By now, everyone who follows the fitness industry has heard of CrossFit. Its popular, it has exciting workouts, and its very competitive. So competitive, in fact, that there are even CrossFit competitions held across the country where gurus subscribing to these workouts can lay out all their testosterone and go head-to-head in a ridiculous 3-day long battle. Whether you love it or hate it, CrossFit has reached a critical mass, and it won’t be going away anytime soon. The problem is I’m in the Hate It camp.
Let me get the 1 thing I like about CrossFit out of the way: it has inspired many to take working out more seriously. And I know first hand how monotonous an exercise routine can get, and CrossFit has found a way to keep people excited about their workouts. Now that that’s out of the way, allow me to give my problems with this exercise…uh…company? Organization? Group? Whatever they call themselves, I have found 5 major problems with CrossFit that the general public has not seemed to recognize. Without further ado, here we go (in no particular order).
1. CrossFit is not for athletes. All a CrossFit workout will do is make you better at a CrossFit workout. Take for example the power clean. This is a power movement, meaning it must be performed at high speeds, which is why (for the most part) no well-educated strength coach will have his athletes perform more than 6 reps per set on this lift. In CrossFit workouts, you may do as many as 25 reps per set on power clean. Yes, this will get you tired, and yes, this will get you in better aerobic shape–but is that the purpose of power clean? Absolutely not! Cleans build explosive power from the ground up which directly correlates to jumping ability and sprinting speed. In no way should cleans be used for aerobic improvement because the lower back will tire out, thus causing an injury. Additionally, to do 25 reps on a power clean means you will have virtually no weight on the bar. This is my first reason why CrossFit is crap.
2. CrossFit teaches pull-ups wrong. Are you kidding me? The easiest lift known to man (in technique at least). All you have to do is pull yourself up. If you can’t, you have a spotter help you until you are strong enough to do them on your own. How could someone possibly screw that up? Well, CrossFit found a way by including the “kip” in many of their pull-up workouts. The kip has lifters swing forward and then use their momentum to pull themselves over the bar. Then they will quickly drop themselves, swing forward again, and repeat. Notice a pattern here? Momentum doesn’t build muscle, controlled movements do. In addition to using momentum, this quick-drop-from-the-top practice takes out the eccentric aspect of a muscle contraction (which is actually a stronger contraction than a concentric). This is actually the first thing I noticed about CrossFit and the second reason why I claim that CrossFit is indeed crap.
3. CrossFit is not based on science, but randomly put together. I understand muscle confusion. I understand cross training. But I don’t understand what CrossFit is based on. I have read one workout that puts together 6 exercises. The participant chooses 2 of them to perform back to back. Then rests 4 HOURS, comes back and does another 2, rests 4 more hours, and completes the last 2. What in the world? I’m no genius, but I have been around many great strength coaches, college professors, physical therapists, and exercise physiologists. I’m quite certain you’ll never find support for this type of training in any published research. And yet, another reason why CrossFit is crap.
4. CrossFit uses visually appealing lifts with physically sub par results. This statement is based off of only one picture on the CrossFit website, which shows a man deadlifting a telephone pole. While this looks cool, he picks the telephone pole up on one end rather than in the middle. This means that he is actually lifting about 1/3 of the telephone pole’s weight. Looks awesome. But its pointless. This also, is why Crossfit is crap.
5. CrossFit sells a brand name rather than a genuine workout. On this statement, I am open to other opinions because I realize that its pretty hard to develop new lifts. With some exception, there is a lift for virtually every movement the body can do. If I were to take lifts such as power clean, deadlift, and pull-ups, randomly through sets and reps together and call it a Macssistance workout, what have I really done that someone else has not done before? This is precisely what CrossFit does. Rather than expand on the fitness industry, they take what has been done for years, slap a CrossFit label on it, and convince the public its the most intense way to train. Not all of this is their fault, as thousands of people have chosen to make CrossFit popular. However, when you are a leader in the field, it is your responsibility to pave the way for new ideas that are scientifcally founded and anatomically sound. CrossFit has failed to do so. So thanks for showing the world lifts we already knew. Once again, a reason why CrossFit is crap.
I’ll admit that I’m a harsh critic. Most people in this field are. But I have a genuine problem with organizations and people who convince their public how great their product is by way of emotion, visual appeal, and celebrity endorsement, but without the support of research-based backing. Again, if you are no longer playing sports and you genuinely enjoy CrossFit, by all means keep doing it. It will burn calories and build some muscle, but it will not make you a better athlete.
Overall, its crap.
Published under: Endurance Training, Sports TrainingTags: crossfit • fitness fads
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This post was written on the Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 at 7:41 am and categorized under Endurance Training, Sports Training. You can follow the ongoing discussion by subscribing to the RSS 2.0. You can leave a reply, or Trackback.
http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200811/hell-on-earth-fitness-plan-2.html
Launched in July of 2008, eh? With such a massive output of material of such high quality (as demonstrated above), it’s a shame you’ve been so effectivley ignored by the fitness blogosphere. This post may turn out to be the perfect solution to your anonymity issue (was that you who posted on the Crossfit Main Page comments section? Shrewd.)
Welcome to the wild, wild West of fitness commentary, Sir. Fasten you seatbelt…
Macssistance is crap!! ive been doing crossfit for 3 months and I can tell you with no doubt that I’m in better shape than i previously was with strength training. Crossfit is based on CONSTANTLY VARIED FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS AT A HIGH INTENSITY! Talk to any coach or trainer and they will tell you that that is the key to fitness. Crossfit has been around for a while and has proven results. Champion MMA fighters train with it, I know personally that the United States Marine Corps has incorporated Crossfit workouts into their fitness regime. Crossfit is a great program. You wouldn’t know fitness if it was doing Burpees right in front of you!!
I completely disagree. Are you or have you ever been an athlete at even the high school level? It does not seem so…
I am currently in my fourth year of collegiate football, and I have been doing “traditional” weight training since I was about 15. I found CrossFit about 5 months ago, and I haven’t looked back since. I have seen incredible results, as well as increased athletic performance while using these workouts precisely.
My team is also implementing these workouts, since our coaches can see the great benefit of getting aerobic training and strength training simontaneously. Apparently you don’t think that matters.
Before you chastise something this harshly, have a base to stand on.
-Bryan
“Momentum doesn’t build muscle, controlled movements do.”
this sentence and this sentence alone made me stop reading this. building muscle and being fit are completely different topics. You’re simply proving that Crossfit isn’t for everyone, and that’s fine. But, the fact of the matter is, if I had to pick a guy to win in a fight, I’m taking the guy that can power clean 135# 30 times in 4 minutes over the guy who can power clean 245# once.
Fine, I glanced at the rest of this too. Sure, the chance of anyone “inventing” a new lift is pretty slim. But who’s to say that Crossfit’s application of those movements isn’t effective? If becoming faster, stronger, more agile, and more coordinated all while increasing cardiovascular and respiratory capacity aren’t desirable attributes for athletes, then I guess I can toss out the last 20 years that I’ve been striving to be a good hockey player. I guess I was looking for the wrong things. I should have been looking to build muscle, lose agility, speed, and sacrifice endurance for strength and the ability to pull my body up from a dead hang using only my upper body….that rapid extension of the hips has no place in real life movements–except for running, jumping, throwing, punching, etc. Actually, I think it might.
