lifts aren't designed to be part of a 'fitness' programme, they are meant to help develop strength and power.
don't start trying to hit PB's and 1 rep max lifts within the first couple of weeks. also try and find out what experience/ qualifications the crossfit instructor has. These are not exercises I'd like to learn from someone who has completed 1 weekend long course...... I'm fortunate that I was taught/coached in strength and conditioning by coaches employed by the Scottish institute of sport, so my lifting was done slowly and specifically for performance gains in my sport. not just for 'bro science' and 'gains'!
basically the lifts (squat, dead lift, clean/jerk, snatch....) are complex and take time to learn to do correctly, before even thinking of stacking weights on the bar. so take your time, learn proper technique/form, build up slowly. also the lifts aren't designed to be part of a 'fitness' programme, they are meant to help develop strength and power.
don't start trying to hit PB's and 1 rep max lifts within the first couple of weeks. also try and find out what experience/ qualifications the crossfit instructor has. These are not exercises I'd like to learn from someone who has completed 1 weekend long course...... I'm fortunate that I was taught/coached in strength and conditioning by coaches employed by the Scottish institute of sport, so my lifting was done slowly and specifically for performance gains in my sport. not just for 'bro science' and 'gains'!
I don't know about it being dangerous, but in the two areas where I tend to do best (indoor rowing and the ski erg), the technique as typically taught by crossfit is either not that effective (rowing) or flat out wrong (ski erg).
All that it means on these is that people will just be slower on these two disciplines ....
All that it means on these is that people will just be slower on these two disciplines ....
I started Crossfit in April this year and I'm totally hooked, I go 5 times a week and have seen my strength and fitness come on massively in that time.
However, as per previous posters it won't happen overnight, despite my enthusiasm and devotion there are still movements I struggle with and have to revert to bar only (overhead squats I'm talking to you), although at least its not PVC pipe!
If your coach has a brain and knows his job you'll not get injured. For example my deadlift movement was terrible, he wouldn't allow me to put much weight on the bar for months until he was happy I'd got it, also gave me exercises to do to expand my range of motion. It was massively frustrating at the time because I knew I could lift more, but he would just give me a "look" if I wandered back for more weight.
The only time I've ever been injured is yesterday, when I scraped the bar off my shin whilst working up to a weight doing deadlifts, and that was only because I was blabbing on about something or other and not paying attention as the weight was so small to start with.
The community side of things is nice too, and that's from a guy who used to put on earphones and a scowl when he wandered into the gym.
However, as per previous posters it won't happen overnight, despite my enthusiasm and devotion there are still movements I struggle with and have to revert to bar only (overhead squats I'm talking to you), although at least its not PVC pipe!
If your coach has a brain and knows his job you'll not get injured. For example my deadlift movement was terrible, he wouldn't allow me to put much weight on the bar for months until he was happy I'd got it, also gave me exercises to do to expand my range of motion. It was massively frustrating at the time because I knew I could lift more, but he would just give me a "look" if I wandered back for more weight.
The only time I've ever been injured is yesterday, when I scraped the bar off my shin whilst working up to a weight doing deadlifts, and that was only because I was blabbing on about something or other and not paying attention as the weight was so small to start with.
The community side of things is nice too, and that's from a guy who used to put on earphones and a scowl when he wandered into the gym.
uber said:
Most of the hate you hear is upset gym owners pushing stories because it pulls people from their offering. I know of one company that pays tens of thousands a year to seo/bloggers to slag it off.
Pretty sad isent it, im doing it for the community side of it aswell, hate working out aloneMrBarry123 said:
My exposure to CF is limited to only a couple of gyms however I've always seen it as basically lifting in a group however instead of lifting where the majority of people care about proper form, progressing at a sensible rate and being sensible when starting, CF seems to attract a type of participant who believe their ability is far beyond what it actually is. This is not helped by usually overexuberant instructors who encourage participants - who have never really trained properly before - to combine technically difficult lifts (snatch etc.) with high-intensity workloads (sprints and the like) to create a training environment that is ripe for injury.
