I wanted someone else to just tell me what I had to get done today and have others around me to keep me motivated. It's really that simple for me.
And it's not that I "love" it. I just dislike it less than all the other alternatives lol
This is it for me too, and I didn't realize it until I read your post.
So much more efficient for me to show up and know what I'm doing without any preparation. I'm not looking at my phone for the next movement and getting distracted. Not second guessing form. And trying my hardest because of the motivation of working with others / competing a bit.
I never walk away from a class not feeling like I worked hard and that's really important to me.
Not going to the gym? ;)
I like to play sports, ice hockey currently but also soccer in the past. But when it came to "doing something daily-ish" I've tried lifting on my own probably a dozen times in my life. It bores me to tears and I end up (a) not going to the gym and/or (b) meandering around the gym and/or (c) lifting half-heartedly. My motivation lasts for a couple months and then .
But now? I show up at the class. The coach tells me what to do. Then, I do it, while seeing no one else around me is letting up or quitting so now I won't let up or quit (that's the sports/competition in me).
Not to piggy back but I'm the same. I still do some strongman competitions and will do some things outside of class but my cardio is a millions times better and I'm still just as strong plus can clean/snatch more than I ever could before.
Lost a little bit of strength but nowhere near as much as you’d think. I’m definitely stronger per pound of body weight now. I’ve cut 30 lbs and can still pull close to what I was before. Strength stays with you a long time, and the engine comes back quick.
Yup me too. Doing workouts like 5x5 and being able to pull solid weight then sucking ass at running etc. I always wanted to do CF and being very out of shape too (233lbs on a 5’7” frame) I said F it let’s do it. 7 months and fixing up my shitty eating habits, I am 207 and much more mobile!
I did CrossFit prior to powerlifting and it's impossible to express how much better I feel from doing CrossFit. No doubt everyone would benefit from a novice linear progressive strength program like starting strength, but nothing can replace the overall feeling of wellbeing I have from CrossFit.
- Go to gym with no plan
- Go to bench press because it’s familiar
- Swing arms a few times for warm up
- 3 x 8 at the same weight I always do
- Check instagram for 8 minutes between sets
I had no idea what I was doing. I legit had never touched a barbell before CF. I just wasted time at the gym- no game plan , no structure. I did some cardio and used the cable machine lol I was afraid to actually push myself.
I need to be told what to do and held accountable. I love that it’s varied, but there’s still structure. I also surprisingly love the community aspect.
Even now when I go to the regular gym I can’t /dont try as hard. I really need that pressure apparently
i was doing functional training.. cardio with kb, db, plates and calisthenics... I always thought the kipping idea of crossfit was idiotic ... then i tried to do the open in 2023 because the gym had a crossfit section and they made a whole community event around it and I realized how more amazing it is to do cardio with big weights, and also the workouts were so much fun compared to what i was doing that i decided to do crossfit
Yea I’ve always preferred to lift alone in a gym but I’m thinking maybe the camaraderie of CF is what I need to light that fire that seems to have burnt out at 35, honestly last several years has been just kinda going thru the motions at the gym for me
I meant before doing a workout by myself and not in a class, id need to get up to speed on it all before I felt comfortable enough to do a CF workout solo
no mirrors, no pretty people, it dosent matter about how fit you are or how many followers you got.
there are more feral in cross fit and I fit in... we can scream, we can sweat and you can fart when you squat and there is no judgment.
I was really into martial arts and I got tired of getting the shit kicked out of me in sparring so I wanted to become stronger and faster than everyone else there. Around the same time, the movie 300 came out and that sealed the deal.
Went from a middle distance runner and S&C enthusiast to CF because of the constant variations, feeding off others' energy during WODs, and the coaching staff--still chasing a staff as good as what I experienced back then.
I'm at the same box but the coaching staff slowly moved on throughout the years. I'm not in the States and live in a holiday/vacation destination location. Jobs like CF and fitness trainers are rather transient.
Covid. My local bro gym was closed but there was a crossfit gym near me that could comply with the spacing and hygiene requirements at the time so I started there and haven't looked back nearly 4 years ago and never will go back 😁
My aunt and her boyfriend just kept bugging me to come and try it out. Did it for like a week and just straight up nosedived into the sport. I use to just go to the gym, but it did nothing for me like crossfit does. The rush and the fact I can outlift most of my gym friends now I love it lmfao.
I read the Glassman Chipper and the CF level 1 material.
From a theoretical standpoint it just made more sense to do CrossFit.
