My Thoughts about Crossfit
I have been doing Crossfit for about 1.5-2 years and still to this day I attend Crossfit classes and I still go on the website to check out what crazy workout they have posted on the main site on a daily basis. In fact I took a three day trip with fellow Crossfiters to drive up to Aromas California to witness the 2009 Crossfit Games. The reasons I enjoy Crossfit are as follows:
1. It is intense! The reason why people do not see results in their training program is because they lack intensity into their workout.
2. Exercises involve compound movements and every movement involves 2 or more joints being moved in full range of motion (ROM)
3. The workouts are like a game. You are trying to beat the clock or you’re trying to get bragging rights over friends and other Crossfiter’s.
4. There is no routine and workouts are very different from one another. One day you might have to run 5k and the next day you might be snatching 75lbs for 75 reps. You really don’t know what to expect.
5. The Crossfit program does make you strong but it also makes you tough…real tough. Not only does it make you physically strong but mentally it turns you into a warrior.
However, I have a lot of issues when it comes to Crossfit training about the functionality, frequency, nutrition, and preservation of the human body. For example:
1. ALL CROSSFIT EXERCISES ARE DONE IN THE SAGITTAL PLANE. Crossfit claims that the movements (exercises) are functional but in reality, they are not. For example, whether you are an athlete or not the body must twist and turn to be functional to sport and or daily movements you experience in everyday life. In addition, most injuries occur in the transverse plane and the #1 rule with training an athlete or non-athlete is to prevent them from injuries!
2. Crossfit recommends that you train hard for 3 days and then take 1 day off. When people ask me how many days of the week they should workout, my response is, “It depends”….It depends because it whatever works for you. However, you must find an optimal ratio between work and rest that is good for you and not what others say. If you work too hard, you will become over-trained and from my experience with Crossfit, the 3:1 is just a little too much for me. It feels good for a week or two and then you start feeling fatigue pysologically and psychologically.
3. Carbs are bad: Crossfit does not like processed carbs at all. They believe in lean protein combined with the standard fruits and veggies are the way to go, and that is not a bad way to go but it is a very difficult road to travel. Once again, it depends on you the individual and how food responds to your body and your schedule. I suggest you eat carbs for breakfast and after you workout. The reason for this is because your body needs to store energy called glycogen in the muscles to be used during activity.
4. Where does foam roll and stretching fit in? IT DOES NOT. The Crossfit cool-down is to re-rack your weights and get out of the gym to eat your gluten free apple or whatever. There is not enough information that is documented to the Crossfit public to educate them on optimal alignment of the muscles.
6. No research: Little to no research has been done on Crossfit. Crossfit has great theories but I need to see that if I do it for the rest of my life, I will not have any arthromakanical issues.
To be continued………….
