Crossfit Workout Thread

[Tye 1on]

I have seen CF coaches that are fantastic and easily worth more than $200 a month for someone who is serious about training to meet certain goals. These coaches recognize that everyone is different, and also have different goals. Not everyone who trains at a CF gym give a fuck about your Fran time. These coaches (in my opinion) are not scared to break away from the CF mold, and will incorporate periodization, and alternative methods into their programming. If you have one of these coaches, you are getting your moneies worth.

Although not a CF box [i know, wrong thread jong], i feel pretty lucky to have one of those trainers. Her classes [12 max] are $120 for a ten punch card. So for 2/week, i'm at around $100/month, a great value in my mind.

BTW, most trainers (coaches, instructors, etc) aren't paid at all... they just get free memberships to the CF gym in return for instructing X number of classes per month.

Interesting, not at my gym, they are all paid based on the number of students, not a ton maybe, but paid...

[DeeAre]

I heard CF dues are so expensive because they invented circuit training, and the superset. And running too.

[DeeAre]

Anyone see this from Gym Jones? #bananas

[shera]

I went to crossfit today. Pretty awesome workout.

[mcsquared]

Not entirely true... I do think it's too expensive, but I'm not totally against eventually going to a gym. The main reason behind that is my workspace (my garage) is fairly limited in terms of the equipment I can use, and I'd like to expand the exercises I implement into my workouts. I certainly think $200/mo is too expensive, however.

BTW, most trainers (coaches, instructors, etc) aren't paid at all... they just get free memberships to the CF gym in return for instructing X number of classes per month.

If this is true then yes they are charging too much. Any gym worth it's salt has coaches that have more experience than a weekend course. My gym has the owner and 2 other coaches who are either salaried or basically get paid based on the number of classes they coach.

[neufox47]

Anyone see this from Gym Jones? #bananas

Keep up that pace for 2000 m and he'd break the WR by 15 seconds.

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[fool]

Crazy ass s/m, no? I thought my rowing friends said keep it 22-26 for greatest efficiency, and that's what I usually work towards. Never trying for anything like that though...

[jibij]

BTW, most trainers (coaches, instructors, etc) aren't paid at all... they just get free memberships to the CF gym in return for instructing X number of classes per month.

That's my deal. Gym owner only requires 2 classes per week in exchange for my gym fees, but I usually do 6 or 7 just because it's what I love doing.

Just got back from the Games last night. I wound up sitting in the front row in the stadium on finals day. Met Julie Foucher, Coach Glassman, and Dave Castro. Got to meet Annie T. earlier in the week. Pretty fun way to wind up the weekend.

[mobygrape]

Crazy ass s/m, no? I thought my rowing friends said keep it 22-26 for greatest efficiency, and that's what I usually work towards. Never trying for anything like that though...

I think that's the general rec for good form, similar to rowing on water.

If you're just out to kill yourself, whatever floats your boat. But no way you could do 50 s/m in water

[neufox47]

Got 3x60lb chinups yesterday on my third set. After being stuck at 25-30 for months its nice to breakthrough a plateau.

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[rather ripped]

If this is true then yes they are charging too much. Any gym worth it's salt has coaches that have more experience than a weekend course. My gym has the owner and 2 other coaches who are either salaried or basically get paid based on the number of classes they coach.

That's great, and Crossfit isn't the only game in town. But my experience tells me that it isn't easy to find training like this for athletes who are not connected to a university or some sports team. You have a program that has no track record beyond the direct experiences of those who are members. It would be difficult to explain to a Crossfit member the structure of the gym and the full nature of how you and they workout. Crossfit puts it all out there. They actually share their WODs and provide free video of lifts and exercises. Many people see these demonstrations and decline before they even walk through the door.

You say that the one weekend class is insufficient but you should know that the coaches are in total immersion. There is tremendous expertise within the box and they constantly work together to grow. It's not like you take a certification and then stop. The coaches are in constant clinic and they visit other boxes as well. It is true that a trainer can open a box with a simple certification, but most of the owners around the world are very well qualified.

