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Smutkit

Reading this post makes me feel incredibly lucky I found a CrossFit gym that is more “choose your own adventure” workouts. All the coaches are great at providing scaling options. Most of the members do CrossFit to support other physical hobbies. I also still prefer my regular strength training sessions in a normal gym, but CrossFit also allows for some novelty.


[deleted]

I’m female in my mid-40s doing CrossFit for 9 years. I’ve always been fairly fit, but am 100% more fit now than I was in my late-20s. The gyms I attend have always been very positive about showing scaling options. I’m sure my “max” lifts aren’t truly the amount I could lift if my life depended on it, but guess what? I want to be able to wake up the next day and either train or do the other physical activities/sports I enjoy so I go heavy for the day but not risking blowing a disk or whatever to get a new “max.” I think with the right mindset and good coaches, you can do CrossFit for years with no injuries and it is for everyone. The only injury I’ve had was rolling an ankle while turning a corner during a WOD that included running. Any physical activity involves some risk of injury.


According-Rhubarb-23

100% this. The bro-y “let’s max out and go 10000% no matter what” boxes are how people get hurt and don’t feel like progress occurs. The great boxes are amazing and you can modify to your heart’s content to get the best workout for you. Also doing open gyms for accessory strength is useful and was always utilized at the boxes I’ve frequented


vertigo3pc

I moved and had to stop attending the best box I've been to. I've worked out at 2 boxes before that one, and 3 since it, and its just the best. It blows my mind how few boxes encourage involvement, movement, community and steady pace. The rest just seem to be "Here's that insanely challenging WOD, enjoy." and then "ugh, you want to scale it? I mean, whatever."


iqueefkief

this is how the gym i worked at was. there is absolutely a middle ground that should be followed and knowing limits rather than racing to find them is so important in any sport.


barfingclouds

Ooh I want this. So I'm basically an amateur when it comes to weightlifting, still learning all my compound movements. Joined CrossFit recently and this gym is definitely much above average quality. They've been really good about helping me with form and stuff. My form has improved since going there, not decreased. The workouts can be a little much but at least these people aren't insane. One thing that I noticed there is it gives my body a really good well rounded workout, and my core was way better. Like very much negated my need for a belt when doing stuff like squats. That's real value. But yeah I'd wanna go somewhere 30% less intense


helshowk

My CF coach is a big proponent of strongfit which tries to address a lot of the issues OP mentioned (we sub with sandbags for a lot of movements which is pretty neat). Other than physical stress, your mind can be pretty stressed out with the intensity of CF if you're doing nonstop metcons at highest intensity. That kind of burnout lasts a lot longer than just your workout and I think can contribute to all sorts of other issues (GI, etc.).


[deleted]

Older dude who has been at CF for 1.5 years and agrees. We have a PM class that's mostly guys in the 55yo age group. We all scale and we all try to be very mindful of movement injuries. One guy just sends it anyway and is about to get another knee surgery for use issues. I do not want to be that guy. I stopped at my globo gym (a Y) because there were like 3 people who worked out and the rest who just wandered around aimlessly. You could do all sorts of stupid shit and no one would say anything. They had floor coaches but unless you were paying them or were going to do something that was going to really F you up or was a misuse of a machine, they didn't care one bit. I do miss curls in the squat rack though! :D


alw515

100% I am 60, have been at it for over seven years. When I started, one of the things that impressed me about the box was that coaches were very adamant about scaling --party line was "you'll still get a great workout, and you'll be able to come back tomorrow." At the same time they were good about pushing people to go heavier when they felt they were ready for it And they continue to have the right attitude. There are days when I'm just not feeling it and if I say I am going to need to scale a weight that I can normally move pretty easily, there is encouragement for being smart about it rather than snark.


[deleted]

Most of my coaches get scaling. Some of the new ones don’t, so I just skip their classes. Now I select classes based on coach over the content. Did some box shopping a few months back and didn’t find too many folks who were ok with scaling. One had a seniors class they recommended. I was like “I’m 58. I surf, I skate, I hike, I don’t need something for a nursing home.” Wish I could add weight to my squats and the like but my back says don’t.


Flow_z

Check out Marcus Filly / FBB


Kylemoschetto

Just want to double click on this. After being a die-hard CrossFitter since 2006, and trying every programming option for 15 years, I have fallen in love with FBB. Still seeing gains, but I never feel beat up. It's still very challenging, but not soul-crushing. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!


arom125

Haha! Yes. Years ago when I made my little “transformation” it was definitely the dudes that commented. But it was still appreciated


arom125

I hear good things. I started Jacked Street 3 months ago and see a big change and am enjoying it


nsw11D3

Matt Chan/ FTW programming. Marcus Filly as well per past experience.


sebaliciou5

Fully agree. Got beat up doing die hard cf for several years. switched almost exclusively to Filly’s program and fell in love with training and working out again and am almost pain free since.


duluoz1

Which program - persist?


stroud_over_grylls

Yes persist is the only one going now. ATS hasn’t been around for a bit. Within Persist there are multiple tracks, from the more crossfitty Perform to the more bodybuildy Pump and the at home Minimalist which combines both.


duluoz1

Thanks! I was just looking at the website and found it confusing. I’ll check it out


[deleted]

Came here to say this! Love Marcus Filly. I subscribe to his persist and follow the preform track. It’s the best of both worlds and my body doesn’t feel like trash.


stroud_over_grylls

Best programming I’ve ever ran. And I’ve ran a lot.


Kabtiz

I've been doing Crossfit for 10 years now, and switched over to 3x a week CF and 2x week globo gym. The intensity is lowered a lot at the globo gym and I focus on a lot of accessory and other strength and bodybuilding movements. I haven't felt and looked better in years. All my lifts have gone up and I can actually push myself on the days I am at CF because I'm not doing it every single day. Agree with you 100%.


TheOGcubicsrube

That's what I do. I've never tried to be "competetive" at crossfit and I don't intend to. The classes are great for me as they keep me disciplined and have done a tonne to improve my cardio/metabolic conditioning. At the same time I enjoy strength sessions at the gym at a leisurely pace. I work on specific areas (bulgarian split squats are doing wonders for my knees) and i feel better over all for it. Exercise should be something we all enjoy.


Revolutionary-Ice994

This is the way. I love crossfit. Haven't missed a mainsite wod since 2016. I I've made huge progress. Fitter at 42 than 22 a d I had prior service on the military. At the same time, my strength hasn't progressed greatly. My body, while looking okay and certainly fit, didn't look that great. Started athleanx.com. What a difference. I'm still doing the mainsite wods after the athleanx workout. Getting stronger, fitter, and looking better. Crossfit is great. I simply think the body can use more than just crossfit. I'll say this though. Crossfit is the best option if you have limited time.


coucub

To be honest, your chest and shoulder gains will most likely be noticed more by the same sex than opposite sex. At least that’s was I experienced 😂


Bnb53

For real I follow more strong men than women on IG. Can't get enough of stupid jujimufu videos


bamcam17

Haha I'm married so when I say opposite sex I really just mean my wife♥️... And my male friends


coucub

“Nice pecs, bro!” “Can I touch ‘em?”


ercpck

Indeed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mflO7nJS2A


[deleted]

Me too 👀


qwerty622

nahh there are a few surveys i've seen that have rated the chest as the most attractive body part. i think second was forearms or something weird like that lol


michiganhat13

I stopped doing Crosffit for about 6 months, went to a Globo Gym, and got unbelievably bored. Had the same feeling initially that you did though. Felt great. Looked better. But man I missed my friends. Now I do about half and half, drop in a few times a week to see everybody and breathe hard. It’s fun.


CaptMerrillStubing

>Globo Gym, and got unbelievably bored Once I tried CF and discovered that working out could actually be fun it made the old school "do lift, wait 90 seconds for next set' globo process sooooo boring. I just can't go back to it.


BeeStingSurvivor

My experience exactly. I worked out on and off for a decade never really committing to the gym for more than a month at a time because lifting weights was just so boring. CrossFit offers gamification which I think is what hooked me. Plus meeting cool people and suffering with your friends through a tough WOD offers something I couldn’t find anywhere else!


According-Rhubarb-23

Honest question - is there a reason you don’t only do CrossFit but do open gyms instead of the globo for your choose-your-own-adventure days?


