CrossFit gets you good at competing in CrossFit….
Is that what you’re trying to do? Or are you trying to compete at the game of LIFE?
It’s not terribly difficult to find emotionally charged topics when discussing CrossFit on the internet. There have been many wars fought in YouTube comments, forums, and social media posts. And, as much as I’d like to consider myself as someone who doesn’t get involved in the back and forth, I’m about to enter the ring.
So I ask the question….Is CrossFit right for Competitors? Everyday folks? Everyone? You?
In my opinion, it really depends on the person. I will say Crossfit is NOT for the majority of people trying to lose weight and improve their over all health and fitness.
If that’s you, if you are trying to improve your health and lose some weight.…..then read on because there is a superior approach in my opinion. In this article I will explain why I believe TFW Mahopac is a better option for you.
Here are 4 reasons why you should stay away from Crossfit:
1.Bigger risk of injury.
This is probably the single most important factor for anyone starting or restarting their workouts. AVOID INJURY! If you are injured you cannot train. Injuries happen, but if you CrossFit, chances are you’re eventually going to get.
Why??
The training requires intensity and speed, but it disregards safety. The different lifts involved in the training are energy draining, which makes the trainee suffer from fatigue this can result in poor training technique and ultimately training related injuries.
2.CrossFit tends to attract a younger clientele with a heavy focus upon competition.
Crossfit is a sport, a highly competitive one. TFW is not a sport, it is a small group training facility that offers customized fitness and nutrition programs. We offer a more nurturing, team-focused environment with support, encouragement, and friendship amongst our members. Our coaches are highly qualified write appropriate training programs as well as modify any movement or exercise to help all individuals reach their goals.
We all have days where we consider skipping the gym, well that’s even more likely when it is a highly competitive environment and we feel our performance may be judged rather than our persistence and consistency encouraged. By working as a team, we all improve our attendance knowing that we are all working together. Consistency rather than always being at peak performance is the focus.
3.Most CrossFit workouts are based on random exercise selection instead of logical planning.
An example of a CrossFit workout is a WOD (workout of the day)…..many times starting people off with heavy, high rep deadlifts followed by some sort of olympic lift like clean and jerks. This to me as a fit-pro goes against the logic and basic biomechanics of training. Not to mention most regular people are not ready to just start performing Olympic level lifts.
Heavy and high-rep deadlifts fatigue and fry your lower back quickly, so if you want to do a dynamic and complex olympic lift while staying injury free, it is imperative that your lower back is not already fatigued. This also the reason why it’s a bad idea to do heavy or high-volume deadlifts before squats – yet so many Crossfit gyms program that! As you can imagine, these are just a few examples.
4.There Is No Prioritizing Of Recovery
Unless, I have missed something and all the people I know who do CrossFit are doing it wrong, CrossFit doesn’t seem to make significant efforts to build in recovery days. Exercise is stress and high intensity exercise is obviously that much more stressful on the body. In order for fitness to not just be safe, but also more effective, proper planned recovery is key so the body can maximize its stress adaptation response.
CrossFit workouts several days in a row, let alone 5 days a week, do not allow the body much time to heal from the workout. This not only slows your progress but it can cause major injuries.
If your trying to improve your health and fitness there are simply better programs out there for you, Training For Warriors (TFW) is the answer!
The program was originally developed as a method to train elite fighters by our founder Martin Rooney. However, Martin then had an epiphany that, this incredible science based, safe and functional approach to fitness training could be used by anyone.
You can become as fit as a warrior. But you don’t need to compete or fight with anyone to achieve the amazing benefits. You don’t have to see injury as a necessary condition of training.
The only competition is with yourself.