It convinced me that my old training style of lifting and cardio in isolation does not give me optimal fitness because
- there is no skill component involved
- I'm not prepared to lift heavy with correct technique under adverse circumstances like a high heart rate
- I'm not well rounded enough
Leg extensions, hamstring curls, & dumbbell flys were not getting me the results I wanted. And going to Gold's gym by yourself to do those things is super boring.
FOR ME. I can slack more than doing bodybuilding. I just personally do better with more volume body building style and steady state cardio. It's just not nearly as fun or cool. and lonely. so lonely in a globogym.
I have always been in good shape. The very short version is that I was a multi-sport athlete in high school and college, a relatively strong powerlifter, and I developed good cardio over time. For roughly 20 years, I had been doing maintenance workouts of traditional strength training and traditional cardio (running and cycling). I met and have been dating a CF athlete almost two years ago and she is in elite shape. There's a *lot* she can do that I can't. It seemed like functional fitness, challenging, and competitive and collegial at the same time. I figured it was a good way to mix things up.
I am currently doing CF three days a week and my traditional workouts the other two days. This gives me a chance to push myself with new movements and challenges me to compete against my gym mates. I've met new people and learned a lot. I can probably maintain my current muscle mass by mixing the two styles.
So I didn't do what you're saying, not completely. But I definitely have been inspired by both CF athletes and culture to incorporate that as the major component of my training.
Yea this is the big drawback for me is losing or not being able to progress my physique muscle wise. So I’d probably still do a couple days at a normal gym, and/or do some open gym at the box I join. Having 2 memberships would kinda suck lol
It's a valid concern, though I'm not sure how much. I have a bench at home with the Bowflex 10-90 dumbbells, which is good enough for everything except flat bench. So I don't have two memberships. On the surface it seems like CF can't compare for something like your chest. If you're training crossovers, flat bench, incline, flies - you're doing way more than they do. The chest is engaged on many of the CF movements, but not to that degree. Which is why I can pretty much double the next strongest guy's weight when we do bench strength training.
But then again there are a ton of calisthenics, gymnastics, Olympic lifts - things I am *way* behind on. So if you went to CF exclusively, you would lose some, but probably gain more. I'm hoping I can balance the two.
Yea I’d be looking to balance as well. I know how I am, and I’m still gonna wanna add muscle and look jacked, not Ronnie Coleman jacked but “somewhat” like a games athlete jacked. I know I won’t look like them hence why I said “somewhat”. Even that might be stretching it lol but you get me
Social aspect, less waiting around for equipment, powerlifting became stale and boring, didn’t have any desire to get oiled up and flex in front of old men.
Well I started as a runner but I noticed my metabolism was low, so I figured I had to put some muscle to fix that...so I searched the internet about bodybuilding and unfortunately it is full bad advices like "never do cardio when bulking" "cardio is bad for you"...etc
Then I found crossfit that has a bit of everything.
I was a gymnast as a child and then was a runner for 26 years and lost all tolerance for working out outside in snow, ice, and frigid temperature as I got older. Also I needed more weight training for my upper body. After years of cross country and track meets and practice, and road races, I was also tired of “racing” and cardio… which is why I now cherry pick and avoid “rounds for time” (feels like I’m back “racing” again) and running / longer metcons. I love the weight lifting, strength training, and skill progressions.
I was a long distance runner for 10 plus years. Got super burned out. Got out of shape. Joined an Orangetheory just to do something and get back into working out. Realized group fitness wasn't so bad and hey, this lifting weights stuff is really fun and I like going heavier and heavier. Talked to my friend in Crossfit who was like come join us! Now I've been in the Crossfit cult for almost a year now. I still run (as a hobby jogger, lol) and get in some Orangetheory just to vary it up but Crossfit is where it's at now.
I went from PF 2 times a week, peloton bike, outdoor “running” to CrossFit. I just need someone to bark orders at me. Also, been doing the barbell class and my lifts are getting better. Still go to PF with my friend and he’s seen a drastic change in my lifts etc.
I started exercising in 2012 because of CrossFit and tried to follow mainsite, but didn’t really know a ton about scaling. I was 14 and quickly realized I needed to be way stronger to do those workouts so I trained strength and loved that for ~4 years. Progress stalled a bit and I wanted to try something new so I did Olympic weightlifting exclusively for ~4 years. Throughout these periods I had stages where I would do conditioning in “CrossFit style” because I still had it in the back of my mind from when I started. A nagging injury had me go back to more powerlifting style training for a bit but I also wanted to cut weight for my wedding so I threw conditioning back in. I followed the stuff Invictus posted and decided to actually try to learn some of the skills (DUs, HSPU, MUs) that I never had the patience to do before. I loved learning these new things and doing conditioning daily as I saw rapid improvement. I did the ‘23 Open then decided to dive in completely figuring that I have the background of strength and technique on the weightlifting side so why not?
