One year of Crossfit

Valmont

Two months ago I decided to pack in Crossfit and go back to a regular DIY gym. Joining Crossfit was a revelation for me: I was able to get stronger and fitter in half the number of sessions I would do myself at the gym. The social scene was fantastic and the coaches were motivating and knowledgeable. I'm hardly Rich Froning but in eight months I learned bar muscle ups and I could snatch 60kg (I weigh 75kg); I even do ROMWOD every evening (I won't be giving that up!).

However there is a dark side to Crossfit I'd been warned about that I hoped I wouldn't see because I liked it so much: injuries. My hands were getting torn up kipping (and my shoulders didn't seem to like it either), I developed a ceaseless pain in my left wrist from all the down-ups/burpees, and my lower back -- for the first time ever -- really started to ache, especially after a WOD with 100 wall balls followed by 50 front squats or whatever. I took a month off over Christmas to hopefully get better which I thought would happen because I'm quite flexible and do yoga on top of my ROMWOD. They persisted however and I've had to hang up my ugly Nano trainers for good.

I know that I sound really whiny but I have a hunch that the constant repetition in Crossfit can't be good for your average Joe after-work athlete like myself. I did MMA for years and got half as many injuries. Since going back to the gym I do some Crossfit type workouts like a few clean and jerks and then a row followed by a run. My injuries have let up completely. So I have a few questions for those more knowledgeable than me: has anyone else had a similar experience? Is it possible the coaches programmed the workouts wrong? Is Crossfit a fundamentally flawed fad? (I loved it though, I really did!).

All input greatly appreciated.

PS I live in the UK.

whippet

i've never done crossfit so I don't know a whole pile about it .. however a few people I know who do crossfit seem to be injured quite a bit.

I do recall one of them telling me about doing something like 50 reps of a snatch or something during one WOD and putting their back out ... that was just ridiculous; clearly form would go out the window when trying to get 50 reps of anything.

Ever since I started lifting, be it kettlebells, dumbbells or barbells my coaches would have always said that once your form starts to slip - stop, put down the weight and either finish or drop the weight lower.

one other thing .. crossfitters seem to love having their hands cut off them; see it like a badge of honour; I was alway told that ripped hand were injuries and if you are constantly ripping your hands you are doing something wrong.

MightyMandarin

Valmont wrote: »

Two months ago I decided to pack in Crossfit and go back to a regular DIY gym. Joining Crossfit was a revelation for me: I was able to get stronger and fitter in half the number of sessions I would do myself at the gym. The social scene was fantastic and the coaches were motivating and knowledgeable. I'm hardly Rich Froning but in eight months I learned bar muscle ups and I could snatch 60kg (I weigh 75kg); I even do ROMWOD every evening (I won't be giving that up!).

However there is a dark side to Crossfit I'd been warned about that I hoped I wouldn't see because I liked it so much: injuries. My hands were getting torn up kipping (and my shoulders didn't seem to like it either), I developed a ceaseless pain in my left wrist from all the down-ups/burpees, and my lower back -- for the first time ever -- really started to ache, especially after a WOD with 100 wall balls followed by 50 front squats or whatever. I took a month off over Christmas to hopefully get better which I thought would happen because I'm quite flexible and do yoga on top of my ROMWOD. They persisted however and I've had to hang up my ugly Nano trainers for good.

I know that I sound really whiny but I have a hunch that the constant repetition in Crossfit can't be good for your average Joe after-work athlete like myself. I did MMA for years and got half as many injuries. Since going back to the gym I do some Crossfit type workouts like a few clean and jerks and then a row followed by a run. My injuries have let up completely. So I have a few questions for those more knowledgeable than me: has anyone else had a similar experience? Is it possible the coaches programmed the workouts wrong? Is Crossfit a fundamentally flawed fad? (I loved it though, I really did!).

All input greatly appreciated.

PS I live in the UK.

