Snap City or Bust?

Squat
5 @ 70%
5 @ 75%
5 @ 80%
5 @ 85%
5 @ 85%

5 Rounds:
5 Deadlift @ 75%
15 Push Ups

Here we go again...  This one has been floating around on youtube for a while.  The funnier version of the classic CF criticism.

What do you all think about the common CF criticism?  Is CF dangerous?  Can someone with an injury do CF?  What about someone who hasn't been lifting weights for years?  Can they do CF safely and effectively?  Are those bitches really on steroids?  Why would I even post something like this?  Well it makes me laugh, that's why.  I am also hoping that some of you might be able to shed some light on this topic.

Comments

[Jennifer R.]

1. The common criticism of CF seems to be based on ignorance.
2. Life is dangerous. Get over it.
3. Crossfit is perfect for people with injuries. There is so much mindful analysis of movement that any well-trained motivated coach can come up with a rehab plan that will work for any injury.
4. I never lifted weights before I started CF in 2009. I'm doing fine now, thank you very much.
5. Exhibit: the 9am class at CFES.
6. More ignorance.
7. You already answered it.

Ok. This goes back to the larger question of why people work out. The program you pick should be connected to your reasons for working out. CFer's like community and favor athletic performance over getting a certain body type. We are not trying to get this movie star's abs or that movie star's butt. We want to be able to do shit. In order to be able to do shit, we chose an endeavor with programming, coaching, community, and heart that promotes our goals.

Snap that!

[Matt P]

Im pretty sure Jen just called out the entire 9am class on their steroid use.

[Roger]

for them women to be lifting #135 overhead, they got to be on Steroids! You hear that Sabrina!!!

[Steller]

Busted.

[Adam]

There are very valid criticisms of Crossfit, but this video didn't articulate any.

One of the biggest issues (I perceive) is quality control. I've seen videos and read essays of people who were training or watching shit boxes, and the amount of irresponsible training that goes on is indeed quite ridiculous. I mean shit - a lot of boxes hardly do any strength training, and (from what I've read) the people plateau easily. When competing for time at a lot of other boxes (due to being competitive), they lose all sense and personal responsbility of learning good form.

Funny thing is that of all the Crossfit bashings I've ever read or seen, ours does not fit that bill at all. We should all be thankful we are at a Crossfit with such good trainers.

[Kate]

It's a one-way ticket to Snap City! Okay, that was funny. But really, I think a lot of critics miss the aspect of scaleability, and/or they've hurt themselves by being unwilling to scale for their bodies or injuries.

Let me put it this way. I am almost 40 and I have never been athletic. I regret that I didn't do more when I was younger and could have been fitter. I will never be the fastest or the strongest, but after doing 8 months of Crossfit--and starting relatively slowly--I am more fit than I have been since childhood, I notice improvements almost every day, and my back and knees feel better than they have in years. In other programs with less personal attention and less of a focus on form, I was hurting myself; at Crossfit I'm not. I think that's thanks to the coaching, but there's also an onus on each athlete to approach the lifting and the workouts sanely, check their egos at the door, and do what is right for their own body and level of fitness.

[harlan]

Those dudes are right, I snap, crackle and pop every day

[Roger]

Are there tools actually capable of "articulating" a point? I think we're asking too much. Their brains would Snap!

[Stephanie W]

You can hurt your body doing ANYTHING. I haven't been at CFES long but I am convinced the only risk of injuring yourself is based on "user error". Just like any workout you do, its most important to practice movement correctly, build up your strength and stamina gradually and know your limits/injuries and work around them. Whoever said that Crossfit expects you to lift 200# on your first day? If you attempt that then you deserve to be injured.

Video is hilarious though. SNAP!

[brother mike]

Harlan, to be fair you snapped, crackled and popped before Crossfit.

I love these guys. My favorite is their debate about pre-lifting sex. I would post the link, but I think googling for that video might set off alarms on the office server.

