Let's Talk About CrossFit

Well I’ve managed to pull myself out of my Stanley Cup Playoff’s coma to get a little something written. Seriously, ask Catherine, I’ve been watching ALL the hockey. Pretty sure it’s getting on her nerves, though she’ll say it’s not…it probably is. It’s not too late to say no babes, of course she wouldn’t…would she? Uh well in any case, let’s move on.
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There have been many out there giving their thoughts on the not so new modality to hit the fitness universe, CrossFit. Most of the educated professionals I know have said their piece and most agree, there’s good things and bad things. I think even most seasoned CrossFitters will tell you the same. There’s good and bad to it. I’ll throw my 2 cents into the ring here and let you all decide for yourselves, if you haven’t yet.
 
Let me just start by saying people that are absolutely sullying the name of CrossFit for no actual good reason should probably pump the breaks a bit and make sure that they’re doing some digging on it first. Even some of the worse boxes (CrossFit gyms) have some good to them. They’re not unlike gyms, personal training studios or strength and conditioning facilities. There are coaches (boxes) that are absolutely awful for various reasons, and are absolutely giving the name and industry in general a bad rep. Then there are some that are high quality and getting many people to move in ways they’ve never thought possible, safely. As always in this industry, it depends is the answer.
 
The Good;

• I will echo a point made by Jon Goodman in his book Ignite the Fire, Crossfit has brought some intensity back in to the gym. Not everyone needs it and I’m not saying we need R. Lee Ermey from Full Metal Jacket to walk in and treat everyone like Gomer Pyle, but I also feel there’s some points where people need to just suck it up and get it done. With a good eye, a coach can help you push your limits and not quit on yourself. Everyone needs to be pushed in order to make progress. Upping the intensity in the place can certainly be that push.

 

• Crossfit preaches training the compound movements and even Olympic lifts, YES! That’s a win in my mind. The single muscle isolation training has it’s place, but about 99% of the population needs to learn compound (or life) movements before they graduate to things like that. Also, where else, other than say gymnastics, will people learn hand stands? Nowhere, and that’s a crawling variation I’m happy to see being introduced to people.

 

• Community and culture are huge things that Crossfit has brought to the game. When someone other than your coach/trainer is supporting you, giving you help/feedback and is busting their hump right alongside you, it helps drive you that extra bit. That’s a big part of why I prefer semi-private training. Competition/motivation to push further can be a very good thing and some people need it to get to that next goal.

 

• Nutrition, without a doubt, is the biggest downfall of ANY training regiment, Crossfit, Power Lifting, Olympic Lifting, Pilates, Brazilian Booty, Barre, Tiddlywinks or otherwise. Without getting what goes in the tank straightend out, progress will be limited, in all cases. Crossfit has made more people aware of the importance of protein intake, along with the veggies everyone knows they need to eat, with the introduction to the world of the paleo diet. Paleo has it's good and bad, but we'll call this one a good because the general idea behind it is on the money.

 

• Muscle is required in this life, yes even you ladies and Crossfit is doing an awesome job at teaching ladies that muscle is also sexy. Yeah that’s right guys, muscle on women is sexy. Don’t like it? Fine, but DO NOT shame women that bust their ass gaining strength, muscle and the results they want, if you do then you are lower than low. I would also wager have some of your own issues to work out, don’t press them on someone else. Back to the point, Crossfit has provided a space for women to get off the elliptical, stop doing so many crunches (BARF) and pick up some iron, which is absolutely awesome. More women are seeing how much they are capable of, thanks in good part to the introduction of boxes. 

​The Not So Good: 

• First and foremost, like the training/coaching industry in general, the barrier for entry as a box or a coach is very low. A weekend course, some financial backing and bang you have yourself a box. I know people are probably screaming at their screens, MY COACH IS AMAZING! Yes I know some great coaches that are pretty damn smart, probably smarter than me to be honest, so Brett, Dan, Emily and anyone I’ve forgotten, keep doing what you do. Back to the point, for every great coach there’s probably 5 or 6 crappy coaches out there that have no idea how to actually coach. These coaches just tell you to do the movement, no actual cueing or correcting, and if you can’t do it then you suck. Please tell me what good that does to someone that’s trying to get off the couch and get moving again. More than likely that’s just going to make them depressed and send them back to the couch, but hey it’s Crossfit right? I appreciate seeing more coaches at workshops and summits, trying to kill this issue off, but still work to be done. 

 

• Crossfit presents itself as forging elite fitness. That is true to a point, in terms of overall, well rounded fitness, it's quite accurate. The downfall is that while it makes you better at things you might not be so great at, it tends to make you...well not so much better at the things you're already good/great at. You might become a faster runner, but you might not be quite as strong at your deadlift you once were. Certainly not a terrible thing to be well rounded. This is also not something that applies to all trainees, but many.

 

• Somebody please correct me on this next point if I've missed the mark, perhaps it went over my head when I wasn't paying attention. To my knowledge, there is NO movement assessment what so ever that’s been standardized. I mean they’ve set standards for everything else in their gyms, why in the name of the old gods and the new, not have an assessment? From gym to gym, more are doing some sort of movement screen to make sure the athlete/member isn’t going to fall apart the second they load an exercise, but across the board, still work to be done. I realize Crossfit (or any coach with a brain) scales the exercises depending on ability level. The problem is, if you don’t actually know what a person’s movement looks like to start, how can you properly scale an exercise for them, or progress them? To put it a little bluntly and maybe a bit unfairly, as a respected and very smart strength coach and professional put it (paraphrased); Hey you can move your arms over your head, let's go kip. This seems to be about the extent of some gym's assessments.

• While we’re on it, Kipping Pull-ups…why? Why? WHY? Ow my shoulder…

 

• Last thing, Olympic movements, and other power based movements, are NOT meant to be done in an exhausted state. OK great, the top Crossfitters can do them and they look good, can keep their form and know when to stop. That’s great, YAY for them. MOST people walking into a box are not capable, and may never be capable, of doing those movements in an exhausted state. With the added intensity and the drill sergeant coaches out there that tell you to keep going because if it hurts it’s good, then the newbies will continue to do these movements with worse and worse form and crack, they’re hurt. Not just talking about a bloody shin or a scraped elbow, I’m talking about bones, tendons, ligaments or worse…discs. Then the newbie, or sometimes not so newbie, is on the shelf and may never get back it, back to the couch and they get worse, not a great thing.

 
All in all, it's probably a good split between the good and the bad simply because there's no quality control. That's not unlike any other type of facility in this industry neither. I think more people are starting become knowledgable to the point where they can smell a bad Crossfit gym from a mile away. The quality of coaching is being increased, but like all other facilities in the fitness realm, we need to work to squash the stupid shit out there, you've all seen the videos and memes.

Those are my thoughts, and I am definitely echoing some things I’ve read or heard before from other people, so no these are not entirely my original thoughts. The likes of Tony Gentilcore, Artemis Scantalides, Mike Boyle, Dan John, Neghar Fonooni and my friend Mike Anderson all have their prints on the good and bad stuff you see above. I’ve just managed to put it in my words, splash a bit of my humor and hopefully inform more people about the pro’s and con’s here.
 
That’s what I got today guys, remember to use your heads when signing up training any where, not just a Crossfit box.