The Crossfit Conundrum: Good or Bad?

Before I start, I should qualify that this is not a hack against Crossfit or a promotion of Crossfit.  It is my opinion based on some of the stuff I've read, some of the stuff I've tried and some of the stuff I've seen.  I have tons of friends who do Crossfit and a number of friends who are actually Crossfit coaches.  I have also been to and experience Crossfit first hand and did enjoy my workouts. 

Crossfit Gym

Regular Gym

So let me start with the good!  I think the Crossfit movement is a great thing!  It is nice to see that people are getting away from your traditional body building mentality and moving to what I would call more "functional" movements.  It is great to see the movement away from big expensive, restrictive machines and towards free weights and movements.  I really think that if fitness is a goal, Crossfit is a great way of improving fitness! 

Here is my thoughts about the downside of Crossfit.  I have concerns about people doing complex movements (sometimes with heavy weights) to and sometimes beyond fatigue.  Its at this point where injuries typically occur.  In some cases, even experience Crossfitters lifting heavy loads to fatigue can suffer injuries.  I also worry about the risk/benefit of some of the exercises.  For instance, do the benefits of doing handstand pushups really outweigh the risks (maybe I do, but no one has explained it to me yet!) 


I also have concerns about the accessibility.  Anyone can go online and look up the Workout of the Day (WOD).  It may call for extremely high volume or max weights.  This should be fine for someone who is experience, but for a novice lifter it could be disastrous.  To Crossfit's credit, they have programs for novices who want to come try Crossfit.  They have coaches who are able to help you with mastery of lifting techniques.

I do like the culture that Crossfit has to offer.  It is appealing to groups of people of similar caliber, and can get quite competitive.  For many people, the challenge of competing against your friends helps to push your workouts. 

The bottom line is that if your training is enjoyable, you will be more likely to continue on with it.  So Crossfit-ON!  But please do so safely!