If you want to call something crap, I suggest you at least understand it first. Saying that you read about one workout where someone power clean and jerks something 25 times is not enough to base a sound argument on. And, you seem to be so set on this argument, I would have expected that you at least know what you’re talking about with regards to Crossfit. Remember, it’s “broad, general, and inclusive”. The specialty is “not specializing”. So, we still have the days where we do 7 power cleans for maximum weight. We also have the days where we run 10k. And there are days where we sprint 400 meters, do pullups (regardless of what you say about them, someone who kips can do far more work in far less time than someone who is using controlled movements to build muscle) and probably do some push presses with medium weight.
I apologize for rambling here, but it bothers me when people trash things like this. And not because I think that everyone should be doing Crossfit. Like I said, it’s not for everyone. I am a trainer, and I’ve learned that. The part that bothers me the most is your lack of understanding of the program.
Good day, sir. (although, with such a horribly drafted argument, I’m beginning to think that this had to be written by a female)
Seriously? Crap. Thats the best you got? “Without the support of research-based backing?” Are you kidding? Crossfit is about results and results period. As an ex pro athlete, a soldier in the special operations community, and a special agent with a law enforcement agency, fitness is one of my top priorities, it has to be. And it has to work in varying situations across broad modal domains. Crossfit has been the only system that has done that for me. Enough said.
Daniel,
I’ve read negative opinions of CrossFit before and as a CrossFitter I enjoy them because they’re usually well thought out and intelligent. Some are very entertaining as well.
Your blog post on CrossFit was none of those things. Clearly it showed you don’t know what you’re talking about.
First, the motto is “Forging Elite FITNESS” not “Forging Elite Athletes”.
Second, CrossFit is being used by professional athletes in football, baseball, ice hockey and mixed martial arts. There’s probably more that I don’t know of.
Third, more and more of the military specifically the Special Operations Community is using CrossFit. How many are getting “Macssistance”?
This doesn’t include the thousands of “regular” people who are achieving an elite level of fitness just to be better at life.
While CrossFit is not designed to make athletes better at the specific skills of their sport it does enhance the athletes general physical preparedness.
High rep cleans as well as squats and deadlifts have been used for decades, safely and effectively. It’s difficult and that’s why it isn’t more poplular. The fact that it is difficult doesn’t mean it’s unsafe. It does require proper training and heart.
Your quote regarding four hours between workouts was based on a competition–not a workout. One event followed another event with four hours in between. This concept of spacing events during a competition shouldn’t be foreign to you or difficult to understand. You either didn’t really look into this or the truth isn’t important to you. Either way, you completely mischaracterized something you didn’t research at all.
I don’t know what picture you are referring to regarding the telephone pole lift, but it’s silly to comment on a picture with out having any context at all. It would be like me calling you a moron based on one blog post.
What is a genuine workout? How do define that?
I hope I was able to shed some light. Thanks for the attention to CrossFit. Good luck in all your endeavors.
This is one of the most inaccurate, mindless and nonsensical fitness articles i have ever written. I play PROFESSIONAL soccer for a European club, which could be regarded as some of the most intense competition on the planet. CrossFit has greatly transformed not only my physique but my fitness level and work capacity.
I bet you have never done a CrossFit workout and you COULD NEVER do one even if you tried.
Just shut your mouth, you big couch potato fag boy.
All I see are a lot of words and very little if any research.
Example: in point #3 the “4 hour break workout” isn’t just any workout. Those were the 3 workout for Day 1 of the Crossfit Games, which is 2 day not 3.
You say “I’m no genius, but I have been around many great strength coaches, college professors, physical therapists, and exercise physiologists.”
Consensus is not science, results are, learn the difference then have an opinion.
Crossfit uses both the kipping pullup and the “standard” but for different metabolic effects. Your goal decides your exercise. Educate yourself on the uses and utiliy of both then have an opinion.
The “guy lifting the telephone pole” picture, that guy is a marine trainer who typical derides Crossfit while doing the “fancy” lifts with bad form and gonig around injuring people.
Education and knowledge is key, do due diligence. Don’t talk out of your A.
Good day sir,
My name is David Boyle I’m a Staff Sergeant in the US Marines. I believe that CrossFit is not the end all to save all. No program is. However it is pretty darn close. Let’s look at the Marines under my charge. They are stronger in the deadlift, clean, squat, press, and run faster than they did before doing CrossFit. They actually shoot better too? Crazy..? You cannot argue that GPP (general physical preparation) does not play a roll in marksmanship. Their Combat Fitness Test have improved along with their Physical Fitness Test scores. We run nothing over 2 miles…and that is when we do the workout “Murph”. However our 5k times are going down. Their GPP has skyrocketed. This is solid evidence. Not assumptions. My Marines don’t say “we think we’re in shape” They know they’re in shape because of numbers. Call is what it is…but we call it elite fitness. We are not blind followers. We cannot afford to follow a program that does not produce. CrossFit has produced results that cannot be ignored.
This is why we CrossFit.
Respectfully,
Staff Sergeant Boyle.
Let’s see. You now work at a country club after working at U of Arkansas. Couldn’t hack in the real stregth and conditioning field of D1 athletics and now you’re selling your great training method to a bunch of spoiled rich people. There are lots of different ways of fitness. We just choose the more difficult brand at crossfit. I’m sure all your clients work really hard on their cardio machines and pretty training center.
His point of Crossfit helping you get better at certain workouts it accurate. His lack of understanding comes when he does not think crossfit workouts will help anyone become a better athlete.
Anytime you can acquire a physical ability or a new physical limit, your athletic performance can’t help but increase.
Crossfit does not claim to improve your technique but your ability to perform faster, harder and longer.
Personally I use Crossfit to help my MMA game. The author of that article is wrong because CF has helped me become a better athlete.
You’re a douche! CrossFit is the future of fitness.
Daniel,
You are doing an enormous disservice to the CSCS certification, the University of Arkansas, and even country clubs with this ridiculous rant.
Please don’t be surprised if you aren’t taken seriously by the Crossfit community. (If this is not a joke… Carl, is this you?). No really, maybe you need to take some writing classes, do some research papers… you know, practice gathering facts and making a strong presentation of those facts. Unfortunately, you’ve failed to do that here.
Bahahahaha
I think that you don’t know what you’re talking about. What? Couldn’t handle the workouts?
Daniel
I think that you should do a lot more research. It’s painfully obvious that you haven’t made an attempt to research CrossFit’s theories, methodologies, and concepts.
How bout you research a little bit about what you are talking about before you blindly preach it to the masses that may or may not follow your website.
you work at a country club and your job consists of making fat people feel like they are losing weight i.e. adding muscle mass so they don’t look like they slam quarter pounders in front of Oprah all you are is the spatula that smooths out the cottage cheese on the asses of its owners
It’s obvious to me that you don’t know much about exercise or CrossFit for that matter. I’d be surprised if you had a sport, other than standing in front of a mirror and admiring yourself. Your critique is so far off-base that I hardly think it warrants a response. Unfortunatley, I can’t help myself.
“CrossFit is not for athletes” - There are countless Olympic and professional athletes doing CrossFit and raving about the results. I have met a few of them over the years and I’d love to see you stand face to face with them and make some of your ignorant claims to them directly.
“CrossFit teaches pull-ups wrong” - CrossFit uses several different types of pull-ups. The kip is a variation and one of many different types of pull-ups. Do your research.