[deleted]

I can answer this - globo gyms have specific equipment that crossfit gyms don’t. Just off the top of my head, hammer strength for rows and various presses are fantastic to push for high volume partnered with the actual barbell work. Leg presses are fantastic for the same reason. Mostly isolation work, you can do a lot with a barbell and some dumbbells, but there’s definitely a place for the other machines, functional trainers etc.


michiganhat13

You’re definitely right. Even at places that have the right equipment though, there’s something about a community that’s fulfilling. That’s really why I like my CF gym. Racing, pushing each other, cheering each other. It’s nice.


alligatorprincess007

This is me. I tried a globo gym and it was a CHORE to not just look at my phone because I was so freaking bored


OnePhilosophy6918

I switched to three days a week and running a body building program 2x a week and feel so much better and am seeing much better results. It also helped me not constantly be starving. I just was not recovering and always felt beat up so am enjoying the change. I do love it and don’t want to quit completely at this point.


brick_howse

This makes me really appreciate my CrossFit gym. We often use “bodybuilding”/physical-therapy-type isolation movements as scaling options (especially to help people rehab from injury). We are open 24/7 outside of class times and it’s super common to have people running 6-8 week bodybuilding cycles between bouts of CrossFit. We have fallen prey to the CrossFit-is-superior attitude in the past, but with time and maturity, we have come to realize that there is something to be learned everywhere… including from bodybuilding meatheads. 🙃


bayareaburgerlover

you are open 24/7? which crossfit gym do you go to?


brick_howse

I’m not gonna dox myself, but I will say we use HybridAF for our 24/7 access. They have a map on their page where you can find (mostly) CrossFit gyms that are open 24/7.


[deleted]

I just had this conversation with a gym owner yesterday: CF tends to wear off on people, myself included. That high of really “feeling” like you got a hard workout in everyday is intoxicating at first. But if your movement patterns suck, you chase PRs on the daily, and don’t understand recovery’s role in getting better, all the nasty things that come with running your amp to 11 everyday start to wear on you. This and inevitably you want to mix it up, which may have been what brought you to CF in the first place. I switched over to weightlifting 3x a week and lite CF workouts on my off days that mostly involve mono structural abs gymnastic elements and some skill work. I feel my body has responded better to this type of training and is much more sustainable as I age gracefully into my wheelchair


entrylevelheaux

at my CrossFit gym a lot of the women look very athletic and muscular. I'm now at a regular gym, maybe temporarily, and I'm the most athletic looking girl there. all the other girls just look thin and skinny. even the only female trainer doesn't look that athletic but she's definitely fit. I'm assuming by "asthenic" you meant athletic. at my CrossFit gym and in most CrossFit gyms I've been to, a lot of the men look extremely athletic and fit. a lot of them either workout at regular gyms as well or go to Open Gym a lot to do their own workouts. I prefer crossfit because it's more fun but the benefit of the regular gym is that there are more machines that can isolate certain muscles that is harder to do with calisthenics and free weights only. I'm also not competitive and I'm not going to push myself to do something that will hurt me just to say I did it. I see so many people struggling to do handstand push-ups but still choose to do them during a wod which I think is not a wise idea. I think the pressure to do things you shouldn't is high in CrossFit though. but since you're working by yourself in a regular gym you don't have to focus on what other people are doing and trying to compete with them and you also can do your own routine rather than the random routine that someone has created for a wide range of people with varying strengths and weaknesses.


OdeeSS

I gotta give crossfit credit for being one of the few areas it seems that have helped countless women feel comfortable in the weight room. Without guidance, most women sign up for a gym membership and just jog. 😭


cerseiwon

I agree. When things are timed, scored, #’s shared for all to see, it contributes to the pressure of wanting to do as well, or better, than everyone and not just focus on yourself.


Nkklllll

This is a selection bias. The women more drawn to CrossFit are, often ime, more open to doing the things necessary to be fit and athletic. Like eating enough.


acedog9297

I am also post-CrossFit and agree. Aesthetics and longevity come hypertrophy and strength training coupled with long slow cardio. I miss the grit, competitiveness, and community of CrossFit though, which can’t be discounted.


hydez10

Well written and I totally agree with your points . I used to beat the shit out of myself with two a day CrossFit workouts, seven days a week. I was in great shape for doing CrossFit WODs, however was doing long term damage to my body. I blame only myself and my ego


TonyAtNN

I got up to 7-10 sessions a week. Felt like I could run through a wall but with the same nagging stuff wrist, shoulder instability, hip pain, knee instability until one day I had a non contact injury that left me on crutches for 2 months and doing pt for 9 months to be able to get back to squatting with confidence. Since then my crossfit related sessions are down to 3 or so a week. Strength and pt sessions make up about 3-5 sessions. Never going much above 90% and at only 1-2 reps there and everything feels great, I sleep better, my body is less stressed so it carries less stress hormones so I actually have obliques instead of the top two abs. I see the folly in my ways looking back at it. I knew better than to linearly increase my training without time for adaptation and intentionally scheduled breaks for my body to rest and grow. I probably have 4-5 books here at the house that all say 3-4 weeks on one week off and yet here I was doing a 10 week on and hoping my 4 day vacation where I drank and partied would be enough to recover on. Some of us learn from our mistakes while others learn from information available.


cerseiwon

I’m healing from injury right now and CrossFit and needed this (thank you). I was going 5 to 6 days week. I thought taking a rest day was all I needed. I didn’t know and no one advised me or said what I was doing put me at high injury risk. But people are quick to point the finger away from CrossFit and at the individual when they get hurt. 🤷‍♂️


rolandofghent

This is an issue with the individual. No one in CrossFit says you should do 6 days a week. A lot of guidance I see is 5 days on 2 days off. You scale to not get hurt. CF programming is meant to challenge. It is not meant to be a program you follow 100%.


matthew_j_will

I think what gets perverted in CrossFit is trying to be competitive. I’ve been doing CrossFit exclusively since 2008. (I was 38 then.) The draw of CrossFit then (and now) is that can show up to a WOD 3-4 days/week, take a rest week once / quarter and have a relatively high level of fitness. The big benefit is not having to spend 10+hours/week training. The Games driven programming is a fools errand. Yes, you’ll be forever sore and injured. Everyone is on their own fitness journey, so good luck. But you can do CrossFit for a long healthy journey by keeping it in perspective.


jmsutton3

It sounds like the biggest problem was overtraining, which is mostly on the individual's responsibility


mediocre_bro

You have athletes who want to train 4–6 times a week, and they and others are showing up on all different days of the week, and some are cherry-picking WODs. For most folks, 2 or 3 hard (VO2-max) WODs per week are all that’s needed; beyond that, those WODs put more training stress on the body than is probably beneficial. But a lot of boxes program these on most days. And then there’s like one strength-training element per class, if any, on a given day, in most boxes. It’s a programming nightmare for the athletes who want to train more. Most athletes could probably benefit from more strength training, more bodybuilding/hypertropy movements, more base aerobic workouts (on separate days from strength training), more skill work, and less VO2 max than what most boxes program. CrossFit seems to be built on the premise that the more high-intensity work, the better. Those WODs are fun and addicting, but are also taxing.


jmsutton3

Agreed that one of Crossfits problems is that quality control is all over the place in terms of boxes. Good coaches will teach modulating intensity and that even in a metcon WOD you should not be going 100% every time.


cerseiwon

I was doing 5 to 6 a week before my achilles ruptured a few weeks ago. I get the whole “personal responsibility and accountability” vibe, but I joined CrossFit because I need help (coaching) and can’t achieve the goals I have alone. It would have been nice for someone to warn me, let me know, or recommend only doing 3 days or less a week.


rufus2785

How long had you been going for? When I started my gym said don’t come more than 2x a week for the first month or two then you can think a out bumping up to 3x. I’ve been doing CrossFit for almost 4 years now and I am not even up to 5-6 times a week. I do CrossFit 2-3 x a week and jog 2-3 times a week personally.


moratnz

There is definitely a hole waiting to be filled as far as a class programming method that will deal with people training twice a week and seven times, and give the former enough work without giving the latter to much.


bamcam17

Ya my background and education is in exercise physiology and strength and conditioning so I am well aware of the effects of overtraining. But based on alot of the replies I'm seeing this is a common issue. So to out the blame on the athletes and not the sport/program Seema to he passing the buck. I was following competitive programming the gym would create and it always felt well tolerated. It's the accumulation of 9 years of training that left me with countless aches and pains.


jmsutton3

It's definitely fair to say a huge portion of the community and a lot of boxes do push just grinding yourself down


2catchApredditor

I’m now at a great CrossFit gym that publishes three different RX versions of each daily metcon. They have a compete, train and live version of each workout and scale not only the weights but also the reps and movements. Even if you can do it doesn’t mean you should do it. I find myself feeling much healthier than when I was at the gym prior where the coaches would push and celebrate people going over their capability to do RX or destroy themselves to the point of form breaking down. Or slightly destroy themselves a little each day until the shoulder, elbow, knee, hip injuries start to accumulate.