A guy in over r/weightlifting started making programming videos and this one about Crossfit's programming pitfalls was pretty good I thought:

I think what you experienced was just overtraining though (although your hands tearing can be fixed with some handcare really; it's not an injury). I wouldn't give it all up tbh, as I think Crossfit is a great activity for people who mightn't be able to push themselves (which I kinda gather describes you in the past), so maybe going to a different CF Gym would be better? You can also do Crossfit WOD's or even just activities done in them, without necessarily doing a WOD, by yourself as long as you have access to the equipment.

cloudatlas

There were a few people who got injured in my crossfit gym. I was never told to stop if my form went. Looking back now deadlifts for time seems silly, instead of taking the time to line up to the bar properly , engage the glutes etc., The wall ball exercise also made my wrist twinge a fair bit, I was in an environment where everyone is pushing you to hurry through the exercise, there is that pressure, I was fairly slow so was never one of the stars or the favourites. I eventually moved away, asked the trainer to help me come up with a weightlifting program that I could apply myself. He refused and kept on coming up with travel plans for me to continue coming to the box even though it was no longer convenient. I don't miss it.

helimachoptor

I did crossfit for about 8 months last year, I had read up on how frequent injuries can be, but for me it was never an issue.

tbh in the gym I was in the coaches were great, they knew when to push and when you were pushing too hard.


I think overtraining the is biggest risk, people think they become supermen, when in reality slow, steady and good technique is what you need

LuckyLloyd

Valmont wrote: »

I know that I sound really whiny but I have a hunch that the constant repetition in Crossfit can't be good for your average Joe after-work athlete like myself. I did MMA for years and got half as many injuries. Since going back to the gym I do some Crossfit type workouts like a few clean and jerks and then a row followed by a run. My injuries have let up completely. So I have a few questions for those more knowledgeable than me: has anyone else had a similar experience? Is it possible the coaches programmed the workouts wrong? Is Crossfit a fundamentally flawed fad? (I loved it though, I really did!).

Yes and yes.

I've trained in a Crossfit gym for four and a half years now. Over that time the gym has dramatically overhauled its programming. When I started, it was an 'everyone does the same thing, scaling as necessary' mindset. Now there are five distinct programming streams, and members are moved from one onto the next on the basis of reaching certain defined competencies. Basically, a new member works with kettlebells and dumbells for a while, with training built around mobility, basic strength through the main plains of movement and weighted carries. Form and correct positions is the focus, and then people move onto simpler barbell movements. Only when someone has been in the gym for months or has come from a Crossfit training background to start do they begin training Olympic lifts and full on gymnastic progressions.

Even then, at the top end, there is never any metcons asking for 50 snatches for time, and the 'classic' Crossfit workouts rarely make an appearance. My belief is that Crossfit is an excellent inspiration for training, but there has been such a divergence over the past few years between recreational and competitive Crossfitting that programming for five time a week trainees should almost entirely vary from the sport as practiced at the elite level. I see gyms programming one size fits all and seemingly pulling from blogs or flavour of the month stuff at random, and I'll know from experience that they are going to be putting some percentage of their members at a disadvantage. Whether it be their beginners trying to snatch an empty bar before they have near the scap mobility to do so and haven't yet mastered an air squat; or their more proficient members who aren't focussing on their particular weaknesses as necessary to make them the best athlete possible.

I believe that if you're paying approaching €150+ a month and there is no variation to the basic programming in your gym, and little or no tailoring for YOU you're being ripped off. If your gym isn't analysing the data from their members closely and adjusting programming based on outcomes rather than assumptions or the latest blog article they read, you're being ripped off. If it's your first week of Crossfit and someone is trying to get you to snatch an empty bar, it's probably going to be a bad place to train.

Of course, someone might suggest that if you take all of the complexity out of the programming it's no longer "Crossfit" and merely Strength and Conditioning - and I'm okay with that. Most people don't need to do full versions of the classic lifts, and they don't need to master kipping pull ups or bar muscle ups. If someone moves really well and has a great engine and wants to try crossfitting for real, a good box should cater for that. But they should also cater in parallel for the majority of their members who want to look better naked and get stronger and more mobile, and cater for it in a more substantial way than 'just use a lighter bar for the wod'.

There also needs to be an eye kept on varying the intensity. You can't be going full bore heavy and hard all the time as a weekend warrior. The temptation is to be killing yourself in every metcon every week, always trying for the best times possible or a new lifting PR. Even elite crossfitters will work across the energy system spectrum and have plenty of low intensity steady state work in there; and lower percentage squatting, pulling and pressing. Again, good programming will cater for that and monitoring how their members are feeling and performing on an individual level. That probably was the specific problem in your case.

Valmont

Thanks everyone. I agree that there's a problem not streaming people by ability. I didn't mention it earlier because it's embarrassing but my second ever wod was doing dozens of clean and jerks with an empty bar: I chipped two of my teeth pulling the bar into my face. That said, I'd love to train at LuckyLloyd's Crossfit gym, it seems a bit more sane. I'm actually moving to London in a month and put this post up in part to see whether I'd try a different Crossfit gym or do something else. I'll probably give it another go to be honest, I ran 5k this morning and wanted to jump into the river out of boredom.

