In Macssistance’s 2 years of existence, the most read and re-read article is by far my “5 Reasons CrossFit is Crap” post. In fact, 700 of you clicked this link its first day on the web. Most of you had nasty things to say. Some of you even had valid points, though most were simply outcries of anger from a sensitive cult that has taken a few too many sips of the CF kool-aid.

Now, before you get mad and start lambasting me with more ridiculous comments, allow me to revisit my post from more than a year ago with some great points I recently picked up from Chris Shugart of www.tmuscle.com. Shugart is a little nicer to CrossFit than I am (and honestly a little more tactful). With that being said, he brought out some quotes that I have not yet come across in my studies of CrossFit proponents and critics. These are 3 men I greatly respect, as does anyone who knows a lick about the strength and conditioning field. I have had the privilege of hearing two of them speak, and I hold very few in higher regards than Alwyn Cosgrove as I have mentioned in previous posts. With that being said, allow me to highlight what Cosgrove and others caution those who are considering subscribing to the CrossFit phenomenon.

Cosgrove: “A recent CrossFit workout was 30 reps of snatches with 135 pounds. A snatch is an explosive exercise designed to train power development. Thirty reps is endurance. You don’t use an explosive exercise to train endurance; there are more effective and safer choices. Another one was 30 muscle-ups. And if you can’t do muscle-ups, do 120 pull-ups and 120 dips. It’s just random; it makes no sense. Two days later the program was five sets of five in the push jerk with max loads. That’s not looking too healthy for the shoulder joint if you just did 120 dips 48 hours ago.”

Mike Boyle: “I think high-rep Olympic lifting is dangerous. Be careful with CrossFit.”

Charles Poliquin: “If you try to do everything in your workout, you get nothing. CrossFit is different, and maybe even fun for some people, but it’s not very effective. No athlete has ever gotten good training like that.”

In many of the responses garnered from my previous CrossFit critique, my CSCS credentials were questioned (feel free to contact the NSCA if you wish),  as was my practical knowledge due to an online picture (I never claimed to be a body builder). Feel free to argue my knowledge - I’m well aware that I’m a virtual unknown in this field. But you can’t attach the same sentiment to the likes of Cosgrove, Boyle, or Poliquin. They are experts who’ve literally changed what we know about strength and conditioning - and yet, we have the same opinions of CrossFit.

So enjoy the WOD’s, CFitters. You will be in good shape, have good strength, endurance, blah, blah, blah. But that does not erase the fact that CrossFit has some very ineffective methods, as well as some dangerous approaches.