Starr Struck Radio, Episode 26: Should You Do CrossFit?

10/6/2015

Ben's dream has finally come true--a whole episode about CrossFit! You had to know it was coming, right!?!

As many of you know, Ben was an early adopter of CrossFit and has spent way too many hours of his life doing it, researching it, watching it, dreaming about it...thus, recording today's episode gave him the chance to put all of his "hard work" to use and share some of his CrossFit knowledge and experience with you.

In the first half of the episode, Ben shares the basics of CrossFit and we both share our experiences with it. In the second half of the episode, we discuss the pluses + minuses of CrossFit and answer the question, "Should you do CrossFit?"

Even if you don't do CrossFit or have never heard of it, I think you'll find this episode interesting because we discuss how CrossFit is changing the fitness landscape in the US and how it's giving us a new way to think about "working out."

You can listen below OR by downloading and/or subscribing in iTunes or Stitcher (be sure you search "Starr Struck Radio").

LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE IN ITUNES HERE

Helpful resources/links mentioned in the show:

What is CrossFit?
CrossFit FAQs
On Being a CrossFit Widow or Widower: A How-To Guide & 10 Relationship Tips: a very old post that I wrote when Ben was at his peak CrossFit obsession (read the comments, they're actually pretty sad and show how obsessed people can get!)
10 Ways to Prepare Yourself for Dating/Marrying/Becoming a CrossFitter: another *very* old post that I wrote about this topic (ignore the horrible formatting!)
As mentioned in this week's break: here's everything you need to know about ordering a custom painting for the holidays.

My Upcoming Retreats:

Want more? You can peruse all past Starr Struck Radio episodes on our podcast homepage.

Also, if you're a fan of the show and have a few minutes, please rate us and/or write a review in iTunes! We SO appreciate you taking the time to do so.

Happy listening!

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Lindsay

10/6/2015 09:40:37 am

MC, I'm super-duper interested in any weight training group you develop, especially if you get it going this winter! Keep me posted!

Mary Catherine

10/7/2015 04:16:03 am

Yay! Stay tuned for more info...hope to start it up in January! Hope you can wait that long ;) xoxo

April

10/6/2015 10:09:04 am

Okay, I was REALLY excited to listen to this podcast. I love Starr Struck radio but in all honestly, I just suck at keeping up with podcasts in general. But I have a lot of mixed feelings about Crossfit, and may be looking for a new gym in a couple of months, so this was very timely! Back in 2009/2010 when Crossfit was first becoming more popular, I was really turned off by the elitist attitude of Crossfitters. Isn't the idea for everyone to be healthy and move their bodies? I just felt like the "I'm better than you" attitude was really obnoxious. Plus, as someone who has struggled with an eating disorder, that environment of extreme competituveness is not a healthy one for everyone. It makes me anxious to think about. That being said, I have been doing strength training and kettlebell workouts (with power lifting but not olympic lifts) for the past 9 or 10 months, and I absolutely LOVE it. I surprised myself because I have been more into group exercise in the past (I grew up dancing and taught pure barre for several year) and this was the first time I started lifting heavy weights and learning new moves. While an intimidating setting at first, it is incredibly empowering and fun, but we never write down our "scores" and there are modifications for all levels. The class is taught with a max of 4 participants per 1 trainer, taking away some of the "cons" you mentioned in the podcast. The attention to form, detail, injury, and able to make modifications beyond "do less weight" is incredibly valuable (and much safer). However, their prices are very high (more than Crossfit gyms in my area) and they have moved into a smaller space. As a result, the workouts are less varied and we have less equipment to work with. I'm not trying to compete, but I do like variety and I want to keep improving. I've tried a few Crossfit classes and they aren't as scary as I imagined they would be, but it can still definitely be intimidating. I'm also just naturally not the fastest mover ever, so that part is hard if I'm slower than most or struggling because the competition aspect has a negative impact on me and makes me feel pretty discouraged instead of motivated. I'm sort of on the fence with if I want to give it a go as my workout of choice when my contract is up at my current gym. On one hand, the intensity and challenge is appealing - I'd like to get more fit and look awesome and push myself - but on the other hand, I don't want to get injured or be in an environment that potentially isn't the healthiest for me. I was sort of surprised to hear Mary Catherine was so positive on it! That actually makes me want to be more open-minded about it, and like I said, the few classes I've been to I did enjoy. I'm just not sure if it's a fit. My main point here is that the competitiveness of crossfit is not always a positive, and you should want to push yourself for reasons other than beating other people. PLUS, isn't the goal long-term health for a lot of people? Not sure Crossfit fits that bill. Anyways, I welcome your opinions and may send you some options as I do explore (if Ben really wouldn't mind helping out, lol). Thanks for this podcast!

Bobby link

10/6/2015 12:57:06 pm

Hey April, great comments and all very valid and common concerns regarding CrossFit and what it entails. I can totally see the intimidation factor for someone walking into CrossFit for the first time even if you do have an athletic background. I think the high intensity and heavy weights is the obvious intimidating factor and rightfully so. In my opinion, everyone needs to have their own starting point and progression. Unfortunately, most CrossFit gyms feel the need to throw everyone into the fire with the "One Size Fits All" model, and without the proper initial protocol (consultation, assessment, baseline testing, planning, etc...). They generally lack the individualized focus which is a problem in terms of long term health/success. And, like you said, shouldn't long term health be a top priority?? - absolutely, YES!

What I would suggest you do is make a list of your specific goals and then answer WHY they are important to you. ie: general health/wellness, look good, feel good, increase strength, improve aerobic capacity, long term health, etc... Hopefully you can find the answers you are looking for as far as what type of training you want to do and if CrossFit is something in your future.

