Agree with everything you said. The only issue I have with it is the weird cult like vibe some people have regarding it. Otherwise if the fat people at my work, that would probably never ever workout to save their life, think they found something "amazing" in Crossfit... good for them. Whatever gets them to the gym.
My question to anyone is this: Does anyone else get the feeling that the crossfit hq and higher ups really try to encourage the "we are better than you" attitude. I know Paul states that there are dbags in every sport. While this is true, I think that the superiority thing is almost encouraged and facilitated in this community.
Also, I was in college when crossfit just started getting bigger which led to a lot of smaller guys strutting around the gym doing the WODs and acting like they were studlier and more hardcore than out football team and their workouts. It was just ridiculous. Maybe that was an isolated incident, but I have had a bad taste in my mouth ever since. I try to not bother anyone with my "powerlifting" workouts and generally see powerlifters sticking with their own crew and doing their own thing. Yet I see a lot of crossfitters acting like their training is best for football, or mma, or whatever.
Does anyone else see this or am I purely an outlier here?
I think the best comparison I can draw here is the "fat powerlifter" comparison.
Truth is, there are more weight classes in powerlifting that don't have fat guys, than fat guys. So what's with the "fat powerlifting" stereotype?
It's because all of the biggest weights get lifted in those fat men classes. Therefore THAT is powerlifting. Nevermind that there are plenty of jacked dudes with low bodyfat in powerlifting.
At the same time, crossfit is exploding. It's full of people who just go in and train and don't give a shit about the politics of what is right or wrong with it. They don't give a shit. However the squeaky wheel always gets the most grease. So you have a vocal minority (fat powerlifters) in crossfit that are engrossed in their own smugness about the superiority of their chosen method of exercise.
I know plenty of crossfit people who are not like that. In fact, most aren't. However I'm sure in the right environment they will defend what it is that they do. I mean who is going to admit that they are doing something incredibly inferior to something else? They wouldn't. they would just do that other thing.
Hot chics in yoga pants. that's all that really matters.
I see your point. I just don't understand why the emphasis on one type being "better" than the other. And you explained this very well. Its just impossible for one training paradigm to be "better" than another as far as usefulness is concerned. Its just doing what you like to do. I like to lift heavy. I don't care to lift light and work on having great endurance. If there is a major accident and someone is pinned against sometime...I am your guy. If you need to someone to run 15 blocks as fast as possible to relay an urgent message, I am not your guy. I am ok with that.
I just don't understand that people really think they are training "better" than others. You can train harder or smarter and get results that you want faster, but everyone's goals are individual.
I have one main problem with Crossfit. It is that they impede upon the development of mainstream strength training culture by refusing to let any of their gym members do their own programming, thereby making lay people associate all barbell training with Crossfit. I can't tell you how many times, while training in public gyms, Rachel and I have had people come up to us and ask us if we were Crossfitters because we are squatting. Other than that, I totally agree with you, I'm all for as much emphasis on physical activity as possible. And if Rachel wasn't into lifting I'd be more than happy if she said she wanted to do Crossfit instead of just sitting on the couch.
I actually wrote a blog post about it back when I was thinking of using my training log to write actual posts (I think I created 2 posts before just making it a log): http://adampowerlifting.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-hate-crossfit.html
Crossfit is the disco trend of the 00's. Much to the chagrin of people like Tracy Reifkind and other "milf" type people (and you can translate to Men I'd Like to Fuck as well for all I care, because most of these "men" a just chic's with guy parts) this Crossfit trend will be over and everyone involved will look back and say, Oh you remember when we were crossfitting, lol, omg, wtf XD and all that other senseless horseshit.
I completely know where ajweins is coming from. There is a sense of scumbag entitlement that the majority of crossflitters have. Yeah, you touched a nerve, smugness and arrogance are my two biggest pet peeves. If you're crushing weight, by all means, get your strut on my brother. But if your looking down your nose at me because you just did 150 jumping jacks and some dead fish flop pullups, GTFO.
