One of my college/USMC buddies is a big fan of CrossFit workouts, but they seem, well, just not enough. I mean, 10 sets of 1-rep on squats does not constitute a leg workout in my book, for example.

However, I would like to try a change of pace from my standard weight training with a little bit of elliptical machine and running thrown in.

2/18/2008 2:09:49 AM

I am of the opinion that crossfit alone lacks in strength training. Some people combine a dan jon-ish workout w/ crossfit (focusing on some low rep work 5 days a week (focusing on one excercise a day) and doing metcon WODs 3 days a week). Some people do a strength based routine 3 days a week, and do metcon WODs on 2 off days.

As for alternates...definetly check out Mike's gym, and performance menu. Mike's gym is purely olympic WODs. Performance Menu is a mix...Oly training w/ a metcon WOD following. You can find their WODs on their perspective websites.

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 3:40 AM. Reason : god damn it's late, thank god for pres. day]

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 3:42 AM. Reason : ]

2/18/2008 3:40:28 AM

yeah, that's another problem...not enough strength training.

2/18/2008 3:41:19 AM

Have you done a workout w/ him yet? Are you using a crossfit gym? cops/firefighters/military people seem to be moving towards this style of training.


I do have to say the warm up alone is more than some jack asses do in the gym (hanging leg raises, overhead squats, dips, and pullups (3 sets of 10)

Are you just getting burned out on the bodypart splits? Have you considered a more athletic based workout to your normal bodybuilding routines (something like a westside routine?)?




[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 3:53 AM. Reason : ]

2/18/2008 3:45:25 AM

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 3:54 AM. Reason : ]

2/18/2008 3:49:06 AM

^^ well, my friend is in Iraq right now, and when he's home, he lives like 3000 miles away, so no...haven't done a workout with him (at least not since our NCSU days).


i'm just getting tired of doing bodypart split-type workouts. also, my right shoulder is fucked up to the point that I can't really get stronger or bigger anymore...it's pretty much working out for the sake of hopefully maintaining what I have left (at least in terms of chest and shoulder strength).


Performance Menu doesn't look much (if any) better than Crossfit. It looks to be STRICTLY strength based, and again, 1 heavy rep of 3 different exercises does not constitute anything close to a full day's worth of work in the gym!

Of course, I'm going to have some problems with any of these. I don't know if I could do Crossfit's handstand push-ups, for example, and i don't think i'd even try a snatch or a clean & jerk these days (with my shoulder problems, and sometimes tender elbows).

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 4:39 AM. Reason : i need to see a doc, but i don't know when i'll have the opportunity for any real treatment]

2/18/2008 4:26:39 AM

Go outside and train. Thats why I have a sled that I can drag, push, press, etc; slosh pipe; etc.

2/18/2008 8:12:54 AM

The 10 sets of 1 rep is usually to set a max weight.

The emphasis is usually away from max strength training and long-distance endurance and more towards working all of your muscle groups as well as giving you max intensity in a short amount of time.

I find that the gymnastics-style workouts are very very good. There are some days where workout seems light (usually the strength training days), but they are actually kind of far and few between. If anything, I've found myself re-thinking what fitness actually is and I think I'm actually seeing results. Or, I'm adapting to Crossfit, take your pick.

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 8:56 AM. Reason : .]

2/18/2008 8:54:10 AM

Take their Muay Thai class. THEN you'll get a work out. Mike and Anne will DESTROY you.

2/18/2008 9:29:28 AM

yo Restricted are you back to sleding and working out or are you still injured?

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 9:58 AM. Reason : /]

2/18/2008 9:58:05 AM

I really wish they had a CrossFit down here in Charleston.

My sister and her husband have gotten big into the CrossFit gym in Raleigh and I can't shut her the fuck up about it. She is a top-notch rugby player and was a beast in the gym before CrossFit...now she says she's stronger and faster than she's ever been (after two knee surgeries to boot).

I'm getting bored with the same 'ol thing at the gym too.

2/18/2008 10:27:56 AM

^^Still injured. In a few more weeks I will be using the sled full time to rehab my foot since its going to a couple more months till I can step under the bar.

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 11:30 AM. Reason : fsdf]

2/18/2008 11:29:55 AM

You've probably seen the infomercial for p90x-does anyone know about this program? I know what it costs and some of the stuff looks cool, but how long are the workouts? I've got like 45-60 minutes max per day.... Is it seven days a week???