[John Michelmore]

Video was pretty entertaining...not correct at all from my experiences, but entertaining nonetheless. Since I could barely run 100 meters when I started this 3 years ago without my knees killing me, to how I feel today, I'll more than take the little inconveniences along the way!

[Peter Comeau]

Hello Everyone! Just came across this disscussion and figured I weigh in as an outside source. I started crossfit in fall of 2009 and came into it with a background in ice hockey (15 years to be exact). So I had some experience with different types of training methods some similar to the crossfit modality. I started competing that year did fairly well and made it to regionals in spring 2011 at age 20. That summer I was home in New York City and was about to do a local competition in Queens NY. The first part of the competition was a 5 minute time cap to achieve a maximum 3 rep OHS. I worked up to a set of 225 for 3 but then I lost my grip due to the fact I was rushing and didn't have a good grip to begin with. The bar dropped on my back and now at age 21 I have a severe back injury that will never allow me to train the way I want to again. Yes many things in life a dangerous but everything has a risk to benefit ratio and In my opinion the risks associated with crossfit outweigh the benefits. In my 2 year experience with crossfit hands down I was able to get into the best shape of my life but suffered more injuries than I ever did in my 15 years of playing ice hockey. These "tools" actually help me continue on with a positive outlook. After my accident in the competition I was very depressed because multiple doctors and physical therapists told me that I could not return to crossfit training if I didn't want my back to get worse than it is now. But I thanked God when I found these guys who both have back issues similar to me and are still training safely at a much older age than I am. I do not blame crossfit for what happened to me, all that I know now is that the chance for injury is much higher doing crossfit (even with world class coaches) than other fitness programs out there.

[Sean V.]

Oh, God. I was waiting for them to say something about kipping. EVERY time crossfit comes up I wait for kipping's honorable mention. I always shoot back with how I could never do dead hang pull-ups until after I became proficient at kipping pull-ups. This is almost always answered with, "That doesn't mean kipping works." What?

[Justin Riley]

Peter, it is important to understand that you were competing in the SPORT of CrossFit as a fairly high level athlete. To insinuate that the risks outweigh the benefits really isn't fair since we are putting people in a training environment on a daily basis, not the sporting arena. We aren't pressuring them to perform world class feats and compete against world class athletes. Sounds like you made an error in judgement about your own abilities in the heat of competition, it happens. There is a time to realize that a lift isn't going well and bail out or decide to be greedy and go for it.

My athletes who train for the sport of CF understand the risks they face, and are taught to do so with diligence. Yeah we get tweaks and strains from pushing the limits, but we also know when it's time to call it a day so we live to fight the next.

With that being said and the rate of injuries in high school level sports are much higher than that of even CF competition, regardless of your hockey experience.

If I was you I'd still be doing CF at whatever level was appropriate for my injuries and abilities. Appropriate scaling can produce excellent results. I would even be working to rebuild my overhead squat to whatever level I could. We have seen more people in this gym come back from great injuries to high levels of performance than go the other way.

I will admit that the risks of this program can be higher than other programs, but the results are far greater than the other programs. Every person here is treated as an athlete and their training intensity is scaled to meet their personal goals. Any program that is totally safe is probably totally ineffective, and sport is much more dangerous than CF any way you measure it.

[Justin Riley]

Mr. Hodges from the video seems to have found Snap City somehow even though he doesn't do CF. I would teach his ass how to deadlift and before you know it he'd be thanking us for fixing his snapped up shit.

[Peter Comeau]

I wish I could agree with you Justin but the problem is that very large part of the crossfit community trains outside the confines of a box. I am sure that you guys do a great job of making sure your athletes do not harm themselves but the actual number of crossfit related injuries is probably much higher than we know due to the fact that a huge part of the community trains from their garage and the injuries go unreported. Also, there are many sports out there that are much less dangerous than crossfit and I am not saying that ice hockey isn't dangerous because it is. All that I found was that in my personal experience crossfit was more dangerous to me than ice hockey was. In a lot of ways it doesn't if you were competing like I was or just someone who wants to get into shape and doesn't have much experience with working out crossfit poses inherent risks that most people are not aware of. Maybe the people in your gym are aware of the risks but what about then unsupervised crossfitter following the main site. Surely you can't deny that the vast majority of people who do crossfit will follow it own there own by using the web.