“CrossFit is not based on science, but randomly put together” - Again, dead wrong. Go to a level 1 cert and then tell me there is no science behind CrossFit. The beauty of CrossFit is it doesn’t have a closed-minded attitude, such as your own, on new concepts and utilizes the best functional movements from Olympic/weight lifting, gymnastics and monostructural types of training. Please show me a program that is that diverse and delivers the same results.
“CrossFit uses visually appealing lifts with physically sub par results” - This makes me laugh. Visually appealing would be something like lateral raises or bicep curls….something I’m certain you teach your clients on a regular basis. “Sub par results” would also indicate that people aren’t making huge strides in their overall health from doing CrossFit. I challenge you to talk to someone fully engaged in CrossFit and find out what their results have been.
“CrossFit sells a brand name rather than a genuine workout” - CrossFit doesn’t sell anything…it’s free to anyone with access to the internet. CrossFit teaches an approach to fitness and lifelong health and it’s available on the web for everyone to see. How much are you charging for your program?
I think it’s comical that you hide behind a shitty little website a rant about things you know nothing about…including fitness. Why don’t you attend a couple CrossFit classes and maybe expand your knowledge on the concepts and methodology before you make yourself looks like a complete moron once again.
Overall- your research, understanding, and arguments are crap.
Interesting blog. Just a few quick points, where is the word ‘athlete’ in the phrase ‘forging elite fitness’ notice the difference between fitness and athlete, if you look at crossfit’s definition of fitness, you’ll find that their workouts do improve your fitness by great amounts.
Is the push jerk a cheating military press? No, they’re two different movements, with different intentions. I could say the military press is bad for improving explosive power, but that is not what it’s trying to do, is it?
Finally, as many sports require intense bursts of effort, followed by inactivity, then another intense burst, how would you recommend training for that? High rep power cleans sound pretty good to me.
Thanks for your comments guys! I appreciate your weighing in on the post, and I’m glad you’re reading. While I respectfully disagree with many of the statements made, I did find great truth in some. And Sergeant Boyle, thanks so much for your service to our country.
I was absolutely wrong on the “Forging Elite Athletes” line. Thanks for keeping me in check. Yes, CrossFit’s motto is “Forging Elite Fitness,” and I have changed that in the post. And B2, you bring up a great point that I missed about the kip. This does make pull-ups more of a power movement, and thus, I respect its purpose after thinking of it like that. I still am not sold on it because of the lack of eccentric contraction. What makes me ok with exercises like the push jerk missing out on the eccentric phase is that push jerks do allow you to continually add weight, whereas pull-ups with a kip would be difficult to add weight without racking yourself. Thanks again guys.
Try crossfit… then you might have more personal experience to make an informed judgement.
I wasn’t sure about it to start with… then I did it. I’ve not been this fit in my life - Army pt didn’t do it, thats IS for sure.
CrossFit was originally created with the use of one of my gymnastics drills and conditioning books as a reference. They used gymnastics drills and conditioning to help people gain strength and get in shape in addition to other bodyweight exercises in the beginning. Now CrossFit has become a world wide phenomena and they use a variety of exercises from bodyweight exercises to power lifting exercises.
You really must come down to New Jersey CrossFit / The Training Room in Avon, NJ. People are getting into amazing shape every day at that facility. The classes and personal training are outstanding. The owners have several fitness related certifications including the CSCS certification. They really do have vast knowledge of fitness and they create safe and effective workouts. I have seen horrible trainers in health clubs with no experience other than a certification that they spent one day getting from organization that are not always respected. The health clubs hire sales people, send them for fitness certifications, and then allow them to train every member the exact same way, hypertrophy workouts. That is not what the weight loss client needs. Visit http://www.newjerseycrossfit.com to see safe and effective workouts.
“CrossFit is not for athletes.” — If you’re referring to your former football and basketball players then you might be partially correct because CrossFit is not about improving sport specific performance directly. Listen or watch any of Coach Glassman’s lectures and you will hear him say that CrossFit is about “developing a work capacity that would lend itself generally well, not ideally, to any and all activities.” In other words, CF is about improving one’s general physical preparedness (GPP). Ironically, improving one’s GPP also improves one’s SPP (For more info regarding GPP’s impact on SPP, check out the CF mainpage from April 21, 2009).
“CrossFit teaches pull-ups wrong.” — The kipping pull-up, while the default CF pull-up, is but one variant of the pull-up that CF uses and promotes. You also say, “pull-ups with a kip would be difficult to add weight without racking yourself.” Ever tried a weighted vest or a dumbbell between the feet?
“CrossFit is not based on science, but randomly put together.” Isn’t science simply testing a hypothesis? And, isn’t testing a hypothesis about receiving and documenting measurable, observable, and repeatable results? Well, if you haven’t already, check out the CF.com comments section or forum sometime (or any of the affiliates’ blogs) and witness for yourself the measurable, observable, and repeated results of CF. What kind of scientific data are you looking for?
“CrossFit uses visually appealing lifts with physically sub par results. This statement is based off of only one picture on the CrossFit website . . . .” — First, I’m glad you at least admit that this statement is based on 1, that’s right ONE, picture, but I can’t believe you go on to make a broad, sweeping generalization from it. Second, although I’m not sure what picture exactly you’re referring to, based on your description it sounds very much like someone training for or participating in the Highland Games event of caber toss. Ever thought about that? Not so pointless is it?
“CrossFit sells a brand name rather than a genuine workout. . . . If I were to take lifts such as power clean, deadlift, and pull-ups, randomly through sets and reps together and call it a Macssistance workout, what have I really done that someone else has not done before? This is precisely what CrossFit does. Rather than expand on the fitness industry, they take what has been done for years, slap a CrossFit label on it, and convince the public its the most intense way to train.” — First, isn’t this exactly what D1 Sportstraining does? Secondly, if things like power cleans, deadlifts and pull-ups work, why reinvent the wheel? Would you rather we do handstand push-ups while balancing one hand on a physio ball and one hand on a kettlebell? Did you ever think that a major problem with the fitness industry might be its incessant desire to find something new? If the exercises people have been doing successfully for hundreds of years work, why change them?
Now, just a few more odds and ends:
“So thanks for showing the world lifts we already knew.” — I repeat everything I just said in the previous paragraph, but add what new lift have you developed?
You say the following at various points:
“I’m quite certain you’ll never find support for this type of training in any published research.”
and then
“Rather than expand on the fitness industry, they take what has been done for years . . . .”
and
“However, when you are a leader in the field, it is your responsibility to pave the way for new ideas that are scientifcally founded and anatomically sound. CrossFit has failed to do so.”
Do you really fail to see the contradictions? First you rip CF because it fails to align with the current “scientfic” research, but then you rip it because it hasn’t developed anything new. You also talk about understanding muscle confusion and cross training, but not understanding CF. Did it ever occur to you that CF, as a leader in the fitness industry, is paving the way with new ideas? Not necessarily new movements–as the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it–but a new methodology and a new way of thinking about how to combine those movements; and, if so, that this new way of thinking might not align with the previous scientific research. Isn’t that what developing something new is all about?
Also, from day 1, Coach Glassman has said that if someone comes to him and shows him measurable, observable, repeatable data that a different training program produces better results he will endorse it. So, I ask you: have you developed something better and can you prove it through measurable, observable, repeatable data?
Finally, why not give yourself 30 days and try CrossFit? Honestly. Are you training for a specific event or sport? If not, you have nothing to lose. Give yourself 30 days to read through the wealth of free information available in the CF journal, follow the mainpage programming (scaled to your abilities), and then come back and give your opinion.