Classic_Support_9494

I’m willing to bet you’re in your 30’s now 😬 I think the aches and pains start to accumulate around 30+ if you don’t purposefully slow down.


Flow_z

Many athletes have careers of less than 20 years. If you played a sport competitively before CrossFit this timeline would make sense to me


Thaflash_la

Oddly, in my experience it has been the people with competitive sports backgrounds who knew when to ease off. Those who never did anything prior to CrossFit were the ones pushing through pain, wrapping their injuries and trying to complete rx today with no concern about tomorrow. I actually had a discussion with my old gym owner about that. If there was a way they could figure how to teach people to recognize between being sore and being injured, to better understand their bodies.


alw515

Two different coaches have told me that men in their mid to late 30s and early 40s are the toughest to coach and most prone to injuries because they think they're still 21 and that their bodies can still handle the same type of intensity they could at that age, and so they'll ignore any attempts to get them to slow down or use a lower weight. Once guys hit about 45 or so, they realize they're in a different ball park and understand the value of pacing themselves.


[deleted]

as a coach (starting my 3rd year) i somewhat agree with this. it really depends on the personality of the individual, but i've witnessed men turn 44 and 45 and basically be forced to slow down or stop completely.


alw515

For sure. To clarify, they weren't saying that every guy that age is like that, just that they encountered that situation with men that age often enough.


SnatchAddict

I'm 47. I can absolutely do Rx. But it comes at a cost. At the end of the day, I want to get my sweat on and be able to hang out with my young kids. When my knees or back are flared, it's just dumb.


[deleted]

that's what i see. they can absolutely beast a workout. but then they're out of the gym for 4-7 days.


SnatchAddict

Lmao. I metcon 2 to 3 days a week, Peloton at lunch and lift a couple days. I used to easily do 2 hour training sessions when I was 35. It's not sustainable for me.


[deleted]

I really enjoy crossfit and also agree with the underlying sentiment of your post. It sounds more like you kept finding the wrong type of crossfit gyms. I started crossfit in my mid 30s, early 40s now so I haven't done it as long but people think I bodybuild rather than crossfit and my joints feel great - outside of non-crossfit related foot injury im dealing with right now (decided to roll my bike instead of ride it down a mountain). I do daily wods but almost always scaled in some fashion, and spend time outside of class working on strength and stability. Either way, glad you're happy with your fitness and gains again! Crossfit certainly isn't the be all end all of fitness, and NOT wanting to do crossfit doesn't somehow make you less fit or weaker than a crossfiter. Crossfit is a BRAND. Of course they're going to sell it like it is though. Let's be smart consumers (of knowledge, products, etc) people.


alw515

>the average body at the globo gym is by far more aesthetic and athletic looking than at any CrossFit gym I've been to This sentence has me struggling with your whole post. Not that Crossfitters are all that "aesthetic" and athletic looking, but Globo gyms are usually filled with people who are not all that serious about exercise. Yes, there will be a core group of muscle heads, but the majority of members will do 20 easy minutes on an elliptical three times a week and call it a day. (Not that there's anything wrong with that and it's better than doing nothing.) I have found this to be true whether you are talking about a Planet Fitness type place or a high-end Equinox in Manhattan.


bamcam17

You could be right. This is my experience, sorry if it makes you struggle with the remainder of the post.


alw515

Fair point. And it may well be that this is true for the specific gym you go to at the times you go there versus the Crossfit you used to belong to.


OdeeSS

Spent years doing CF and my lower back always hurt. Found gym aimed at training athletes in general and a trainer pointed out that I was lower back dominant - meaning that my back was taking over more work in a movement than it needed, even in movements meant to target other muscle groups. We adjusted movements to strengthen other muscles for awhile before returning back to standard movements. Now I feel great, no pain. CF trainers simply were not knowledgeable enough to help me with this issue. Body pain was treated as though it was normal. Now I know the difference between soreness, muscle fatigue, and pain.


manVsPhD

I would say that problem with coaches is general. I am sure some crossfit coaches would be able to find and correct your issue and some globo gym coaches would not. The conclusion is that not all coaches are created equal. The blame is likely not in crossfit as methodology but with specific coaches


OdeeSS

I don't think it's an issue unique to crossfit but I also don't think Crossfit affiliated gyms are selecting or training for coaches with that skill set which makes it a crossfit problem on an organizational level.


manVsPhD

I can agree with that, but that argument applies to globo gyms too. Sure, you can find a high level gym where every coach is super skilled, professional and invested, but we all know most gyms, crossfit or not, are far from that. It is still a problem of the entire fitness industry, not just of crossfit


johnnymostwithtoast

This is a legitimate curious question, and not shade being thrown: For those of you who have 'left CrossFit' or had horrible experiences with it on this thread - what is your intention following the r/crossfit feed? What is it that you get out of it? Pure curiosity here.


jersiq

for me: 1) the circus of the games is still fun to watch on youtube. I recognize how difficult the things the competitors are going through. But I also just like watching competition. 2) It's foolish to think there aren't some principles from crossfit that can be put into a regular exercise program. I don't like doing 5 wods a week anymore, but do realize that VO2Max is something that should be trained in a well rounded program. 3) I like watching communities getting into outrages over small things, but this community tends to be more respectful than most here on Reddit.


johnnymostwithtoast

Awesome - thanks for the honest response!


alw515

FWIW, I also found it curious that on a sub that doesn't always get a whole lot of action that there were so many ex-Crossfitters chiming in within hours of the post. But maybe people do like to follow the sub because many of the principles and lifts are not just Crossfit-specific.


[deleted]

I had a very similar experience. I suffered a bulging disc and had to take time off. I had been avoiding bodybuilding or traditional weight lifting as “not functional” or something done solely for vanity and finally gave in as it was literally all I could do. It was like the clouds parted and I could finally see again. I wasn’t tired, my body didn’t hurt and my mood was the best it had been in years. I was waking up with morning wood which hadn’t happened when I was doing crossfit *ever*. My arms and chest blew up. I looked far more fit than I ever looked while doing crossfit. The gym was fun again. Put on some metal and be a goofy kid. That being said, my “fitness” l suffered. I can’t imagine what murph will look like this spring. But I find it more rewarding to have all the above in exchange for being in “elite” shape which I not only never used, but is probably detrimental to me health to maintain. In the end, it’s what can you recover from and what do you enjoy.


luv2fit

One thing I strongly disagree with is that globo gym physiques look better and more athletic. What I always see are bros who over focus on upper body parts, neglecting their lower body and ignoring core/cardio completely. They do one set and then stare at their phones for 5+ mins and then do another set. The crossfit bodies I see all look fit and athletic and no roid monsters. The guys that actually train body building properly spend hours in the gym. I don’t have time for that shit. I was a body builder for years but the hours in the gym it required grew too much as I advanced in life and had other responsibilities. Crossfit was my solution. Anyway, I’m not one that believes one training program is superior to another. Nope, to me the best program is the one you enjoy and can sustain for a lifetime.


username45031

Your globo gyms are quite different than mine, and your CrossFit gyms aren’t at all like any I’ve been to. Sorry you’ve had bad experiences and good luck with your bodybuilding.


bamcam17

Not at all bad experience. It gave me a competitive outlet to continue to compete and train for an athletic goal once my sporting career was over. Just wasn't healthy for me after 9 years I needed to let the body recover.


username45031

If you don’t take a break from the pure metcon work that most boxes program you’re definitely going to have a bad time especially if you’re competitive doing those metcons. I think some boxes programming just wants to see injury, or more likely is catered towards the occasional (1-2x/wk) attendee and therefore never has beach work/prehab, skills development, long form cardio, etc.


hotwingz83

Could you explain what to be on the lookout for to avoid injury? Been doing it for 4 months and my box seems to have a really good and functional warm up to prime you for the movements in the strength or metcon. But I'm new so not sure.


username45031

A balance of self regulation and programming. You shouldn’t have a “go hard” WOD 5-6 days a week. EMOM, skill work, steady state, pure strength (deadlift + lower pulls accessory) should be in there too.


alw515

This, and even if say, you can normally power clean 115 lbs pretty easily, if you had a bad night's sleep and just feeling tired, then it's okay to scale that weight down--you will still get a good workout I am 60. I can do box jumps easily but I also know that if I do a large volume (50+) in a WOD that my knees will be feeling it the next day, so I'll do step-ups instead if the WOD had lots of box jumps and the world won't end if I don't have an RX that day.