Vegeta

MightyMandarin wrote: »

(although your hands tearing can be fixed with some handcare really; it's not an injury)

Full disclosure, I've never done Crossfit, but help me understand the viewpoint that tearing your hand is not an injury?

Once during a kettle bell class I tore my right hand up pretty badly, this prevented me doing any pulling type work with the hand for about 2-3 weeks. Not painful really, more annoying, but it was slowing healing way down. Therefore, because the hand tear hindered my ability to train certain things I'd consider it an injury.

Would like to hear an opposing viewpoint on that.

whippet

Vegeta wrote: »

Full disclosure, I've never done Crossfit, but help me understand the viewpoint that tearing your hand is not an injury?

Once during a kettle bell class I tore my right hand up pretty badly, this prevented me doing any pulling type work with the hand for about 2-3 weeks. Not painful really, more annoying, but it was slowing healing way down. Therefore, because the hand tear hindered my ability to train certain things I'd consider it an injury.

Would like to hear an opposing viewpoint on that.

100% agree with you.

The last hand tear I got was three weeks before a comp; I was doing a last heavy deadlift and stupidly didn't file down and moisturise the callouses that were on my hand .. ripped a callous on my second last pull; didn't get to finish that set and end up not being able to training properly for the run up to the comp.

So yes .. it's an injury and is preventable.

So I just can't understand how some people see it as a badge of honour.

Nervous Wreck

Weird argument but sure, scuffed up hands from deadlifting is an injury. Insomuch as having a cold is an illness. But, unless it's very severe, if some scrapes on your palms from deadlifting is stopping you from training, your problem isn't your hands, it's that you're a wuss.

Vegeta

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Weird argument but sure, scuffed up hands from deadlifting is an injury. Insomuch as having a cold is an illness. But, unless it's very severe, if some scrapes on your palms from deadlifting is stopping you from training, your problem isn't your hands, it's that you're a wuss.

We're not talking scuffed hands, I have those pretty much always. We're talking hand tears like this:


I don't want to derail the thread. Just looking for an insight into the mindset that these are not an injury. If they were not an injury then you could do the exact same exercise which caused them immediately with no impact on performance (assuming adequate regular rest period). From my own experience I just don't think that is wise/possible/advisable.

Cuddlesworth

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Weird argument but sure, scuffed up hands from deadlifting is an injury. Insomuch as having a cold is an illness. But, unless it's very severe, if some scrapes on your palms from deadlifting is stopping you from training, your problem isn't your hands, it's that you're a wuss.

So I'm not alone in thinking that.

Cuddlesworth

Vegeta wrote: »

We're not talking scuffed hands, I have those pretty much always. We're talking hand tears like this:

I'm thinking you need to learn when to stop.

coffee_cake

Holy jesus

Vegeta

Cuddlesworth wrote: »

I'm thinking you need to learn when to stop.

With my argument or when to stop a particular exercise?
Believe me I learned that lesson once, and once was enough.

In terms of argument, I don't think my own personal viewpoint impacts on whether hand tears are or are not injuries. So it seems to be 3-2 for the no injury camp so far.

whippet

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Weird argument but sure, scuffed up hands from deadlifting is an injury. Insomuch as having a cold is an illness. But, unless it's very severe, if some scrapes on your palms from deadlifting is stopping you from training, your problem isn't your hands, it's that you're a wuss.

just like the school of thought is that sweat is only fat crying and if it doesn't hurt it aint worth doing.

I will alway have relatively raw hands from deadlifting .. makes no difference to me .. but when I rip a callous off then it's an injury try holding on to 240+ with a open wound on the palm of your hand .. not going to happen.

Vegeta

bluewolf wrote: »

Holy jesus

Again, full disclosure, that's not me, but I had a very similar one to where the index finger meets the hand.

I'm pulling this way off topic for the op now though so I will refrain from replies for a while.

MightyMandarin

Just going to drop this here so it can be shared around for people who have bad callouses, tearing of your skin etc. It's a great video.

DaeryssaOne

I would have had a similar experience with Crossfit (albeit I never got so far as to be able to do muscle ups).
I felt I was getting better and better then suddenly had one injury after another. There was nothing terribly serious but I would end up missing sessions while recovering and would have to scale right back again which just demotivated me further.