I was a bodybuilder in my early 20s but I just didn’t have that kind of time to train once wife and family happened (i.e. life). I tried to get back into the gym but I would just get bored after 15 mins and leave, plus it was always crowded.
Nine years ago at 46, I was not happy with my declining health and appearance when a coworker suggested I check out her CF gym. I was immediately hooked because it was fun, only took an hour of my day, and most of all it was effective. Still going 5 days a week at 55 today and in the best shape since my early 20s.
No not exactly. I’m not quite the perfect build of back then but I’m certainly good enough for my age peer group. To get the “chiseled out of marble” look I had back then, I’d have to eat perfectly and eliminate alcohol. I probably should do these things for longevity but I just don’t have the discipline yet.
My husband wanted to try it after getting inspired by my brother-in-law, who has been doing it for years. We had also just moved and to a new city and it seemed like a good way to meet people. I decided to try it with him and was surprised that I liked it so much - I'd never done weightlifting of any kind before. We've both been doing it for a little over 2 years now, but he's thinking about taking a break/quitting due to injuries - I personally enjoy it and have really liked getting stronger and in better shape - I'm a petite woman in my 40s so it's been nice building some muscle. Our main exercise before crossfit was biking (which we still do) and using an elliptical (which we got rid of).
I tried CrossFit a few years ago and gave up after a few months thinking my own way was better. The guys that I used to outperform back then are now doing circles around me today. I should have never quit.
A couple things; juice:squeeze ratio. I get much better results from an hour of crossfit than from an hour at 24 hour fitness.
And the reduced mental strain; all I have to do is show up, out my head down and work. The coaches so all the thinking, I just have to follow instructions. Takes all the "what if I just..." out of it.
Honestly it was accountability and bang for your buck. I previously paid a PT to train, if I didn’t commit to taking up someone else’s time I wouldn’t make the time or effort to go to the gym. My local CrossFit gym at the time for unlimited classes cost the same as 1 pt session per week.
There was a period I left CrossFit to go back to your standard globo gym but I never went or days I did go I didn’t push myself.
Still a runner, that’s probably my main focus tbh, but nothing beats that feeling when you’re laying on the floor of the gym after giving everything to a wod!
i used to train exclusively for weightlifting competitions. I would train solo and my sessions would take 2+ hours and I felt unmotivated by monotonous training. After the birth of my son, I made the conscious effort to keep my fitness to one hour a day instead of 2-3 hours and crossfit fit the bill
I don’t train purely CrossFit, but I’ve incorporated more of the movements and philosophy into my training. I nearly blew out my knee running during an emergency and never wanted to be a liability again / be more athletic.
I’m dumb so I just want to be told what to do every day. I don’t want to have to plan my workouts, learn about perioditisation, or understand human physiology and I don’t really subscribe to the whole CrossFit culture, but I just want to show up, get an excellent workout, chat with some nice folks and tell a few jokes, maybe learn some new skills or push myself to do something new, and go home.
Also the social aspect of CrossFit is nice; I was working out in my home gym but that got me pretty lonely as I also work from home, so having the social bit is nice too.
Bodybuilding was extremely boring to me. CrossFit just scratches my itch perfectly. I was a Greek/roman wrestler for 15 years. And then I didn't train for 15 years until I found CrossFit. And it reminded me of my wrestling training
I realized that I suck at creating programming to fit my goals and was just making shit up as I went with no results. I really need someone to tell me what to do. Sometimes ya just gotta outsource shit. I also really REALLY enjoy the lifting movements and it made me wish I took up powerlifting in high school - but that wasn't really a thing that girls did in the late 90's.
I was trying to get into running again after a break and kept on having injuries. My old training style of hot power yoga+gym on my own+various PTs wasn't working anymore.
My husband started it and kept on telling me it would be good for me to overcome the muscle weakness (posterior chain). I finally listened to him and started a month ago and I love it. I feel stronger and my lingering injuries are getting better. We also have a PT at our crossfit gym who incorporates a lot of the crossfit movements into my HEP, and it has made a huge difference.