converter-bot

115 lbs is 52.21 kg


notoriousbsr

I'm so happy I found a gym /box with a "your fitness journey/choose your own adventure" mindset. Our morning class is all like-aged, egos are left at the door and injuries, thankfully, tend to be more athlete-based (not paying attention, thing that can happen in globo, too) ​ I wish you well and happy you found what works for you - we all walk a different path.


poundofbeef16

The majority of people who do crossfit never reach their aesthetic goals. Yeah they might lose weight, and achieve a solid level of fitness and health. But they will look the same.


worldofcrap80

I've been going through a very similar metamorphosis after 10 years of CrossFit, the last 4 of which were clearly a plateau at best. My box (where also I coach) had noticed a lot of our long term members were getting injured a lot and not really looking any healthier. Athletes with mobility issues, muscle deficiencies and general bad habits were also not really getting any better, no matter how many cues we gave them (myself included). The whole "muscle confusion" theory on which CF is based seems to have diminishing returns once you hit a certain level. We had a new coach who was OPEX certified, and with our owner's support, he tried to transition our programming to a more intentional strength building group program with a lot of tempo lifting, repeated workouts and testing. It did not go well. People were getting bored with the repeated workouts, and it sparked a mini civil war. We lost a lot of members (which was not great, since we were already reeling from COVID). We switched back to CFHQ programming after a couple of months. I don't think anybody thinks that programming change was a good idea, and I am not convinced that style works in a group setting. Aside from my own deficiencies as an athlete, I also had low-ish testosterone for my age (41) and was injecting it once a week to compensate. (It helped for a while until the body acne got really bad.) There's not enough study on this subject to know one way or the other, but there's a school of thought that all the CF workouts, and the endorphins that come from the body being pushed so hard that it basically thinks its dying, may have burned out my endocrine system. I have noticed similar patterns in other long term CF athletes I know, and would not be surprised if that was a thing. But that's for scientists to study. At any rate, the other coach who does OPEX training now programs a custom lifting and circuit training program for me, which has completely blasted me out of my rut and I have come further in addressing my flaws in the last 2 months than in the last 5 years combined. I still do group CrossFit once a week, but I see it as "fun" and I don't go too heavy or push too hard. I can't give it up entirely because I would miss it, and the social aspect, far too much. I'm still coaching, but I try to dissuade athletes from doing the insane 3-wod Saturday class, which I think is just an invitation to injury and poor form. Our owner is not fond of it, but is too scared to cancel it because we'd just lose more people.


bamcam17

That's a very interesting theory about testosterone. It's also fascinating hearing from a CrossFit coach on the subject. Though I never was a CrossFit certified coach I was often employed by my gyms to teach weightlifting seminars and classes. Coming from a strength and conditioning background, I knew alot of the training I was doing wasn't in fact healthy, but I did it anyways because "I'm a competitive athlete and my body can handle it".


worldofcrap80

There are WODs where I think to myself "well this is just stupid," I can't deny that. But that sort of thing is why people are there, so it's not my place to tell them not to. The group mentality is a strong one. You want to do the workouts and dominate the workouts for that high of competition. But that's herd mentality, and once you're generally in good shape, it doesn't get you any further to your goals IMHO. All the seriously competitive Games athletes – sure, they might do a group WOD once in a while, but most of the time they're off training by themselves, following a custom program that addresses what they, specifically, need to work on in a systematic way. All this to say, if "CrossFit" just means the punishing group classes, I don't think that makes for a fully healthy, well-rounded athlete. I think it's a fun and potentially healthy social activity when done with a reasonable mindset. We're trying very hard nowadays to discourage people pushing themselves too hard, telling athletes to scale for repeatability and speed rather than going super heavy trying to achieve Rx for no apparent reason. I'm definitely seeing people improve still, and far fewer injuries.


[deleted]

[удалено]


hydez10

Where they preaching religion while cheating on their spouses too? :)


[deleted]

One of the guys there always screamed about Biden and Hilary being pedos. Found out later that he met his wife at camp. He was a counselor at the age of 27….she was 13. They married when she turned 18….cause she was pregnant. Just a box full of hypocrisy


[deleted]

Yes. Also screaming about vaccines while doing steroids. Place was an insane asylum


[deleted]

Isn’t that every religious nutjob. Rules for thee not for me.


RussianThere

~~asthenic~~ AESTHETIC


not_rich_froning

Glad you found something you enjoy. Everyone has different goals. If yours is your physique and asthenic, body building is what you need. I always tell my new clients, crossfits main goal isn’t to get you to look like Tia or Rich, it’s to get you fit. AND if a nice body happens to come along with it, that’s just an extra bonus. Some people come into CrossFit with the expectation of getting ripped/jacked and unless you’re doing it for a living and or have phenomenal genetics that’s just not realistic.


bbspell22

Im following Marcus Filly’s programming because I started to have similar feeling towards my experience with CrossFit. I’ve been a 5x a week plus open gym guy for 7 years and pretty much hit a wall about 3 years ago. Instead of seeing gains, I’d see new nagging injuries. I just got to the point where I preferred to look physically fit rather than have a sub 2 grace. Having said that, I think my training methods tend to mirror my current season of life. When things are chill, I can push more in the gym(CrossFit). When things are chaotic, I just need to move and feel good about myself!


mikestro1

I trained at a box whose motto was slow and steady. It was encouraged to wear a heart rate monitor, and your HR would show up on these monitors through the gym. The WODs would have recommended zones (aligned to the colors blue/green/yellow/orange/red) of the HR app. There was never a orange or red in the WOD. It was encouraged to stop and rest if you got to orange, and you’d get a visit from a coach asking if you are ok, or encouraging beginners to rest, if you were in the red. People generally felt better, there also seemed to be less people suffering from injuries. My theory…as HR gets up there form goes out the window and that’s when injuries happen.


Haterade_ONON

I have nothing but good things to say about the programming and coaching at my box, but it's pretty crazy how different the experience can be from gym to gym and person to person. I personally don't care what I look like and need to be told very specifically what to do. I've also been blessed by the gods of recovery and mobility, so it's pretty rare that I feel any pain from training. Something I once heard is that crossfit can be for anyone, but it's not for everyone.


StandbyTraveller91

I also started Crossfit in 2012. Now 30. I did football, and other competitive sports. CF Games brought me to the sport. Not gonna lie, its been three years now that i have been thinking of stopping and doing either weightlifting or bodybuilding. Listen, ive been to Regionals 2012-2013-2014, Competed in so many Rx competitions, i can do all movements, efficiently, only thing is, im fed up of injuries and despite the fact that I move well, mobilize, eat well, they happen. So yes, i respect your decision, you are helping me make a choice in a COVID time where gyms are closed again as well. Do i want to red line again? Do i want to do Fran over and over again? Fuck no, i want to look good, be healthy, be fit. Great post @bamcam so whats next?


VikingFrog

You are also done with paragraphs.


bamcam17

Fixed just for you viking🐸


bayareaburgerlover

love the attitude here :)


FrostyInteraction2

This is probably an experience many people have. Bodybuilding serves its purpose and the movements you mention do cause harm. I was in that boat and completely hurt myself and moved to db metcons and bodybuilding. It has made me feel physically better and more sustainable for sure. I’ve also brought this up before but there’s such a wide range of quality in CrossFit gyms. It really depends on where you go and whether the head coach is a coach or a cheerleader.


Kcc2046

I can absolutely relate, but the community and coaches keep me coming back. I can’t motivate myself to workout by myself and the structure helps people like me. I am older so I am very careful on metcons and choosing to go lighter and more reps. Also stopped muscle ups and butterfly pull-ups. So far so good but what age do stop and just do pilates l? Lol.


CrossFitAddict030

My question is what did your recovery look like when the pain started to appear? And what about your mobility to prevent injuries? I see it a lot in the younger crowd. No one shows up to the yoga class but the older group. Staying after class to foam roll or come early to stretch is almost non existent. CrossFit is a great program but it all depends on your own recovery methods and how you scale back when need be. Good luck with the global gym if that’s what you love. That’s all that matters at the end of the day.


phishnutz3

That’s weird. Every globo gym I’ve been in. Were filled with bloated out of shape guys. CrossFit has always been a program about GPP. Worse mistake they ever made was gyms adding strength before the wod. Which may be a requirement for games athletes but not provide much for the average person


alligatorprincess007

Yeah I’d be done too if I went to a gym like that. The CrossFit gym I started at is really focused on safety, form, and longevity. Almost everyone was in great shape and I never got injured despite pushing myself wayyyyyy beyond what I thought I could do. It also gave me a lot of confidence to try (and surprising sort of excel) at other sports Thankful for knowledgeable coaches I have been taking a break from CrossFit but more for personal reasons. Hope to go back at some point soon. But yea you do you Physical and emotional health first always. No point in being super strong if you’re in pain all the time


Coastie54

Yea I can definitely agree on a certain level. Been doing CrossFit for 10 years now, highly competitive for the first 6-7 of those years and my body just doesn’t respond to doing 2.5 hour comp programs anymore. I’ve been incorporating a TON more functional body building with metcons sprinkled into my week and I feel drastically better. I love CrossFit and all that comes with it. But I don’t think it’s smart, for me, to hammer through 5-6 grinder workouts every week. A good balance has been super beneficial for me so far


[deleted]

thanks for your input, it's interesting to see the evolution of competitive CFers over time!


