Crossfit training

[DocMedic]

Don't knock it til you've tried it.

I gave Crossfit THREE serious tries in my life, two of which lasted about a month and the last attempt only lasted for three weeks. And I promise you I NEVER once remember going to the gym and enjoying a WOD, in the end it just felt like work and I wasn't getting the measurable results I wanted. Call me old fashion & boring but I like going to the gym and hitting the free weights hard and being able to concentrate on the full range of motion, isolating muscle groups,and then going on a nice run. Crossfit is for some but not all

Edited February 9, 2012 by DocMedic

[BillGarlandJr]

I started drinking the Crossfit Koolaid about 6 months ago. We have a couple guys where I work who have been doing it for while and are really into it. They convinced our chief to build a gym in an unused area of our building and its really taken off since. Before Crossfitting I did the traditional weights and cardio routines and maintained a decent level of fitness, but it was nothing compared to what I've achieved through CrossFit. Three days a week I'll do whatever our coaches have planned for us, and on two days a week I'll do the strength WOD from the Crossfit Football website. The results have been tremendous. I'm 6'3" and about 250....lean. Since I've been crossfitting whenever my SWAT Team does any kind of running I smoke the other guys. My flexibility and overall mobility has improved a great deal too. Being as tall as I am I have to get into a very low squatting position and maintain it for a period of time when we do slow clears of buildings....its a piece of cake now. I haven't been shooting too much IPSC the last couple months, but I can't wait to see how my newly gained physical ability will translate itself on the range. I really can't say enough good things about it! Something to keep in mind is if you push yourself as you should during a WOD you're going to feel exhausted and like you've had your ass kicked. Don't worry about it! Keep working! The payoff is when you engage in other athletic activities and you can see first hand through your performance how much overall fitness you've gained.

[XRe]

Good stuff, Bill!

[spanky]

Don't knock it til you've tried it.

I gave Crossfit THREE serious tries in my life, two of which lasted about a month and the last attempt only lasted for three weeks. And I promise you I NEVER once remember going to the gym and enjoying a WOD, in the end it just felt like work and I wasn't getting the measurable results I wanted. Call me old fashion & boring but I like going to the gym and hitting the free weights hard and being able to concentrate on the full range of motion, isolating muscle groups,and then going on a nice run. Crossfit is for some but not all

Sure, it's definitely not for everyone. I've done weight/cardio stuff before. With and without a PT. Crossfit is a whole different ballgame for me and I have seen dramatic results (both weight loss and strength increase). Can't ever say I've sacrificed ROM, though.

[spanky]

I started drinking the Crossfit Koolaid about 6 months ago. We have a couple guys where I work who have been doing it for while and are really into it. They convinced our chief to build a gym in an unused area of our building and its really taken off since. Before Crossfitting I did the traditional weights and cardio routines and maintained a decent level of fitness, but it was nothing compared to what I've achieved through CrossFit. Three days a week I'll do whatever our coaches have planned for us, and on two days a week I'll do the strength WOD from the Crossfit Football website. The results have been tremendous. I'm 6'3" and about 250....lean. Since I've been crossfitting whenever my SWAT Team does any kind of running I smoke the other guys. My flexibility and overall mobility has improved a great deal too. Being as tall as I am I have to get into a very low squatting position and maintain it for a period of time when we do slow clears of buildings....its a piece of cake now. I haven't been shooting too much IPSC the last couple months, but I can't wait to see how my newly gained physical ability will translate itself on the range. I really can't say enough good things about it! Something to keep in mind is if you push yourself as you should during a WOD you're going to feel exhausted and like you've had your ass kicked. Don't worry about it! Keep working! The payoff is when you engage in other athletic activities and you can see first hand through your performance how much overall fitness you've gained.

That's good stuff. I can't speak for everyone but I know I've seen substantial improvements in my field course mobility. Hell, as Dave joked about on Facebook, I've found a couple times where I've overrun positions that, in the past, I'd have probably hobbled into.

Edited February 9, 2012 by spanky

[kingdarb]

I gave crossfit a serious try. It just didn't work too well for me. I lost strength doing it and I always felt beat up. I have done bjj for about ten years, and if I did crossfit and bjj on the same day, I always felt flat on the mats. I know some people love it and swear by it, and thats cool. Some people even treat crossfit like a sport in and of itself, which is also fine.