At 43 years old i want to lift my little daughter up in the air and anywhere she wants to even when she’s getting older and heavier (3 years old). On the other hand I have anxiety and panic attacks about heart health in the past and want to show myself that i can do it and get my mind clear. Working out for 5 days a week following CrossFit.com in my home gym
I bought into the mark rippeto way of thinking (just get stronger, fuck everything else, cardio is useless) without context and started powerlifting. I got stronger and slapped on some muscle but way more fat. In the span of about a month I had three “come to Jesus” moments when I was in my late 20’s (now 40).
I almost failed to do a very basic swim I could have done easily even when I wasn’t exercising at all.
I wanted to do a mile on the treadmill at 6.0 mph as a warm up. I had to quit half way through and left the gym because I wasn’t recovering. A few years before that I could easily run 6 miles at a faster pace.
My friend’s dad that use to struggle to keep up with us hiking had to help me climb up some rocks.
After that I knew I needed to lose weight and do some cardio type stuff. Ended up following the paleo diet which worked great and started listening to Robb wolf’s podcast. CrossFit kept coming up and I was interested. My wife was reading blogs that mentioned it too and suggested we try it. Did it for about 7 years consistently and loved it. Stopped because they switched to comptrain which I hated and went to a powerlifting gym but made sure to run and keep doing metcons. Left that gym and built a home gym because second kiddo was on the way. Still mostly home gym right now but still doing cardio and metcons, mostly with kettlebells but I do have barbells and a rack. I drop in from time to time and still get invited to events.
Quite simply i had about a decade in functional fitness with a secondary focus in strong man. But I really wanted to do the advanced barbell work (snatch, C+J etc) and my old place sadly didnt do teach that as it wasn't their wheelhouse.
I moved to the other end of the UK and decided to go full Crossfit as I was in a new place, new people, new outlook. Haven't looked back.
It was the closest thing to a wrestling practice I could get, after I finished my career.
Just destroyed afterwards, competing against people, constantly practicing on skills, and never wanting to leave.
I started doing bodybuilding but suffering for aesthetics didn’t seem right anymore, I started CrossFit because I was actually interested in Olympic weightlifting, I did CrossFit couple months and then changed to Olympic weightlifting only, after 3-4 months I got bored and I noticed my endurance was bad and went back to CrossFit because it is fun 🤷🏻♀️
I needed someone to tell me what to do each day and make it efficient. I used to go to the local YMCA but it started to feel like a senior citizen community center. Not a bad thing per say but the equipment being purchased and class offerings were being more geared towards that population. When COVID hit, the childcare was gone and when it came back it was REALLy restricted. CrossFit had a room the kids could hang out in and it didn't matter when I brought them as long as they stayed in their playroom.
I was just in a rut. My workouts were getting more and more half-a$$ed by the day.
Even on days when I'm pretty much mailing in the WOD, it's still way more than what I was doing just before I started Crossfit.
I was doing karate 3-4x a week and playing soccer in a couple adult coed leagues. I would go to the Y and do weights and cardio in between that and if I had the time maybe catch a yoga class. But still I felt like I was hitting a plateau. I knew I could be fitter than I was but didn’t have the right guidance. I was seriously considering hiring a personal trainer. Anyhow one of the soccer teams I played on fell apart and I got on another team in an indoor league somewhere I had never played before. In the back of the indoor soccer place there were people doing these “weird” pull-ups, flippping tires and doing a lot of Olympic lifts. I had no idea who they were, had never heard of CrossFit but I wondered if these people could help me. One day they had an open house and the rest was history.
I wanted someone else to just tell me what I had to get done today and have others around me to keep me motivated. It's really that simple for me. And it's not that I "love" it. I just dislike it less than all the other alternatives lol
This is it for me too, and I didn't realize it until I read your post. So much more efficient for me to show up and know what I'm doing without any preparation. I'm not looking at my phone for the next movement and getting distracted. Not second guessing form. And trying my hardest because of the motivation of working with others / competing a bit. I never walk away from a class not feeling like I worked hard and that's really important to me.
Glad to hear 💪
Lol what were you doing before?
Not going to the gym? ;) I like to play sports, ice hockey currently but also soccer in the past. But when it came to "doing something daily-ish" I've tried lifting on my own probably a dozen times in my life. It bores me to tears and I end up (a) not going to the gym and/or (b) meandering around the gym and/or (c) lifting half-heartedly. My motivation lasts for a couple months and then.
But now? I show up at the class. The coach tells me what to do. Then, I do it, while seeing no one else around me is letting up or quitting so now I won't let up or quit (that's the sports/competition in me).
