The Anti Cross Fit Thread

[Len Nicodemo]

So I’ve started this thread because of the following reasons;
1. I hate cross fit
2. Cross fit has no adequate fundamentals from a training perspective to reinforce why it does what it does
3. It’s expensive for what you don’t get education wise
4. CrossFit reinforces and promotes poor standards and excuses them for ‘effort’
5. CrossFit was developed to make money and solely money
6. CrossFit is systematic of the fitness industry now. Create a fad, create a marketing plan and budget, take stock of the deregulated market where anyone and anything can pass
7. There is no programming
8. There is no technique
9. CrossFit uses acronyms to pass as workouts - basically make up a whole heap of exercises and lump them together to deliver a workout
10. I got banned from the current CrossFit thread

Basically CrossFit came about because it’s founder wanted to create an alternate form of exercise that bucked the trend from traditional exercise prescription. The guy thought ‘hey instead of doing prescribed gym work within the rules of the gym, I’ll get my client to climb up a ******* pillar because it’s different so that must be ok’. And basically it stemmed from there. Let’s take Olympic lifts and and turn them into conditioning movements, interceded with high levels of aerobic conditioning to completely fatigue the body, then lets do it again, all while increasing training loads and taxing the CNS.

I’d also like to draw your attention to the CrossFit games. This is the highest level within this sport, this is apparently where the best of the best participate. Now I’ve seen bad form before, real bad form, but to see this openly displayed and encouraged in a high level sporting space is pretty concerning.

What we have is the following;
-Bad technique
-Unsafe technique
-Technique that judges say is passable
-A propensity for injury
-Public exposure to potential exercise goers that this is ok and the norm of how to complete exercise

Tune in;


(Watch from 3 mins on as I don’t advocate paying out on the woman’s body the way the narrator did - I am just here to show the horrendous deadlift form)







Now whilst the commentary isn’t overly nice at times, the basic thing that can’t be ignored is that this is what you’re getting from your coaches and your top levels of competition.

Guys I’ll give you some advice - don’t do CrossFit.

 

[Milpool]

Surely you have better things to do than spend your energy worrying about what other people want to do with their time?

 

[Deliverance]

Surely you have better things to do than spend your energy worrying about what other people want to do with their time?

The entire Bigfooty forum is based on people worrying about what other people are doing.

 

[Len Nicodemo]

Surely you have better things to do than spend your energy worrying about what other people want to do with their time?

Welcome to an Internet forum

 

[SnakeMan86]

The basis is around the fact that they are testing there "Functional strength"
While yes, to me, you or the average punter there technique looks horrible, the fact is they have trained hundreds of hours so that there body can handle it.

There most certainly is programming.

These athletes have found a neiche where there functional strength is superior to others and thus compete at there highest level. Its no different from power lifters competing, or bodybuilders on stage, its what there passion is and what there body allows them to excel at.

Early on they were very wanky, and very much had the mindset of we are better than everyone else, but that drastically changed around 2-3 years ago and now they just go on with there business.

At a good, reputable crossfit gym, beginners are absolutely taught correct technique, sloppy technique comes with either pushing there bodies past its threshold or going for personal bests, no different from a power lifter going for a deadlift PB, again, its fine at the top level because there body can handle that added stress through years of training. Unfortunately there are some that don't care and just flog every average punter, but these gyms were a lot more prominent in its infant stage as many were cashing in on the fad, Injuries and higher insurance fees have weeded many of them out.

These athletes push there bodies to the absolute limit, in different ways that are outside the norm and challenging, so good on them.

Your arguments on injury and technique have been proven to be rubbish, most injury either comes from fatigue, or pushing it past the limit its been trained for, and statistically crossfit is no higher than any other form of competitive exercise. People can strain muscle with so called "Perfect" technique just as easily.


I train to body build, that does't make how i train better/worse than someone who power lifts, to someone who does calisthenics, to someone who decides to crossfit, or ninja warriors, it just means i have different goals. How this affects you strongly i have no idea. You do you.

 

[cptkirk]

THE greatest Crossfit vid of all-time -

 

[Not Important]

this is going well.

 

[Allikat]

THE greatest Crossfit vid of all-time -

My back hurts just watching that

 

[raskolnikov]

THE greatest Crossfit vid of all-time -

It's not even a CrossFit video.

 

[Gralin]

It's not even a CrossFit video.

I think it is meant to be satire but with the internet who can tell

 

[Len Nicodemo]

The basis is around the fact that they are testing there "Functional strength"
While yes, to me, you or the average punter there technique looks horrible, the fact is they have trained hundreds of hours so that there body can handle it.

There most certainly is programming.

These athletes have found a neiche where there functional strength is superior to others and thus compete at there highest level. Its no different from power lifters competing, or bodybuilders on stage, its what there passion is and what there body allows them to excel at.

Early on they were very wanky, and very much had the mindset of we are better than everyone else, but that drastically changed around 2-3 years ago and now they just go on with there business.

