Crossfit-Does It Really Work?

[x635 4,066]

I've been hearing a lot about Crossfit training and now Crossfit gyms? How does it work, does it really work, and how time consuming is it every day? And, most importantly, how much does it cost?

[BFD1054 1,552]

Seth,

A friend of mine opened a Crossfit gym in New Windsor and has quite a large membership. When he first started it, i would go regularly.

It is quite an intense workout and really uses all of your muscles. The first Crossfit workout i did, i felt as though i was going to pass out or have a heart attack and that was a 20 minute workout lol.

Personally, i did enjoy it. However, we have a great gym at our firehouse that i take advantage of. I like to be able to workout at my own pace and the best part is its free.

I would recommend giving it a try. Think you'll be surprised what you can put your body through.

[Remember585 815]

Anytime you combine increased cardio activity with muscle-building training, you'll see positive results.

[jd783 64]

try p90x. Can do it at home takes about 1-1.5 hrs 6 days a week

[peterose313 345]

I know a bunch of people who do it, it's a pretty brutal workout. It most definitely works but you have to stick with it.

[x635 4,066]

How much does Crossfit cost?

I've let myself go physically since my injury in 2007, and still have the strength but I need to build my endurance and burn off some fat. Even though I can never be a firefighter again, I want to be at the level where I can eventually do this:

http://www.menshealthurbanathlon.com

I don't know if I'm capable of it, but that's my goal.

Thanks guys for all the advice, I appreciate it. I'm trying to start living healthier and it's hard getting motivated and started-and finding the time. I probably need some sort of "boot camp" to start, but I am really confused as to what would be the best diets and supplements would be. There used to be a store in Yorktown that was basically run by a very good friend who is now an FDNY Firefighter and YHFD Chief and one of the first EMTBravo member,. But that's gone and he's super busy......how do I figure out the diet,nutrition, and supplements personalized for me?

[JetPhoto 626]

Found you a free gym...

[peterose313 345]

How much does Crossfit cost?

I've let myself go physically since my injury in 2007, and still have the strength but I need to build my endurance and burn off some fat. Even though I can never be a firefighter again, I want to be at the level where I can eventually do this:

http://www.menshealthurbanathlon.com

I don't know if I'm capable of it, but that's my goal.

Thanks guys for all the advice, I appreciate it. I'm trying to start living healthier and it's hard getting motivated and started-and finding the time. I probably need some sort of "boot camp" to start, but I am really confused as to what would be the best diets and supplements would be. There used to be a store in Yorktown that was basically run by a very good friend who is now an FDNY Firefighter and YHFD Chief and one of the first EMTBravo member,. But that's gone and he's super busy......how do I figure out the diet,nutrition, and supplements personalized for me?

Most of your questions can be answered here.

Update: A friend of mine here in Westchester told me she paid like $35 per class or something but most places like Westchester Crossfit (White Plains) have package deals. There's a place in Yorktown that she's heard good things about too.

Edited April 22, 2013 by peterose313

[firefighter36 52]

Seth, crossfit also involves a great deal of mobility work with various stretches and other exercises. All workouts and moves can be scaled for an individual based on their strength and health situation. Over time, you will see a big change from day one. Crossfit, combined with good eating, works great. I am stronger than I have ever been. Definitely worth the effort and the cost. It is time consuming due to the class setting that it is taught in- it is not as easy as just going to a gym, but if it was easy, it wouldn't be crossfit.

[antiquefirelt 994]

Any program or motivation that makes you burn more calories than you consume will work to take off the pounds. It really depends on the person how well any particular program will work, as it must keep you motivated and willing to pay the money, make the time and get off the couch or away from your desk. As far as being fit, really only physical movement can do that, the more you put into it, the more you'll get back.

[MJP399 4]

Crossfit, is more of a team effort. It promotes completing the task and no one is done until the last person is done. You are timed with max reps, workout completion. The team concept I feel is what is the real driving factor behind crossfit.

[JFLYNN 681]

How much does Crossfit cost?

I've let myself go physically since my injury in 2007, and still have the strength but I need to build my endurance and burn off some fat. Even though I can never be a firefighter again, I want to be at the level where I can eventually do this:

http://www.menshealthurbanathlon.com

I don't know if I'm capable of it, but that's my goal.

Thanks guys for all the advice, I appreciate it. I'm trying to start living healthier and it's hard getting motivated and started-and finding the time. I probably need some sort of "boot camp" to start, but I am really confused as to what would be the best diets and supplements would be. There used to be a store in Yorktown that was basically run by a very good friend who is now an FDNY Firefighter and YHFD Chief and one of the first EMTBravo member,. But that's gone and he's super busy......how do I figure out the diet,nutrition, and supplements personalized for me?

Seth, Crossfit is fantastic. However, based on what you have written in this post, and knowing your previous injuries I would recommend buying the book, Body for Life, by Bill Phillips. It is an easy read. The book has great info on diet, cardio, and resistance training, as well as web support. Phillips recommends a 12 week program, with one "free" or cheat day per week. . If you stick with it for 12 weeks, it will change your life. Another great tool I found recently that would complement the Bill Phillips philosophy is "MyFitnessPal", a free, easy to use, on line, calorie and exercise tracker. Living a healthy lifestyle is quite difficult to begin, but if you devote yourself to 12 weeks learning new things and developing new habits, you will see great results and it will become very easy and natural to continue. After 12 weeks, try to work in the CrossFit, it's great. No charge for this, LOL.

