Tate

May 8th, 2014 at 1:07 PM ^

No lie, last night I was sitting in my apartment wondering what Sam was up to nowadays. Funny to see a post about him the next afternoon.

mGrowOld

May 8th, 2014 at 1:15 PM ^

Poor Sam.  I was never more sure that a player and system would lead to immediate amazing results than I was the RR Spread n Shred and McGuffie.

After about the 12th straight jet sweep for -1 yards I realized there may be more work needed to make it successful.

Monocle Smile

May 8th, 2014 at 2:25 PM ^

High-rep Olympic lifts on the clock is asking for massive losses of synovial fluid, especially when your "coach" learned everything they're supposedly teaching you over last weekend. Also, flopping like a fish doesn't count as a pull-up.

Seriously, if you take out all the bullshit and bad ideas from CrossFit, it becomes plain ol' circuit training that's been around for decades.

WolvinLA2

May 8th, 2014 at 2:34 PM ^

Whose coach learned everything he knows over a weekend? My trainer has a bachelor's in kinesiology and is very bright. He's also very safe. I've done tons of different work out methods, and I've never been in better shape than I am now doing crossfit. If you're an idiot, or you have a bad trainer, anything can be bad for you. Sweeping generalizations are also bad for you.

In terms of a kipping pull-up, no one has ever claimed it's the same as doing a strict pull up, and most crossfit gyms do them both ways. But most people can't do more than a half dozen or so strict pull ups, so doing it with a kip allows you to do more of them, therefore work those muscles (and others) for a longer period of time. It's a just like a lift - sometimes you do more weight and fewer reps, and sometimes you do less weight and more reps. When you do less weight, that doesn't mean it's not a "real" workout.

GoWings2008

May 8th, 2014 at 2:42 PM ^

and I couldn't have cared less about it one way or the other until I started doing my research.  I could show you lots of articles I've read, but this one sums up what I've found the best:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-basso/crossfit_b_2649450.html.  I'm sure you can come up with other articles or research that proves the opposite, but the result for me is the same...too much controversy and questions remain around a workout routine that may or may not be a fad.

Monocle Smile

May 8th, 2014 at 2:45 PM ^

My trainer has a bachelor's in kinesiology and is very bright.

Sure, but not because of CrossFit. All you need to coach and/or run a box is a weekend cert passed by a single written test. The organization exhibits zero quality control, which is my primary beef aside from all the Scientology-esque propaganda.

I've never been in better shape than I am now doing crossfit.

I hear this same line over and over again, but not only is your measuring stick probably your WOD times, meaning it's a circular statement, but being "in shape" doesn't mean your joints aren't broken to shit. Sure, circuit training is excellent for cardiovascular health. No, CrossFit won't transform you into Rich Froning. If your trainer doesn't put you at risk by doing stupid things like high-rep Olympic lifts, then he's smart, but that's not knowledge he'd get from CrossFit.

no one has ever claimed it's the same as doing a strict pull up

Except Greg Amundson. On tape. And pretty much everyone else on CrossFit's propaganda vids. Also, what I've seen doesn't constitute kipping. I see swinging. I don't care if you kip a bit on the last few reps, but don't swing 50 times and then boast about doing 50 pull-ups. And yes, countless CrossFitters actually do this.

WolvinLA2

May 8th, 2014 at 3:02 PM ^

It sounds like your gripe is more with the crossfit attitude and advertising than with the workouts themselves. Sure, not every crossfit trainer is as good as every other one. And I don't know who Greg Amundson is, but that's just one guy. Don't base your opinion off of it from one guy. And I'm sure his assertion wasn't "kipping pull ups and strict pull ups are the same." The funny thing is, I've been doing crossfit for a year and a half or so, and you've clearly seen more of their "propaganda vids" than I have. I don't personally get involved with anything "CrossFit" related outside of my gym.

I'm not basing how in shape I am by my WOD times. Crossfit is not the only physical activity I do. When I lift heavy things or play pick up basketball or go for a run with my wife, I can hang better than I have since college. I've signed up for a few mud runs which I never would have been able to do before, and now I can.

