Post by mominatrix on Oct 20, 2014 15:58:21 GMT -5
here are the critiques I've heard, that would / do have me the most worried.
spendy compared with other gyms
owners / operators / managers / fitness instructors need no training / certification / anything, really, to open a "box", therefore they could be awesome or terrible; could know all about the body, safety, etc, or nothing at all and are hoping to cash in
from the outside, it seems very all-or-nothing. do crossfit. do it a lot. post to facebook that you're crossfitting. eat paleo. post to facebook all about paleo. "moderation" doesn't seem to be a part of it
Post by cattledogkisses on Oct 20, 2014 16:05:48 GMT -5
I think momi summed up the main critiques.
My experience is second hand from watching people I know do it, but it seems very "all or nothing" and there doesn't seem to be much in the way of moderation. I also know many people who have hurt themselves crossfitting, which adds to my personal reservations about it. From what I understand, the "coaches" don't receive much in the way of training, so whether you end up with a good one or a bad one is kind of up to chance.
Post by cattledogkisses on Oct 20, 2014 16:07:51 GMT -5
I don't know how much personal trainers cost, but if he's willing to spend money on CrossFit, perhaps putting that money towards a trainer might be a better option.
Post by sparrowsong on Oct 20, 2014 16:07:58 GMT -5
I think if you go to one with a good trainer it's fine. My friend who is a boot camp trainer and sports medicine grad (? Or something fitness centered anyway) says far too many of the folks leading those workouts don't know how to concentrate on good form and drive people to injuries.
Eta: or ditto everyone who managed to post first while I was pecking out a response on my phone.
so a big fat guy, with a bad back and a bump knee probably wont be ok doing this?
and fuck paleo. i wont make him food if it has to be "special"
So, I can't find that NPR piece I wanted to share, but it was about a husband and wife who started crossfit and and got SUPER into it (which seems to happen to everyone who does it, IMO). These were people who were already pretty physically active, but I think I remember her talking about how, yes--you can modify the workout to suit your ability, but there is a lot of pressure to "push harder." Try harder, do more, push through it, etc. The woman telling the story ended up shattering her leg during a workout. She talked about it in a way that reminded me of drug addicts talking about how they're straight now and they know how bad the drugs were, but they miss it, anyway.
There's just something about the religiousness and cultyness of it that's really fucking weird. I know I just wrote the same damn thing in ttt's MLM post--but there's something really "off" about people who make stuff like this EVERYTHING IN LIFE. Whether it's exercise or MLM or whatever--it's one thing to have a hobby and a passion, but something's not right when it's seriously everything you do and are AND you have to proselytize whatever your "drug" is.
If your H is bulletproof to that sort of thing, good on him, I guess.
I have no real opinion on CF but this part killed me dead:
"The simple counterpoint to Crossfit is that if you are training for something specific, you'll want to train for that thing, rather than training for "what if you're caught in a burning building and you have to climb out while carrying someone on your shoulders and then run away at top speed and then throw a kettlebell at an angry dog that chased you," as Crossfit does."
I've always heard you need to already be pretty active/in shape to start cross fit. And in my experience, it's for people who are already into working out and want to take it TO THE NEXT LEVEL!!!
Post by irishbride2 on Oct 20, 2014 16:46:45 GMT -5
I'm not a crossfit hater (it's just not my thing ) but can someone explain why an essentially empty room is so expensive? Why does crossfit cost 3 times much as a full gym?
I'm not a crossfit hater (it's just not my thing ) but can someone explain why an essentially empty room is so expensive? Why does crossfit cost 3 times much as a full gym?
My guess is that insurance companies charge them out the ass because of the potential for injury. I know I would if I were writing insurance policies.
I also wonder how much they want to discourage the casual athlete from joining. Any asshole can afford $50 a month, but you have to be a SERIOUSLY COMMITTED ASSHOLE to afford $200 a month.
Please note: I have no actual data to back any of this up.
Why do I feel the need to defend crossfit? I don't even particularly like crossfit. I do like that people have found a way to like getting out and exercising. I also strongly dislike the immediate reaction that if it's popular it must be ridiculed. That being said, I've heard a lot of horror stories about bad boxes, and I've watched people lift coming out of bad boxes with incredibly horrible form when lifting. So...
As to your specific concerns (knee/bad back) it totally depends on the gym/coaches. If they're willing to work with you and modify the workouts then it will be fine (and a sign that you found a good gym). Other than that there are SEVERAL moves/lifts that can completely fuck you up if you're not allowed to modify and are already hurt.
I'm not a crossfit hater (it's just not my thing ) but can someone explain why an essentially empty room is so expensive? Why does crossfit cost 3 times much as a full gym?
My guess is that insurance companies charge them out the ass because of the potential for injury. I know I would if I were writing insurance policies.
I also wonder how much they want to discourage the casual athlete from joining. Any asshole can afford $50 a month, but you have to be a SERIOUSLY COMMITTED ASSHOLE to afford $200 a month.
Please note: I have no actual data to back any of this up.
Sort of. It's all down to licensing costs. To be labeled as "Crossfit" which is the brand, the boxes pay out the ass.
I'll be honest, my SIL was not the healthiest, she ate horribly and didn't exercise at all. She started Crossfit a few years ago and lost 80 pounds, eats healthy most of the time and exercises most days. It's great for her health. However, it's all she ever talks about anymore. I cannot have conversations with her about anything because it always somehow comes around to Crossfit or Paleo. I'm happy for her, but it's also really frustrating that I feel like I lost a friend. I know that sounds dramatic, but it really has overtaken her life.
She also hurt her shoulder and was off work for a while because of it.
I have a friend who is an orthopedic surgeon that says the Crossfit boxes in town keep him in business.
It sounds like it can be a really motivating place and that can be great for people. There are some positives. I just think they need to figure out how to dial it back a bit so that people aren't getting injured and can still hold interesting conversations.
here are the critiques I've heard, that would / do have me the most worried.
spendy compared with other gyms
owners / operators / managers / fitness instructors need no training / certification / anything, really, to open a "box", therefore they could be awesome or terrible; could know all about the body, safety, etc, or nothing at all and are hoping to cash in
from the outside, it seems very all-or-nothing. do crossfit. do it a lot. post to facebook that you're crossfitting. eat paleo. post to facebook all about paleo. "moderation" doesn't seem to be a part of it
IMO (and who really cares, because I'm lurking from ML and you don't know me), this is what really matters. Owners can go to a one-day training seminar with, literally, no background in fitness. They can be licensed at the end of that seminar and can buy into the franchise.
In theory, your box owner could be excellent, super knowledgeable, super friendly, and open to all levels of fitness. In practice, many of them are poorly trained, lacking knowledge on anatomy and injury prevention, and, generally, more "rah rah lift heavy things all the time" and less, "how can I help this person be fitter?"