I don't know what your coaches earn, but Crossfit coaches do quite well. Our box has 5 full time coaches and the owner makes a good buck (and the fees reflect it).

[neufox47]

[QUOTE=rather ripped;4030970
You say that the one weekend class is insufficient but you should know that the coaches are in total immersion. There is tremendous expertise within the box and they constantly work together to grow. It's not like you take a certification and then stop. The coaches are in constant clinic and they visit other boxes as well. It is true that a trainer can open a box with a simple certification, but most of the owners around the world are very well qualified.[/QUOTE]

Do you think a trainer should have an understanding of anatomy and bio-mechanics?

Do you think a trainer should understand how to change a program for people who have injuries?

If so, a weekend course is never gonna cut it. If people after a weekend are only assisting qualified trainers, fine, but leading classes? That's crazy. At our gym, there are lots of interns, but interns never lead a class. Interns in this case always have a 4 year degree in AT, physiology, etc, then go through a week of intensive training, then are constantly coached on their coaching throughout a 3-6 month internship.

There are good Crossfit coaches, like Kelly Starret and then there are lots of bad ones too. All you have to do is check out the CF boards to see the tremendous amount of people who are injured by bad coaches and stupid programming. Biggest indictment of Crossfit is that they allow coaches to come on board with almost no training and do not care if individual boxes are giving shit training.

[skideeppow]

That row in insane. My 500 m pr is 1:37, and i am gassed after that .
Put up a new Push Press pr this am, 215lbs.
Anyone have any idea what you should be push pressing as a % of body weight, in general?

[Dantheman]

^ that is badass! DTM kudos to you for figuring out how to get interested in the iron with your bride. Mine just wants to fight me any time the subject is broached. Clearly I'm doing it wrong.
Its amazing what happens to people (chicks) if they just focus on getting stronger not sweatier.

Female bodybuilders do a serious disservice to their gender. It's incredible how many women think if they pick up more than a 5 lb hand weight they'll get jacked like that. Altachic was open to the suggestion because she's tried and failed many times to lose weight. But it also took a lot of time explaining how it's physiologically impossible for most women to truly bulk up without steroids and insane dieting, how losing weight is as much about hormone management as energy balance, and how heavy low-rep lifting is actually less hypertrophic than high rep work. It was also a matter of convincing her that there was a real athlete inside her just waiting to be found. Athletes exercise, but unfocused just-get-real-sweaty exercise won't make you an athlete.

70s Big had a good series about getting women into lifting and real training instead of just being cardio bunnies. Search their site and you should be able to find it.

Not workout related, but still CF.... just curious, but for those of you that go to a box to work out, how much do you pay per month? Here in the Boulder area, the monthly membership dues are insane- anywhere from $175-250/mo for unlimited classes (take $25 off for 3x/week). My dad is an instructor at a CF gym in South Carolina and they only charge ~$100/mo for unlimited.

I'm starting to wonder if some of these gyms are going to price themselves out of business. I was thinking of starting to hit a gym for workouts (I use my garage right now) but after seeing the prices, forgetaboutit.

I don't go to a box so take this FWIW. There are two reasons to go to a CF gym vs. spending far less money (in the long run) to modestly equip a home gym. The first is if the group fitness dynamic suits you. It's incredibly motivating for some people. The second is if you can find one like XavierD's where the owner is a real S&C coach that can provide quality coaching individualized to your goals. If you have athletic goals that you have been trying and failing to reach on your own and the coach gets you there he/she is worth the money. But $150+ per month to do generic group WODs with a kool aid drinker who has little more than an L1, enthusiasm and startup money? No thanks.

Met Coach Glassman

How drunk was he?

It is true that a trainer can open a box with a simple certification, but most of the owners around the world are very well qualified.

Do you have anything to back this up? The general consensus is quite the opposite even among CF supporters, let alone the critics. Given the explosive growth in the number of CF gyms and lack of barriers to entry I'd be surprised if more than a relatively small percentage of owners have more than an L1.

Biggest indictment of Crossfit is that they allow coaches to come on board with almost no training and do not care if individual boxes are giving shit training.

Free market forces are entirely sufficient quality control. The cream will rise to the top!