Obviously it's not your thing, and that's fine. But lots of people love it. And outside of the "propaganda" from crossfit corporate, it sounds like you don't know all that much about it.

Monocle Smile

May 8th, 2014 at 3:14 PM ^

It sounds like your gripe is more with the crossfit attitude and advertising than with the workouts themselves.

Correct, although a bunch of WODs are just plain stupid. CrossFit takes something that's been around forever, makes it worse, includes a bunch of unnecessary and/or bullshit directives like paleo, sells it for waaaaay more than it's worth, and acts like it's the be-all, end-all of fitness.

I don't know who Greg Amundson is, but that's just one guy. Don't base your opinion off of it from one guy. And I'm sure his assertion wasn't "kipping pull ups and strict pull ups are the same."

Greg Amundson is Greg Glassman's #2. Glassman founded CrossFit. And I shit you not, that was indeed his assertion. He also claimed that CrossFitters are able to "dominate" sports they've never played after a "small amount" of practice because CrossFit makes you able to do anything. His words, not mine. I couldn't make this shit up if I tried.

outside of the "propaganda" from crossfit corporate, it sounds like you don't know all that much about it.

I know plenty about it. I'm just choosing to highlight the negative aspects because there's nothing positive about CrossFit that is also exclusive to CrossFit despite their claims. Yes, the group atmosphere is great and provides motivation, and if your box has people who know their stuff and do their own programming, it's probably fine.

WolvinLA2

May 8th, 2014 at 7:27 PM ^

But why do the positive aspects need to be exclusive to CrossFit for them to be positive?  Sure, CrossFit is not the only place I can do push ups or pull ups, but it's the place I like best to do those things.  I don't see why that's not enough.  

I like what CrossFit offers.  It pushes me and I've seen results.  It's not because of propaganda or because of what Greg Amundson or Glassman say (since I've never heard those names until today).  

You are putting way more weight into how CrossFit corporate packages it rather than what it really is.  I don't eat paleo.  I don't hardly know what that is.  I do CrossFit so I can eat a shitload of pizza without getting fat.  And you might think they charge more than it's worth, but isn't "worth" determined by what consumers are willing to pay?  I'm extremely cheap, but I think it's worth it (and the price varies a lot from gym to gym).  

You don't really know plenty about it.  You've read about it online and watched YouTube videos, but it's clear to me (and other CrossFitters on here) that you don't really know much about it.  Which is fine because you have your thing.  But don't rip on our thing just because it's not what you prefer.

falco_alba15

May 8th, 2014 at 3:06 PM ^

But have you ever belonged to a box? Worked or focused on gaining a technique? Listened to success stories from CrossFit?



I've been to good gyms and bad gyms. The good gyms put together lifts that include a weight-lifting set and a circuit training set that focuses on incremental improvements in fitness and lifting techniques. I've been to one that works in lifting monthly cycles - where Week 1 is 1-rep-max, Week 2 has 5 rep EMOTM at 65-75%, and so on. The bad ones will throw together what sounds sweet and not coach or train their participants at all.



Not everyone likes going to the YMCA and running on a treadmill for an hour. CrossFit, broken down, is good ol circuit training wrapped up in a new package. But why is that a bad thing? The first thing a good gym should do is have their participants be fully aware of their limits and set goals that won't hurt them. Can't do a pull-up? Work with the bands for support. Can't do a 24 inch box jump? Move down to the 20 inch box. Don't have the stamina for 5 rounds? Do 3. Get the workout that works for you.

Monocle Smile

May 8th, 2014 at 3:20 PM ^

I don't have to jump off a bridge to know it's a stupid idea.

I'm a powerlifter, and I continue to grow and get stronger by myself without spending an assload of money to chill in a warehouse.

As I've said before, there are indeed good coaches and bad coaches at different boxes. But CrossFit markets them all as equivalent products. That's not just poor quality control; that's dishonest.

 

The first thing a good gym should do is have their participants be fully aware of their limits and set goals that won't hurt them.

Correct. And yet CrossFit uses Pukey the Clown and Uncle Rhabdo as its unofficial mascots. The smart boxes will ignore all the bullshit, but for the fifth or so time, they aren't the problem.

