Okay so this analysis will dive into the realm of rant here and there but this is born out of disappointment. I wish Crossfit would work I really wish Crossfit was an effective training modality, but its not, it’s a sport. This piece will cover my history with Crossfit, what the problems with Crossfit are, and what can be done to make Crossfit better after all.
“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help.”
Okay so who am I to criticize, well I carry a current Crossfit Level 1 certification, along with 5 of their specialty certifications. I have worked both at an affiliate, and as an independent trainer using Crossfit methods. Most importantly I did Crossfit for years and got basically nowhere. I found Crossfit in 2005 and started futzing around with it. I had been weight training for 3 years and my beginner gains had run out, so switching things up was a breath of fresh air. First I included it as an occasional add-on to my training, and I was consistently making gains. By 2008 when Crossfit had become my only training method and I got my Level 1 my “Fran” time had gone from a terrible 17 min, to a suitably crappy 10:01 which I got under the duress of 2 Marines yelling at me and calling me a pussy. I was fully indoctrinated doing everything right but still not seeing the results, so like any sane person (note the sarcasm in this statement) I just tried harder. In mid 2009 I met Mark Rippetoe, and he had a solution, stop crossfitting and only strength train for 3 months. I wont go into the details but there was lots of cursing and outlandish claims. You know what, he was right in 12 weeks of no Crossfit my Fran time dropped to 5:45, and in 8 more it went down to 4:47. This experience wasn’t just limited to Fran but other named and unnamed WOD’s. So here is where I saw the emperor had no clothes.
So Basically after I found out that Crossfit wasn’t going to make me into the ultimate athlete, I put it to the side, but I still kept my eye on it. What I saw was explosive growth but the same cycle of attrition that myself, and a lot of other friends experienced. So why has it gotten so popular? Very simple, they created a hardcore counter culture with a low barrier for entry and, the program is designed in such a way that you will make great short-term gains while you learn how to do Crossfit. So you get dedicated athletes who fall in love with a like-minded community and the endorphin rush of the workouts, and because of the strengths they had coming in they do well. However when the gains run out, they break themselves going harder and more often trying to keep the progression going.
All this boils down to one thing, Crossfit is not a training methodology although doing it can get you in better shape by making you stronger and better conditioned, the random nature of the training makes it incredibly hard for the body to continue to adapt in the long term. Without a well-designed progression system you will never reach your physical potential. So if you have drank the Crossfit Kool-aid, and you want to keep doing it, here are a couple of rules.
- Don’t go as hard as you can all the time. Only max out one or two days a week in terms of effort. Have days where you focus on technique, others where you focus on movement speed, weight on the bar ect.
- Keep a very detailed training log so you always know how hard you are going relative to you past performance, and so you can judge your progress in ways other than by the clock. Record how the reps feel how hard it was to keep to good form etc.
- DO NOT USE THE ZONE DIET. It’s a weight loss diet not an athletes diet if you are doing Crossfit than you are an athlete, eat like one.
- Scale workouts Rx’d is not a badge of honor it’s a suggestion, modify modify modify.
- Have fun with it. Crossfit is the “Sport of Fitness” Sports are supposed to be fun.
To finish my ramblings up there is one last thing that’s needs to be said. One of the first places Crossfit got popular is among fighters, and fighters shouldn’t be doing Crossfit. Fighting is dangerous and you will get hurt doing it, Crossfit is Dangerous and you will get hurt doing it, so you don’t need to screw your self up that fast. Secondly, fight training is an intense glycolytically demanding activity, Crossfit is an intense glycolytically demanding activity, so to your body it’s just more of the same that is not improving your techniques. Lastly, the best fighters in the world don’t do Crossfit (yes this is anecdotal evidence that proves nothing, I DON’T CARE) you know who in the UFC had the longest history with Crossfit, BJ Penn, enough said.
* I am aware that The Pit and John Hackleman have a long standing affiliation with Crossfit but trust me their fight prep looks nothing like conventional Crossfit Programs*