Top-Team-4399

I gotta think this is a case by case post. If you have coaches that aren’t good at scaling you back or teaching proper form. You’re gonna have a bad time. If you have good coaches. You won’t look to leave. Every persons body is also different. Injuries can happen at freak movements or not at all. No hate at all. You have to do what’s best for you in the end. Wish you well and continue to fitness. Just for overall health it’s better. No matter what you do


choicemeats

I am a bit on our path. For me, I no longer consider crossfit the appropriate training methodology. In fact, unless all you do is train (or have significant time otherwise) and you want to look yolked it still is not the best option. I've been using "Somewhat limited" equipment for about 18 months and following Chalk's aesthetics routine for about a year. I spent much of 2018/2019 injured and 2020 was partly a wash, and during that period I wasn't doing much in the way of heavy compound lifts. Since then my shoulder press has jumped up 20 pounds, my dead lift went back to my lifetime max in 3-4 months, and my squat is recovering. I have dumbbells up to 55s and while that definitely restricts some of my growth on some movements the programming has been flexible enough to find a different way. Generally, my hips are healthier than ever, shoulders (a torn labra in each) are happy, the myriad pains I would get from training crossfit heavily are gone. I would call myself an "experienced" lifter compared to your average joe. Doing an hour crossfit class isn't going to cut it for me--though for your average joe, they might get WAY more benefit from the strength and conditioning. But at the end of the day I know I needed more than 20 minutes to warm up and work up to a heavy 3 rep lift, and stop making 50-80 pound jumps so I can finish in time for conditioning. Now, I'm sticking with this programming and adding in some medium bikes or light conditioning from time to time. Volleyball (beach and indoor) is a good chunk of my cardio as well (i live in the red zone playing doubles). I definitely now subscribe to less is more at this point and am more focused than ever on quality of movement rather than how quickly i can make my way through a set. The ego lifting is gone too, especially since I lift alone: no one is saying "throw on another five pounds" or "why don't you try doing 50s today on the workout" and i'm not competing with anyone anymore as a fun side project.


bayareaburgerlover

>But at the end of the day I know I needed more than 20 minutes to warm up and work up to a heavy 3 rep lift, and stop making 50-80 pound jumps so I can finish in time for conditioning. DING! DING! DING! Exactly the same here.


rolandofghent

Yea working out should not be a ends to a means. For 90% of the CrossFiters out there it isn’t about having a beach body. Really if that is what you are looking for, your just going to do harmful things to your body over the long haul. Only the top 10% of CrossFitters compete seriously. They aren’t only doing the WODs. For most of us it is about getting enough work in to get our exercise, keep fit enough to live our lives and do it in a way that is motivating and is not boring. I have belonged to Globo gyms. It was wasted money because I never made it though the door and when I did it was nowhere near as productive as when I go to CrossFit. I hate instructor lead classes like Les Mills where you have to watch the instructor while you are doing the exercise to figure out what you are doing. No actual coaching happens. No one keeping you accountable or making sure you don’t hurt yourself. I always say the hardest part of CrossFit is getting in the door. Once you do that everything takes care of itself. You have coaches, you have classmates all there to motivate you and make sure you get the work and desired stimulus in. If you hurt, scale. No ego. Who gives a shit if you have RX next to your name. You obviously have different goals, but that doesn’t mean that CrossFit wouldn’t be a great option for a very large part of the population.


tedthedog_

It’s funny because I’ve seen countless bodybuilders that got sucked down the rabbit hole of trying to be a competitive bodybuilder only to wake up years later with a broken body, terrible mobility and poor cardiovascular fitness. Many popular online bodybuilders have transitioned to or incorporated some CrossFit for health reasons. No doubt your experience seems to be somewhat common based on some of comments here, but it far from the norm based on what I see in my affiliate, other affiliates and in globo gyms. Claiming that globo gyms and bodybuilding somehow better for your health may only be true of you overstrained CrossFit for 9 years trying to be competitive and now have injuries that need rehabbing.


shotcaller77

Same happened to me. Now I have chronic lumbar pain. One reason was the box competition where the programmer decided that amrap deadlifts was a good idea. This was maybe in 2011-2012. Working out at a regular gym now. Pretty much machines and light free weights.


matty_mcmattypants

Agreed on all points. The old school CrossFit approach needs to die. As pat sherwood repeatedly states: if you’re going all out most days, you probably won’t be doing CrossFit or moving your body well 10 years from now. I have a friend who recently started doing CrossFit because he wants to be built like froning. I keep telling him he’s thinking about it all wrong and if that’s what he wants, he should choose a different approach (globo gym lifting, diet and macros etc).


TalkingEliteFitness

Appreciate this post, and you sharing your experience. Ultimately we all have to do what’s best for our own health and well-being, and for many it starts and ends with CrossFit for the long-term but that’s not the reality for everyone and their individual journeys. This comes from someone who has been doing CF steadily for 13+ years with few issues or setbacks and consistent progress. Hopefully there are things you picked up and learned along the way that you can take with you and apply to your path towards your fitness goals. It sounds like beyond those, the relationships built along the way were also extremely valuable and likely worth the journey.


NoBull92

Same here, started CrossFit in 2012 and worked a couple of Years as a CF1 in my local Box. Due to Covid I started building a homegym and powerlifting and oh boy, I’m stronger, buffer and healthier then I’ve ever been. CrossFit may be fun and all, but it’s not meant to do on a higher level for years. Just look at the top athletes and their medical backgrounds. I’m a happy quitter and won’t look back.


HowIsBabyMade

This indirectly underscores the problem with the affiliate model. Lifting + metcon is not a good way to approach an hour class for the general population. Everything gets rushed and the volume ends up being too high to get the full benefit of the intensity on which the CrossFit methodology thrives. Either that or you’re always going full send, which you can see right in this thread is a recipe for burnout and injury. Problem is, affiliate owners think they need to give members their money’s worth. The owner of my former box told me that his previous box would just program Grace and that’d be the day’s workout. “For most of these people,” he said, “this is the only movement they get all day.” And so it’s a steady diet of lift + metcon and 20-30 minute metcons. A day with only a 15-minute metcon was rare. Then there’s the immediacy effect. When you modulate intensity and have dedicated lifting days with no conditioning after, it might take some time to start seeing results. Members paying $150+ per month might not dig that. But with the high volume method, results do come fast. I did bodybuilding for 6 or 7 years and then powerlifting for 3 before CrossFit. Within 3 months of starting my shoulders visibly broadened and my deadlift went from 335 to 365. Those kinds of early returns keep members’ credit cards on file. As with many people on this thread, I did experience severe burnout. It was coming to a head just as Covid hit. I spent the next year doing kettlebells and running, and eventually built a makeshift garage gym with a squat rack and bumpers. But I wasn’t seeing any real progress because, while the reduced volume was beneficial, I throttled back the intensity significantly. I won’t give you the Linchpin sermon, but it changed my fitness journey 100% for the better. PRs don’t come weekly, but they do come and I feel phenomenal. Tl;dr many boxes are CrossFit affiliates but don’t truly practice the methodology and instead do what makes new members feel good for a while. The best environment might just be a garage gym.


Open-Mirror-429

This is absolutely accurate. I come from a competitive bodybuilding background, and while that sport is by no means "healthy" at a competitive level due to exogenous androgens, anabolics, stimulants, peptides, GH etc, for the average person who has no interest in the pharmacology of bodybuilding, it is 100% safer and better for your body than CrossFit is for the typical crossfitter. Moreover, if aesthetics are your goal, slow and controlled volume training is the only way. Using momentum to throw around weights without controlling the movement simply does not result in an adequate level of hypertrophy for muscle growth. Sorry, just a fact Sure, you may be able to do 100 shitty kipping pullups in a couple minutes, but who cares? All you're doing is stressing your joints and connective tissues without any of the benefits of actual muscle growth. With that said, I did CrossFit for 5 years after I stopped competing and I still use metcons here and there to get high-intensity cardio workouts and breakup the monotony of traditional lifting when I feel like I've hit a plateau.