MGoStrength

May 8th, 2014 at 8:33 PM ^

Love it or hate it, people get fired up about Crossfit.  There are definitely problems with Crossfit as it's written (not always as it's applied) like the level of "athlete" participating compared to the level of complexity they are engaging in, the low barier to entry of opening a Crossfit gym, the lack of assessment in many of them, the one-size-fits-all programming, and using technically advnaced exercises under fatigued conditions, without always adaquate coaching, without a solid foundation of competitence, and in a group training environment.  But, that said you have to give it to Crossfit for the comaraderie, the social experience that appeals to many, the brand recognition, the variety of training, opting for interval over aerobic work, and getting lots and lots of lay-men and women to pick up barbells and lift them.  I've never seen women outside of a handfull of fitness competitors or powerlifters or college athletes in a college strength and conditioning program acutally do exercises like deadlifts, olympic lifts, front squats, and the like.  That by itself is a great and welcomed contribution to the exercise world.  I think a lot of fitness professional would like to have a thriving business brand like Crossfit.

All Day

May 8th, 2014 at 2:48 PM ^

Of course it's circuit training. Most training today is.

If you're doing high rep oly lifting, then you're doing it wrong. Get a better trainer/coach (this is not limited to crossfit).

Not sure the pullups are cheating, they're just different. I still do strict pull ups, weighted pull ups, ring rows, etc... probably 10 varieties of pull ups. Just like varying your tempo and weights changes the work on your body, kipping pull ups make the work more of a muscular endurance than strict strength.

GoWings2008

May 8th, 2014 at 2:56 PM ^

insist on calling it training, what are you training for?  To me, what you're doing is exercise.  Physical activity for its own sake.  Training is physical activity performed for the purpose of satisfying a long-term performance goal. 

WolvinLA2

May 8th, 2014 at 3:04 PM ^

That's just semantics. I call it training, but you could substitute exercise and the meaning doesn't change. You don't have to be a competitive athlete to train. If I do the same workout as a triathlete, but I never sign up for the race, was it not really training?

GoWings2008

May 8th, 2014 at 3:08 PM ^

but to me, yes there is a difference in the two.  It all comes down to mindset and intent.  If you intended on doing a triathlon, but didn't because of some unintended reason, then yeah it was training.  But if you're doing triathlon training "just because you want to get in shape" then I say that's crazy.  And I can say this because I'm training for a half IM, and if I wasn't dedicated to the race I intend to participate in, I wouldn't be doing all the things I'm doing.  You just gotta take my word on that one.

WolvinLA2

May 8th, 2014 at 3:12 PM ^

But that's just your preference. There are a lot of people who don't feel the need to do any competitions, but like to train jus to get in better shape. That's not a unique thing. Many people go out running or biking, but never sign up for any races. They just like to be healthy.

All Day

May 8th, 2014 at 3:08 PM ^

Personally, I don't get caught up in the semantics of the verbage (box, wod, etc...) so I can't really comment on that. I figure I'm going to exercise/train/whatever regardless of the name of the workout. Crossfit just works for my interests/motivations/goals/etc...

Sorry, no "I'm training for life, brah" comments from me.

WolvinLA2

May 8th, 2014 at 3:17 PM ^

Agreed. It seems non-crossfitters get more caught up in that than the people who do crossfit. I've never called my gym a box, I think it sounds dumb. Nor do I use "WOD" unless it's in response to someone discussing it. I don't watch the games or the YouTube stuff. I just show up and work out.

I certainly don't think crossfit is the only way for me to get in shape, it's just the best one I've found. The people at my gym are great, my trainer is great, and I've had great results. Some huffington post article isn't going to change that for me.

vdiddy24

May 8th, 2014 at 4:40 PM ^

I have to state that I find talking about "traditional" weight lifting significantly more often than I do about crossfit. I think most people just tend not to think about it that way because the conversations happen more organically and are usually tangential to talking about things like sports (e.g. a coworker and I had a 5 minute conversation about bench pressing that spawned from a conversation about the NFL Draft and combine results).