[E112 12]

I've been hearing a lot about Crossfit training and now Crossfit gyms? How does it work, does it really work, and how time consuming is it every day? And, most importantly, how much does it cost?

Hey, what are your fitness goals?

[antiquefirelt 994]

If you stick with it for 12 weeks, it will change your life. Another great tool I found recently that would complement the Bill Phillips philosophy is "MyFitnessPal", a free, easy to use, on line, calorie and exercise tracker.

I'll second the MyFitnessPal tracker, I've used it for just days over one year now and have lost weight and become much more fit than I was. I'm pretty sure I first got the link here on EMTBravo (thanks!)

The general concept is as I noted above: burn more calories than you consume. It allows you to select the amount you want and the time frame and sets caloric (and other factors) goals, allowing you to track your progress through the day, week, etc. I used their recommendation of 1 pound a week, as this was easier t accomplish in the beginning and the relative ease makes this a true lifestyle change rather than a crash diet. The key being if you don't make a true change in your overall eating and exercise, you're likely destined to lose-gain-lose-gain until you decide to make a true change.

Now, in week 53 I've lost just under a full pound a week and easily eat less than my daily calories without feeling hungry or that I had to cut out any particular foods. In the early stages I chose to just eat my normal way and watch and learn which foods were better and which were higher in calories, this helped me evolve my habits choosing better snacks, reduce portions and find those low calorie things I really liked. In the meantime our FD has always had fitness trained come twice a week to conduct a "tailored" fiitness program that works for most of the small group, I'd been part of that group for 4 or 5 years and not seen a huge change, my overall endurance increased, but I was still fairly soft around the edges and less fit than I should have been. Now with the inclusion of MyFitnessPal, I've become much more fit and have started actually enjoy the exercise and am looking forward to better weather to bike and run.

As for Crossfit, in the same time frame I've been using MyFitnessPal, about half of the personnel who I've seen start Crossfit stopped as the intensity was too great to start (my observation), the other who still do it are much better for it. It works, there's no doubt, but it has to fit your personality, limitations and goals, like nearly everything. Along with what Chief Flynn noted above, having lost some pounds and become more active, I now am considering Crossfit as well. I am certain that it would have been very hard for me to do a year ago, but now...

[MJP399 4]

Crossfit, In my opinion from a strength and conditioning stand point, coaching at the high school and collegiate level, is a bit out there. It gets results, but not in a strength. The more concerning thing in my opinion to crossfit is the reps per exercise. A common exercise performed in Crossfit is the Olympic Clean. From a strength and conditioning viewpoint, the clean needs to be a dynamic and explosive exercise, focusing on several phases of the lift in order to complete properly, which can take sometime in order to truly understand, and years to master. With the cleans being an explosive exercise the reps should be low anywhere from 1-5, with rest time incorporated accordingly to the workload.

Crossfit, combines 12 reps of cleans following 12 pulls ups or muscle ups, and a round of burpees, or any other exercise that you can name. In my opinion again, and other strength and conditioning coaches I work with, is that the programming of crossfit, though great since it is getting people moving and creating a buzz, is flawed since injuries can increase and the values of the individual lifts are missed.

Though I am negative about Crossfit, it may serve a purpose with this line of work, high intensity training and round after round, similar to some of the demands in the emergency service field. It also creates team work and togetherness, so there is some great points to crossfit. Just be careful, do what is right for you. And my opinions are from getting atheltes stronger, so my views are a bit different, but hope any information can be helpful.

[MJP399 4]

If you look at JetPhoto's photo it is a great example of what is missing in high school sports and soon to be collegiate.

About 2 months ago, or a bit more when it was still snowing out. One of the athletes asks, what is one way outside of the gym to get stronger? I went on to ask him about the rest and recovery he was doing, as well as the fluids and foods he was consuming. After all checked out. I then asked, are you shovelling? He said no, Ok do you rake your yard? Once again no. The remote is replacing the tool, and for younger generations to continue to get stronger, they need a little manual labor in their life. The strongest athletes I have are the ones that also rake, shovel, mow the lawn when needed.

Secondly, NSCA which is one of the most respected organizations in the strength and conditioning field, has implemetned a new strength and conditioning certification to improve conditioning for all tactical occupations, such as police, fire, ems and esu. They just had a national conference last week, and from the sound of it, it is progressing well. So, if any one in the exercise science field, who has either a phys. ed, exercise science or exercise physiology degree and a passion for emergency servies, you may want to look into this

Edited April 25, 2013 by MJP399

[antiquefirelt 994]

The strongest athletes I have are the ones that also rake, shovel, mow the lawn when needed.

Interestingly, all three of the above "chores"/activities are track-able in the MyFitnessPal program. This shows how many calories you burned for the time entered for any of the items. Of course you have to understand that like all other programs and basic formulas, they are broadbased and likely not acutely accurate, given our bodies are not all equally efficient.

I will say that a year ago on my list of things to buy for our "new" house was a riding lawnmower, a snowblower, and I used to borrow a leaf blower. I'm now putting that money to better uses and using the push mower, shovel and rake and enjoying it. Truth be known, I might still borrow the leaf blower, raking is too tedious to enjoy.