Yea it’s easy to lose that drive when lifting by yourself at a globo gym
I was tired of being able to deadlift 500 lbs yet get winded walking up stairs.
I love this! I was the opposite, as a former runner, I could climb stairs all day but couldn’t carry my groceries.
same, spent 8 hours+ a week in the gym and could barely run for 5 minutes
Power lifter I assume?
Yep.
How’s your strength since stopping PL & starting CF
Not to piggy back but I'm the same. I still do some strongman competitions and will do some things outside of class but my cardio is a millions times better and I'm still just as strong plus can clean/snatch more than I ever could before.
Lost a little bit of strength but nowhere near as much as you’d think. I’m definitely stronger per pound of body weight now. I’ve cut 30 lbs and can still pull close to what I was before. Strength stays with you a long time, and the engine comes back quick.
Real
Yup me too. Doing workouts like 5x5 and being able to pull solid weight then sucking ass at running etc. I always wanted to do CF and being very out of shape too (233lbs on a 5’7” frame) I said F it let’s do it. 7 months and fixing up my shitty eating habits, I am 207 and much more mobile!
I did CrossFit prior to powerlifting and it's impossible to express how much better I feel from doing CrossFit. No doubt everyone would benefit from a novice linear progressive strength program like starting strength, but nothing can replace the overall feeling of wellbeing I have from CrossFit.
I slack off if I go to the gym. The social pressure from CrossFit has me actually work out
- Go to gym with no plan - Go to bench press because it’s familiar - Swing arms a few times for warm up - 3 x 8 at the same weight I always do - Check instagram for 8 minutes between sets
The IG check is too real
Don’t forget Reddit, Snapchat and Facebook.
Exactly what I’m Thinking
I had no idea what I was doing. I legit had never touched a barbell before CF. I just wasted time at the gym- no game plan , no structure. I did some cardio and used the cable machine lol I was afraid to actually push myself. I need to be told what to do and held accountable. I love that it’s varied, but there’s still structure. I also surprisingly love the community aspect. Even now when I go to the regular gym I can’t /dont try as hard. I really need that pressure apparently
i was doing functional training.. cardio with kb, db, plates and calisthenics... I always thought the kipping idea of crossfit was idiotic ... then i tried to do the open in 2023 because the gym had a crossfit section and they made a whole community event around it and I realized how more amazing it is to do cardio with big weights, and also the workouts were so much fun compared to what i was doing that i decided to do crossfit
Yea I’ve always preferred to lift alone in a gym but I’m thinking maybe the camaraderie of CF is what I need to light that fire that seems to have burnt out at 35, honestly last several years has been just kinda going thru the motions at the gym for me
i actually do crossfit alone open gym stuff... i dislike classes lol
Oh ok lol. I’d need to get the hang of it first since I’ve never done it before I would be ready to do workouts without a watchful eye on me
Nah, just show up. No experience needed. Having a watchful eye when you’re just starting out is gold.
I meant before doing a workout by myself and not in a class, id need to get up to speed on it all before I felt comfortable enough to do a CF workout solo
no mirrors, no pretty people, it dosent matter about how fit you are or how many followers you got. there are more feral in cross fit and I fit in... we can scream, we can sweat and you can fart when you squat and there is no judgment.
I was really into martial arts and I got tired of getting the shit kicked out of me in sparring so I wanted to become stronger and faster than everyone else there. Around the same time, the movie 300 came out and that sealed the deal.
Went from a middle distance runner and S&C enthusiast to CF because of the constant variations, feeding off others' energy during WODs, and the coaching staff--still chasing a staff as good as what I experienced back then.
Are you no longer doing CF at that box?
I'm at the same box but the coaching staff slowly moved on throughout the years. I'm not in the States and live in a holiday/vacation destination location. Jobs like CF and fitness trainers are rather transient.
Gotcha. Well hopefully another good staff will come along!
Covid. My local bro gym was closed but there was a crossfit gym near me that could comply with the spacing and hygiene requirements at the time so I started there and haven't looked back nearly 4 years ago and never will go back 😁
I wanted to become Batman.
My aunt and her boyfriend just kept bugging me to come and try it out. Did it for like a week and just straight up nosedived into the sport. I use to just go to the gym, but it did nothing for me like crossfit does. The rush and the fact I can outlift most of my gym friends now I love it lmfao.
I moved states and wanted to make some friends.
