Hiya! I’m new to the board and to Crossfit, but thought I’d toss my two sense in:

It seems that your YouTube yahoo forgets that there are different things (workouts, ways of eating) that work for different bodies, different goals and at different times in someone’s life or training, so badmouthing somethings I’m guessing he’s never tried is silly (and it sounds like it was just rude at that).

Crossfit probably isn’t for everyone, but I’m not having a problem with that as it seems to be working for everyone I’ve been in a class with and it’s certainly rocking my world At another time in my life, Crossfit workouts would have left me like a little pile of roadkill in their wake - heh. I’m delighted to say that’s very much not the case right now (though I’ve felt pretty played after each one, it’s a good hurt, doncha’ know?)

There are people who compete in shows who have very pretty bodies (or not, depending on your ethetics) but no functional strength whatsoever. I want my body to look, feel and function at it’s best, and that sems to be being served very well by Crossfit.

... just sayin’

A shift in being….BC v. AC….AFTER crossfit.

olivia - 09 August 2008 08:34 AM

I mean, it’s not as if you have to…blow a guru…

Why did I have to be drinking water when I read this?

To state the obvious, your online nemesis is a dumbass.  Exercise fads are things like Thighmaster and Soloflex, where immediate and short-term results will be evident on the chronically inactive, but in the long run are complete wastes of money.  Fitness doctrines such as CrossFit, HIIT, and even the “Weider Principles of Bodybuilding”, while all different approaches to health and fitness, all have one thing in common: they all have perennially proven RESULTS.  Whether you’re a seasoned athletic veteran or a fresh-off-the-couch starter-upper, everyone can be and have been challenged to the edge of their abilities and beyond using the aforementioned training methods, and the results speak for themselves.

As for the Kool-Aid comment…reminds me of that movie “Contact” (no, I didn’t read the book, which I keep hearing is infinitely superior to the film…which is usually the case…unless you’re talking about “The Shining”...but I digress), where Jody Foster’s staunchly atheist scientist ultimately had to convince people that the only thing…whoa…I almost spoiled the movie for anyone who hasn’t seen it!  Well, if you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about.  If not, watch it…and remember: sometimes faith is all you need!

How does one defend CrossFit to nonbelievers? It’s a challenge, to be sure, but thankfully we have the truth on our side. Defending and supporting CrossFit methods and doctrine can be especially difficult when the channel of communication is limited to the internet. It should come as no surprise that an environment that allows complete anonymity brings out the worst in most people. Nothing breeds cowardice and bullshit like not having to show your name or face.

I’ll pick the least politically correct example I can think of for this: “arguing over the internet is like competing in the Special Olympics; even if you win, you’re still retarded.” Now, a member of my generation, Class of 2008, should know this very well. And yet here I was, less than a week ago, locking horns with some jackass on YouTube. I was in a foul mood, and showing my scornful side, when he made a comment that left me briefly rattled.

“This CrossFit crap is just another exercise fad. Repeating clichés like ‘functional movement’ or ‘midline stabilization’ doesn’t make you any less wrong”.

I wasn’t quite sure how to counter this. One the one hand, I was annoyed that anyone could be so monumentally ignorant. Then I realized, a few moments later when I put myself to writing a response to my Neanderthal pen pal, that I really didn’t know how to respond. I knew he was wrong, in my bones, but I couldn’t deny that his second sentence actually held some truth. I couldn’t explain how I knew that CrossFit was truth (Black Box, anyone?), so I just let the issue drop.

When I mentioned this to Chris about halfway through our session, he nodded slowly and said, “Man, sometimes you just have to drink the Kool-Aid”. Now I have to say, I don’t think comparing CrossFit to mass suicide is the best way to bring new recruits into the fold.  But I had an important realization that, namely that there always has to be some element of faith in embarking on any kind of journey, especially something as epic, as challenging as CrossFit. I have drunk the Kool-Aid, and guess what? It hasn’t killed me yet.