CrossFit?

[Srsly]

First of all, I’m sorry if there was a better place to post this. I did a forum search and didn’t see a general discussion.

Secondly, I started CrossFit this week. I know it’s a controversial topic here but my wife was really interested and I’ve been looking at a better way for us to work out today rather than wandering to a gym by myself. I’m also enjoying the community feel of the box(?)/gym that we joined.

Thirdly, oh my god. I’ve been going to the gym regularly for a little while and considered myself adequately fit(not an athlete but not exactly unable to walk to walk or jog a couple blocks) but I’m feeling pain and soreness like no one else after my first week of wods. I guess it’s probably lactic acid but it’s been problematic to the point that on some mornings I need to use the wall to lower myself to the toilet during my morning routine.

Does anyone else partake? Do you have any advice for a noob? Did you try CrossFit and find that it wasn’t what it was everything you wanted it to be?

I tried walking/being moderately active on my rest days. Is it something that gets easier? I know hot showers, good hydration, and a high protein diet help but does it get easier to “recover”?

Click to read more...

 

[CoyoteUgly]

So I am the farthest thing from an athlete. Over the past few years I've signed up for several gyms, and would show up once a month.

A crossfit place opened walking distance from my house November 2018....and same thing, a few times here and there, weeks off in between. Prior the joining the crossfit gym i thouhgt well ill never do crossfit....but so close to home...

For much of last year I was intimidated. Everyone else in perfect shape, and fat old me.

In Sept 2019, the owner came over to watch a football game. When he saw that i could literally walk there, he questioned why i wasnt in there every day. That got me thinking ok im spending alot of money for this, i might as well get serious or quit.

Fast forward to now, since December 2019 i've gone a minimum of 4-5 days per week, i missed one week for the flu and one cuz of travel. I love it.

my advice would be make it a routine, and stick to it. I'm still lifting half the weight that women half my age are lifting, but I no longer have the intimidation factor.

The big thing i like.....that community feel. Once i got past being worried what other people think, I started making friends, and now feel comfortable there.

I'm still not interested in weight lifting competitions tho. I'll do them at the workout but im not gonna sign up for anything. My box partnered with a nutritionist, cost alot extra but i needed to turn myself around. I went from going out to eat daily, and drinking 4-5 nights a week minimum.

I'm on week 9 of a 12 week plan and have lost 30 lbs. I get to go out to eat once a week as a cheat meal, and im allowed one drink per week. Initially i said well if i can only drink once a week, i'd just assume not drink at all, and I didnt want to do the cheat meals either......but with keeping one drink, and one cheat meal, it is so much more enjoyable.

A good trainer is key too. Mine knows my limitations, but still pushes me when i feel I can't do any more. Perfect example for ground to overhead dumbell thrusters...my comfort level was at 30-35 lbs. He questioned why it was so light, and i explained that's what i was comfortable with. I told him there was no way i could do more. He had me try 40 lbs five times....i did it. Moved it up to 45. I did it. 50.....and 55. And i did it no problem. So it's fun finding out that you can still do more when you just try.

It does get easier in time, which is why im glad i go so often. When I was going once or twice a week, with weeks off in between, everything would hurt. But now going daily, no pain. Once in a while maybe sore, but it's nothing that keeps me going in the next day.

I'm slow, im out of shape, my form is awful.....but im making progress.

The best advise I heard, you're not trying to beat the person next to you....you're trying to do better than you did yesterday

 

[DingDongCharlie]

I’m not a fan of some of the exercises cross fitters swear by. At the end of the day it’s better than not training.

I’m old school. Bread and butter is simply deadlifts, squats and bench presses

 

[Ozz]

When it comes to weightlifting, no matter which style you do, all you have to do is start and continue. CrossFit gets far too much credit for anything, but I guess it was the idea that made so many people actually DO something for once. Keep it up.

 

[irunthepeg]

I'll echo what others said and do what gets you off the couch. However, be careful with CrossFit. I'm not that educated on CrossFit's core beliefs and exercises but a lot of it seems like a lot of unbalanced work. More speed and transition than focus and setup. If I'm deadlifting, I'm not running from something else and quickly lifting that up. I'm making sure I'm tight in position before doing anything.

 

[Srsly]

Now that I've been experimenting with Crossfit for a few months, I thought it might be a good idea to update the thread with some of my experiences and viewpoints. I'm still far from an expert and some of these observations are likely more than obvious, but I hope someone finds these thoughts helpful.