At a good, reputable crossfit gym, beginners are absolutely taught correct technique, sloppy technique comes with either pushing there bodies past its threshold or going for personal bests, no different from a power lifter going for a deadlift PB, again, its fine at the top level because there body can handle that added stress through years of training. Unfortunately there are some that don't care and just flog every average punter, but these gyms were a lot more prominent in its infant stage as many were cashing in on the fad, Injuries and higher insurance fees have weeded many of them out.

These athletes push there bodies to the absolute limit, in different ways that are outside the norm and challenging, so good on them.

Your arguments on injury and technique have been proven to be rubbish, most injury either comes from fatigue, or pushing it past the limit its been trained for, and statistically crossfit is no higher than any other form of competitive exercise. People can strain muscle with so called "Perfect" technique just as easily.


I train to body build, that does't make how i train better/worse than someone who power lifts, to someone who does calisthenics, to someone who decides to crossfit, or ninja warriors, it just means i have different goals. How this affects you strongly i have no idea. You do you.

What an absolute load of complete tripe. You don’t justify completing exercises like that because their bodies are conditioned to it. It is not an excuse to justify it. In fact it makes it worse. Exercises are prescribed to target muscle groups in a specific way, altering technique or cheating only puts you at higher risk of injury because it removes to emphasis of where the load is applied.

I am sorry, but it’s literally a matter of time before someone totally ruins their body by lifting like that. What an absolutely ludicrous comment.

Your point about injury just contradicts itself. Do some research. What causes fatigue? Fatigue is caused in CrossFit when the subject elevates their activity to a point whereby their body can’t competently cope with the loads applied due to excess energy expenditure. When you combine heavy weight lifting with a fatigued body then you will get hurt.

Also, what the * is functional strength? Seriously? It’s a fitness buzzword. Every exercise could be argued to be functional. There’s no such thing as functional training, only training.

The fact you’re a bodybuilder and think that those exercises are passable because the body has adapted really worries me.

 

[Len Nicodemo]

I see gyms advertise functional training programs all the time. Most of them consist of kettlebell work and body weight movements. So tell me, how is a chin up functional? How many people in everyday life actually need to pull themselves up? Not many I’d say.

How many people need to do kettlebell swings as part of their life? Not many.

Get real, it’s s load of rubbish.

 

[Len Nicodemo]

It's not even a CrossFit video.

How can you tell? With technique like the first video I posted I’d not be surprised. Nonetheless.......FAAAAAAAIL

 

[Aeglos]

 

[Brad Goodman]

I see gyms advertise functional training programs all the time. Most of them consist of kettlebell work and body weight movements. So tell me, how is a chin up functional? How many people in everyday life actually need to pull themselves up? Not many I’d say.

How many people need to do kettlebell swings as part of their life? Not many.

Get real, it’s s load of rubbish.

This is why my workouts consist solely of keyboard taps and knife/fork movements.

 

[Len Nicodemo]

Cute, but it happens to be my thread.

 

[SnakeMan86]

What an absolute load of complete tripe. You don’t justify completing exercises like that because their bodies are conditioned to it. It is not an excuse to justify it. In fact it makes it worse. Exercises are prescribed to target muscle groups in a specific way, altering technique or cheating only puts you at higher risk of injury because it removes to emphasis of where the load is applied.

I am sorry, but it’s literally a matter of time before someone totally ruins their body by lifting like that. What an absolutely ludicrous comment.

Your point about injury just contradicts itself. Do some research. What causes fatigue? Fatigue is caused in CrossFit when the subject elevates their activity to a point whereby their body can’t competently cope with the loads applied due to excess energy expenditure. When you combine heavy weight lifting with a fatigued body then you will get hurt.

Also, what the **** is functional strength? Seriously? It’s a fitness buzzword. Every exercise could be argued to be functional. There’s no such thing as functional training, only training.

The fact you’re a bodybuilder and think that those exercises are passable because the body has adapted really worries me.

What absolute farcical, rambling nonsense.
LMAO, you can absolutely justify exercising a certain way if your body is conditioned to it. If that's there passion and what they enjoy. And want to succed at there highest level.

You say its only a matter of time before someone totally ruins there body doing that? So can you provide examples? And if not, then the fact that its been around for as long as it has, and you cant provide evidence contradicts your point about its safety.

You can hurt yourself, power lifting, body building, doing freaking pilates.

*Fatigue is caused in CrossFit when the subject elevates their activity to a point whereby their body can’t competently cope with the loads applied due to excess energy expenditure
So what makes this any different to an AFL player who does there hamstring taking off for a sprint? After putting there bodies through repeated sprint efforts until the hamstring goes after excess energy expenditure? Or someone who tears a pec going for a Dumbell Bench Press PB? Or blowing out a Quad Leg Pressing a 1RM?

I didn't say i was a bodybuilder, i said that's how i train, by isolating muscle groups.

Again, have you seen powerlifters go for deadlift PB's or records? You could call there techniques rubbish, compared to the textbook definition, but the human body adapts, and can handle "Improper technique" with heavy load, after training for years to do so, without injury.
You havent adressed any of my points, or provided any evidence. You've just rambled bias hatred.