Your ramblings are so pedantic and obviously flawed, in addition to being poorly researched, that I can’t believe I’m even dignifying them with a response. Nonetheless, I will choose the one which most closely resembles a developed argument:
“Take for example the power clean. This is a power movement, meaning it must be performed at high speeds, which is why no well-educated strength coach will have his athletes perform more than 6 reps at a time on this lift.”
Yes, you must be right. Performing these lifts at high intensity and exhaustion is pointless, because in athletics and the real world it is never important to produce explosive power and stability once you’re tired.
Enjoy the country club.
Hey Macsissyassistant,
Your an amateur. Get yourself some real world experience, then think about talking. Also, here is an idea, come up with some information to back up your statements. You mention that science, strength coaches, college professors, physical therapists, and exercise physiologists will not back this. What science??? What coaches??? What professors???… Give us some real proof man. A blanket statement doesn’t prove anythng. C’mon
I would like to say, I am new to Crossfit. Prior to Crossfit I was going to the gym and seeing a trainer 2 times per week for approx 1 yr, plus i was doing classes, going on the treadmill etc.. I have now been training using only Crossfit over the past four months of Crossfit - two months of which I was training only 3 days per week with sessions ranging from about 10-20 mins). My diet hasnt changed dramatically (i still eat take away occasionally and have ice cream for dessert if i feel like it) - BUT my body and my fitness has taken a dramatic turn. I am an average person (170cm/63kg) and prior to Xfit,I looked healthy and was going to the gym BUT i still couldnt run 500m in one go or even do a push up on my knees. In the last 4 months, I have lost 17.2cm from around my body, toned up incredibly and lost 5% of my body fat. I now have muscles in my arms/back/shoulders/calves/stomach that I had never seen before. I can now do push ups, heavy lifting, pull ups (assisted with bands), dips and so many more exciting things that i couldnt do before. I can also run 1km without a hassle (may not seem like much but this is a huge improvement for me). I completely give Crossfit and my Crossfit coaches the credit for all the changes. Crossfit has changed my fitness and my life so much better. Not only does a Crossfit environment offer you fitness but you also have a great support network and encouragement from every Crossfitter out there.
This worked out well for you. Greg Glassman is a genius. He has always advocated take what works, discard the rest. What works for an athlete will not come on the main site, it is up to them or their training coach to set up their programming. I have great success with athletes doing Crossfit. Performance in a variety of athletes has gone up since incorporating Crossfit into their programs. However, I don’t use the same programming for a linebacker as a wrestler or volleyball player. The Jefferson quote about keeping your mouth shut if people think you are stupid before opening your mouth and removing all doubt came to mind. I’ve done S/C programs for 20+ years, constantly and currently compete in numerous sports, and have never done anything that has made as strong, fast, fit, etc.
[…] 5 Reasons Why CrossFit is Crap 07 / 1 / 09 […]
Hello Dan,
I own a CrossFit affiliate in Ormond Beach Florida. I’m a 45 year-old female, worked in the medical field for over 20 years. I received a back injury while moving a very large patient and lived with excruciating, an 8 on a 1-10 scale, back pain for years. I thank God I found Greg Glassman and CrossFit. Both literally gave me my life back. Today I am totally pain free, stronger, longer, leaner, faster and more functional than I have EVER been in my life.I didn’t get that working out at sub VO2max on a treadmill in an air conditioned gym at my local country club.As far as being science based, I’m a science major. The metabolic and physiological science behind CrossFit…and the fact it’s very quantitative and designed heavily on basic physics principles is what attracted me to CrossFit in the first place. If you are truly interested in becoming a better trainer and helping your clients, you may subscribe to the CrossFit Journal by visiting http://www.crossfit.com
Good post on why crossfit is not beneficial to an athlete, especially the part about the bastardization of the olympic lifts.
I tried it for a while and saw pros and cons to the program. Cons outweighed the pros however. My strength decreased drastically. I experienced more pain in my joints than all my years of lifting beforehand. My run time improved, but I wasn’t willing to sacrafice overall strength, health and a pain-free life for a better run time. Who the hell needs to run more than 50 meters at a time anyway? I eventually ditched crossfit for a more old school, well rounded programs.
I do believe people can benefit from crossfit. As the original poster said, it can keep things exciting, especially for the folks who have had trouble staying committed to training before. I do think people, like my couch potato brother for example, would benefit from the program because it could possibly keep him motivated, keep him moving and finish a workout in 20 minutes.
People like this are probably the ones who would see the most benefit. For people who are already in good, strong, athletic shape, I would suggest to them not to waste their time with a crossfit program based on my experience.
[…] 5 reasons why crossfit is crap Read some of the comments […]
First off, you really should research a topic BEFORE you try to discredit it (being a leader in the field expected you to know that). You claim Crossfit does not have researched based backing, kind of like your blog post.
I am a veteran SWAT officer and we are required to maintain a high level of physical fitness (tested quarterly). In my time as a SWAT officer I have never seen the results I have gotten from Crossfit. My fitness test scores all went up, my GPP is outstanding and I have less joint than I had from the “traditional” lifting and running.
Can you explain how my 1RM bench press went up 10lbs to a personal best for me, from one PT test to the next, when I did bench press exactly zero times during that period.
Can you explain how my 1.5 mile time improved by over 1 minute when I had only been doing 400 or 800 meter sprints.
These should be easy for you to explain with all of your years of experience and since you are a “leader” in the field as you have proclaimed yourself.
If you think Crossfit does “visually appealing lifts with physically sub par results”, take your likely callus free hands and bring up youtube. Look for videos of workouts like “Transformers” or “King Kong” and see if you consider this sub par.
Not doing anything original, doing what has already been done. I guess you only teach brand new exercise movements that you can only find at your country club exercise room. Give me a break, I did not know the only way a program could be effective was if it had all new and original movements.
I must also point out that you stating you have been around many great strength coaches, college professors, physical therapists and exercise physiologists. If that is true you must have heard of legendary coaches Mark Rippetoe and Mike Burgener. You cannot question they are legendary in the field of strength training and Olympic lifting. They have been deeply involved in the Crossfit movement for years. There must be something to it if they are willing to devote as much time as they have to furthering the growth of Crossfit. You also may not have heard the name Lon Kilgore. In case you haven’t, he happens to be a college professor AND an exercise physiologist. He is also sold on the Crossfit philosophy and all three professionals I have mentioned have written countless articles on Crossfit and done tremendous amounts of RESEARCH on the topic to support their belief it is an excellent system. Sounds like you should re-evaluate who you dub as being “great”.
Like was mentioned in other posts, Crossfit is not for everyone but it has made me fitter and an overall better athlete. Crossfit does not try to convince people their “product” is the great, the workout does it for them. No one convinced me Crossfit was great, I finished my first workout in September of last year and knew immediately it was the best thing I had ever done(I have been doing it ever since). What have you done besides this lame attempt to draw attention to yourself by attacking the workout program of whole lot highly fit people.
The last thing I will say is this: nothing in this post conveys the opinion that you are a terrible trainer (don’t jump to conclusions, you may be), the only the I am doing is trying to further prove you don’t know CRAP about Crossfit.
