Crossfit Football

speedcoach · April 22, 2009, 11:07am

I don’t understand the negative towards crossfit. It’s general training and builds on the thoughts that extreme variation will give best results on general preparation. Is that possible to argue? Modification of loads and reps is needed thought to fit individual capacity.

I’ve tried some crossfit workouts, most of them modified because i’m not so strong and to avoid massive DOMS with unfamiliar exercises. I have to say that the exercise selection is really good, and that it’s very time effective. Some of those 20 min workouts is really demanding and great if you have limited time available.

Some positives: (based on workouts on main page)

Good exercise selection

Great general programming. Variation between horizontal/vertical pulling/pressing. Also variation in CNS/metabolic. Good use of variation between whole body workouts and workouts only focused on either legs, pressing or pulling.

Great videos available to learn lifting mechanics (Rippetoe) and they’re actually trying to share knowledge on training (crossfit journal).

Negatives:

Personally i don’t see the value in 10k runs.

Only general training and needs modification to avoid overtraining.

Poor power development. Will propably develop good relative strength, but all power elements are trained in high rep endurance workouts (double unders, med ball, box jumps, kipping pull-ups). Good power endurance.

I like crossfit and believe it’s valuable for off-season training and early general phase in many sports (not sprinting). The program is better organized than 99 % of the training population is capable of doing themselves, and it’s growing fast for a reason. Maybe it’s actually working?

I have members at my gym who have trained crossfit and still do. I can tell you the one guy is super fit, but he scares me watching him train. Rapid fire, sloppy clean and press, completely sloppy chins. I could go on. I dont think that anyone is arguing that crossfit isn’t a great way to train if you are an average person/weekend warrior. There are far too many problems to utilize it at all in training athletes, unless maybe MMA guys. You hit the nail on the head earlier with the DOMS comment. If your athletes are sore, injury potential jumps massively. Athletes need to train ALL facets of their given sport year round. That means speed in particular. Sore athletes tend to end up injured. I honestly don’t see where it fits in in any annual plan for sports other than perhaps combat sports. That’s just my take.