Lets start today by being brutally honest and pissing off some people. (funny how those two things usually go hand-in-hand.) I hate Crossfit. Not the people who do it. But the hype-machine that it is. The dangerous, life-threatening, ridiculously random programming, so frequently seen on TV, that it is. We work out hard here. Insanely hard. But there is a process behind what we do. There is a methodology behind why we do what we do. There is a systematic progression that is designed to take you from being weak to being strong; from being overweight to being healthy. We offer regressions for those who cannot complete the exercise and progressions for those who need the extra challenge. If you are 300 pounds or 115 pounds, you can complete our workouts. whether you are 15 years old or 61 years old, you can complete our workouts. It is not a workout designed by throwing random, difficult exercises together in order to create a workout that is as hard as humanly possible. Unlike Crossfit. Why the anti-Crossfit tirade now? Because Im tired of hearing about people getting seriously injured doing crossfit. Im tired of the arrogance of crossfit instructors who preach form, then encourage participants to use maximal weights, for extended reps, doing it all as fast as they can, and do it all in an ultra-competitive environment. No freaking wonder people get hurt. And dont give me this crap about all the emphasis on form at crossfit. Ive been squatting since I was 15 years old as a competitive powerlifter. It is an extremely technical exercise that can take years to master. Olympic lifts like the snatch and clean and jerk are FAR more difficult to master. But somehow, Crossfit coaches are qualified to teach these lifts after a 3-day, $1000 clinic?! Youve got to be kidding me. Want proof? Google Dave Castros round back 24 second failed deadlift. Can anyone say paraplegic? In fact, look at any of the Crossfit competitions so frequently seen on TV. It looks like a what-not-to-do-when-lifting clinic! (And dont get me started on those ridiculous kipping pullups. SMH.) Combine the lack of quality instruction with instructors who are so dogmatic and inflexible with their opinions that at best they come across as a joke, and at worst they are a danger to all those who follow their advice. Exertional Rhabdomyolysis is an uncool, serious and potentially fatal condition resulting from the catastrophic breakdown of muscle cells. It is a condition that is so rare, one study reported the overall annual incidence to be .06%. So how is it that something that should NEVER occur, happens with such frequency in crossfit circles that it is referred to as Uncle Rhabdo by crossfitters, is featured in crossfit cartoons, and is so familiar to crossfit participants that its treated with a nonchalance familiarity?! This $h!t usually only happens to elite military trainees and ultra-marathoners! How is the layperson, Crossfit instructor is so familiar with it, that it is often the first question they ask of people who dont return after their first workouts and cite pain as the primary reason? No wonder they (Crossfit boxes) are encouraged to donate into a legal protection fund. What does CrossFits founder, Greg Glassman think of this? It can kill you, he said. Ive always been completely honest about that. In 2009, James OPT Fitzgerald, acquired physiological symptoms of death after completing a CrossFit Games workout. WTF?! For the record, NOTHING we do at Scott Sutherlin Fitness will kill you. Period. In another psychotic example of how the overwhelming culture of CrossFit can diminish professional common sense, one gynecologist was quoted as uttering this nonsense: Ladies, in my professional opinion, it is okay to pee during double unders. It is NOT okay to pee DURING an exercise. Ever. This is where people extol the virtures of their box and how different it is. That may be true. There are some fantastic coaches out there, with years of experience like myself, who rarely have their people complete the WOD as written. They adjust it to the physical ability levels of each individual. They are, unfortunately, the exception. There IS a place for Crossfit in the fitness world. But educate yourself people! KNOW what you are getting into. Do not get caught up in the hype. Look beyond what you hear; pay attention to what you see. Will bad form and an ultra-competitive atmosphere get you to your fitness goals? Will you be a better athlete performing a random mix of intense exercises? Are you willing to risk death to be stronger or leaner? Choose wisely my friends. Yours in health, Scott
Posted on: Wed, 22 Jan 2014 14:23:26 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015