General Fitness Preparation vs CrossFit

[wyodan]

OR why not CrossFit two days and get your endurance the other 5

Either or. My experience with crossfitters is that they all think you need to only CrossFit. I’m not at their gym to become the best at exercising, I’m there to get better for the things I like to do. That bugs them. I do enjoy competitive exercising though.

 

[JohnDough]

I decided CrossFit was not for me when I realized I out performed CrossFiters randomly doing workouts with them in the military. At the time I ran and all my strength training was push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and crunches/flutter kicks. I found it interesting and concluded that CrossFit must not actually training people well if I was able to out do them at their own game.

I think gyms are over rated, unless you specifically want to increase lift weight or muscle bulk. But for moving your own body, just use your body and keep it simple.

That isn't a good matrix. I just started CF again after taking 8 years off from it, and I perform very near the top or at the top at my gym for lifts...but I do not typically even rank hardly on the WOD's. That said, you are right about mobility, calisthenics is legit.

 

[Marbles]

That isn't a good matrix. I just started CF again after taking 8 years off from it, and I perform very near the top or at the top at my gym for lifts...but I do not typically even rank hardly on the WOD's. That said, you are right about mobility, calisthenics is legit.

These were WOD type workouts I believe (don't know enough to be sure).

In the end, moving of any kind is better than not moving, so people should do what they find motivating and keeps them moving.

 

[Watrdawg]

I did regular gym strength workouts for most of my life, I'm 60 now, I always thought I was in pretty good shape. When I was younger I could run 6 minute miles forever it seemed. Then I started doing Crossfit about 8 years ago and quickly realized that, at least aerobically, I was nowhere near being in shape. It took me at least 6 months of doing Crossfit to get to a point where I could get through a WOD and have to have someone drag me to the truck to get home. Regardless, Crossfit is not the end all be all. I still do both a regular strength workout plus Crossfit. On top of that I also ruck with a weighted vest and ride my Mtn. Bike. I think it's better to maintain a general all around high fitness level and then when need be specialize for whatever you may need to. Being one dimensional isn't a good thing.

 

[Beanyray]

When I first started hunting out west I was just running for exercise (ran a half marathon that year), well my buddy shot a cow elk and I offered to help him on the packout. I realized very quickly I wasn't physically ready for that. It was a strength/core/stablility issue for me. So in the years to follow I added mostly lower body strength exercises to my regime. That helped get me up and down the mountains better but one year I killed a bull and had to quarter and pack it out myself. This was when I realized how deficient I was in upper body strength. Since then I tried to do more total body workouts.

Fast forward to this year after returning from the September elk mountains my wife decided she wanted to join our local Crossfit box and asked me to go with her. The first day was a partner WOD and the coach put me with an older gentleman, I thought ok this will be easy. Another guy walks up and asks me "are you in shape?" which I replied " I think so" , well that workout absolutely smoked me, I was toast afterward. I did follow up with the guy who asked if I was in shape and told him that what I meant to say was no, i'm not in shape but that older gentleman is hahaha.

So i'm 2 months into Crossfit and I can definitely feel my overall strength has greatly improved. It has also shown me my weak areas (core, lower back, traps). I am still running on the weekends and I'm sure i'll be doing weighted rucks before next September to supplement. But I can say from my short 2 months that Crossfit is good for someone who feels stuck in a fitness rut and wants to shake up your routine.