For my part, I seem to get my best results with a high weight low rep weight lifting routine (something like a 5x5) 3 times a week and lsd type cardio another three times a week. That never leaves me burnt out for other activities, and I feel strong with gas in the tank.

[XRe]

BJJ is a pretty major metabolic workout on it's own - you really need to follow a sharp recovery routine if you were going to do CrossFit and BJJ on the same day. No surprise you felt flat - you were doing "2 a days" and probably weren't eating enough (or enough of the right things) at the right times to help make up for it (it's tough to do... for almost anyone except fighters in camp working towards a fight, it's probably not a recommended thing to do... ).

[kingdarb]

Yeah. Its not that crossfit is bad; I think it can be pretty good. For me and what I do however, it just isn't the right fit.

[ramairthree]

Crossfit is great for two reasons.

It is a functional based system. I think a functional based work out, Crossfit or otherwise, is the way to go.

It is scaleable. By time, reps, weight, etc. you can scale to your ability.

In my teens and early 20s, I did a ton or running and functional stuff.

But I was not very strong overall.

In my mid 20s, I did a ton of weight lifting and a lot or running.

It was a good mix.

In my late 20s and mid 30s I did too much weights and not enough running.

Strong as hell, but too fat and too slow and not very functional.

I am the type that gets in great shape with a lot of work out time.

Not enough time to work out or an injury keeping me from working out would quickly have me out of shape.

Late 30s into my 40s had the best of it with Crossfit.

I was very functional with a great mix of strength and aerobic fitness.

I could do 5 muscle ups in a row, bench 315, and run 3 miles in under 21 minutes and do 15 real pullups.

Noting spectacular, but for a guy in the middle of his 40s that weighed over 200 pounds pretty functional.

I had been stronger, faster, more pullups, etc. at various times in the past, but not as well versed in all things at the same time ever.

When I ran sub 6 minute miles and do 30 pull ups, I could only bench 205.

When I could work out with 350 on the bench with no lift off and no sports, I ran like 10 minute miles and had a 40 inch waist and did single digit pull ups.

Two years ago I had a significant wrist injury and spent about a year and a half in and out of casts, surgery, etc.

Not being able to do work outs, and getting out of shape, really underscored another benefit of the Crossfit.

That level of functional fitness kept the effects of other injuries at bay.

Herniated discs, ankle injury, PCL one knee, meniscus the other, separated shoulder were all previous injuries that had their symptoms minimized but a high level of functional fitness.

[Nuke8401]

I started CrossFit yesterday with a 1 hr intro class. Just going through the lifting movements with PVC, empty bar or very light weight. Way sore today! I started dieting (mostly The Zone) the first week of May weighed 225. Yesterday I weighed 215lbs. With a previous ruptured disc, "form" is the highest priority for me. I’m 52 and never really have stuck with any exercise program, I think because the workouts differ almost every day it won’t be boring.

[Flexmoney]

CF wouldn't suck so much if they got somebody to take good pictures of the competitions.

[SmittyFL]

CF wouldn't suck so much if they got somebody to take good pictures of the competitions.

[Flexmoney]

Crap...a bit of a typo there. I think I leave it. LOL

[spanky]

I started CrossFit yesterday with a 1 hr intro class. Just going through the lifting movements with PVC, empty bar or very light weight. Way sore today! I started dieting (mostly The Zone) the first week of May weighed 225. Yesterday I weighed 215lbs. With a previous ruptured disc, "form" is the highest priority for me. I’m 52 and never really have stuck with any exercise program, I think because the workouts differ almost every day it won’t be boring.

Man, that is awesome. I hope you stick to it. I can tell you it won't ever get boring, only more addictive. I'm at it for almost 11 months now. 142 pounds lighter.

[Nuke8401]

Man, that is awesome. I hope you stick to it. I can tell you it won't ever get boring, only more addictive. I'm at it for almost 11 months now. 142 pounds lighter.

Thanks,

I have been watching your posts/progress-142lbs!!!!!! you rock!!!!! ; between you and the "Killing The Fat Man" on CrossFit.com, I finally decieded to do it!

Open Gym yesterday, kind of lost, first Group workout today at 4pm, can't wait! The problem now is juggling CrossFit with range time.

So thanks for being an inspiration and posting.

David E.

