Why I Hate CrossFit - Part 2

5  Games

Now, for people that aren't in trainers or athletes (I call them civilians), you're probably impressed with what you see at the CrossFit games.  Jacked up human beings lifting excessive weight,while also doing endurance events, etc. At the end of the day though, bragging about your CrossFit achievements is like a Tough Mudder competitor bragging to a Tri-Athlete. It's a game, not a sport.


Why would I say something like that?

First of all, Deadlifts you can just drop... Where else is that allowed? Not in any power-lifting competition I've ever heard of.

Pullups allowed by kipping. Yeah, those who are best at swinging their body will beat those that rely off actual strength and endurance.

Think about all the CNS drained by people who competing for the most reps of a Olympic lift, combined with maxing their deadlifts, combined with cardiovascular activities, and it's no wonder that injuries are so rampant. Why the hell do you think you see all those people wrapped up in that stupid tape?



Even crazier than that...

The people that win the CrossFit games don't train do CrossFit, they do their own regimen.

Even crazier than that...

There's more people in the show than in the audience. Seriously, check it out on YouTube.

4  Too many things

Ever heard of jack of all trades and master on none. I find it even worse with CrossFit. They're mishmashing so many things together that it makes my head hurt, since I have this weird thing where I strive for logic. But I'm not the only one annoyed by how they try to fit everything into one training program.

If you're a serious gymnast, power-lifter, or Olympic lifter, you most likely hate CrossFit. I have friends in every one of these fields and they think it's ridiculous the way they incorporate their training.

My best friend is a competitive Olympic lifter that wins every meet he competes in. He hates the training style Cross Fit uses,



Worse than that, CrossFit even thinks they can teach you self defense..? As someone who's been training in Krav Maga for 3 years, this is the funniest thing I've seen in a while. But don't take myt word for it, watch it yourself.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOIIguB_ocA

There's corssfitters with better bodies than me, that lift better than, that are much better athletes than me, but here's the thing...it has little to do with crossfit. They're more genetically gifted and if they used a real program, they'd be much better off.

That's the main thing they have in common.

Cross Fit now things they can teach self defense. Wow.

3  Cerfitication

Trainers get certified in a weekend. Yes, you read that right. I'm not talking about they test over a whole weekend. Beginning to end in a weekend.

Great thing for them, $1000 take a bunch of people and certify them over the weekend, repeat each week. Money, money, money, moneyyyyyyy....Money!



You may never look at a level 1 "Coach" the same way.

What's that? You seem to understand now why so many clients get injured?

I'm not saying certs stop people from being bad trainers by taking a longer time, but this definitely doesn't hlep.

I won't lie, $1000 for a weekend sounds way more fun than the 800 page book I studied for a month to get my certification.

2  The Body you get

You're doing CrossFit for a body? Unless you're a beginner, don't expect much. Most CrossFitters look like joggers. skinny fat, soft, and/or very average fitness bodies. The kind of body that says they're healthy, but isn't going to turn heads on the beach.




This is what typical crossfitters look like, far from what they'd have you believe.

Yes,some CrossFitters look awesome, but that's because of lot of former athletes join CrossFit and they would look awesome on any program. Give them a shake weight or Tae Bo and they'd still be ripped. Hell, a lot of cross fitters are on steroids. Gives them a competitive edge for the games and also markets their box better.


You think this is possible without steroids then we have nothing left to talk about.

"Hey Steve, that's not true. I know plenty of girls with awesome bodies that train at CrossFit."
I've seen plenty too, and every time I see them I just think, how much more in shape they'd be if they did proper training. Like I said before, those are girls with great genetics that would do well anywhere, but would've been better off on a real program.


Definitely former athletes, and some look like the roids have effected their hormones.

Think about it, how are you going to get a great chest without bench press? Better arms without curls or chin ups?  My goal was a better body, so I did squat and deadlift movements for legs, chinups and rows for back, curls and skull crushers for arms, etc. Box Jumps and wall balls aren't going to be enough to get you this look.

1  Elite

If you see somebody doing something dumb at the gym, most of the time you can roll your eyes and move on with your day. But when people keep talking about it like it's the best thing ever, and act like you're naive or even an idiot for not doing it, that's when the hate starts. And that's why cross fitters get so much criticism. And if you don't think they think this, look at their motto



Cross Fit is  like Starbucks, with one competing across the street with another. And guess what, the bubble is about to burst. I'm starting to see more of them shut down, because they can't just get away with the name brand anymore.



Yes, there are worse coaches than others. Some coaches really know technique and form, but at the end of the day, they're great for a cross fit coach and that's a paradox in itself. There's a reason that Mark Ripeetoe left CrossFit. There's a reason there are entire websites and YouTube channels dedicated to making fun of CrossFit, and there's a reason I spent two entire blog posts talking about how bad it is.

CONCLUSION

CrossFit, P90X, Insanity, are all gimmicks. They're the new high intensity gimmick. The old days was all about doing the least amount of exercising and supposedly getting the most return. Now we have the new gimmick that make you  have you over doing the act of exercising, but you actually get the least amount of return.



You're working hard not smart. You want a great body, read Tom Venuto's 'Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle'. You want to learn how to lift properly read Mark Rippetoe's "Starting Strength'.



Some people love their style of coaching and especially love the community. Which I understand. If you already love it I can't change your mind, but that's not the purpose. People want to know why I hate it and this is why.

I'll leave you a quote from Lyle McDonald.

"Even if you want to just be generally fit, there are less rhabodmyoloytic and injurious ways to go about it than Crossfit (go look at the pictures, everyone has that kinesio tape on and they wear their torn callouses and other injuries as badges of honor like the macho idiots that they are). 

Lift two to three days per week and do aerobic work three times per week. Maybe one day of intervals. Instead of trying to mix them up in a truly idiotic fashion and trying to work to all out maximum every day until you burn out.

Random training generates random results. The end. Xfit keeps people occupied and out of the squat rack which is fine with me. But don't try to tell me it's worth a damn as any sort of training system; you might as well do P90X. Or that it produces anything elite except injuries, mediocrity and people who think they understand training but don't understand a damn thing."

Or you could just listen to the guy who created Cross Fit