1*
I WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS EACH OF YOUR POINTS INDIVIDUALLY. POINT ONE BEING CROSSFIT IS NOT FOR ATHLETES:
I AM A TEN YEAR VETERAN POLICE OFFICER WHO HAS SERVED ON THE SWAT TEAM AND AS A MOTORCYCLE OFFICER. AM I A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE? NO, BUT MY JOB REQUIRES ATHLETIC ABILITY NONETHELESS. I DISCOVERED CROSSFIT APPROXIMATELY 14 MONTHS AGO AND HAVE SEEN DRAMATIC RESULTS IN BOTH MY PROFESSIONAL LIFE AND JUST LIFE IN GENERAL. CROSSFIT WORKOUTS INCORPORATE OLYMPIC LIFTS, GYMNASTICS MOVEMENTS, RUNNING AND METABOLIC CONDITIONING, ALL OF WHICH HAVE INCREASED MY ATHLETIC ABILITY BOTH ON AND OFF THE JOB. I HAVE LOST 20 LBS. WHILE INCREASING MY 1RM DEADLIFT TO OVER 460 LBS. I ALSO RECENTLY RAN A HALF-MARATHON JUST TO SEE IF I COULD. MY ONLY TRAINING FOR THE HALF-MARATHON YOU ASK? CROSSFIT WORKOUTS 4 TIME A WEEK. WATCH A CROSSFITTER PERFORM 30 MUSCLE-UPS FOR TIME AND THEN TELL ME HE/SHE IS NOT AN ATHLETE. TO ME AN ATHLETE IS SOMEONE WHO TRAINS TO BE BETTER AT LIFE.
POINT TWO: CROSSFIT TEACHES PULLUPS WRONG. I WOULD CAUTION YOU TO DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE YOU JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS. CROSSFIT INCORPORATES MANY VERSIONS OF THE STANDARD PULLUP, INCLUDING KIPPING PULLUPS, BUTTERFLY PULLUPS, DEAD HANG PULLUPS, L-PULLUPS AND WEIGHTED PULLUPS. WHEN I STARTED CROSSFIT I COULD DO MAYBE THREE STANDARD PULLUPS AND NOW, THROUGH THE CONSTANTLY VARIED PULLUP MOTIONS INCORPORATED IN CROSSFIT WORKOUTS, I CAN PERFORM OVER 100 PULLUPS IN A WORKOUT. HOW CAN THOSE KINDS OF RESULTS BE “WRONG”?
POINT THREE: CROSSFIT IS NOT BASED ON SCIENCE, BUT RANDOMLY PUT TOGETHER. DO NOT CONFUSE CONSTANTLY VARIED WITH RANDOMLY PUT TOGETHER. THERE IS A METHOD TO THE MADNESS. BY THE WAY, I HAVE DONE HUNDREDS OF CROSSFIT WORKOUTS AND SCOURED THE ARCHIVES OF COUNTLESS AFFILIATE WEBSITES AND HAVE NEVER SEEN A WORKOUT THE LIKES OF WHICH YOU REFERENCE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE YOU FOUND IT SO I CAN RESEARCH IT MYSELF AND BE BETTER ABLE TO EXPLAIN IT TO YOU. AND FOR THE RECORD, THE CROSSFIT GAMES WILL BE HELD IN AROMAS, CALIFORNIA JULY 2010. IT HAS BEEN REFERRED TO AS THE PROVING GROUNDS. IF YOU THINK YOUR APPROACH IS BETTER, PROVE IT. RESULTS CAN NOT BE IGNORED, SHOW UP AND BEAT DOWN ALL THE “NON-ATHLETES” WITH YOUR TRAINING AND THE WORLD WILL TAKE NOTE.
POINT FOUR: VISUALLY APPEALING LIFTS AND SUB-PAR RESULTS. I REALLY DON’T FEEL THE NEED TO ISSUE A REBUTTAL TO THIS CLAIM, SINCE YOU OBVIOUSLY PUT NO THOUGHT INTO IT, BUT I WILL. TO BASE AN OPINION ON ONE PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN OUT OF CONTEXT SPEAKS TO YOUR CLOSE-MINDEDNESS. THE OLYMPIC LIFTS IN CROSSFIT ARE NOTHIG NEW, BUT ARE USED IN NEW WAYS AT TIMES. AGAIN: CONSTANTLY VARIED. CROSSFIT HAS ENABLED ME TO PERFORM 30 REPS OF 135 CLEAN AND JERK IN JUST OVER 3 MINUTES AND AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED DEADLIFT 460 LBS. IF THAT IS SUB-PAR, I CHALLENGE YOU TO DO BETTER. AGAINS RESULTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. AND THE COPS/SWAT OPERATORS I TRAIN WITH ARE ANYTHING BUT SUB-PAR.
POINT FIVE: CROSSFIT SELLS A BRAND NAME RATHER THAN A GENUINE WORKOUT. HAVE YOU BEEN TO THE CROSSFIT WEBSITE? LAST TIME I CHECKED IT WAS FREE, AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN. CHECK OUT REPUTABLE AFFILIATE WEBSITES SUCH AS CROSSFIT ONEWORLD, DIABLO CROSSFIT, CROSSFIT BOSTON, CROSSFIT CENTURION, ETC, ETC, ETC. THEY ALL POST DAILY “FREE” WORKOUTS ON THEIR SITES. CROSSFIT IS FREE, YOU EITHER DRINK THE KOOL-AID OR YOU DON’T. CROSSFIT IS BECOMING HUGE. THE IDEA HAS BECOME THE INSTITUTION. THE MOVEMENT IS TOO BIG TO BE IGNORED AND THE HATERS SPIT THEIR DISSENTING VENOM WITHOUT OFFERING ANY REAL ALTERNATIVE. IF YOUR PROGRAM IS BETTER, PROVE IT. POST YOUR WORKOUT FOR FREE ON YOUR SITE AND BUILD A GRASS ROOTS MOVEMENT THAT PRODUCES REAL WORLD RESULTS AND REAL WORLD ATHLETES. AND HOPEFULLY WE’LL SEE YOU AT THE “PROVING GROUNDS” IN JULY.
Just wondering why my comments weren’t posted? Did you review it and see that you were wrong regarding everything you said about crossfit? I find it interesting that I take the time to post an indepth and thought-provoking response to your butchered attempt to dismiss crossfit only to find that it is being “reviewed” prior to posting and was subsequently never posted. I’m not the only person this has happened to. You only hear what you want to hear and post what benefits you. If you want comments, don’t censor them.
Please post a picture of you lifting an entire telephone pole.
When is this going to end all this mine is better than your is ridiculous. It seems you can’t do anything these days without someone saying it’s no good for you. I don’t like Cultfit either as it’s this type of training has been around for years and a good salesman (Glassman) has package it up and sold it to the MMA/ Navl seal wannabes but at least it’s getting them off there ass and doing something. It good to see people excited about fitness even if it is a clever marking ploy (wish I thought of it).
I did the foundations class last year for CF. I am studying and taking classes to become a certified trainer, but have been involved in many types of strength, conditioning and athletic performance programs as well as various martial arts. I found the foundations class to be simple and straight to the point, from the lifting techniques to nutrition. I was impressed with the whole foundations class, including the trimmed back training sessions. There is no ‘drop’ in a Kip, as you suggest. Of the videos I have seen and what people are trained to do, there is no freefall drop. It is rhythmic, BUT it is still controlled. I can’t directly quote the author regarding pullups because I can’t recall the direct quote or author’s name, but it was something to this effect: ‘if you were being chased by a lion and you had to pull up into a tree, would you ‘curl’ yourself up with just your arms or would you try like hell to use all momentum and as much total body effort as possible to get onto the highest branch you could?’.