While I had been really enjoying it I suddenly felt like I was the 'disruptive child' in the class - I would have to ask for alternatives if my shoulder for example was acting up and to be honest I began to feel like i didn't belong anymore. I was being overtaken by newbies and lost the motivation to turn up and be the last in the WOD each time. Totally my own psychological thing - the coaches were good but it was suddenly an awful lot of money to be paying to feel pretty rubbish afterwards - 10 minutes of nothing but burpees is my personal idea of hell so why was I paying for it?

Have since joined a cheaper gym where at least I now have the knowledge of the lifts and the type of work my body can handle without feeling that I'm pushing too hard too fast just to save face.

Nervous Wreck

Vegeta wrote: »

We're not talking scuffed hands, I have those pretty much always. We're talking hand tears like this:


I don't want to derail the thread. Just looking for an insight into the mindset that these are not an injury. If they were not an injury then you could do the exact same exercise which caused them immediately with no impact on performance (assuming adequate regular rest period). From my own experience I just don't think that is wise/possible/advisable.

Now that is an injury born out of being a moron. Letting it ger that far is outrageous!

Nervous Wreck

whippet wrote: »

just like the school of thought is that sweat is only fat crying and if it doesn't hurt it aint worth doing.

I will alway have relatively raw hands from deadlifting .. makes no difference to me .. but when I rip a callous off then it's an injury try holding on to 240+ with a open wound on the palm of your hand .. not going to happen.

Jesus, those are idiotic schools of thought.

Transform

Valmont wrote: »

Two months ago I decided to pack in Crossfit and go back to a regular DIY gym. Joining Crossfit was a revelation for me: I was able to get stronger and fitter in half the number of sessions I would do myself at the gym. The social scene was fantastic and the coaches were motivating and knowledgeable. I'm hardly Rich Froning but in eight months I learned bar muscle ups and I could snatch 60kg (I weigh 75kg); I even do ROMWOD every evening (I won't be giving that up!).

However there is a dark side to Crossfit I'd been warned about that I hoped I wouldn't see because I liked it so much: injuries. My hands were getting torn up kipping (and my shoulders didn't seem to like it either), I developed a ceaseless pain in my left wrist from all the down-ups/burpees, and my lower back -- for the first time ever -- really started to ache, especially after a WOD with 100 wall balls followed by 50 front squats or whatever. I took a month off over Christmas to hopefully get better which I thought would happen because I'm quite flexible and do yoga on top of my ROMWOD. They persisted however and I've had to hang up my ugly Nano trainers for good.

I know that I sound really whiny but I have a hunch that the constant repetition in Crossfit can't be good for your average Joe after-work athlete like myself. I did MMA for years and got half as many injuries. Since going back to the gym I do some Crossfit type workouts like a few clean and jerks and then a row followed by a run. My injuries have let up completely. So I have a few questions for those more knowledgeable than me: has anyone else had a similar experience? Is it possible the coaches programmed the workouts wrong? Is Crossfit a fundamentally flawed fad? (I loved it though, I really did!).

All input greatly appreciated.

PS I live in the UK.

fundamentally he problem is programming, always was and always will be.

Ive been writing on this topic for years but unfortunately it takes a mature and often times injured audience to sit up and take notice.

Theres already been a shift in the industry and in the next two years there will be decreased number of crossfit gyms as more de-affiliate yet this wont solve the problem for many as they just take the crossfit brand off and continue on their merry way with poor programming and the search for the ultimate "killer workout".

This is NOT exclusive to crossfit at all and exists in ALL gyms, commercial and small private gyms.

Its tied up in the global sense of more and not being good enough so people base their value on the measuring stick yet "never ending growth is the ideology of the cancer cell only".

Injuries often cant be prevented but its up to the coaches to have systems in place for early detection (99% dont have this) and limit exposure to unnecessary risk.

Constantly varied functional movements = good
Performed at high intensity (often in every single workout) = really really bad ideal and shows total lack of principle led training

Good (crossfit) gyms have adapted, the rest will die out which is actually needed right now

Mellor

Nervous Wreck wrote: »

Now that is an injury born out of being a moron. Letting it ger that far is outrageous!

Saying a torn callus isn't an injury, or it's just some scrapes don't be a wuss, makes me assume you've never ripped one badly. You're lucky imo.

Continuing to lift as a ripped callus gets progressively worse is dumb after a point. But it's not always a gradual thing. The worst time I did it my hands were fine one minute, and I left a disc of skin on a monkey the next.

Transform

Mellor wrote: »

Saying a torn callus isn't an injury, or it's just some scrapes don't be a wuss, makes me assume you've never ripped one badly. You're lucky imo.