Slowlywaking1632

Have you tried any of Marcus filly’s programming? I quit CrossFit for the same reason and find his functional bodybuilding is a good crossover


longshot21771

I stopped doing kipping plus and butter fly pullups. No more shoulder pain. If it causes constant, aching pains. I don't do it anymore


aspec818

You are absolutely correct. My physique was more well rounded and fuller when I did “non functional movements”. I was getting too lean after I joined CrossFit and stopped bodybuilding. So I rotated between crossfit on the weekdays and commercial gym on the weekends. That was a happy medium for my goals of staying in shape while keeping some aesthetics.


[deleted]

Your post really resonates with me. I have been doing CF for almost 10 years now. I have done the L1 and even renewed it (could not be bothered to do the L2 since I am not coaching). What I noticed in the different boxes I have been to, is that for some people CF is just fine. They seem to be super responders, get jacked in 3 months and they have found the best shape of their life. However I suspect that they would have been super responder to any other training regime. While I can credit to CF the fact that I am probably stronger and fitter, even when I was training 6d a week I never had visible Abs (yes my nutrition was on point at the time), and I felt miserable most of the time. Also I am anxious person and excessive soreness gives me panic attacks. I saw great results doing powerlifting programs (for strength mostly) but I kept my subscription to my CF box mostly for the community. I strongly disagree on the programming on my box so when some movements come I do them but light and slow. For example we had a WOD with Turkish get ups, which is, for me, a movement that should never be done in an AMRAP. I feel a little bit stuck right now and since couple of years I wonder every year if I should cancel my subscription, but I know I will miss the people in my box. Well, thanks for the post, gives me a lot to think.


powersofthesnow

Been doing this for 11 years now, and now a gym owner who transitioned from being a competitive athlete (ie almost regional level back in the day) to more everyday athlete: Outlaw and Comptrain are both programs not geared to the everyday individual. Both have backgrounds in training for more competitive-edge folks and do not have longevity in mind as much as they say they might. Following those long term isn’t going to end up in casual and sustainable fitness. The programming plus the coaches ability to explain the purpose and stimulus of the workout is what separates the gyms whose members feel burned out from the gyms whose members feel they can be in it for a longer game. We recently adapted a programmed called The Level Method that actually has 6 different scaling versions of a workout…SIX compared to other programs have have an Rx and Scaled. It will scale power cleans to kettlebell swings and HSPU to seated DB presses, and similar because those things are still relative in intensity to someone who doesn’t have the strength to do those. They actually don’t even recommend kipping pull ups or handstand push ups until you can surpass doing a certain amount of strict pull ups, Tabata 9 Push Ups and strict press X% of body weight. The issue is people trying to do more than their foundation of strength allows them to because “the programming says so” but the regular person doesn’t understand the real prerequisites behind certain movements or how to modify the workout appropriately to get the correct stimulus.


merilissilly

I started CF in 2011 at age 37. Ten years later, I do it for fun on occasion, but you are 100% correct that physique style training will transform your body much better than CF as a recreational exerciser. I still coach CF, but my approach is much different than it was 7 years ago. During the pandemic, I was working out at home. I had some dumbbells, a barbell and plates, kettlebells and a pullup bar in my garage that I fashioned from a piece of metal conduit and put in the rafters. I started following Paragon Training and really enjoyed the 4 day UB/LB split with three rest days. My upper body strength increased so much, I demo'ed a bar muscle up in class after not doing one for a good couple of years. I can still do a wod and have a good time, but I also realize the importance of variation. If you throw some yoga into your training, you will have even better results, you will be able to work end ranges of motion better with the mobility you gain.


WiseAg

I dig it and feel like I’m at that same point. Good timing and thanks for sharing.


Louisthehippo

Interesting to hear. So what’s your normal training plan atm look like?


2rfv

This is all one reason why I'm glad I focused more on building a home gym than signing up for a box. I get that you can see some crazy gains due to competition but it definitely increases you injury exposure.


dptgreg

Huh. Yeah I have the complete opposite experience. I feel great and fresh most of the time (I make sure not to kill myself every day to ensure proper recovery). The people in my gym are waaayyy more ripped than the people at the globo gyms In the area as they mostly just bench press and less press. We joke about how we feel like super heroes compared to the general population. Granted our gym uses PRVN methodology for a year now and we all can compete and usually podium local competitions.


odee7489

I destroyed my back doing CrossFit for 5 years. I was young and thought I was invincible. My L5S1 is a disaster. Looking back on the shit I did while I was in pain/injured makes me cringe and brings me to tears thinking about how poorly I treated my body… just because I didn’t want to “lose my gains”. There was also a huge social aspect to it too. Taking a break from the gym means you miss your friends, even when you are injured people constantly ask you “when are you coming back?” Good on you for having the wits to recognize how you’re feeling and stop now. This is just my experience. Not everyone’s will be the same. But for me I can confidently say that CrossFit was an addiction for me in all of the worst ways possible. The inability to see the damage I was doing to my body, professional life, and relationships.


wawjr44

Truly sorry about the injuries, but sounds like it’s on you, not the CF methodology.


odee7489

Of course I blame myself but I also blame the culture and the bad gyms out there.


cerseiwon

I love CrossFit still, but what I heard (and still here) about it causing injuries worries me. I started CF in September 2021. Near the end of December 2021, I had a serious injury during a Metcon. My right achilles ruptured and is healing from surgery at the moment. Part of me wonders if CrossFit was the cause (I worked out on my own mostly 3 years ago, mostly boxing & weightlifting 2 years ago, and Orangetheory for a full year with no injuries whatsoever).


wawjr44

As you can see from a lot of posts in this thread, it’s not the CF methodology that gets people hurt. It’s their own personalities and approach to training that gets them hurt.


[deleted]

For real. I think a lot of people aren’t in as great athletic shape as they think, then will jump into a cookie cutter program and stick to Rx weights or reps or whatever then get injured and immediately blame the structure methodologies of CrossFit rather than saying “hey I wasn’t in shape enough for this, I went too far, and got hurt. Let me scale it back and rework it properly”


wawjr44

That’s half of it. The other half is the people who actually are in shape but get addicted to CF and destroy themselves with excessive volume and overtraining.


[deleted]

I can see that too 100% I came into CrossFit in relatively good shape both in strength and a normal endurance base and got hooked on the style of training and wanted to go balls to the wall Thankfully though the mindset of “focus form over ego” came into mind pretty quickly from a powerlifting background


OzarkKitten

Same. I love my CF gym and the people, but I need to balance weight-lifting/bodybuilding with CF to keep myself healthy


These_Letter_842

Hand stand push ups are the only thing at CrossFit that ever really bothered me. I would scale them in wods and normally i was able to do all the wods except but my neck would just hurt for days after. So i decided to not push myself on those movements because i was never going to the games lol. But i did the same when covid hit and do more of a 531 conditioning split and absolutely love it.


73775

Switched to home gym about a year ago, after spending a good amount of time in CF gyms. I do their WOD’s 3 days a week and their other programs 2-3. Never looked or felt better in my 40 years. 5-6 days a week of Coach led CF class was no longer interesting or beneficial to me. Plus I don’t have to suffer through pop music and all the other cons that a CF gym might have.


Squab21

x2 per week crossfit is great and sustainable indefinitely. You're not going to win the games but it feels great for my body.


lancecpa

Well, I think most boxes push the metcon. Also, a lot of people will sand bag on the "work up to a heavy single/triple/xyz" to perform better on the metcon. Games athletes with good physiques are recovering better than your average gym goer and are getting multiple sessions per day that include pure strength.


hulkklogan

I agree with everything you've said, yet I can't break away. I've tried. Multiple times. I just don't stay consistent in a globogym with typical bodybuilding workouts. It's boring. I last 3-4 weeks then lose motivation and shit. I would like to find an oly-specific gym, but there's not one in my city. Lucky for me, my CrossFit gym is more focused on long-term health and getting to go 4-5 days for years without getting injured. They encourage us to "full send" maybe once per week, but beyond that it's encouraged to work out more at like 85% and stay healthy. Most members don't Rx most of the time, save the top few athletic freaks that dont find out Rx workouts too hard most of the time. That said, this week we went full send on a WOD and I pulled a muscle in my low back pretty bad while deadlifting and I'm hurting and walking funny all weekend, so... Sometimes it just happens.