I read the Glassman Chipper and the CF level 1 material. From a theoretical standpoint it just made more sense to do CrossFit. It convinced me that my old training style of lifting and cardio in isolation does not give me optimal fitness because - there is no skill component involved - I'm not prepared to lift heavy with correct technique under adverse circumstances like a high heart rate - I'm not well rounded enough
Wish more people read this old stuff - I love nerding out on it.
Leg extensions, hamstring curls, & dumbbell flys were not getting me the results I wanted. And going to Gold's gym by yourself to do those things is super boring.
Olympic lifting. but oddly i've kind of regressed overall by doing just crossfit.
Why would you say you’ve regressed and what were you doing before CF?
FOR ME. I can slack more than doing bodybuilding. I just personally do better with more volume body building style and steady state cardio. It's just not nearly as fun or cool. and lonely. so lonely in a globogym.
Why can you slack more, what do you mean exactly
I have always been in good shape. The very short version is that I was a multi-sport athlete in high school and college, a relatively strong powerlifter, and I developed good cardio over time. For roughly 20 years, I had been doing maintenance workouts of traditional strength training and traditional cardio (running and cycling). I met and have been dating a CF athlete almost two years ago and she is in elite shape. There's a *lot* she can do that I can't. It seemed like functional fitness, challenging, and competitive and collegial at the same time. I figured it was a good way to mix things up. I am currently doing CF three days a week and my traditional workouts the other two days. This gives me a chance to push myself with new movements and challenges me to compete against my gym mates. I've met new people and learned a lot. I can probably maintain my current muscle mass by mixing the two styles. So I didn't do what you're saying, not completely. But I definitely have been inspired by both CF athletes and culture to incorporate that as the major component of my training.
Yea this is the big drawback for me is losing or not being able to progress my physique muscle wise. So I’d probably still do a couple days at a normal gym, and/or do some open gym at the box I join. Having 2 memberships would kinda suck lol
It's a valid concern, though I'm not sure how much. I have a bench at home with the Bowflex 10-90 dumbbells, which is good enough for everything except flat bench. So I don't have two memberships. On the surface it seems like CF can't compare for something like your chest. If you're training crossovers, flat bench, incline, flies - you're doing way more than they do. The chest is engaged on many of the CF movements, but not to that degree. Which is why I can pretty much double the next strongest guy's weight when we do bench strength training. But then again there are a ton of calisthenics, gymnastics, Olympic lifts - things I am *way* behind on. So if you went to CF exclusively, you would lose some, but probably gain more. I'm hoping I can balance the two.
Yea I’d be looking to balance as well. I know how I am, and I’m still gonna wanna add muscle and look jacked, not Ronnie Coleman jacked but “somewhat” like a games athlete jacked. I know I won’t look like them hence why I said “somewhat”. Even that might be stretching it lol but you get me
Social aspect, less waiting around for equipment, powerlifting became stale and boring, didn’t have any desire to get oiled up and flex in front of old men.
Depression
Well I started as a runner but I noticed my metabolism was low, so I figured I had to put some muscle to fix that...so I searched the internet about bodybuilding and unfortunately it is full bad advices like "never do cardio when bulking" "cardio is bad for you"...etc Then I found crossfit that has a bit of everything.
I was a gymnast as a child and then was a runner for 26 years and lost all tolerance for working out outside in snow, ice, and frigid temperature as I got older. Also I needed more weight training for my upper body. After years of cross country and track meets and practice, and road races, I was also tired of “racing” and cardio… which is why I now cherry pick and avoid “rounds for time” (feels like I’m back “racing” again) and running / longer metcons. I love the weight lifting, strength training, and skill progressions.
I like variety and I am competitive
I was a long distance runner for 10 plus years. Got super burned out. Got out of shape. Joined an Orangetheory just to do something and get back into working out. Realized group fitness wasn't so bad and hey, this lifting weights stuff is really fun and I like going heavier and heavier. Talked to my friend in Crossfit who was like come join us! Now I've been in the Crossfit cult for almost a year now. I still run (as a hobby jogger, lol) and get in some Orangetheory just to vary it up but Crossfit is where it's at now.
I went from PF 2 times a week, peloton bike, outdoor “running” to CrossFit. I just need someone to bark orders at me. Also, been doing the barbell class and my lifts are getting better. Still go to PF with my friend and he’s seen a drastic change in my lifts etc.
What’s PF?