2/18/2008 11:38:45 AM

sd, get a copy of The Naked Warrior.

Also, google Death by Bodyweight, add some burpees, and add resistance bands/weight vest/dip belt/bookbag for extra resistance. Start working on gymnastics stuff like http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/229/ .

You'll need to find a place to do pullups and dips. This can be a playground w/ rings, monkey bars, a rafter, tree branch, 2 benches, hand rails, etc etc, etc

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 11:50 AM. Reason : ]

2/18/2008 11:49:01 AM

i workout at Gold's and they have a group class called Body Pump. it uses low weights and super high reps. it would work out most major muscle groups in 45 minutes. when i had more time, i used to do the class and then do another 45 min of real weight lifting. i would do this Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. i saw some visual results, but more importanly, i was able to hang with, and on some days dominate the guys i would play football with -- most of whom were in their early 20s. i need to get back in the groove.

2/18/2008 11:50:19 AM

bodypump is ~

2/18/2008 11:51:23 AM

that's what i thought, but then i saw all the hot broads in there whom i could stare at while lifting

2/18/2008 11:53:58 AM

you can stare at them from outside.

2/18/2008 11:54:47 AM

i tried that, they kept calling me creepy and calling security

2/18/2008 12:55:35 PM

a lot of people actually notice strength increases in all their major lifts even with it being as sporadic as only once a month.

I would give CrossFit a try EXACTLY how it's prescribed for 1-2 months and see how it goes. If you don't like it you can always switch back.

Another thing I forgot about is the CrossFit ME Black Box template:

set something up using the starting strength parameters and go

CF, SS, CF, OFF, CF, SS, CF, repeat

that's two solid days of lifting (starting strength) and the rest CrossFit...a lot of people who want to focus more on strength seem to prefer this template

[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 3:33 PM. Reason : more info]

2/18/2008 3:29:57 PM

just do what i do and LIFT HEAVY ASS WEIGHTS

2/18/2008 6:25:39 PM

you must've missed the part where my joints are too beat to continue doing that (due to my own lifting heavy ass weights for many years--benchpressing 15 lbs shy of double my weight/17 reps of 225, getting 27 dead-hang pull ups, and still have stretch marks all over my biceps from getting so jacked).

i think i'm going to continue lifting weights, albeit with less weight and more reps, but incorporate Crossfit (i.e., try to do Crossfit's WOD followed by at least 80-90% of my normal weight routine). That'll also take the place of a lot of dedicated cardio (since it's pretty much 40 degrees and rainy almost every day where i live, i don't really run this time of year).

2/18/2008 7:02:18 PM

if you know what you need to do why the hell do you need crossfit to cater to you?

never in my life have i found it difficult to adjust a workout to suit my needs, even if it is a program and most programs take that into consideration and provide you that latitude

you know, alternate workouts and different ranges of motion things like that, its immeasurable how much a workout can be tweaked


ive never in my life needed to look at some shit on some paper to tell me how to workout, i just dont understand that about people

i say if you have a problem with the workout, you should be able to walk up to your damn instructor and ask him for ideas on altering it or newer more "you" specific workouts and techniques


OR MAYBE I HAVE JUST BEEN SPOILED MY WHOLE LIFE



[Edited on February 18, 2008 at 8:45 PM. Reason : z]

2/18/2008 8:40:55 PM

i mean, thats why there is an instructor for classes, instead of a post with a fuckin piece of paper stapled to it positioned in the front of the studio

2/18/2008 8:50:28 PM

what is CrossFit? I've never heard of this type of training.

2/18/2008 8:57:05 PM

for clarification, packman is refering to Starting Strength, a book by Mark Ripptoe.


I'm not sure what to tell you about your shoulders/ joints. I don't know about your injuries, possible joint problems, etc. Most of my joint issues had been imbalances and nutrition issues that were fairly easy to solve, but not all people are me

2/18/2008 9:01:31 PM

*Cough* The sled is perfect for shoulder injuries *Cough*

2/18/2008 9:10:35 PM

^ post more info on the sled. i've never worked out with one at all.


^5

i've never had a personal instructor or taken any classes (other than PE at NCSU, which I just took as a GPA booster/scheduled mid-day workout time). I've never really followed any sort of plan from anyone else, either. I figured that I would add this Crossfit thing into my workout.