[rather ripped]

If so, a weekend course is never gonna cut it. If people after a weekend are only assisting qualified trainers, fine, but leading classes? That's crazy. At our gym, there are lots of interns, but interns never lead a class. Interns in this case always have a 4 year degree in AT, physiology, etc, then go through a week of intensive training, then are constantly coached on their coaching throughout a 3-6 month internship.

There are good Crossfit coaches, like Kelly Starret and then there are lots of bad ones too. All you have to do is check out the CF boards to see the tremendous amount of people who are injured by bad coaches and stupid programming. Biggest indictment of Crossfit is that they allow coaches to come on board with almost no training and do not care if individual boxes are giving shit training.

I don't think that a weekend course is adequate. But you should keep in mind, prior to attending a cert, coaches first spend a lot of time in clinic within the box. They are not incompetent. Working in a good box is in and of itself is a clinic. It's all about proper technique. Many of our coaches have four degrees in this field.

I disagree regarding stupid programing. Scaling is part of coaching and as far as I am concerned, Crossfit is the best at scaling for group WODs.

I find my self defending Crossfit and realize that I don't know anything about your gym. It is so easy to see what Crossfit offfers. It's an open book. The fact that your gym may well be exceptional is great, but keep in mind that it is very difficult to find programs like Crossfit throughout the country. Hell most places don't even alow you to lift... and when they do there are no bumper plates.

I think you have thrown out a lot of cheap shots. Yet I do not claim CF to be without flaws.

[altachic]

I follow a blogger who recently opened up her own CF box. She and her husband certified L1 and that's it. She's a coach and owner now. Although I admire her dedication to the program, I would never train at her facility. I lift more than she does and have seen some vids of her doing stuff at her gym...not ideal and I really hope no one gets hurt there.

Someday, when money isn't as tight I'd love to go into a gym and train with a coach, who's been at this a long time. I think there is real value and learning in that kind of atmosphere and I love a good group class to push me beyond what I think I'm capable of.

So, it's good in many ways and really not so good in others. Depends on where you are. I have to say though, I'm so glad that DTM pushed me to start lifting heavy and really work at it and also REALLY learn how to properly lift. Technique is key. He's done hours of research and watching videos and working out to help me.

[rather ripped]

I follow a blogger who recently opened up her own CF box. She and her husband certified L1 and that's it. She's a coach and owner now. Although I admire her dedication to the program, I would never train at her facility. I lift more than she does and have seen some vids of her doing stuff at her gym...not ideal and I really hope no one gets hurt there.

I can understand your concern about safety and qualifications in a situation like this. But consider what's available. Altachic, you trained with the best. Not every box will rise to that level. Does this mean that they should not be a Crossfit? Safety is number one when it comes to fitness, especially when lifting heavy. Yet there are plenty of personal trainers and other gyms that come up short - in safety and quality of training. Many won't even go heavy due to fear of injury and poor qualifications. If you don't use Crossfit, what is the alternative. We have 4 Crossfit affiliates in my area and I know all of the owners and many of the coaches. If you want to work with a personal trainer, that's fine. But we should take that out of the equation since we are not talking personal training. Not much left from there.

Shop around and try the various options. Observe safety, intensity, quality of coaching, and willingness to put heavy lifting in the fitness equation.

[CovertM]

Anyone see this from Gym Jones? #bananas

Not a row. That was on a Ski Erg, and I believe it was a WR.

[jibij]

Not a row. That was on a Ski Erg, and I believe it was a WR.

That makes more sense. Those s/m numbers didn't seem possible.

[XavierD]

Today, I watched, crossfiters, do, strict, pull-ups, for, volume.

Came back from a week of vacation. Did some axial and Circus DB clean+presses (175lb and 80 lb) for volume.

Then I attempted 3 rounds of 20 body weight (198lb, I am 195) back squats. Got all of them on the first round, failed due to a bad breath on the 20th in the 2nd, and almost passed out on the 9th rep of the third. I was a corpse for about 10 min.

This afternoon's three mile run is gonna suck! Then a push up, pull up and sit up circuit.