[Scott]

Peter: sorry to hear about your injury. I wish you the best of luck as you adjust to a new set of limitations.

[Sean V.]

Here's another one on the same topic. Apparently, crossfit isn't even exercise. So, it seems all this weight loss and PR's is nothing but witchcraft.

http://www.thedreamlounge.net/crossfit-injury/

[Brooke]

Peter you should find a reputable box and give CrossFit another go.

[Steller]

Justin, I agree with you that anything worth doing physically probably also carries some risk of injury. Look at the cyclists in the Tour de France, Christopher Reeves, all the marathoners who drop dead of heart attacks, and yes, the myriad injuries, minor and major, we sometimes incur doing CF. I developed shoulder problems from boxing, knee problems from running and fell off my horses and bikes countless times. BUT, done correctly, and with proper supervision and coaching, this program is still far superior to anything else out there for people who like to mentally and physically challenge themselves. The alternative is to stay on your couch or safely in the globo-gym on the elliptical or treadmill and how boring is that? You can't live life in a bubble. Taking all of the risk out of it also takes all of the fun out of it. If people working out on their own off the main site don't figure out that some caution and self-education should be employed before trying to pull 200+ pounds off the ground, well, then maybe Darwin had a point.

[Justin Dobrinski]

Below is a link to a good friend of mine's blog. His name is Kyle Bryant, and he has a debilitating disease called Ataxia. When the disease began to take most of his mobility away (7 years ago when we were roommates in East Sac), he bought a three wheeled bike that allowed him to exercise and keep fit. He started a national fundraising effort called Ride Ataxia, that has raised a ton of money for Ataxia research. Kyle can't go anywhere without a wheelchair or a walker, and 2 years ago, he (with a team of 3 others) completed the RAAM (Race Across America) bike race. The guy has willpower that most of us would dream of.

He's also really into finding new ways to challenge himself, and has just begun working out at a Crossfit gym. This blog post, and the video (which is pretty entertaining) talks about his decision to try Crossfit, the scaling of the movements to allow him to complete them. Kyle's story is a testament to why Crossfit works for the most athletic people to the most athletically challenged people. If anybody's in need of some inspiration, google Kyle Bryant + Ataxia, and enjoy. One of Sacramento's finest. Check out the link below.

Link to Kyle's Blog:
http://www.kyleabryant.com/2012/05/24/crossfit/

[Justin Riley]

Peter, I do not recommend doing CF on your own unless you plan to spend countless hours reading, watching video and attending seminars.

The problem isn't CF, the problem is people trying to be hero's and poor execution of the best fitness program the industry has ever seen.

CF is strong medicine and must be treated as such. When applied properly, CF produces unparalleled results, ask my 9-5ers who have lost 50+ lbs, squat 1.5x BW and do 30 pull ups even though they could never do one before in their entire lives.

When mis-applied by inexperienced individuals, CF will knock you on your ass and snap your shit up, no doubt.

Moral of the story is, go find a good coach and leave your ego at home.

[Olga B]

Well, everything I wanted to say and more has already been said. I agree with Justin, Jen, Sabrina and Brooke.
Gosh, all chocked up after watching Kyle's video.
Matt P, good one :)!

[Steve]

I can speak with first-hand experience as a CFES 9 to 5’er…I came across CFES less than a year ago and had never previously heard of CrossFit. While I’ve always been able to do a small # of unassisted pull-ups by myself, I could never successfully complete a full ring Muscle-Up. It was one day at CFES back in February of this year that Travis told me he’d give me $1 if I could do one single Muscle-Up. I tried my hardest and failed! I was pissed that I lost out on the $1, however, it left me feeling even more encouraged and I knew I’d eventually get stronger and learn the movement one day. Eventually, after trying and trying and trying, I was finally able to do my first Muscle-Up! In the past few months, one muscle-up turned into two consecutively, then three, four and five. Last Friday, during the WOD, I was able to do 41 Ring Muscle-Ups in 20 minutes! My hands were sore as hell the next day, but I haven’t felt that strong and flexible in my upper-body in my entire life! We have the best trainers / coaches at CFES! Justin, Travis, Chris, Aaron and Josh; you guys are always watching out for us, giving tips, advice, reeling us back in when we get too crazy…I love being part of the CFES community and look forward to continuing to be part of the group!