The science in the fitness industry is fine, but most people don’t care alot about the science. They want a session that is mostly enjoyable and produces results. As trainers, it’s up to us to provide the programming and tailor it to the client.
The simple: state training goal–>devise program based on goals–>introduce appropriate training effect–>monitor progress–>revise as required to maintain and progress.
We the trainers learn the science and produce the program. All recovery techniques being considered and used effectively(sleep,nutrition,massage…etc) a program produces results or not.
I use some of the principles that CF uses in my own sessions for my conditioning, but they do not exclusively OWN density training.. low weight, high rep… etc. programs. Why does there have to be new science when the oldschool basics STILL provide the best results? People get too hung up on the science and don’t get into the trenches enough. Go try CF for a month and monitor your results. At least you will have ‘lived it’. And honestly, I choose martial arts over CF for myself, not because I wouldn’t do CF, but I just wanted martial arts training more. Good luck with your blog and training.
You’re correct. But, mostly, the Crossfit workouts are simply dangerous for the people doing them. You’re a marine, great! You’re 20 yrs old and wanna try something different, fine. But, the problem is, Crossfit has 40 yr old ladies doing powercleans, etc. They’re going to screw up their backs. Crossfit is irresponsible and a cult.
Things like constantly dropping the weights, silly kips, political leaning to the far right, over-the-top claims, Dede Whitworth dying, Glassman the original CrossFitter being out of shape, burned bridges with Rip, Wolf, Twight, and many others, $70 or something shirts, $$$ per month, and much more, leaves a bad taste in one’s mouth.
Not to mention my early prediction of injuries and exercise drama at the 2010 Gaymes.
I am not going into any lengthy discussions about how Absolutely incorrect you are with almost every sentence you have written, most of it has been already said above.
Do some research before you post and don’t be so naive, better yet, do a few WOD’s yourself.
CrossFit is not Just for muscle gains! It is very diverse with the benefits it produces, both physically and mentally. It can incorporate strength, conditioning, hypertrophy and cardio, varied exercises. You can work different Nervous systems on different days. Day 1 can be Strength based, where you do around 3 reps. Day 2 could be hypertrophy based decreasing the weight, and day 3 could be cardio which could even include runs just as some examples.
I have trained using many different techniques over a 4 year period and i have never had as fast strength and fitness gains as crossFit.
Don’t knock something you don’t understand. It is an attribute of one who is weak minded.
Slightly off topic, crossFit is not a colt.
Just my 2 cents.
Come to think of it, This sounds more and more like a joke.
It is isn’t it, If it is your twisted, but you have managed to get a healthy discussion!
well most of these comments have covered all the reasons that what you said is complete off base. So I will only key on one. I have been a runner for over ten years, and for the past 8 months I have done only CF and I just pr’d on the bolder boulder 10k 3 days ago. but you are right, crossfit will only make someone better at crossfit, right?
For what it’s worth, I am a CrossFit woman, and kips DID strengthen me enough to perform strict hang pull-ups for the first time in my life.
You sir, need to do a lot more factually based research. There are reasons why this lifestyle works. Many athletes do in fact use CF training programs.
If you had even a modicum of genuine exercise science education at the collegiate level, then you would know that not only does it work, but you would also know why.
The only thing I really got from your blog was the distinct impression that you are bad mouthing CF because at some point in your past, you gave it a try but just couldn’t hack it.
Your lack of commitment to excellence and perseverance are not the fault of the CF community.
I suggest you go enjoy some bicep curls and stop trash-talking.
I would have thought Crossfit was a transparent gimmick. The mere fact that it styles itself as having all the answers for everyone should have set alarm bells ringing. Greg Glassman is hardly a poster boy for physical fitness.
Periodization is thrown out of the window by Crossfit without explanation. “Athletes” are said to use Crossfit. Really? Which ones? I can’t imagine Usain Bolt has much use for Crossfit. Nor Michael Phelps. Nor Lance Armstrong. Unless you count any GPP or MetCon work as Crossfit. Perhaps the key to the problem is that Crossfit refers to anyone who performs one of their workouts as “athletes”. QED
Crossfit is not dangerous, it is just bullshit. Crossfit did not invent Glycolitic system training, it just acts like it did. If there is a danger it is in the crazy way power movements are rushed. 30 snatches for time? I hear discs popping all over the world. Either that or the weight is so light that the “athlete” is performing glorified toe touches. All that with your top off and your chest and armpits shaved. Yeah, real hardcore.
But the chicks are cute.
When I drive by a cross fit gym I usually see a bunch of people who didn’t have the balls to join the military. Sure there are military members in the cross fit community, which makes sense, but why do it if your not using it, otherwise your just a wannabe. I mean serious, why would someone who say is a data entry clerk do crossfit?
Ehh.
Meehh.
Bleh.
Brian MacKenzie just got injured…in a run that CrossFit Endurance was supposed to prepare him for.
Yeah, GREEEAAAT program.
Example, how did this ultra scientific training help?
http://vimeo.com/12806559
I have read your blog and I can understand why you would say, “I’m quite certain you’ll never find support for this type of training in any published research. And yet, another reason why CrossFit is crap.” However, this only means that you, your self, do not read the peer-reviewed published researched in NSCA’s (your governing body for the CSCS certification) Strength Conditioning Journal. As an NSCA-CPT I receive their Journal and upon glancing through one of them after my return from Afghanistan with my Army National Guard unit, I saw a lovely article published in the journal about CrossFit. I beg you to read the material and research that you request because it is out there. Many CSCS I have met are among the same breed that you complain about in the CrossFit Community. All they say is my way or the high way. Do research and learn about the Nueroendicrine response to the exercise modalities of CrossFit and I am sure you too will see its validity. As for athleticism, my box, The Training Box in Fort Myers Florida, incorporates a Strength Bias prior to the WOD focusing on major movers and functional movements. Each Box is different and well established names in the fitness community, such as Louie Simmons, which I am sure you have heard of if you know anything in the field, West Side Barbells is one of the most well established powerlifting groups out there. They run theCrossFit specialty seminar on Powerlifting for the CrossFit community. Also, look into CrossFit Football Cert and its Web page where they tailor the program to different levels of Football Athletes from the Weekend warrior to the pro athlete. You should also read up on how kipping, a gymnastic movement is used to harness the hip extension and the glutes power production, aside from its nueroendicrine response and how it can increase ones ability to complete strict pullups. That is all I have for now.
Jeremy Howard,
NSCA-CPT, NASM-CPT, CrossFit- Level 1 Trainer
Read my credentials and know I know what I am talking about. I hold a certification from your same governing body as well as its best competitor and CrossFit itself. I have done my research. Now, do yours.
I would like to thankyou for actually articulating why it is i too like you think crossfit is CRAP!! I have had a personal trainer for two years and for 12 months her and other followers alike have been transfixed on this chaos mess. I fought with myself everyday why is it my entire being fought with this. I loathed it. But my trainer kept telling me it was a mental thing. So being the professional trainer, i went on. I am one of the better clients and give training 100%. I am good at everything, but not great at any one thing. I agree with your five steps and as of four weeks ago, i fired my PT and have found the best personal trainer Tim, who also agrees with the minority. I am starting from the beinging and that’s with breathing properly, technique and working one muscle group at a time. Thankyou so much for your write up and not being a sheep.