 

[Len Nicodemo]

What absolute farcical, rambling nonsense.
LMAO, you can absolutely justify exercising a certain way if your body is conditioned to it. If that's there passion and what they enjoy. And want to succed at there highest level.

You say its only a matter of time before someone totally ruins there body doing that? So can you provide examples? And if not, then the fact that its been around for as long as it has, and you cant provide evidence contradicts your point about its safety.

You can hurt yourself, power lifting, body building, doing freaking pilates.

*Fatigue is caused in CrossFit when the subject elevates their activity to a point whereby their body can’t competently cope with the loads applied due to excess energy expenditure
So what makes this any different to an AFL player who does there hamstring taking off for a sprint? After putting there bodies through repeated sprint efforts until the hamstring goes after excess energy expenditure?

I didn't say i was a bodybuilder, i said that's how i train, i isolating muscle groups.

Again, have you seen powerlifters go for deadlift PB's or records? You could call there techniques rubbish, compared to the textbook definition, but the human body adapts, and can handle "Improper technique" with heavy load, after training for years to do so, without injury.
You havent adressed any of my points, or provided any evidence. You've just rambled bias hatred.

It’s called technique and understanding the principles of exercise execution. You don’t do a deadlift the way shown in my first post.

 

[Len Nicodemo]

No s**t you can hurt yourself in other ways. But the key here is risk minimisation and specifically under supervision, not exacerbating the potential for injury.

At the end of the day I give zero *s what you say. My experience educationally and practically in this field has seen my work employed by lots of professional sporting organisations. Ever wondered why cross fit isn’t employed by elite sporting organisations? It’s called standards.

 

[Gralin]

No s**t you can hurt yourself in other ways. But the key here is risk minimisation and specifically under supervision, not exacerbating the potential for injury.

At the end of the day I give zero ****s what you say. My experience educationally and practically in this field has seen my work employed by lots of professional sporting organisations. Ever wondered why cross fit isn’t employed by elite sporting organisations? It’s called standards.

I thought you were an accountant?

 

[Len Nicodemo]

I thought you were an accountant?

I worked in the sporting industry for 20 years after completing an undergraduate degree in exercise science with honours. I did an accounting and finance degree mature age and went into that field to pursue some other business interests that suited me better as I got older.

You ok with that?

 

[SnakeMan86]

No s**t you can hurt yourself in other ways. But the key here is risk minimisation and specifically under supervision, not exacerbating the potential for injury.

At the end of the day I give zero ****s what you say. My experience educationally and practically in this field has seen my work employed by lots of professional sporting organisations. Ever wondered why cross fit isn’t employed by elite sporting organisations? It’s called standards.

For someone boasting about being so well educated and big noting themselves, you still cant provide statistical evidence or any evidence to support your arguments.
Of course Elite sporting organisations wouldn't incorporate Crossfit into there programming if it wasn't specifically beneficial to there field.
The same way a Professional cricketer wouldn't be doing 4 or 5 day splits like a body builder. Does that de-value it? No, its just not specific to that sport. Do marathon runners do 1RM?
For someone as high up as yourself its amazing you don't get that.

 

[Len Nicodemo]

For someone boasting about being so well educated and big noting themselves, you still cant provide statistical evidence or any evidence to support your arguments.
Of course Elite sporting organisations wouldn't incorporate Crossfit into there programming if it wasn't specifically beneficial to there field.
The same way a Professional cricketer wouldn't be doing 4 or 5 day splits like a body builder. Does that de-value it? No, its just not specific to that sport. Do marathon runners do 1RM?
For someone as high up as yourself its amazing you don't get that.

Refer to my initial post. That form passes at the ‘cross fit games’ as acceptable. That’s their highest standard and they can’t pick good form to bad?

 

[Len Nicodemo]

For someone boasting about being so well educated and big noting themselves, you still cant provide statistical evidence or any evidence to support your arguments.
Of course Elite sporting organisations wouldn't incorporate Crossfit into there programming if it wasn't specifically beneficial to there field.
The same way a Professional cricketer wouldn't be doing 4 or 5 day splits like a body builder. Does that de-value it? No, its just not specific to that sport. Do marathon runners do 1RM?
For someone as high up as yourself its amazing you don't get that.

But according to you let’s exercise the WRONG way because we MIGHT get used to it? What kind of notion is that to preach and accept? Let’s lower our standards in the hope we MIGHT be ok. You’ve simply got no idea about risk management in health and fitness.

 

[Len Nicodemo]

For someone boasting about being so well educated and big noting themselves, you still cant provide statistical evidence or any evidence to support your arguments.
Of course Elite sporting organisations wouldn't incorporate Crossfit into there programming if it wasn't specifically beneficial to there field.
The same way a Professional cricketer wouldn't be doing 4 or 5 day splits like a body builder. Does that de-value it? No, its just not specific to that sport. Do marathon runners do 1RM?
For someone as high up as yourself its amazing you don't get that.

You know how everyone can have an opinion? Well sometimes they shouldn’t when they know * all about a topic. Having the right to an opinion doesn’t save you from sounding like a dill.