[Steve]

Aaron thanks for the sick music-selection today during the noon-class =)

[Jennifer R.]

Peter, I appreciate your weighing in on this topic. So sorry about your injury!

I am surprised and chagrined to hear than people are doing crossfit on their own. We depend on our coaches (and each other) for so much!

I have gotten tweaks and twinges, but by far the worst injury I have ever gotten was at a gymnastics gym on a trampoline doing something really simple.

As Sabrina said, injuries go with all sports. That's why we have physical therapy, safety equipment, proper coaching, and common sense.

And when we get injured we have to persevere with treatment. After a year of struggling to rehab my ankle, I am finally starting to see improvement in strength and reduction of swelling. Thanks to CFES, I did not lose overall fitness while I was struggling to recover and I got encouragement by coaches and other members to keep pursuing avenues of treatment.

[Jessica]

Oh I simply MUST weigh-in on this topic, since I am laying on my couch, icing my snapped ankle from a slight mishap during a crossfit wod. Was it me ignoring my gut instinct, telling myself that although I was still exhausted from an hour of crossfit followed by 2 hours of intense krav the night before that it was a good idea to wake up less than 8 hours later to go to another crossfit workout? Or was it crossfit's fault? Although I got out the door and halfway through the warm-up before I started questioning my sanity and my ability to make it through the wod that day (since I was already tired from just the warm-up!), my stubborn pride would never let me quit. So needless to say a split second wrong decision and physical fatigue, and snap! Now I COULD blame it on crossfit, or my coaches- although I have done the skill a million times with expert coaching every single time, but then that would take away from one small detail: PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY!! While injured, on crutches, and my lower leg immobilized, I am still able to do scaled versions of wods, which will help maintain my fitness, speed my recovery and prevent future injuries.

Now, to address another point. PREVIOUS INJURIES. Who here has NEVER HAD AN INJURY?! Personally, I have a plate and screws in my neck after breaking and dislocating it 15 years ago. I have dislocated and torn meniscus requiring surgery in my knee. I have broken my sternum and 3 ribs. I have sprained my ankle(s), once sprained them both at the same time!! I've broken other accessories (nose, fingers, toes). I'm sure there are plenty of other cfer's who have similar or worse battle wounds, yet here we are! I'd personally rather take the risk of minor injuries over diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, chronic pain from being fat, depression and many cancers that are associated with inactive lifestyles, poor diet and poor physical conditioning. Plus crossfit is just fun! (Yes it sucks while you're doing it, but once you're done... YOU all know the feeling, that's why we keep coming back for more!)

My whole life has been spent riding horses, competing in rodeo, basketball, volleyball, softball, track, swimming, weight lifting, martial arts- you name it! Yes, I've gotten hurt. But I also have reaped the rewards of improved functional capacity; no chronic pain or disability from any of my injuries, better physical health, better mental health, improved strength, flexibility and coordination (yes, it COULD be worse!). And not to mention the fun and relationships built when competing or training with your teammates. Crossfit, done properly, will prevent many chronic illnesses and pain. Anything worth doing will come with risks. I, for one, have learned an important lesson here. Listen to your body when it's telling you to rest. Don't let your pride get the best of you. For me, following those two rules would have prevented my injury and listening to them in the future will hopefully prevent others.

[Pat H.]

This is one of my favorite videos on the internet right now.

[Matt P]

I broke my leg running marathons. My brother broke his hip running too much.

No serious injuries in 3 years and about 1000 Workouts. Must be the coaching.

[Justin Riley]

Well I still say those bitches are on steroids! Oh SNAP!