Pandora's Box :runaway:
This will be a long post. I apologize.
I will preface by saying this- I am a coach and Trainer at a Crossfit "Box". I have my L1 and L2 certifications. I also have a Kinesiology degree and am an accredited NASM/ACSM personal trainer. I am saying this not to brag at all, but to bring light to the fact that 09% of crossfit trainers do NOT have anything more than a weekend long crossfit certification course and $1000 to blow. I'm a black sheep, so to speak.
Before I start, I have heard and seen it all. Crossfit is reckless, dangerous, they do stupid pullups, everyone gets injured, and we're all pissing coca cola. On the other end of the spectrum you get the kool aid drinking 'I LOVE MY BOX' people. Each side is vehemently set in their beliefs and they are both annoying to deal with to be frank.
The truth? Somewhere in between. Crossfit is a multi BILLION dollar COMPANY. Let's get that straight. It is a marketing juggernaut with no signs of slowing down for the forseeable future. The exercize basis that Crossfit patented is not new, unique, or anything special really- Constantly varied movements across broad time and modal domains. What the berkeley does that mean? Basically, it means that the concept of crossfit is to be good at all things, but not excel at one. Varied fitness across all styles- gymnastics, olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, short/long distance cardio, etc... The way that crossfit aims to achieve that is through short, intense workouts that are never repeatable. Different combinations of moves, done in different orders and varying rep schemes for different periods of time. That's the gist of it. I can post a current week of my programming if anyone is interested, but I can assure you- there's nothing too crazy with it.
So you're asking- why the berkeley is it so popular, and why are so amny people paying ungodly amounts of money to put themselves through this? The answer is complex, but it generally falls around this premise- 1) it works. It is the most effective way of getting people fit, fast... that I've ever come across. 2) people by human nature are competitive. Putting others in a class setting, performing against a clock and others on a workout that can be benchmarked for progess over time, is going to push the average person 3x harder than if they were to do the same exact routine at your local Gold's at 6:30 after work. 3) The community, for all the whacked out kool aid Greg Glassman nutswingers, is simply amazing. Everyone is vulnerable, hurting, and thrust into the same thing day in and day out, and that forges EXTREMELY strong friendships.
Personally, I went from 265# and a complete lard-ass to no-question-about-it fittest I've ever been in my life 185# in about a year, just doing 5 days per week of Crossfit classes and not eating like an shiny happy person. It was a complete life transformation that stimulated me to learn EVERYTHING there was/is to know about fitness, go back to school to get a degree/accreditation, and to progress my future life hopefully as a full time trainer of couch potatoes, serious elite athletes, and anyone in between. I would never trade my crossfit experience in for anything in my life save for my son. Period. It's influenced me that much. With that said though, is it the be-all, end all to fitness? Hell no. It is simply an effective means to get and stay fit. You can get the same exact stimulus and resultant response from a variety of other sources and regimens.
So let's address the 'Crossfit causes injury' thing, because frankly it's a disingenuous rallying call for anti-CF'ers to build around. The truth is this- exercise causes injury. Bad trainers cause injury. Bad programming causes injury. People who do not listen to their bodies cause injury. Crossfit does NOT cause injury. There are several videos floating around of crossfit fails and the like, and none of those people should ever be associated with exercise in any mode, let alone crossfit. I have been coaching for almost a year now, and actively crossfitting for 2+. I've never missed more than a maintenance day due to injury. Knock on wood, I've never injured a client. Reckless programming and the 'go harder' mantra end up hurting people. That is why, if you only get 1 thing out of this post,it should be this- it is CRITICAL to find a good, reputable gym with a prudent coaching staff that isn't going to go all Basic Training on you on your first day there. Personally, I do not coach or program a few specific moves that are prevalent in crossfit because I think that they have a higher propensity to injure a novice athlete. Injuring athletes is bad for business. I cannot stress enough that the exercises themselves are completely safe, but the people demonstrating them and the people doing them when they probably shouldn't be is where 99.9999% of injuries occur.
1 other thing about the whole 'crossfit gives you rhabdo' thing too- It's bullE36 M3. Any high volume, eccentric-focused movement has the potential to indust rhabdomyolysis. In fact, the incidence of rhabdo is 15x higher in long distance runners and triathletes than it is in crossfitters, but we don't go around screaming about the safety of those sports...
So here's what I'd do. I'd encourage you to simply check the local places out. If you don't get a warm, fuzzy feeling about the place or the trainer can't be bothered to talk to you, leave and go to another. There are some really amazing crossfit gyms and coaches out there, and it's unfortunate that some of the extreme coaches and poor programming take the attention away from them. I know that for me, it works. I respect others where it might not. All I am saying is that to disregard and group crossfit as dangerous and cult-like is being narrow-minded about it. I'd be happy to help answer any questions that you may have as well specifically.
