Thanks for your comment – I’m glad you like the site.

You’re right, my analysis of CrossFit is a little generalized. By your own admission, the CrossFit method varies from coach to coach, affiliate to affiliate, and from HQ to the actual trainees performing the work. So, it’s naturally difficult to make sweeping conclusions about the CrossFit system, being that affiliates sometimes don’t even teach the same methods that CrossFit HQ officially endorses. Like I said in the article above, it’s an issue of quality control.

And I completely agree that the best thing to do is to meet with a local affiliate before attempting any of the WOD’s. My advice is to seek out only the highest level trainers, since all it takes is a weekend seminar to become a CrossFit level 1 trainer – everyone passes, even someone with no past training experience, poor conditioning, and zero coaching experience = a recipe for disaster. So, you have to be careful who you learn from.

No doubt, there are some excellent S&C coaches using the CrossFit system. I just wouldn’t use a CrossFit qualification to determine who is actually qualified to instruct.

Concerning the random nature of the WOD’s… I’m sure there is a method behind Glassman’s madness. I just don’t think the madness is what people really need, even if they don’t have laser-focused goals. And I have a hard time accepting the notion of general workouts for any goal. Everything we do is specifically conditioning us for something, whether we like it or not. This concerns me…

I don’t do CrossFit, but I have absorbed some stuff of the kind that they do into my training. I have been toying with the Idea and have been reading a lot about CrossFit in general.

Personally I feel that some of the reservations here and in your original post are, maybe, a little generalist.

First off, the “randomisation” element. I regularly look at (rather pointless I suppose but I find it interesting) Crossfit.com and my local (i.e. closest) crossfit affiliate.

While the workouts do appear random, on the “Mainsite” they are programmed by the Glassmans, presumably, with some structure. I presume this because my local affiliate has a very strong element of programming involved. Often I see the WOD being based around either a skill, a lift or an approach to a lift. Followed by a conditioning session.

Also the “Mainsite WOD” seems to be a higher level pursuit, it should be pointed out that an affiliate is probably the best place to start and a good affiliate will not let you plunge into the mainsite WOD. Most of them will operate their own WOD. In my local crossfit, they help scale WOD’s for individuals.

Further more, many Affiliates have Beginner programmes, which will involve (precisely as you suggested above) training lifts with broomsticks or PVC pipes. Many giving totally seperate WOD’s to allow beginners to ramp up their intensity before hitting the affiliate WOD. My Local Affiliate has a programme such as this, and they (like many other affiliates) are very keen on strong form.

Also here I could point out the ever useful BrandX crossfit forum. Which supplies 4 grades of scaled versions of the Mainsite WOD every day. It also proposes substitutions in case a particular exercise is beyond a trainees capabilities.

In addition Crossfit puts out a huge amount of information and training guidance, using some very well qualified trainers and experts. The journal is an immense resource. With many articles which could as useful to trainer outside Crossfit as those within.
Many of these articles are about form and ensuring good form.

I suppose what it boils down to is crossfit is a system of training.
Any system, is only as good as the trainer that administers it.

On the cult thing, I see it. It seems silly to me.
However there are many users who do not buy into it.
Who use it Crossfit as a open source general fitness programme.
There are affiliates who do things differently.

A good example is a piece I read on Pullups. Much is made of the “Default Pullup” of crossfit being the kipping pullup. Some people doing crossfit do kipping pullups and couldnt do a strict pullup.
I have read of at least one affiliate who will not let trainees kip untill they can manage a certain number of dead hang strict pullups.

Finally I think specificity is great, if you have something specific to train for. But if you don’t (like me) Crossfit is a really attractive proposition.

By the way this is a really good conversation on Crossfit that you have here. It makes a pleasant change from the usual “GREG GLASSMAN IS TEH FATZ” malarky. I like your site.

I’ve been there in my own training – working so hard for 1-2 hours that you’re just DONE by the end of it. Sometimes, you can barely walk after a grueling session, and the next day you’ll be in constant pain as shredded muscles can’t keep up with the repair process needed. And don’t stand up too fast, or those legs will light on fire!