[jibij]

How drunk was he?

Ha. I don't know, but you could have easily mistaken him for a homeless man, and he had one of the oddest entourages I've ever seen.

[neufox47]

For anyone who works out at home or wants to work out better on the road, Bret Contreras is coming out with a new book, Bodyweight Strength Training Anatomy.

Heres a sample - http://bretcontreras.com/wp-content/...ras-sample.pdf

Best part is probably the programming at the end. Thinking of picking up a copy for those long business trips.

I don't think that a weekend course is adequate. But you should keep in mind, prior to attending a cert, coaches first spend a lot of time in clinic within the box. They are not incompetent. Working in a good box is in and of itself is a clinic. It's all about proper technique. Many of our coaches have four degrees in this field.

I disagree regarding stupid programing. Scaling is part of coaching and as far as I am concerned, Crossfit is the best at scaling for group WODs.

I find my self defending Crossfit and realize that I don't know anything about your gym. It is so easy to see what Crossfit offfers. It's an open book. The fact that your gym may well be exceptional is great, but keep in mind that it is very difficult to find programs like Crossfit throughout the country. Hell most places don't even alow you to lift... and when they do there are no bumper plates.

I think you have thrown out a lot of cheap shots. Yet I do not claim CF to be without flaws.

I work out at Mike Boyle's gym MBSC. If you did just the WOD's, I would call that stupid programming.

[XavierD]

Watched some of the games events last night on youtubes. Two observations. Those guys suck at running and strongman. Yea, I get that a 2 mile run - 100m 480lb flip, 700m log carry and sled pull all in one is a lot of work. But I'd expect the 'fittest men on earth' to finish sub 13min 2 mile, not 14-16 min. I can do that at 6 am still drunk from last night after throwing up halfway through. BTDT. Pretty pathetic. Also, they all need a leason in sled pulling.

The second one, is to be a crossfit games judge you must be the biggest Paleo-nob polishing, CF worshiping, oxygen steeling faggot. Seriously, when a guy doesn't even catch the weight on a C+J, you don't need to do the big arm crossing no rep douche movement; everyone knows. Fortunately, your sunglasses, shitty metro-hipster haircut, and 'judge' teeshirt will let your chiseled CF gawd "insert name here" know that despite his last 'no-rep' you still can't wait to nose-punch his fart box back at your local gym after a healthy AMRAP of Kipping pull ups, and box jumps.

"Hey man, you think you could kip a salad tossing?"

Relegiously referring to said gym as a 'box' is only slightly less douchefaggy.


I also don't buy that you can build strength without additional weights. I can do 65 uninterrupted push-ups, and 15 strict dead hang pull-ups, plenty of guys I train with can't, but one of them did 8 reps of 400lb pause squats today. Sure BW movements are great for developing base fitness, but you won't get strong doing it.
Ok, I'm done.

Worked up to 5x 230lb pause front squats today. Felt good.

[shafty85]

So I'm looking at getting into crossfit. I'm up in Canada in a smaller city so there is only the one option ( www.nanaimocrossfit.ca ). I was hoping you could help me out with three questions and a comment:
1. How are the prices?

2. What is your opinion on the trainers? (their apparent training/lack thereof, etc) as I've heard of a lot of injuries doing crossfit, and from what I have read in this thread that is closely related to the amount of training and skills of the trainers/coaches. I want to avoid injury.

3. Why can't the facilities be used as a regular gym to do your own workouts outside of the scheduled hours? Seems lame to me that if you want to do other workouts as well, you need to pay for a gym membership, but what do I know about it?

4. I'm thinking of starting off with 2 sessions a week for an intro month. I currently go to the gym, have a pretty good workout and have a month or two left on the membership. Can crossfit be focused towards certain sports? Or is it just overall fitness and you need to do your own sports specific training? I play soccer and baseball and, obviously, ski.

Thanks for any help.


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[Mazderati]

Those guys suck at running and strongman.

If I remember correctly, a local gym with an emphasis on strongman went head-to-head with one of the Crossfit gyms in a charity competition a few years back. The events were mixed. Strongman gym took first overall.