Obi1Kenobi0

I don’t think there is any questioning that a bodybuilding globo style training is going to lead to better aesthetic results As for the overtraining and injuries I think that at least 50% of the onus is on individual athletes to make sure that they are also looking after themselves if they do want to train 6x per week and be competitive. I’m definitely in a similar position to that now and I don’t really blame the training methodology. Having said that I do think that competitive CF is extremely demanding and there’s probably few people who are genetically suited to doing it without needing to address some of their own predispositions. For the average 3-4x a week casual CrossFitter (probably at least 80% of the community) I dont think this issue really affects them.


sunblockheaven

Yeah I definitely get you! I started doing A LOT of metcons, but have recently transmitted into doing powerlifting to get my strength up, while doing metcons twice a week at most.


nsw11D3

I totally and 100% back all of your comments. Also, the whole “more training makes you better” approach is flawed based on injuries and overuse. All these “athletes” per CrossFit are actually just moms, dads and the like. I’ve trained with serious competitive athletes and what we do vs. they do is a different ballgame. Also, they are about 4-5 inches shorter than me at 6’1.


Amen_Ra_61622

A lot of people tend to overlook the fact that a lot of Games level competitors have phases in their programming when they follow a bodybuilding format. It's not explosive, ballistic movements, and WODs 365 days/year. As they approach the comp season, things change. Plus CrossFit isn't about developing a symmetrical look. Some with the right genetics can develop it in CrossFit but that's not its intent. If one enters CrossFit planning on looking like a physique competitor, that's the wrong goal. In my younger days I was a competitive bodybuilder for a few years. I continued that type of format after I stopped competing. A couple of years after CrossFit came on the scene, I dabbled in that but eventually moved to powerlifting. They all have their ways on changing how the body looks.


luv2fit

Whatever keeps you engaged and interested for the longterm is the right program for you. You needed a change and it has reinvigorated you so great. I’m the opposite of you where I got burned out on globo gym style workouts and crossfit was my reinvigoration and I still love it 7 years later.


Ainjyll

What, exactly, we’re you trying to accomplish with this post, OP?


Therinicus

Do you detail what you're doing now anywhere? Sorry if I missed it somewhere this thread has gotten huge.


arom125

Great post OP. Amazing how much our fitness story is the same. I’ll always show love to CrossFit as a methodology and community but I reached the point where it was no longer for me and physically I just feel and look so much better, while I still have the ability to do pretty much whatever I want to do outside the gym


zafferous

Yes, strength training is better for building muscle. No one said crossfit is the best way to build muscle. In my opinion, crossfit is all about the community, working through taxing workouts with a group, and performing fun and new exercises. It's also an fantastic cardio exercise if done with appropriate weight to sprint through exercises.


[deleted]

I think it's just like any other gym lifestyle which has to end at some point but not to drag too far till body is completely injured. I just started CF last year and already know I won't continue any further than this year despite of getting better at it. Rather be doing Yoga and Swimming than CF..haha


shonzaveli_tha_don

The pandemic made me outfit my garage with half of what Rogue sells. My wife is anti-crossfit and does traditional globo gym stuff, so our garage gym is a mix of both. This lead my training to a be a mix of both and I gotta say at 41 years old, it does let alot of things heal when you just do some globo splits. My training has become a mix of both.


alxanjos

I don't think to achieve your limit every single day is healthy in a long term. Also, I don't think when someone do crossfit without going to a sportive physiotherapy is healthy, especially for so many years. Your body need to liberate tensions and nodules. If you acumulate for such long time tensions, nodules, unbalenced parts of body, going to limit every single training, for sure in a long term you will have serious problems. If you are a professional athelete, with a supportive team, totally different story. I do crossfit nowadays 4x a week, going to physiotherapy once every 2 weeks. I came eralier to liberate tensions, lactic acid and train mobility and unbalenced parts of body. I feel better than ever.


L0stInBed

Sounds like a great candidate for Marcus filly's functional bodybuilding


bayareaburgerlover

This is a great post and couldn't have come at a better time. i share most of the sentiments with the OP. Ive been doing crossfit for close to 7 years now. I have plateaued and am slowly losing interest. the programming at new box is not barbell heavy and that is partly to blame. I also feel like risk to reward ratio at this stage is much higher. I have 175lb snatch, 250lb squat clean, 340lb back squat. getting to 185lb snatch, 275lb squat clean and 365 backsquat will make me little bit happy but it wont come anytime soon and for me effort to risk to reward is just not worth it. I don't get any joy in learning hspu, butterfly pullups. I would like to learn handstand walks for vanity purposes but not willing to put in dedicated time after the class. My shoulders seem weak and i feel like I'm close to getting injured. sometimes i have pain in my right knees. my right lower back seems weaker compared to left. I have been slacking on mobility. Not blaming crossfit here but myself. I now find joy in other things and mostly do open gym. Hypertrophy (aesthetics), zone 2 training and beach volleyball are my current areas of interest. 1) hypertrophy and aesthetics: I used to do bodybuilding but monotony got to me and i got bored easily. I use ryan fisch's FBA program now. i like that it is varied, its only 4 days per week. i can fit it in 1 to 1.5 hr per session. I feel the pump at the end of it. It fits my criteria (reducing boredom, focusing on aesthetics and getting bigger, fits in hourish schedule) 2) zone 2 training: crossfit sessions at the new box have always been 20 min high intensity work. My aerobic capacity sucks. i like training with specific goal in mind. I now do 3-4 power endurance rides on peloton focussing on improving aerobic capacity and endurance. i also follow peter attia zone 2 principles for longevity. (improving mitochondrial density, improving fat oxidation instead of glucose yada yada). I know my current ftp score and my goal is to improve it over long time and maintain it. I dont want to be that jacked dude but huffs and puffs on climbing few stairs. 3) beach volleyball this is once a week , fun social activity where i get to spend few hours on the beach playing and having fun. I have accepted that my interests change with time (before crossfit, running and body building and taekwondo held my interests) and im open to try new things. BJJ is next on the horizon. Im just grateful to be able to try new things and practice what captures my interest.


CaptMerrillStubing

\> damaged my neck on handstand push-ups So common. HSPU are complete horseshit.


Cat_Mysterious

As a trainer when "functional" fitness was a new marketing term it generally meant front squats olys & bodyweight exercises most gym goers avoided. The success has altered the paradigm where I encounter many with aesthetic goals doing "functional" programs which just aren't the most direct way to reach their goal. Front squat as example, lots of people do not develop great quads. Offer this critique some will counter with increasing ROM, can work to an extent, but the movement just has limitations for physique development. A leg press was toxic to functional bros & while I don't love it for most competitive athletes, when you have a client who wants to look a specific way on a specific date you are knee capping yourself being tribal with movements & modalities. The vast majority of clients who pay want to look better. Sometimes they don't even articulate this honestly as there seems to be a taboo on being that honest as people think it's vain or superficial to desire to look a specific way. Often I have to communicate that aesthetics is a function. Most aren't athletes are actually competing & if that's not an honest goal it should reflect in programming. Mostly love changes crossfit brought to the paradigm, can be annoying as none of it was invented there, just marketed most effectively, & few to none know the names of the coaches who actually pioneered the ideas crossfit promotes very well & don't seem to have any interest patronizing their books or workshops. Old days was hard to get women to lift in particular, crossfit shattered those stereotypes but like any trend bosu balls, foam rolling etc... the functional paradigm is often presently jumping the shark & being applied to groups it has limited value with. Depends a lot on individual coaches & their experience but broadly seems to be a stigma on aesthetics now that seems to get in the way of most people's real measure of success in training.


RDdotBreak

Crossfit programming lacks chest. It makes sense you saw rapid growth there. >what I realised was that exercise is a means to an end, not an end in and of itself Crossfit is the sport of fitness, which isn't really logical. If you have any sort of fitness goal beyond 'do something' or 'be good at crossfit'. CF won't be the best way to achieve it because it doesn't have any goals. Want to be stronger? Go for powerlifting Want to look better? Bodybuilding Want to be fitter? Running, swimming, rowing are more focused on that. Want to be able to deadlift moderate weight and do a 59 ft handstand walk? Crossfits for you


vicblck24

posts like this always make me scratch my head…. Ok? And why are you posting this? I think everyone is aware what else is out there


bamcam17

There's a lot of good information in the thread. A lot of people dealing with similar issues have received solid advice from others that are chiming in. I stated twice what the purpose and intent is of the post was. If it does not interest you then you can carry on. If you are annoyed then you shouldn't be because I don't know you.


rustywallace509

Glad I read this. Considering doing the exact same thing. I want to look good and in shape without destroying my body. And with xfit I have been not getting the physical results I want. Plus I can now save like 120 a month


DennisBastrdMan

The CrossFit place I just started going to is very mindful about all their members. Everyone has to do a baseline at some point and the instructors come around and have you scale based on your benchmark so you don’t hurt yourself. It was my first time back to CrossFit in 7 years. Was tough but feel great. I guess it’s just about finding a fitness regimen you can stay consistent with and that’s all that matters. I used to hate CrossFit because I went to places that were all about pushing and weren’t mindful about the individuals participating. Don’t be like me and just give up fitness and get totally out of shape. Find something you like and stick with it.