10/7/2015 04:25:06 am

SUCH great advice, Bobby! Thanks for chiming in and sharing your expertise...so appreciated! ;)

10/8/2015 01:29:34 pm

Thanks for your input, Bobby. I'm not afraid of heavy weights or working hard, and there are certainly aspects of Crossfit that appeal to me, but as you mentioned - the lack of individual attention, safety, and an environment of sharing your scores/competing against others goes against my gut and how I feel about fitness and exercise (and what it should be about). That culture does not sit well with me, as I feel it encourages feelings of worth based on performance (for me, someone who has struggled with the concept of "self worth" and proving I am "good enough"). I am ALL FOR encouraging and pushing each other - which we currently do at my gym - but fostering competitiveness and ranking people in the way crossfit does can quickly get unhealthy for lots of folks. Obviously not for plenty of others - it's an emotional process for me beyond just the physical. I think it's a fine line. I'm sure there are some crossfit gyms that break the mold and could be a good fit, but I'm not sure that's an endeavor I want to take on! I've looked at a couple in my city and the WODs sound really terrible (and I know Ben talked about varied - everyday is different - but a lot of times one day is just 2 exercises over and over and over. Or something that requires some training - like olympic lifts in the workout etc - and I wouldn't feel comfortable attempting that without proper direction). Anyways, clearly I have a LOT of feelings about Crossfit I need to work out, lol. Thank you again!

10/7/2015 04:24:02 am

April, I think I should have said the following in the episode: when I did CrossFit, I was lucky enough to go to a CrossFit gym that was very different than most that exist now (and frankly, the one I belonged to has changed now and is much closer to what other gyms are like these days). The gym I went to was smaller, worked MUCH more individually with each of us and knew all of our injuries, issues, necessary modifications, so I kind of had the best of both worlds. Plus, we were a small community and all knew each other pretty well so I didn't feel the same sort of pressure/intimidation/comparison issues that I might have felt at a bigger gym that just churned it out and had TONS of students who were all crazy into it. Does that make sense? So I think that's why I was so positive about it. I wonder what kind of experience I would have now if I just went into a random CrossFit location and joined. Hmmm...

That being said, I think Bobby's advice to your comment is GREAT and ultimately, I think you'll have to decide what you want out of your next training program...and you're right, the competitiveness is def not a good thing for everyone and if it brings up some negative stuff for you, probably not best for you to do it!

Hope this helps. Thanks for listening and for all your comments!
xo

10/6/2015 10:15:01 am

eeks sorry for the word vomit and all the typos!!!

10/7/2015 04:24:42 am

Haha! You're hilarious...didn't even notice any of that! ;)

Courtney

10/8/2015 08:22:56 am

I loved this episode! My husband and I did cross fit in Arlington for about a year and really enjoyed the variety of the workouts and the community. However, I have a herniated disc in my lower back, and ultimately had to stop. I noticed that, due to my injury, it took me longer to recover after a workout, so I could not go every day. Ultimately, after re-injuring myself one too many times, one coach quietly suggested that, perhaps, cross fit isn't the best fit for me, at least for now. I was extremely grateful that he said something, which gave me the courage to go a different route. Now I primarily do yoga at TSA and run a little, but am extremely interested in any of your strength training recommendations to mix things up a bit!

Caroline link

10/9/2015 09:05:03 am

I don't know how I feel about CrossFit. I've always resisted because I'm pretty competitive and I have a feeling I would love it and it would take over my life. That being said... I'm definitely interested in the strength training for yogis thing you mentioned!

Kenna link

10/14/2015 08:17:44 am

Yay CrossFit! I think at it's core, constantly varied, functional movements are so essential to overall health. I think it's almost primal. Strength training has so many amazing benefits and I never would have done it if not for CrossFit. As you said, having good coaches is critical -- in both avoiding injury and getting your $$ worth. There are some horrible CrossFit outfits out there. I have been fortunate enough to have trained at what I consider to be two of the best affiliates in the country -- CrossFit DC (as you know!) and CrossFit Central in Austin. In both of these cases I felt that the expense was well worth it for the quality of the coaching. I've been an unlikely CrossFitter from the beginning. I was not really a true athlete. My workplace added CrossFit as a fitness program option (they've since cut it due to the expense, but I continued on my own dollar).
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All that being said, I strongly disagree that 5-6 times/week commitment is necessary. My personal goal is to not skip more than one day in a row, and sometimes I even fail at that. I think 3-4 times/week is good, with 5 being great. CFDC even has 10-class/month memberships. You can see what they are focusing on in the blog so you aren't coming in for deadlifts every time. I think CrossFit has evolved a bit to attract a wider audience and might not be AS much about the competition that Ben got wrapped up in. Good gyms have different tracks for the competitive folks. I am competitive, but mainly with myself (I think I came in 25,000th in the open this year haha). I'm never going to finish in the top 1000 in the region, and I'm ok with that. But the measurability does give me goals to work on and there is a community that holds me accountable and encourages me. OH - you'll be happy to know that CFDC added a yoga session each week to help folks work on mobility and flexibility :)

Kenna

10/14/2015 08:20:33 am

OH! I forgot to add that I can totally relate to the firewood issue (I think that was this episode. My lovely husband ordered a cord and we don't even have a yard, just a patio :( :( :( We have firewood that should last us a decade at least. When it gets colder I plan on setting as much as I can on the sidewalk in front of our place in hopes that people will take it!

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