[BlueOvalBruin]

There's a new video about a fellow USPSA shooter and Enos member (me) on crossfit journal. The video was filmed a couple months ago so I've lost a bunch more since then and is a very well done video. Gary Roberts from the "Killing the fat man" series produced it, he is a member of our box in Oceanside.

http://journal.crossfit.com/2012/05/cory-magers.tpl

[Nuke8401]

Awsome job Cory, stay with it!

As I sit here and type this I'm 2 weeks into CrossFit and 3 1/2 weeks into diet.

Feel great, sore, but great!

David E.

[Twoyellowlabs]

The Crossfit journal video of Corey is awesome. It definitely will translate into better performance on the range. I have seen Corey go from a good shooter with restricted mobility to people saying "Damn, that guy got fast" I am going into my third month of Crossfit and love it. The first month can suck because you use so many muscles that haven't been worked in years. It seems like you are always sore. After you get over the hump, it can be really addicting. Not only is my strength and flexibility improving, it definitely helps you feel healthier. I definitely recommend it to anyone that wants to improve their shooting.

[Nuke8401]

Today is 4 weeks of CrossFit and 5 1/2 weeks of diet. I average 3-4 workouts a week at the gym. I started at 225 the first week of May and weighted 210 today.

While I've only lost 5 lbs in the past 4 weeks, the benefits I have seen in the past 4 weeks are:

1. The diet of vegetables, lean meat, some fruit and nuts, no added sugar or salt have made me feel like I have much more/constant energy.

2. I have gained some flexibility; I used the Burpee move to get up from prone at a match last week! Much fast than the prone to hands and knees to standing move!

3. Comfortably wore a pair of 38" (42" being the recent norm) Levis that I have had in a drawer for at least 5 years that I could not even get close to wearing before.

There are probably other programs that give good results but for me the combination of weight training, functional movements, cardio and different workouts every time are a winning combination.

I almost look forward to work outs now. Pretty soon I will be able to keep up with some of the girls who work out there.

Did I mention the CrossFit girls? Dang, they are awesome! Much respect indented, they can kick some serious A@#!!!

Forgot to mention, for the first time in my life I learned how to climb a rope! Got one H@#$$ of a rope burn on the shin comming down but dang happy!

David E.

Edited June 17, 2012 by Nuke8401

[Twoyellowlabs]

Coming up on my third month of crossfit. My skinny jeans are loose and my cholesterol is way down. That with more energy and better strength, what's not to like? I will second the statement that it is highly addictive. Starting to feel young and energetic again.

[dsb45acp]

Alright, I'm sipping the Kool-Aid & going for my intro CrossFit session after work today. Pray for me!

[Corey]

Alright, I'm sipping the Kool-Aid & going for my intro CrossFit session after work today. Pray for me!

Its going to be hard. If you recognize that before you go and push through it, you will feel so much better about yourself. Good luck!!!

[Nuke8401]

Alright, I'm sipping the Kool-Aid & going for my intro CrossFit session after work today. Pray for me!

Go for it! Hopefully they will concentrate on form to avoid injury and scale as needed.

I was really sore after my intro, air squats destroyed my legs, hurt to walk, move, or even sleep.

While the workouts won't get any easier you will improve and if you are like me you will go through -excitement to dread to acceptance/looking forward to the workouts.

Besides CrossFit (and I think it goes hand in hand with working out), I think the best thing Ive done is improve my diet, the Zone mostly veggies and lean meat, some fruit & nuts, no added sugar/salt. Wow do I feel better!!!!!

I'm a previous soda addic, haven't had one in almost 12 weeks, tried to drink one on a "cheat" meal and could not get past the first sip.

David E.

Edited August 7, 2012 by Nuke8401

[dsb45acp]

OK so intro workout for time:

Row 500 meters

10 pull-ups (jumping pull-ups)

20 push-ups

30 sit ups

40 squats

Time 17:47

Damn I'm out of shape! But I liked it enough to sign up for 6 months and see how much improvement I can make. I'm planning on working out 3 days a week & dry firing 3 days a week.

[Corey]

That seems to be a fairly standard intro workout. When I did mine, it was the rower, then squats/situps/pushups/pullups. Not sure if order matters or not, its tougher than people think. My time was something terrible like 15 min + and I puked about 5 minutes afterward. I was back 2 days later for another shot. I'd like to do that same workout again now a year later to see how quickly I can do it, especially that I can do regular pullups now. I had to use the green band when I first started.