What do you guys think about crossfit

[TyGiligan]

I know its an expensive workout program, but I started training at a gym thats pretty cheap. 95 a month and you can work out up to 5 days a week with two a days if you choose. I worked out on monday and my ass is still kicked. Its a new workout each time you go in and the group format makes it easy to work your hardest since people are watchin. Ill post my first workout to see what u guys think

1 superset for time 21-15-9 rep scheme:
1. Barbell front squat with press (olympic style) 85lbs
2. Kipping pull ups
Finished it in 12 and a half minutes and im still sore today. My main concern is do you think I could grow doing these type of workouts if I eat a S*** ton. Thanks

 

[Kerpal]

They are very elitist and dogmatic in their approach to training. Also, their programming seems totally random, there doesn't seem to be much reasoning behind how they set up things. And it's very expensive.

Very cult-like.

 

[mrRuckus]

It's not very good for strength training, but is fine for other stuff. I've read a fair deal about it. Even many Crossfitters admit it's not ideal for strength at all and changed to more of a strength program and had a huge jump in strength after a long time of nothing on goofy named crossfit workouts.

It's fine for conditioning and other things if that were more of your goal.

 

[Kerpal]

It's not very good for strength training, but is fine for other stuff. I've read a fair deal about it. Even many Crossfitters admit it's not ideal for strength at all and changed to more of a strength program and had a huge jump in strength after a long time of nothing on goofy named crossfit workouts.

It's fine for conditioning and other things if that were more of your goal.

Not only that, but I bet if you trained with an emphasis on strength for a while and THEN incorporated crossfit style workouts, you'd improve your conditioning faster than if you just went straight to crossfit without building a strength base first. Strength generally acts as a ceiling on all other athletic qualities.

 

[Colossus]

I think it's great for conditioning but not great for size and strength. Crossfit is a good "functional" regime; i.e. if you are a firefighter or police officer, or just want to be generally physically able to do a variety of athletic tasks then it would be a good fit, no pun intended.

However, I agree with Kerpal that they are very elitist and even arrogant with their views, which should always be a red flag. Anytime a particular training trend denounces all other methods as inferior you should avoid them. Most methods have their place and Crossfit is no exception, but it's not going to ubiquitously make you awesome at everything. They are not strong. Strong is relative term, but the criterion standard for human strength will always be in the strength specialists----powerlifters, weightlifters, and strongmen. Crossfitters look at them and say 'oh, they suck at this or that....they arent mobile, they cant do one-legged squats with a kettlebell on their head and then do 20 kip ups and then run a mile'.....well no sh!t genius, they are strength specialists. Extensive conditioning and maximal limit strength do not support each other.

Just have an objective in mind and be wary of absolutist training philosophies.

 

[020204]

It is often referred to as the Scientology of Fitness, aspects are good, I don't mind doing the odd circuit, you need to spend more time on a number of the skills involved. Olympic lifts, kettlebells, gymnastic ring training, concept rowing are all specialty activities in their own right. They are very dogmatic in their approach. Some of the stuff they do is dangerous and the idea of kipping pullups is quite rediculous as it is a way of simplifying a pushup.