This is the general message that gets spread by some of the latest fitness fads or healthcare professionals…
The main misconception that people have when they talk about CrossFit is they think CrossFit is dangerous. They have usually heard this from a friend who has tried CrossFit somewhere or they have listened to some Podcast/Audio of someone who has probably never tried CrossFit themselves.
CrossFit is as dangerous as any other sport you may play. The higher level you take it, the more likely you could have an injury. The kind of injuries sustained in the NHL are usually a lot more serious than an injury you are likely to see coming from a game of Shinney. This is the same in CrossFit. The main problem I see is that people don’t understand CrossFit as a Sport and CrossFit as a training program for health and longevity…
CrossFit as a Sport is extremely demanding. To be a mediocre athlete you need to be training more than 2 hours per day, be able to run fast, run far, move heavy objects and be proficient in many different gymnastics movements. The elite CrossFit athletes are in the gym 2-4 times a day, training 4 or more hours easily. This is because there are thousands of combinations of movements that could come up in any format at a competition. The body is being pushed to the limit to maximize potential in all areas of fitness and only a select few can handle that amount of stress to the body.
CrossFit as a training program for health and longevity does not look like this at all. Life is the competition. This means we have the rest of our life to develop our fitness. We should be training 3-6 days a week for around about 60 minutes. If you have time for a bit more, that’s great, but it should all be part of a progressive program looking at general fitness across multiple domains…
Yes, we want to work and develop all areas of our fitness…
Yes, we want to work towards developing our advanced skills…
And yes, we want to train hard and push our limits…
We just aren’t looking to achieve what the competitive CrossFitter is and we don’t have the looming deadline of a competition, so there’s no rush…
Where does the BAD rep come from?
Every CrossFit affiliate is independently owned and operated (unless a company has multiple locations). This means that the difference from one gym to the next could be the difference between a Rolex and a Swatch… They both tell time, but one has had a lot more effort put into the quality.
I believe the chances of injury are directly related to the CrossFit gym you train out of:
The coaches are the main line of defence. If they are doing their job properly then injuries are dramatically reduced. They should be providing correct scaling and loading to allow progression in all fitness levels…
The programming can reduce injury rates also. A well-structured program will not allow for burn out and repetitive use injuries…
The gym culture will determine how safe the training is. If its all about how much weight you lift or how fast you go then this is a slippery slope…
If a gym allows you to join a regular class without some kind of onboarding program then we have a recipe for disaster. You will be the new person with no idea in a class of 10+ people. You probably wont get the attention you need.
I think we can agree that the label “CrossFit is DANGEROUS” is a gross misrepresentation. Some CrossFit gyms increase the chance of injury by offering a bad service and bad practices whilst others are, in my opinion, the best place to pursue your health and fitness goals for longevity.
I recommend you give CrossFit a try before you make up your mind. If you’ve had a bad experience then try another gym. No matter where you live, there is a good CrossFit gym somewhere close by. A gym that has passionate owners who really care about their members…
Find this one and you’ll be a part of something special.
Darren