So who here does Crossfit? (please no Crossfit haters... it's played out)

[Justin]

The workouts in CrossFit generally appear to be uniform, but underlying the workout as written (or "as prescribed" in the language of CrossFit) is the principle that you are free to modify, or scale, the workout to fit your ability level.

This way, you can talk with a coach before starting the workout to find what will be a challenge at your ability level.

For instance, if you can't do pull ups, they will have you substitute an easier movement that works the same muscle group, like ring rows.

As a general rule, only someone who's exceptionally athletic will be able to complete a workout as prescribed. Almost everyone scales to some extent.

Also, you don't always go to failure. Workouts can be designed a couple of different ways, including doing as many rounds as possible in a time limit, completing a set number of rounds in your own time, or some variation of the above.

Also, I wouldn't characterize CrossFit add weight training either. It's not. Its a schema designed to work towards an ideal of general fitness, and includes a cross section of various kinds of exercise, including body weight stuff, weight lifting, endurance, balance, and mobility.

[Jer]

The workouts in CrossFit generally appear to be uniform, but underlying the workout as written (or "as prescribed" in the language of CrossFit) is the principle that you are free to modify, or scale, the workout to fit your ability level.

This way, you can talk with a coach before starting the workout to find what will be a challenge at your ability level.

For instance, if you can't do pull ups, they will have you substitute an easier movement that works the same muscle group, like ring rows.

As a general rule, only someone who's exceptionally athletic will be able to complete a workout as prescribed. Almost everyone scales to some extent.

Also, you don't always go to failure. Workouts can be designed a couple of different ways, including doing as many rounds as possible in a time limit, completing a set number of rounds in your own time, or some variation of the above.

Also, I wouldn't characterize CrossFit add weight training either. It's not. Its a schema designed to work towards an ideal of general fitness, and includes a cross section of various kinds of exercise, including body weight stuff, weight lifting, endurance, balance, and mobility.

Thanks man. You touched on a couple of points/questions I missed.

Scaling movements is a big part of it and you have to know what you're body can and can't do. For instance, for those pull ups I mentioned they have giant elastic bands. You figure out how many you need of what colors to do a certain number of struct pull ups or chest to bars or whatever the movement is. You note that and then you know next time and your goal is to adjust the scaling down as much as you can. This is how you get stronger and better at movements and this is all done on-the-fly so to speak as needed. Last night I had to yell at one of the coaches to drop my weight 10lbs on the Snatch because it was too much for the amount of rounds & reps we were doing. He rushed over, stripped weights and added the proper plates while I did my pull ups and burpees and by the time I got to snatch again the right weight was on there for the home-stretch of the workout. As many exercises and movements there are there's probably 100x more ways to scale them back for your skill level. It's cool to watch the guys/girls that have been there for a while doing unsupported handstand pushups and one-handed hand stands and then see where I am in the progression and know that if I just keep pushing myself even at the scaled back version I'm currently on I will get to that level eventually. It's fun.

There was a time when I wanted to be comic book huge and I lifted metric butt-tons of weight and ate like a horse in an effort to achieve that goal. I also know professional body builders and the goals of both of those people is NOT health. I don't care what you try to see either because there are many ways that being huge is worse for your health. My goal now is first to lose weight since I'm overweight and feel like my joints will thank me for it (one of those reasons body building is counter-productive to health) and then I want to gain mobility, balance, strength, cardiovascular health and not in that order either. The good thing about Crossfit is that I don't have to think about what I need to do or what to focus on... I just show up and prepare to work harder than I did last time for an hour. You do that and you can't help but get healthy in every measurable aspect.

[Dave_L]

I just show up and prepare to work harder than I did last time for an hour. You do that and you can't help but get healthy in every measurable aspect.

That is why I keep a journal so I can make sure that I'm pushing myself each rep and exercise. A lot of people go to the gym, dont track their efforts and put no thought into a routine. That doesn't get maximum results. But my gym only costs $20/month so the money saved is due to me having to put in the time to make my routine.

CrossFit is a good thing. It provides a welcoming environment and a structure so people don't have to build their own. It's just not for me. Im happy you found a niche and are staying with it. That's all that matters. I'm 6'1 and 198 lbs (give or take) so I'm not beastly huge but Im not a lean machine either. Im right where I want to be.

I follow the thread because I like seeing people get healthier. I have huge issues with people that bitch about their weight but do nothing about it. Maybe because I was a fat kid and had to do weight watchers during middle school. Let me tell ya how cool that makes you in that age group. Lol.

Also, Kips are not pull-ups. But that's neither here nor there.

[hurley842002]

I follow the thread because I like seeing people get healthier. I have huge issues with people that bitch about their weight but do nothing about it.

Agree ^^

I think everyone posting in this thread can get on board with this statement.

[Irving]

Agree ^^

I think everyone posting in this thread can get on board with this statement.

Not me. I just like arguing.

[hurley842002]

Not me. I just like arguing.

Lol

[Great-Kazoo]

Not me. I just like arguing.

You do? I'm off to one of the 3 - 4 Ebola threads, running in 2 different forums.

[Irving]

You do? I'm off to one of the 3 - 4 Ebola threads, running in 2 different forums.

Great, Ebola spread right out of Texas into this thread. When will it end?!

[Jer]

That is why I keep a journal so I can make sure that I'm pushing myself each rep and exercise. A lot of people go to the gym, dont track their efforts and put no thought into a routine. That doesn't get maximum results. But my gym only costs $20/month so the money saved is due to me having to put in the time to make my routine.

CrossFit is a good thing. It provides a welcoming environment and a structure so people don't have to build their own. It's just not for me. Im happy you found a niche and are staying with it. That's all that matters. I'm 6'1 and 198 lbs (give or take) so I'm not beastly huge but Im not a lean machine either. Im right where I want to be.

I follow the thread because I like seeing people get healthier. I have huge issues with people that bitch about their weight but do nothing about it. Maybe because I was a fat kid and had to do weight watchers during middle school. Let me tell ya how cool that makes you in that age group. Lol.

Also, Kips are not pull-ups. But that's neither here nor there.

Yep, we have journals too. We track all sorts of stuff.

I agree about the kipping pull-ups thing and have yet to do a single one. To me they look silly as shit but I'm sure once I get up to that level I'll find that (like anything) if you do enough of them it's a workout. lol

When I get to that bridge I'll see if I'm going to cross it or not. I can always modify to do something else since there's like a dozen different pull up movements in Crossfit.