Continuing to lift as a ripped callus gets progressively worse is dumb after a point. But it's not always a gradual thing. The worst time I did it my hands were fine one minute, and I left a disc of skin on a monkey the next.

Look overall if we're having conversations on ripped hands this is pretty pointless as most are dealing with issues like hip, shoulder and knee surgery as a result of poor self management or instruction

Mellor

Transform wrote: »

Look overall if we're having conversations on ripped hands this is pretty pointless as most are dealing with issues like hip, shoulder and knee surgery as a result of poor self management or instruction

It's not about the injury but the underlying mentality.
Whoever owns those hands above should have stopped long before that point. But they didn't, they pushed on and finished the event. It's really dumb, and really common.
Now replace torn callus with torn ligament, lower back strain, hip injury etc. Not listening to the bad because your a badass sounds like a good way to end up in those surgeries you mentioned above.


Competition makes people do crazy stuff, generally not just in crossfit

Transform

Mellor wrote: »

It's not about the injury but the underlying mentality.
Whoever owns those hands above should have stopped long before that point. But they didn't, they pushed on and finished the event. It's really dumb, and really common.
Now replace torn callus with torn ligament, lower back strain, hip injury etc. Not listening to the bad because your a badass sounds like a good way to end up in those surgeries you mentioned above.


Competition makes people do crazy stuff, generally not just in crossfit

Agreed on it being a badge of honour= idiotic

However I've done my share of crossfit comps and anytime I've torn my hands I've only noticed after the fact

LincolnHawk

Expensive, high rep Olympic lifts, bit of a cult, kipping pullups, crossfitters...so many things to dislike.

But each to their own I suppose

MightyMandarin

LincolnHawk wrote: »

Expensive, high rep Olympic lifts, bit of a cult, kipping pullups, crossfitters...so many things to dislike.

But each to their own I suppose

Still better than sitting on your arse, or even worse, half-assing it at the gym for weeks, months, and probably years doing endless amounts of bicep curls/treadmill sessions and wondering why you're still fat and weak af, while you eat your battered sausage and bag of chips admiring your chicken arms and/or belly.

People can ****-talk crossfit all they want (and there are some valid criticisms) but if it manages to get thousands of people moving and living healthier lifestyles, then that can only be a good thing.

Until someone can come up with an alternative which yields the same results, I'd highly recommend crossfit for someone who needs a lot of supervision and a class environment in order to improve their physical capabilities. I say that as someone who's never set foot in a crossfit box btw.

Mellor

Transform wrote: »

Agreed on it being a badge of honour= idiotic

However I've done my share of crossfit comps and anytime I've torn my hands I've only noticed after the fact

I think we're on the same page.
Nothing wrong with not noticing until afterwards. Adrenaline is powerful stuff. I'd even say that it's reasonable to raise your pain threshold in a comp setting. In my case, I'll tough out certain spots, push my limits a little further write I tap out in comp. But doing that in training because I want to be the guy who never quit, wikk turn me into the guy who is always injured.

Transform

MightyMandarin wrote: »

Still better than sitting on your arse, or even worse, half-assing it at the gym for weeks, months, and probably years doing endless amounts of bicep curls/treadmill sessions and wondering why you're still fat and weak af, while you eat your battered sausage and bag of chips admiring your chicken arms and/or belly.

People can ****-talk crossfit all they want (and there are some valid criticisms) but if it manages to get thousands of people moving and living healthier lifestyles, then that can only be a good thing.

Until someone can come up with an alternative which yields the same results, I'd highly recommend crossfit for someone who needs a lot of supervision and a class environment in order to improve their physical capabilities. I say that as someone who's never set foot in a crossfit box btw.

there are plenty of alternatives in the wide range of well run strength and conditioning gyms out there right now - some are run well, others are run poorly and mainly sell their gym on all the equipment they have NOT on the level of coaching available

witchgirl26

Reading this with interest as I joined Crossfit there about a month ago. I come from a "not really bothered to exercise" background. Have to say, the attention on form over weight lifted in the beginner class in mine was something I really liked. Also checking in with people at the start as to how they were after the last session & repeating that if doing certain lifts is hurting your lower back for example, then stop as that's not right. Maybe the injuries come as you move up the programmes. I've just moved out of beginner into the first level in mine and it's just a slightly more tough version of the beginner but with the responsibility more with you rather than relying on the trainer for everything.

I've done personal training sessions in normal gyms and hated every second of them and more so when they would push so hard on certain machines that I could barely walk out to my car afterwards. I suppose it's what works for individuals.