1. The pain does get better: While I still have some issues with lactic acid buildup and swelling, I found that the cure for crossfit pain is more crossfit. If I take a few days off I end up with a wicked case of DOMs.
2. It's hard not to fall into the speed over form trap: One thing I had to come to terms with as a beginner is that it's tempting to prioritize quantity over form. A lot of the bros(and some ladies) at my gym seem to do so and while their score maybe more impressive than mine, It's really not doing anything but their egos any favors. After I slowed down my reps(just a smidge) and stopped watching the clock like an eagle, I found that I felt a lot better after my workouts and saw much better gains in terms of strength and just generally feeling better.
3. Don't be afraid to scale early on: Coyote ugly hit the nail on the head here. For the first few months(and even now in some cases) I found myself using dumbbells instead of barbells due to lack of wrist mobility and lack of experience with form. I was pretty embarrassed but I think I'm a better person and better athlete for it. While some movements were totally doable for me in my starting state, crossfit prioritizes high reps and you want to be able to finish the workout at a level that still pushes you without hindering progress and risking injury. That might mean doing toes to rig instead of toes to bar, or single-unders rather than double-unders etc. If you're afraid of being judged, don't be. Most people are too busy pushing through their own pain to have a clue what you're doing.
4. It's good to find a small box if you can: When I was looking for a box, I found that there were a lot of options in my area. Being from southern California I suppose this isn't a surprise. While it was tempting to go with the large box with dozens of super buff folks, I opted to go for a smaller more intimate experience and I'm glad that I did. In smaller classes a coach has a better opportunity to observe your form and correct it before you tear a bicep.
5. Be active on rest days: When I first started crossfit I thought I was doing myself a favor by sticking to the couch or taking a short walk on rest days. Now that I've been at it a little longer, I find that I feel better if I force myself to do some light intensity cardio like running. I began doing a couch to 5k program and its helped me with HIIT workouts like crossfit while still recovering those aching muscles. For me alternating between crossfit and running three times a week while taking Sunday to be a lazy slob seems to the most effect method. I'm still experimenting with a good balance but I'm liking this for now.
6. Crossfit is not a magic cure for obesity: Like any exercise crossfit alone will not make you buff and trim. It's certainly part of that life style and I saw some small changes due to the simple burning of calories, but building muscle takes time and nutrition will have a much larger impact on weight loss. I feel stronger so I don't regret it, but the weight didn't exactly jump off. In fact I found myself gaining weight in the first few weeks. This was likely due to lactic acid buildup and some smaller muscle gains. Even now, I've lost less weight than I did in the past experimenting with keto over similar periods of time but my measurements have changed more than diet alone has allowed and I feel good knowing I'm not marching towards a classic "skinny fat" dad bod.

All in all I'm having fun. I may experiment with other training methods in the future as I get older. Crossfit does feel like it may give me some long term knee issues if I'm not careful, I'm in my early 30s and notice the occasional knee pain immediately after a workout, I'm probably going to experiment with a knee sleeve and see if that helps but I can imagine some older folks having serious issues.

 

[Ozz]

Don't neglect to realize that sleeves, wraps, etc. are often just band-aids for larger problems. Take this from an ex-powerlifter/current bodybuilder who has battled just about every injury under the sun. You might get lucky and work through the injury w/the wrap/sleeve, but you also might make it worse. My sometimes-training partner (strongman/powerlifting) is perpetually like a mummy: he wraps up every appendage to get through his routines and never really fixes anything. I've learned long ago there are ways to work around injuries, not make them worse, and not have to rely on such things to make it through a workout. But I also don't aspire to do a full body 17-million rep-per-session routine of compound speed reps either.

That's not just a Crossfit thing either, you see it all the time with BB and PL'ers too like my friend mentioned above. Overuse, overextending, overtaxing the tendons as opposed to the muscle, etc. Just be careful is all I'm saying. I canj't even count how many people I know who have just relied on support gear, did their thing, saw short-term progress and ended up getting worse overall. I'd gone through a years-long stretch where I was maintaining at best in the gym due to tendinitis. Even support gear couldn't help, but certain movements didn't bother it at all. That was the lifesaver, and eventually without notice it just went away. This was YEARS long, too, day in and day out of pain, rehab, doctors, etc. You don't want that on your knees or spine!