Planet fitness
I thought I was somewhat fit. Tried a CrossFit class that kicked my ass so I took that personal
I started exercising in 2012 because of CrossFit and tried to follow mainsite, but didn’t really know a ton about scaling. I was 14 and quickly realized I needed to be way stronger to do those workouts so I trained strength and loved that for ~4 years. Progress stalled a bit and I wanted to try something new so I did Olympic weightlifting exclusively for ~4 years. Throughout these periods I had stages where I would do conditioning in “CrossFit style” because I still had it in the back of my mind from when I started. A nagging injury had me go back to more powerlifting style training for a bit but I also wanted to cut weight for my wedding so I threw conditioning back in. I followed the stuff Invictus posted and decided to actually try to learn some of the skills (DUs, HSPU, MUs) that I never had the patience to do before. I loved learning these new things and doing conditioning daily as I saw rapid improvement. I did the ‘23 Open then decided to dive in completely figuring that I have the background of strength and technique on the weightlifting side so why not?
I was a bodybuilder in my early 20s but I just didn’t have that kind of time to train once wife and family happened (i.e. life). I tried to get back into the gym but I would just get bored after 15 mins and leave, plus it was always crowded. Nine years ago at 46, I was not happy with my declining health and appearance when a coworker suggested I check out her CF gym. I was immediately hooked because it was fun, only took an hour of my day, and most of all it was effective. Still going 5 days a week at 55 today and in the best shape since my early 20s.
Awesome! Still seeing results like you did while bodybuilding?
No not exactly. I’m not quite the perfect build of back then but I’m certainly good enough for my age peer group. To get the “chiseled out of marble” look I had back then, I’d have to eat perfectly and eliminate alcohol. I probably should do these things for longevity but I just don’t have the discipline yet.
Fair enough
Kids.
My husband wanted to try it after getting inspired by my brother-in-law, who has been doing it for years. We had also just moved and to a new city and it seemed like a good way to meet people. I decided to try it with him and was surprised that I liked it so much - I'd never done weightlifting of any kind before. We've both been doing it for a little over 2 years now, but he's thinking about taking a break/quitting due to injuries - I personally enjoy it and have really liked getting stronger and in better shape - I'm a petite woman in my 40s so it's been nice building some muscle. Our main exercise before crossfit was biking (which we still do) and using an elliptical (which we got rid of).
I tried CrossFit a few years ago and gave up after a few months thinking my own way was better. The guys that I used to outperform back then are now doing circles around me today. I should have never quit.
Got bored of getting out of breath doing powerlifting, so now I get out of breath with CrossFit instead
A couple things; juice:squeeze ratio. I get much better results from an hour of crossfit than from an hour at 24 hour fitness. And the reduced mental strain; all I have to do is show up, out my head down and work. The coaches so all the thinking, I just have to follow instructions. Takes all the "what if I just..." out of it.
I blew out my knee running / dancing. And I was tired of having arms like noodles.
Honestly it was accountability and bang for your buck. I previously paid a PT to train, if I didn’t commit to taking up someone else’s time I wouldn’t make the time or effort to go to the gym. My local CrossFit gym at the time for unlimited classes cost the same as 1 pt session per week. There was a period I left CrossFit to go back to your standard globo gym but I never went or days I did go I didn’t push myself. Still a runner, that’s probably my main focus tbh, but nothing beats that feeling when you’re laying on the floor of the gym after giving everything to a wod!
i used to train exclusively for weightlifting competitions. I would train solo and my sessions would take 2+ hours and I felt unmotivated by monotonous training. After the birth of my son, I made the conscious effort to keep my fitness to one hour a day instead of 2-3 hours and crossfit fit the bill
I don’t train purely CrossFit, but I’ve incorporated more of the movements and philosophy into my training. I nearly blew out my knee running during an emergency and never wanted to be a liability again / be more athletic.
I’m dumb so I just want to be told what to do every day. I don’t want to have to plan my workouts, learn about perioditisation, or understand human physiology and I don’t really subscribe to the whole CrossFit culture, but I just want to show up, get an excellent workout, chat with some nice folks and tell a few jokes, maybe learn some new skills or push myself to do something new, and go home. Also the social aspect of CrossFit is nice; I was working out in my home gym but that got me pretty lonely as I also work from home, so having the social bit is nice too.
Being alone with my thoughts (whilst out running) has/is pretty unpalatable.
Bodybuilding was extremely boring to me. CrossFit just scratches my itch perfectly. I was a Greek/roman wrestler for 15 years. And then I didn't train for 15 years until I found CrossFit. And it reminded me of my wrestling training
How were your results compared to bbing?
I was a teenager doing wrestling. And I'm now in my early 40s. I never looked this good or felt this great in my life
Awesome. So went from wrestling to bbing style workouts to CF💪
💪
The guys twice my age were jacked I was not
What were you doing before CF and are you jacked now lol?