I did the Crossfit warmup, followed by the "Fran" workout tonight (followed by 75% of my regular back workout...would've done the whole thing, but was short on time).

the "Fran" workout consists of two exercises: the "Thruster", which is a deep front squat into a military press, done as one fluid motion, and pull-ups. You do 21 Thrusters, 21 pull-ups, then 15 of each, then 9 of each, and you do it for time. Took me 6:50 (using 95 lbs on the thrusters). By the 2nd and 3rd rounds, I had to stop in the middle of thruster sets to take a few seconds break, and by the 3rd set, I couldn't do the full 9 pull-ups without stopping in the middle.



I still maintain that this is nowhere near enough to constitute a standalone workout plan as advertised, but so far, I do like it.

2/19/2008 12:06:23 AM

You CAN up the weight...



[Edited on February 19, 2008 at 12:21 AM. Reason : and add stregth work ]

2/19/2008 12:16:09 AM

haha, fuck upping the weight! that was a good, hard workout...for 6 minutes, 50 seconds. I think that weight was just about right.

even if i did up the weight, it's just not enough to be the only thing i do for my workouts. still, i like what i see so far, as a piece of my PT regimen.

[Edited on February 19, 2008 at 12:24 AM. Reason : exactly...just add strength work.]

2/19/2008 12:24:18 AM

uh oh, you have drank the juice...

2/19/2008 12:26:43 AM

a workout doesn't have to take a long time to be effective. Just look at HIT and Max-OT for some examples of bodybuilding programs that won't have you in the gym more than 20 minutes.

2/19/2008 8:52:57 AM

Who is stronger, theDuke866 or arcgreek

2/19/2008 10:52:09 AM

haha you could do "Heavy Fran"

135lb Thrusters with 45lb weighted Chin-ups

when I was doing CrossFit the full 3 round warm-up + WOD was usually enough to kick my ass, especially since the schedule was 3 on, 1 off. If I ever felt like it wasn't enough I'd just add in a lift that I felt I needed to work on and be done with it.

After I get my weight back up I'll probably start incorporating CrossFit again

2/19/2008 2:36:02 PM

ooohh, that would be painful.

i basically NEVER do any military press with barbells. i can't do enough weight (due to my right shoulder) to make it a worthwhile endeavor. 95 lbs for the Fran workout doesn't hurt me, though (well, you know what i mean ). I don't know if I could do it with 135...I'd either have to switch to dumbells/kettlebells, or maybe getting the jump start from my legs would make it ok.


I think I'm gonna do the 10x1 squats today (since they are calling for a rest day today), then follow it up with a shoulder workout.

2/19/2008 3:04:29 PM

Sweet, a Crossfit place just started in Charleston. I'm gonna get on this. I'm getting bored as fuck going to the gym now.

2/19/2008 4:24:40 PM

Duke, I don't think i've ever seen a bodypart split mixed w/ crossfit.....

2/19/2008 5:39:28 PM

That's because most people are pussies.

2/19/2008 8:49:19 PM

Mark Twight of GymJones is always worth reading. His thing is crossFit-type workouts as a complement to a strong endurance base. On his website he doesn't emphasize the endurance aspect but Twight's background is extreme aplinism, certainly an aerobic demanding pastime.

2/19/2008 9:02:55 PM

Duke, Thought about kettlebells?

I had a pretty bad muscle imbalance (generally screwed up, Doc never really gave me a good diagnosis) in my right shoulder. I just have one kettlebell now and with a couple of exercises have pretty muched rehabed it.


also the workouts can be pretty intense, both from a strength point of view and a strength/endurance.

2/19/2008 11:07:08 PM

yeah, roommate has a pair of them...i think they're about 40-45 lbs. i use them as makeshift dumbells sometimes. i oughta start swinging them.

did the "Annie" workout tonight, except did regular rope jumps instead of double-unders (i'm out of practice, and the rope was a little too short, which made it very hard to get into a rhythm on the doubles).

followed it up w/ shoulder workout

[Edited on February 20, 2008 at 1:09 AM. Reason : ASFD]

2/20/2008 1:08:18 AM

You can also get oly plate kettlebell handes.

2/20/2008 1:12:05 AM

i don't have any plates at the house, anyway.

all i have is a basic bowflex (no attachments). it was given to me by a friend.

2/20/2008 1:26:30 AM

you can take them to the gym, too.

2/20/2008 1:28:32 AM