Nail meet head. I don't think the idea itself is bad, on the contrary actually, but the execution seems poor in a lot of cases. Executing a complex movement to the point of failure is a really bad idea. Cleans, Snatches, etc are incredibly technically exercises that can take years to master. Loading up as many rubber plates as possible and throwing them overhead any way you can for your Instagram page... well. Sadly that's the image I get. There are always extremes in any athletic sport in terms of people pushing themselves and getting injured, but Crossfit seems to encourage this behaviour a lot of the time.
My brother teaches this and i've done a little bit but it's to shouty and not really me.
When you start they just use plastic pipes for all the lifts until you have the correct movement then they go onto the metal pole but no extra weight.
You are constantly trying to beat yourself however if you do a s
t lift it doesn't get counted so there's no point.
When you start they just use plastic pipes for all the lifts until you have the correct movement then they go onto the metal pole but no extra weight.
You are constantly trying to beat yourself however if you do a s
t lift it doesn't get counted so there's no point.egor110 said:
My brother teaches this and i've done a little bit but it's to shouty and not really me.
When you start they just use plastic pipes for all the lifts until you have the correct movement then they go onto the metal pole but no extra weight.
You are constantly trying to beat yourself however if you do a st lift it doesn't get counted so there's no point.
They've changed recently then. Some of the "lifts" from the annual Games are hilarious.When you start they just use plastic pipes for all the lifts until you have the correct movement then they go onto the metal pole but no extra weight.
You are constantly trying to beat yourself however if you do a s
t lift it doesn't get counted so there's no point.Art0ir said:
egor110 said:
My brother teaches this and i've done a little bit but it's to shouty and not really me.
When you start they just use plastic pipes for all the lifts until you have the correct movement then they go onto the metal pole but no extra weight.
You are constantly trying to beat yourself however if you do a st lift it doesn't get counted so there's no point.
They've changed recently then. Some of the "lifts" from the annual Games are hilarious.When you start they just use plastic pipes for all the lifts until you have the correct movement then they go onto the metal pole but no extra weight.
You are constantly trying to beat yourself however if you do a s
t lift it doesn't get counted so there's no point.ty lifts .The whole thing wasn't for me though , far to happy clappy and back supporting each other i prefer going for a run on my own and just getting it done, although i have met people who have really shaped up doing crossfit and there not athletes from other sports there new mums returning to exercise.
I've done eight months of crossfit now. I'd never been fitter and I've gone from what I can only describe as 'skinny fat' (skinny arms, legs, chest and a belly) to skinny muscular. I just wanted to get fit for skiing last winter but now I have a flat stomach and a new hobby. I was cycling once or twice a week and going to the gym if the weather was bad, but this is a whole new level.
Don't be afraid of injury. I picked up a few minor injuries but I strongly suspect these were actually pre-existing from sports many years ago. They never bothered me in the relatively sedate interval of a decade or two. I've worked on them and fixed them with tips from the trainer, a few physio sessions and a much greater understanding of my body. I'm stronger, faster, but better endurance and more content with my body that I've ever been.
Try it for a few months, leave your ego at the door and have fun.
Don't be afraid of injury. I picked up a few minor injuries but I strongly suspect these were actually pre-existing from sports many years ago. They never bothered me in the relatively sedate interval of a decade or two. I've worked on them and fixed them with tips from the trainer, a few physio sessions and a much greater understanding of my body. I'm stronger, faster, but better endurance and more content with my body that I've ever been.
Try it for a few months, leave your ego at the door and have fun.
If you leave your ego at the door, you're not doing crossfit!
It's a complete fking shambles. If you don't get horribly injured (for life), you've been lucky. Newbie lifters should NOT being go to failure in any lift, let alone the big compound and Olympic lifts.
As for always beating PB's, that just shows how stupid the trainers are. If you are getting a new 'PB' every week, it isn't a PB, it's just using even worse form / cheating more than last week.
It's a complete f
king shambles. If you don't get horribly injured (for life), you've been lucky. Newbie lifters should NOT being go to failure in any lift, let alone the big compound and Olympic lifts. As for always beating PB's, that just shows how stupid the trainers are. If you are getting a new 'PB' every week, it isn't a PB, it's just using even worse form / cheating more than last week.
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