The ironic thing about my conversations about Crossfit is that it usually doesn't include a single crossfitter and is usually one of my gym rat friends talking about how shitty it is.

All Day

May 8th, 2014 at 5:58 PM ^

Absolutely. I have a coworker who knows I do it and I know he powerlifts. We tend to talk about lifting a lot (and as it turns out, we do a lot of the same rep schemes).

 

I've never understood this meme about crossfit. People talk about their hobbies all the damn time, or post their Nike run-route apps, or check in to church, or post their dumb pinterest creations. Probably more than crossfitters post theirs, but we're the annoying ones.

WolvinLA2

May 8th, 2014 at 7:19 PM ^

There are definitely people who are annoying about it, but part of that is because it's done in groups, unlike other hobbies that are more individual, so people want to talk about it.  Many of the people are our gym have become friends, and friends tend to talk about things they have in common.  But I agree with you - I have lots of other facebook friends who post about their Yoga or spinning class or Tough Mudder or whatever.  

My big gripe is that people don't typically stop at "CrossFitters are annoying."  It's always "CrossFit is stupid" and their reason revolves around people talking about it too much.  

bronxblue

May 8th, 2014 at 5:09 PM ^

Oh, I get that people like it and it is a good way to get/stay in shape (cross-training in general is good for lots of people versus running on a treadmill for 30 minutes 3 days a week).  But at least here in New York, everyone who is into Cross-Fit is REALLY into it, and they love to tell you about it.  And I'm a marathon runner who absolutely hates the snarky tones and "life-changing" rhetoric that spills forth from people every year they finally run the NYC marathon.  So I get that any fitness regimen has its fair share of evangelists.  But I've watched enough bad "boxes" or whatever you call them sprout up to recognize that just because you have those calves socks, a large hammer, and a tire doesn't mean you should be instructing other people on how to adopt a repeatable, non-injury-causing fitness plan.

WolvinLA2

May 8th, 2014 at 5:30 PM ^

OK, but just because the people you know (and tons you don't, for sure) are annoying about it, isn't an argument against it as an exercise program. And the funny thing about CrossFit is that what outsiders think about it and what it actually is is so different. Very few people at our gym wear the tall socks, I have no idea what hammer your referring to and I've flipped a tire a half dozen or so times in the last year.

bronxblue

May 9th, 2014 at 12:25 AM ^

I never argued against it being an effective workout; I argue against the culture that replaces competent and measured training techniques with shouting and max lifts with improper form.

Again, I get that there are an annoying minority that makes it seem bad, and I've met more than enough crossfitters who seem like nice people.  But to me, it feels like a bit of a fad that is repackaged to appeal to a subset of the population that needs that sense of community to work out, and that doesn't appeal to me. 

The socks serve a purpose, and I get that.  But when you are at Whole Foods, I kinda doubt you'll be needing to do any max deadlifts.

The hammer, as I've seen it, is used to hit a big rubber tire.  I've also seen people swing it around as an abdominal workout.

Again, I'm happy people like doing it, but I guess I've just been at a bunch of races recently where a bunch of CF people are totally jacked to run and WON'T STOP TALKING ABOUT IT and then get gassed a mile in.

Jonesy

May 9th, 2014 at 5:13 PM ^

Crossfit newbies do get really annoying.  It's because for most people it flips a big switch in their heads and makes them think theyve figured out the secrets of life (because really doing crossfit and eating paleo is going to drastically change your body and your health for the better no matter how bad the gym is.....until you get injured, which will happen more often/easily in a crappy one).  And then they preach crossfit/paleo to everyone they meet for a year or so just as bad as any religious nut until they realize nobody cares and its the same as having a religion/political discussion, just dont do it unless you already know the person agrees with you.  Once you get past that phase it's all good though.

BlueGoM

May 8th, 2014 at 1:47 PM ^

He did relatively well the one season he was here, IMO.   IIRC the concussions occured on bad throws from Threet and/or Sheridan, and IMO he was unfairly hated on by this board.

He had a couple of injuries at Rice that kept him from playing much, unfortunately.  I hope he gets a shot at the NFL.