HitorMiss said:
LAV Capt is big on CrossFit, did it for about a month on and off had no gains and actualy lost fitness level for myself so I said forget it and did what was told during PT then did my own work outs based on the old army style of run, rucks with push ups and sit ups at the end...
I am sure it works for people I just thing it's not as good as people think or say and I hate the cult menatily of it. Plus like I said I lost fitness level on it.
I know I'm dredging up an old post, but there was a link to this page from this post:
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/67092/post-627913.html#msg627913 .
I'm not going to weigh in on the opinion's stated by HorM, but this fact (in bold, above): What fitness (level(s)) did you lose? All levels of fitness? Running (cardio)?? Weightlifting (stamina/endurance/strength)?
Here are the ten accepted fitness categories (stolen from CrossFit Journal Oct 2002, available for free, here:
http://www.crossfit.com/cf-download/CFJ-trial.pdf )
GENERAL PHYSICAL SKILLS
If your goal is optimum physical competence then all the general physical skills must be considered:
1. Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance- The ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.
2. Stamina - The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy.
3. Strength - The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force.
4. Flexibility - the ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint.
5. Power - The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time.
6. Speed - The ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.
7. Coordination - The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement.
8. Agility - The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another.
9. Balance - The ability to control the placement of the bodies center of gravity in relation to its support base.
10. Accuracy - The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity.
The thing I like about CrossFit, if done correctly, is it forces you to assess what you are weak in, and try to improve that area. If you were to read the Comments page for any given day that has running (yesterdays Workout of the Day (WOD) was a 10km run, for example) there were more excuses for people substituting ("subbing") that with something else, like rowing or running, or walking, than Kellogs has Cornflakes. Most people have legimitate reasons/excuses, but the true CrossFitter accepts, that while they might suck at running, it is something that needs to be worked on, not avoided. A case in point for me personnally: one of the WOD's gives you the choice of 2 different (but similar workouts):
"Mary"
Complete as many rounds as possible in twenty minutes of:
5 Handstand Push-ups
10 One legged squats
15 Pull-ups
"Cindy"
As many rounds as possible in 20 min
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats
When given the choice, I always did "Cindy" as I am much better at push-ups and squats, than I am at one legged-squats (aka 'pistols'). Well, the other day, there was no choice given. I had the options of a) do something else, and ignore my obvious shortcomings (pistols) or b) suck it up and do "Mary" and the pistols. It was excruciating, and I took much longer than I anticipated per round, so consequently my "Mary" score (# of rounds completed) wasn't even close to my best "Cindy" score. But there really isn't a scoreboard anywhere; only one's personal fitness level being improved, which is the ultimate scorecard.
And yes, when I did the 10km run today (I haven't run over 5km in about 4 months) I was slower (by about 1 minute) than when I was running, exclusively, for fitness. But my push-ups are WAY up, my squats (weighted and high rep body weight) are through the roof, my deadlifts have gone from roughly bodyweight to 150% of my B/W, I can do handstands and handstand push-ups, etc. So, in one (of the 10) aspect of fitness, I decreased, but overall (arguably all of the other 9) I have increased.
I am guessing (a wild-ass guess at that), that when the LAV Captain in question started the CrossFit program, he started at a very basic level (low or no weights) to work on form, in the interest of getting the best technique ingrained in the soldiers, rather than jumping straight in with high weights, and risking injuries left, right and center. That, arguably, if the best approach for group-oriented CrossFit training. For one that already has a high level of fitness (across the board), it would be frustrating to watch hard-fought fitness go by the wayside. Understandable. That's why I
despised being forced to go on group runs (Squadron PT), done at a snails pace, when I was training for Mountain Man and 20+ km road running relays: it was counter-productive and I resented being lumped in the the "clag".
For anybody to say that they lose fitness (in all, or most of the 10 fitness categories mentioned above) from doing CrossFit, in the recommended manner (in CrossFit parlance: "As RX'd" (the WoD, 3 days on/1 day off, good nutrition, proper rest, etc
AND your normal pursuits: ruckmarches, cycling, swimming, rowing, sports training..... you GOTTA read the fine print: If it seems too good to be true (i.e become an elite athlete from one thing [CrossFit] alone), it usually is), I would love to see what your fitness program is, because I would copy it, market it out the ass (give it funky-ass trendy name), or perhaps sell it to Greg Glassman (or better yet Mark Twight, who "created" the workout that the cast of "The 300" used.... that's a bit of an in-joke, as CrossFit people already know... Mark Twight "borrowed", without giving credit, the principles of CrossFit, and packaged it as his own). If it's: run 3 days a week, weight-train 3 days, take a day off..... rinse, repeat as neccesary, I am more than a little skeptical, because, as the shirt reads "Been there, done that" and it doesn't work. Then again, I'm a CrossFit drone, so I have to toe the party line.
AL