I think the real issue is this love it or hate it mentality. Crossfit does not have to be the one and only, nor does it have to be considered utter useless crap. I enjoy a lot of what crossfit has put out there but I also think that strength and conditioning for sport needs to get a little more specific.
Crossfit has indeed provoked thinking and ideas that have contributed greatly to strength and conditioning. It’s not the best of the best in all domains but the point of using multiple movement patterns against the clock is about increaseing work capacity and actually stimulates a greater metabolic response than a single modality on its own like running.
Its quite simple…train for specific goals. if you want to look like Chris Spealler (spelling?) do crossfit, if you want to look like Christian Thibadeau do one of wendler or shugart or waterburys programs.
Ok then- A little of everything is fine and won’t hurt you. But there are so many options out there, there is no need to assault the body with these dangerous programs. If people trained their brains, ate well, rested enough, and trained safely they would be fine. Now:
- Mr Jeremy Howard- please spell NEUROENDOCRINE correctly…If you have studied the NEUROENDOCRINE SYSTEM you would also know how to spell it. (The nervous system- brain and spinal cord, the sympathetic and para-sympathetic nervous system and the endocrine glands- pineal, pituitary, thyroid/para thyroid, thymus, pancreas, adrenals, and gonads, testes or ovaries). In many cases, with intense training the system is overloaded and adrenals have to pick up the slack which can lead to kidney problems…if you have read other research you would also realize that it is very hard on the rectus femori and acromio-clavicular joints. I understand people want to train hard and look good, but at what expense???
It is just silly- I am all for ‘OLD SCHOOL” training, I trained with the best of them in the 80’s when half of you on this blog were still in the womb…there are things that are just not worth the risk long term.
You’ll really be happy to have healthy knees and shoulders when you are 80 years old.
Hey Daniel,
Sounds like to me that you attack on Crossfit is more personal than professional.
You would be better off promoting what you believe to be good/correct rather than knocking someone else be it Crossfit or whoever for having a go.
If you have something better then get out there and promote it…if you believe you are right then you should kick Crossfits arse but you won’t do it with words. Like they say “actions speak louder than words”.
Go for it mate….make it happen.
In the mean time I’ll stick with what I enjoy like tens of thousands of other Crossfitters around the world.
Before you start any program, it’s a good idea to decide what your goals are.
If you want to get better at crossfit, do crossfit. If you want to gain a significant amount of muscle mass, do a correct short term periodization program. Know what your doing first. If you want to get better at running, run.
Crossfit is great at incorporating high intensity and olympic lifts. I would say not very good at program design. In the WOD Linda, you do a deadlift before a power clean. Why fatigue the lower back before doing a clean?
This is the WOD from a few days ago.
“Tabata Weighted pull-up, 30 pound dumbbell
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Weighted squat, 45 pound plate
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Weighted ring dip, 30 pound dumbbell
Rest 1 minute
Tabata Deadlift, 165 pound barbelll
The Tabata interval is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 intervals.
Tabata score is the least number of reps performed in any of the eight intervals.”
Tabata was a coach trying to get his athletes faster. He found out that reaching 170% of your Vo2 max was the perfect way to do this, thus Tabata intervals. You can’t do this by doing a ring dip or deadlift or crunches.
When someone says they do tabata intervals, ask them if they’ve reached 170% of their vo2 max!
I see a lot of the word Function being thrown around with crossfit. If your’re a running back in the NFL and you need to do a better job of holding on to the football, doing more isometric bicep exercises would be a functional workout. Not, sprinting 100 meters then doing two 20 push ups then 20 crunches then 20 kipping pull ups then repeating 7 times. How does straining your neck while doing crunches and not recruiting any muscle fibers count as a functional lift?
This is truly and honest question? Can you learn how to do the core power lifting movements in a weekend? Then have the confidence to teach them?
Also, what about structural balance testing? Please don’t tell me you just keep making them do a squat until they learn it? What if their VMO on their left leg is weaker then their right?
What if someone has weak adductors?
What if someone has tight abbductors and their right hamstring is weaker then their left?
You can’t continually have someone repeating a movement and hoping they get better when you see a problem.
Why do a snatch when you have weak right rotator cuff? Fix the rotator then teach the lift correctly.
Crossfit - great intensity and large lifts. But Make the classes 5 days and add in some structural balance testing and program design. Come up with a new way of putting the WOD’s up. Your never getting better and more “fit” if your trying to complete everything at once.
Crossfit is shit. Example:
They do not make correct dips with muscle power. They are dancing like a bad ballerina. The same applies for pull-ups, push-ups, clean&jerks, …
easy enough to pick apart any workout without attempting it. cf is tested and true. they beat the military consistently in fitness tests. would smoke any power lifter, runner, body builder, gym rat in a broad range of exercises and have proven so.
i’m 46 yrs old, been crossfitting for 5 yrs, after 25 yrs of all different types of exercise routines. all my measures have exploded(after age forty). i run further, faster, lift heavier more, better flexibility, balance, coordination…
try it as opposed to your gold standard for 6 months, you’ll change your mind. sad thing is, most are afraid of it, so pick it apart and never give themselves the opportunity to truly push/test their limits. too sad for you.
go crossfit.
p.s. i’m from a medical background.
It’s funny that all these CrossFit disciples want to talk about science when they generally have no working knowledge of bioenergetics, and usually a remedial amount of knowledge regarding basic physiology and anatomy. Crossfitters make extremely general arguments while using big words and phrases like “CONSTANTLY VARIED FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS AT A HIGH INTENSITY” Ok…. explain to me in an educated way how this is beneficial.
How is the training beneficial for the long-term when 90 percent of the time the WOD primarily trains the Glycolytic Pathway?
Is it really good for the shoulders to do snatches one day then dips the next? What about thrusters and then bench press.
Is it really good for the shoulders to do 25 hang cleans as fast as possible, and then some burpees?
The one word that CrossFit has no clue about is Cummulative. Everything you are doing at this High intensity, or even at a moderate pace(i.e. kipping pull-ups, full power cleans, full snatches, dips, push jerks and whatever else) Everything you do is adding up in your body in the form of: Irritation to the Glenohumeral joint, Lumbar spine, knees, and wrists. This irritation, when met with more and more irritation over the months and years will catch up to you. Mark my words!
Also When your heart rate is up that high all the time (past your anaerobic threshold) your heart muscle (Myocardium)grows thicker, but there is no training that addresses Eccentric Cardiac Hypertrophy, and the positive effects it has on the parasympathetic nervous system. I’m almost certain that your precious CrossFit or NSCA certification doesn’t teach you about this, or really much of anything else….
For all the people who see “results” and tout that as proof that CrossFit works just shows your extreme lack of knowledge in the subject matter as anyone with more than a remedial amount of sport science knowledge knows that if something is novel to the body it will experience some kind of breakdown and then adaptation.
It’s not the CrossFit that irritates me it’s the so-called “experts” who get this $1000 certification and think they now anything about physiology, and sport science.
I challenge anyone who thinks they know anything about physiology to make a case for it.
I am uncomfortable with trainers that are certified after less than 20 hours of classes. Almost all students pass, even if they cannot do the crossfit moves. There is just a glancing base knowledge accrued in the fields of Anatomy & Physiology, Chemistry and other bits of vital knowledge, such as proper posture.