What’s the point of training if you only perform well during your planned workouts, but don’t have the ability to perform well afterwards?

Training should leave you feeling fresh and prepared, not beaten and drained.

I quite enjoyed this post because when taking on various WODs or just some of their preferred exercise regimes the load was quite tough. I couldn’t quite get my mind around how weak hours of physical labor and martial arts must have left me, I mean, I couldn’t muster the power for what seemed an average feat in their methodology. It’s been years now and I consult Tsatsouline, Sonnon, Mantak Chia, Yang, Jwing-Ming….all sorts because each does what they do extremely well. Crossfit….I just don’t look them up much anymore, I want to learn and have fun and I love practicing….but not to time and I just hate running. That is a style of training that is not for me…like Shotokan…not my bag, just to pick at random honestly, what works for people should make it fun. Enjoying living is health, so practice should have an enjoyable quality or else it is just…unhealthy.

Your initial web log was perfectly gentlemanly and fair, plus there seemed an obvious indication that you are prepared to offer specific examples from your experience on top of what you pointed out. ‘Fair play’ is my call.

No offense taken. Thanks for your comment.

You do have a point that many fitness groups and communities are exclusive, and sometimes quite snobby about it.

However, I disagree that all followers of popular fitness gurus only see training through the lens of their particular group. Sure, some coaches get blinded by the awe and “magic” behind their leaders system, but good coaches will be able to view a training system objectively.

Every system has pros and cons, benefits and dangers. What CrossFit cannot provide, CST does, what CST cannot provide, MovNat does, what MovNat cannot provide, Exuberant Animal does, and so on. This isn’t to say that one system is better than the other, rather that one system may be better suited to providing for very specific needs that people have.

An over-quoted line from Bruce Lee is “absorb what is useful, reject what is useless.” Now, a good coach knows that the various areas of specialty can be drawn on collectively to meet the needs of his clients. A poor coach will say “CrossFit (or whatever modality) will help you with ANY training goal.”

That’s why I use CST, but am vigilant in exploring alternative training methods. If I find a better solution for health-first fitness, you better believe I’ll adopt some new training practices. But until then, I’ll keep going with what I know is working best.

Also keep in mind, that even though there are some downfalls to exclusive fitness groups, there are also many advantages that shouldn’t be disregarded.

Thanks again for your well-thought out comment.

Good post. I encounter this in many areas of my life on a daily basis. Trainers are often just as (if not, at times, more) guilty of “cult-following” as any trainee. Trainers in the cults of Chek, Verstegen, Sonnon (no offense intended!), Pavel, etc., only look at training through the lens of their leader’s viewpoints.

I think the bottom line with these cults harkens back to the definition of the word. Cult means “religion,” in Latin, and, as such, a cult is a “community of like-minded individuals.”

By the very nature of this type of structure, it is exclusive, and exclusionary – it seeks to pit itself over/above/against any other group.

Does that make it right?

Not at all. But for the people in the cult, all they see is their cult-ure. Their fellow cultists are constantly there to back them up.

It’s kind of a useless battle to fight.

Instead, I’m always interested in the background for the cult’s beliefs. What is/are the need/s that is/are being fulfilled by/through the cult, through membership in it, and also through the exclusivity of the cult?

When I look at it from that perspective, I become more empathetic. I understand that the person is trying to feel connected to something, they want to achieve an image of themselves that they feel the cult offers, they want to belong to something that supports them, etc.

If I can offer them those feelings from my own heart, then we can have a meaningful dialogue about it. Till then, though, we just butt heads.

Josh

I will say that many of the bad things stem from poor training, misconceptions or substandard affiliates. I’ve been to CF gyms where they turn a blind eye to form in the name of intensity, and others who are almost dictatorial when it comes to proper movements and achieving full range of motion. The latter examples use level assessments and scale workouts accordingly.

Unfortunately, correct form and technique doesn’t make for killer Youtube videos. Thus, you see a lot of stupidness…