I realized that I suck at creating programming to fit my goals and was just making shit up as I went with no results. I really need someone to tell me what to do. Sometimes ya just gotta outsource shit. I also really REALLY enjoy the lifting movements and it made me wish I took up powerlifting in high school - but that wasn't really a thing that girls did in the late 90's.
I was trying to get into running again after a break and kept on having injuries. My old training style of hot power yoga+gym on my own+various PTs wasn't working anymore. My husband started it and kept on telling me it would be good for me to overcome the muscle weakness (posterior chain). I finally listened to him and started a month ago and I love it. I feel stronger and my lingering injuries are getting better. We also have a PT at our crossfit gym who incorporates a lot of the crossfit movements into my HEP, and it has made a huge difference.
My old gym was sold to another company and my trainer went to CrossFit.
At 43 years old i want to lift my little daughter up in the air and anywhere she wants to even when she’s getting older and heavier (3 years old). On the other hand I have anxiety and panic attacks about heart health in the past and want to show myself that i can do it and get my mind clear. Working out for 5 days a week following CrossFit.com in my home gym
I bought into the mark rippeto way of thinking (just get stronger, fuck everything else, cardio is useless) without context and started powerlifting. I got stronger and slapped on some muscle but way more fat. In the span of about a month I had three “come to Jesus” moments when I was in my late 20’s (now 40). I almost failed to do a very basic swim I could have done easily even when I wasn’t exercising at all. I wanted to do a mile on the treadmill at 6.0 mph as a warm up. I had to quit half way through and left the gym because I wasn’t recovering. A few years before that I could easily run 6 miles at a faster pace. My friend’s dad that use to struggle to keep up with us hiking had to help me climb up some rocks. After that I knew I needed to lose weight and do some cardio type stuff. Ended up following the paleo diet which worked great and started listening to Robb wolf’s podcast. CrossFit kept coming up and I was interested. My wife was reading blogs that mentioned it too and suggested we try it. Did it for about 7 years consistently and loved it. Stopped because they switched to comptrain which I hated and went to a powerlifting gym but made sure to run and keep doing metcons. Left that gym and built a home gym because second kiddo was on the way. Still mostly home gym right now but still doing cardio and metcons, mostly with kettlebells but I do have barbells and a rack. I drop in from time to time and still get invited to events.
Quite simply i had about a decade in functional fitness with a secondary focus in strong man. But I really wanted to do the advanced barbell work (snatch, C+J etc) and my old place sadly didnt do teach that as it wasn't their wheelhouse. I moved to the other end of the UK and decided to go full Crossfit as I was in a new place, new people, new outlook. Haven't looked back.
[удалено]
What were you doing prior to cf ?
It was the closest thing to a wrestling practice I could get, after I finished my career. Just destroyed afterwards, competing against people, constantly practicing on skills, and never wanting to leave.
I started doing bodybuilding but suffering for aesthetics didn’t seem right anymore, I started CrossFit because I was actually interested in Olympic weightlifting, I did CrossFit couple months and then changed to Olympic weightlifting only, after 3-4 months I got bored and I noticed my endurance was bad and went back to CrossFit because it is fun 🤷🏻♀️
I needed someone to tell me what to do each day and make it efficient. I used to go to the local YMCA but it started to feel like a senior citizen community center. Not a bad thing per say but the equipment being purchased and class offerings were being more geared towards that population. When COVID hit, the childcare was gone and when it came back it was REALLy restricted. CrossFit had a room the kids could hang out in and it didn't matter when I brought them as long as they stayed in their playroom.
I was just in a rut. My workouts were getting more and more half-a$$ed by the day. Even on days when I'm pretty much mailing in the WOD, it's still way more than what I was doing just before I started Crossfit.
What were you doing before CF?
Oh, generalized bodybuilding and running.
I was doing karate 3-4x a week and playing soccer in a couple adult coed leagues. I would go to the Y and do weights and cardio in between that and if I had the time maybe catch a yoga class. But still I felt like I was hitting a plateau. I knew I could be fitter than I was but didn’t have the right guidance. I was seriously considering hiring a personal trainer. Anyhow one of the soccer teams I played on fell apart and I got on another team in an indoor league somewhere I had never played before. In the back of the indoor soccer place there were people doing these “weird” pull-ups, flippping tires and doing a lot of Olympic lifts. I had no idea who they were, had never heard of CrossFit but I wondered if these people could help me. One day they had an open house and the rest was history.