Of course most wanna be trainers pass, they pay $1000 to participate and be certified as crossfit trainers in the two day session.
Winners all around. Crossfit makes a few bucks certifying these trainers. These trainers make a serious amount of money when they open their boxes. Crossfit collects their monthly fees from these boxes.
More trainers more boxes, more boxes more money.
Not all trainers are the same, some are more qualified than others. Ultimately, poorly qualified trainers result in poorly trained members and multiple injuries.
Does Greg Glassman even work out? I bet Tony Horton could destroy him at any workout.
Hi man, takes a lot of balls to put up a post like this so I take my hate off to you.
I agree with you brother. Especially with the power cleans. Notice how the name of the exercise is called POWER clean. Power isn’t performed for 30 reps.
you guys can talk and talk over and over again but the reality of the situation is that mr Glassman is one of the most intelligent characters in the fitness industry, by not discovering, but implementing a new system that would encourage people to be fit and change their lives! there is no argument on this!
When u get off your lazy bum and do crossfit for a couple of months then ill listen and see if you have any complaints.
First off I can’t believe I’m even responding to a post which was written in 2009 and I am sure one of my fellow CrossFitters has brought up these points in the comments section but I have better things to be doing than to read through all 64 of them.
It really boils my blood reading posts like this as it is 100% clear that the author has no idea what CrossFit is or what he is talking about.
Our goal is not to be as explosive as possible or to build the most muscle possible. It is to be fit meaning we have balance between cardiovascular endurance, bodyweight strength as well as being able to move external loads (weightlifting).
I could go on and on but I’m already pissed off enough at your ignorance so I’m going to cut this short.
Your statements on the below topics are proof that you really have no idea what your talking a bout.
We only teach people kipping pullups.
The programming is random.
That power cannot be extended into high rep movements.
You guys are idiots to be blunt. Stick to your bicep curls in front of the mirror.
My guess is that when you all check your egos at the door and actually do a little research you will all end up doing CrossFit.
I am on the DISLIKE, list for crossfit. I will agree, it adds great variation and uses some very unique exercises. In concept, crossfit is also great. Very physically demanding, burns tons of calories.
HOWEVER, crossfit has many problems. 1. FORM. If your form is not good, your results will be diminished. I have yet to see a crossfitter squat or clean properly. They literally throw weights around. Which is great way to get hurt, and has proven so throughout crossfit’s history.
2. LACK OF EDUCATION. All it takes to be an oh-so-elite crossfit trainer is $1000 and a CPR certification and pass their exam. Which is a joke by my standards. THAT IS IT. You have those credentials and you are an elite crossfit trainer. WOW. Few of the crossfit trainers have the knowledge of understanding what they are doing to their client’s bodies with these rigorous exercises. Which in turn, IS DANGEROUS.
3. ANYBODY CAN DO CROSSFIT. No they can’t. I seriously doubt you can take a 45yr old woman that is morbidly obese and have her do cleans. Much more keep up with the intensity of crossfit’s workouts.
Overall, I would respect crossfit more if their certification standards were a bit more stringent and if they would clean up their workouts a bit.
As a personal trainer,I try to keep an open mind. I don’t knock something down until I try it. That being said, I have to say that viewing these workouts and then partaking of them screamed DANGER!!! I am a stickler on form and spotting. Yes it’s cool that I can Box jump a few feet in the air and alternate that with some lifts and burpees, but who is paying attention to my well being? I see people stroking they’re own egos because they can out do the next guy;that’s fine I suppose but where is the concern for genuine athletic ability? I have also asked many people,including trainers, what the purpose of crossfit is and what the goals of that particular workout is, and I have yet to get a direct answer. How do you work crossfit into a structured exercise routine? If you want to do crossfit for the sake of bragging rights and competitions, by all means have at it. However I am not convinced that this is a healthy long lasting routine. I feel this crossfit will fade when injuries escelate and athletic results decline. Time will tell. So be safe you crossfitters! I’m going to continue to train the old school way. I would rather have my clients walking at 80 years old rather than hobbling around because of careless training that temporarily got they’re blood pumping. To each they’re own. God bless!
Although I would stop short of calling all the Crossfit points you mentioned crap, you raise some very good points everyone should be aware of before they begin Crossfit.
Crossfit is extremely beneficial for individuals with superior genetics who live a lifestyle that require superior functional strength and conditioning; and I’m not talking about athletes. People who are involved in the military, special forces, elite emergency service units, and other fields that require a high degree of mental discipline, functional strength, and advanced cross-functional aerobic conditioning; are the ideal candidates for the Crossfit curriculum. There is an inherent amount of risk when you train for such demanding cross-functional environments, but that is the risk these elite individuals are willing to take. Lets keep in mind that a Navy Seal started this program which took elements of their training and applied it to the masses. Not everyone is genetically fit to participate in such extreme physcial programming and the average “Joe” is rolling the dice when taking on CrossFit.
I’m glad you brought up these points regarding Crossfit because countless individuals are getting injured and discouraged for attempting their routines.
While your points are valid on the surface they show a clear lack of depth and understanding of the purpose of crossfit. The very purpose of crossfit is to be as fit as possible in as many aspects of physical capacity as possible without maximizing any of them. In order to mazimize any physical attribute or sport you have th specialize so much that other aspects suffer. All of your comments allude to not doing a certain movement to the maximum potential as possible in order to generate a certain result. I have been a Crossfitter(that sounds do cheesey) for over 2 years now since i was 29. I’m pretty small(5′4 127lbs). I have never been as physically strong and as fit overall in my entire life. Now I have been in better cardio shape, I was a nationally ranked speedskater for 15 years. But that just goes to prove my point that crossfit is not meant to take any one specific area of “fitness/athletics” to its maximum potential. Doing crossfit as a part of an entire sport’s regimen will undoubtedly make you better at that sport. It will not make you the best as that requires a tremendous amount of specialization that only the select few that choose to be the best at that sport will follow anyway.
I will now address your points specifically:
1. Crossfit is not for athletes: Completely false. The crossfit I attend has high school football and lacrosse players coming. Those that have chosen not to come have now been superceded by those who do.(see my comments from above too). I do agree that is not for endurance athletes. The 2 types of training are not conducive to optimal combination.
2. Crossfit teaches pull up wrong: Crossfit doesn’t teach them wrong, we have many variations. Each workout specifies what type of pull ups are allowed. There are some that require strict pull ups, L pull ups, chest to bar, etc. This is recurring trend in Crossfit. The emphasis is on completing the exercise as quickly and efficiently as possible while maintaining a safe physiological movement. I can actually kip push ups as well. I can do 41 butterfly pullups and probably around 20 strict. Who’s to say which is correct? I will agree that the amount of training and education variance between crossfits can lead to people getting injuries though.
3. Crossfit is not based on science. Again, you misunderstand the purpose of crossfit. In science you have variables and inputs in order to achieve a certain quantitative result. Crossfit really has no quantifiable goal other than to constantly become stronger and fitter. Its up to the owners to lead their members in instruction and training on lifting and specific movements in order to really increase in strenght. Our members often only come in and work on Oly lifts so we can perform better at those exercises at lower weights during the workout.
4. See point 3.
5. I guess you could say that.
Craig
YESS. CROSS FIT IS LAME AND DANGEROUS…GREAT PULL UPS TO..ALSO IF YOU WANT A BODY WITH NO ARM MUSCLES THEN GO FOR IT.