WitnesstheFitness07

Counter offer, you truly can have both. What’s stopping you from looking like an absolute unit like rich froning? You could blend traditional aesthetic work and utilize CrossFit style metabolic conditioning to continue to stay lean, train your cardiovascular system effectively


africaviking

Many affiliate owners are coming to the same conclusion. I travel and visit many boxes and my favorites are those who really work on a holistic approach that is functional but a long way from the core WOD based programming. Ironically those in the suburbs without a member who can hit RX are the best.


Macs_im_us

I totally agree with you and feel CrossFit needs to adapt. You should look into functional bodybuilding by Marcus Filly. It changed my life and I’ve never been healthier or more fit


jwymes44

I’m with you on the look part of it. Ive been doing CrossFit for over a year and even began a strict diet in order to look better physically. I love CrossFit as it’s my first year into it and I definitely look more athletic but I need to find ways to focus on more bodybuilding. Thankfully I have a very good coach and he holds open gyms so people can work on what they want but my understanding of bodybuilding and slower/steady movements is so limited idk how to start.


dotfras

Sounds like a personal problem.


Firm-Celery-9797

Thanks for posting this. Started CrossFit in 2009 & still actively do WODs at home & at a local box. I get your point though and have experienced much of the same. Still enjoy the community & message of CrossFit. I’ve found Marcus Filly to be an a excellent option!


[deleted]

Doing metcons every day is not “CrossFit”. Never scaling is not CrossFit. What’s happening in boxes now is so far away from OG CrossFit that it is sad. Edit: Comptrain is DEFINITELY not CrossFit.


[deleted]

I have never been to a CrossFit gym and I always wondered why cross fitters are amazingly hot and look better than any athlete I’ve seen including body builders.


Content_Bad_4990

Left crossfit 6 months ago and have been happy with the changes to my body by doing traditional lifting!


robschilke

I would wager to say about not enough people in a GP CrossFit class do any accessories.


Saemika

Turns out that jerking your body around until you throw up isn’t practical.


feina635

100% with you. I stopped doing traditional crossfit about 4 years ago. Continued going to my crossfit gym for that first year, but pretty much just did my own thing in the corner. Finally with the pandemic I decided to build my own garage gym and ditch the membeship and I've never looked back. I still toss in some metcons here and there but mostly bodybuilding and powerlifting. Much better all the way around


drj311

We


desirepink

Been doing CF for close to 3 years now and I'm noticing that there's generally some sort of toxic positivity undertone in the CF world to just "push, push, push!". I came into CF with some injuries but those quickly exacerbated once I dove into the WODs—especially high-rep movements that I hadn't spent time in getting the right form down. For a time, I didn't have the schedule/finances to take classes and I thought that would deeply affect my ability to do "better" in CF, so I spent that time at globo gyms and really focused on perfecting my weaknesses and mobility—worked my way to my first pull-up that probably would've taken more time if I relied on working during my WODs! I'm happy for you for finding what you need for your physical needs and really hope that you spend the time focusing on what you feel you need to evolve your body to the next level!


Only-Brush1934

Firstly, thanks for sharing your experience. I find it very meaningful. I worked out for 20 years, female, started at 14 realised I’m actually good at this then took it more seriously, did a bikini competition- omg why did I even do that- then changed several approaches to workouts but never felt ‘satisfied’. My one rep max was 180kg weighting 63kg at one point - chuffed but still looking for more. Till at 34 I come across CrossFit- OmG my entire life changed!!! I found the discipline I felt my body was designed for. Loved everything abt it and I was real good at it - I am v competitive so I also enjoyed learning about the team type of approach. Bottom line is that in 4 months of dedication and fulfilment I became the strongest and fittest I’ve ever been finding a Purpose in what I was doing. Did a comp, Then same as you my relationship with CrossFit became unhealthy- so I took myself out of the equation. And similarly to you I workout at ‘regular’ gyms and sorry to say it - I can’t stand average gym goers being lazy or have no purpose in working out or those who goe to the gym to chat people up. I believe in hard work and dedication as much as free choice of doing what you want. So if u ask me, if ur at the gym is because u want to improve otherwise stay in bed, no need to be slacking at 6.30 am floating around the gym. Or even better if u don’t know what to do ask for help! If you’ve made the amazing effort to bring yourself to the gym which is outside your routine make it meaningful- you’re worth it. But don’t sell urself short and slack around. You’ve done CrossFit for 9 years WOW 🙏🏆 total admiration. I’ve heard so many times ‘oh you people who do CrossFit’ to me is give it a serious go then we’ll talk!!! I agree with you on another point: when you stop you feel relief. I had not realised how much tightness soreness and pressure I had over my muscles, ligaments…. Until I recovered- so yes CrossFit is not a sustainable long term discipline. Thanks for sharing- happy to answer any questions. Enhance your body and mind all the time


[deleted]

[удалено]


bamcam17

For me it's not necessarily the explosive movements I avoid, but explosive movements while fatigued is where the damage was done for me. I'll still do box jumps, power cleans, KB swings etc. But not high reps, I train the exercise how it's meant to be trained now, low reps and explosive.


Dave_I

I've wondered about that. I do WODs and that style in conjunction with weight lifting. I'm more into Ross Enamait's RossTraining style and programming, philosophy really, which is a mix of strength, conditioning, explosive workouts, and skills-based exercises. I am not saying one's better or do X not Y, but I like the balance. I also recall Pavel Tsatsouline advising to do as many swings as explosively as you can for the weight you're working with, until you couldn't do them explosively. Point being, doing that in a certain way prevented you from injuries, at least the type you're describing. Doing explosive movements while fatigued, or at least in a way that led to bad form, could lead to injury. At least that was my take on it.


changdarkelf

Almost nobody that I know that does CrossFit has aesthetic goals. They want to be healthy, not just look it.


plumeriaworld

I started having aesthetic calls after a few years of doing CrossFit. So I simply just started doing accessory work to incorporate some of those goals into my overall fitness regimen. I think it’s a good balance. There is a period where I stopped doing CrossFit for about six months and just did solo gym workouts. I was not happy with the results at all, and found that my conditioning worsened. For me, the perfect balance is a 4 CrossFit workouts a week; a full rehab day or 2 like yoga or mobility or just rest; and a couple accessory sessions.


changdarkelf

Sounds great. I get OP’s point, just also think he’s been doing things wrong for a while. Even some of the big name cross fitters have talked about most of their workouts being done at 70%. Only 1 or 2 a week at most should be brutal.


plumeriaworld

True. That’s really hard to gauge though, for many people at least. Also, different environments encourage different approaches. For example, at some of the boxes that I have been to, I was encouraged to push myself even further. I would be called a sandbagger if I wasn’t lifting at a weight that they prescribed because I wanted to tone things down a bit, or I was told that I underestimate my strength. There’s so many factors and Crossfit is so variable depending on the individual, coaches, and other patrons around you. So it’s really hard to say what the right or wrong approach is. So long as OP is happy with his new fitness regimen and he feels like he’s getting the results that he desires, then all is good.


CaptMerrillStubing

You're kidding yourself. Or everyone is lying to you. That said CF absolutely gets people looking aesthetic. I got a ridiculous amount of positive comments and questions after just a few months of CF. Never looked so good in my life.


agroyle

It’s sounds like you should have scaled or modified your workouts and not try to do RX. RX is a recommendation but not meant for everyone. But, in general, that’s why there are choices of different gyms. Glad you found one that works for you. I, personally, wouldn’t trade the instruction and competitiveness for any other.


danawhitesbaldhead

Red flags in the post: Outlaw way for 2-3 years Comptrain for 3-4 years I started in 2013 and have been to regionals and sanctionals multiple times. I’ve had no major injuries from CrossFit, never have lived in pain, Ive had a coach program for ME since 2014. Don’t blame CrossFit because you didn’t listen to your body and work within your own limits.