I respect the crossfitters for what they can do and most of the ones I've met respect what I can do also. If some believe they're superior, I don't care. I'm way stronger and in my world, strength trumps everything. Everything except hot chics in yoga pants. Sometimes, you gotta compromise.
"The empire has definitely been crumbling for a while. I think one of the reasons so many guys latched onto that is because so many guys want to feel like they are a part of something. Not really because the training methods are sound or the philosophy is correct. But because they can wear a t-shirt and use a bunch of terms no one fucking understands."
I stumbled across this gem while mining for gold in your archives. It's from Jan '11, and you were talking about westside, but it's eerily applicable to xfit. I guess my feelings are the same on both - if a non-training guy or gal gets into training because of westside or crossfit, then they are better off (provided they dont wreck themselves doing unnecessarily dangerous crap). I only get frsutrated when proponents of either system get carried away with their own genius and eliteness. But then this is really a problem I have with humanity in general, myself included.
I don't have a Facebook account, so I'll just say here that's the best argument I've ever heard for or against Crossfit.
ReplyDeleteAgree with everything you said. The only issue I have with it is the weird cult like vibe some people have regarding it. Otherwise if the fat people at my work, that would probably never ever workout to save their life, think they found something "amazing" in Crossfit... good for them. Whatever gets them to the gym.
ReplyDeleteThat was quite possibly my favorite CrossFit rant ever.
ReplyDeleteMy question to anyone is this: Does anyone else get the feeling that the crossfit hq and higher ups really try to encourage the "we are better than you" attitude. I know Paul states that there are dbags in every sport. While this is true, I think that the superiority thing is almost encouraged and facilitated in this community.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was in college when crossfit just started getting bigger which led to a lot of smaller guys strutting around the gym doing the WODs and acting like they were studlier and more hardcore than out football team and their workouts. It was just ridiculous. Maybe that was an isolated incident, but I have had a bad taste in my mouth ever since. I try to not bother anyone with my "powerlifting" workouts and generally see powerlifters sticking with their own crew and doing their own thing. Yet I see a lot of crossfitters acting like their training is best for football, or mma, or whatever.
Does anyone else see this or am I purely an outlier here?
I think the best comparison I can draw here is the "fat powerlifter" comparison.
DeleteTruth is, there are more weight classes in powerlifting that don't have fat guys, than fat guys. So what's with the "fat powerlifting" stereotype?
It's because all of the biggest weights get lifted in those fat men classes. Therefore THAT is powerlifting. Nevermind that there are plenty of jacked dudes with low bodyfat in powerlifting.
At the same time, crossfit is exploding. It's full of people who just go in and train and don't give a shit about the politics of what is right or wrong with it. They don't give a shit. However the squeaky wheel always gets the most grease. So you have a vocal minority (fat powerlifters) in crossfit that are engrossed in their own smugness about the superiority of their chosen method of exercise.
I know plenty of crossfit people who are not like that. In fact, most aren't. However I'm sure in the right environment they will defend what it is that they do. I mean who is going to admit that they are doing something incredibly inferior to something else? They wouldn't. they would just do that other thing.
Hot chics in yoga pants. that's all that really matters.
I see your point. I just don't understand why the emphasis on one type being "better" than the other. And you explained this very well. Its just impossible for one training paradigm to be "better" than another as far as usefulness is concerned. Its just doing what you like to do. I like to lift heavy. I don't care to lift light and work on having great endurance. If there is a major accident and someone is pinned against sometime...I am your guy. If you need to someone to run 15 blocks as fast as possible to relay an urgent message, I am not your guy. I am ok with that.
DeleteI just don't understand that people really think they are training "better" than others. You can train harder or smarter and get results that you want faster, but everyone's goals are individual.
I have one main problem with Crossfit. It is that they impede upon the development of mainstream strength training culture by refusing to let any of their gym members do their own programming, thereby making lay people associate all barbell training with Crossfit. I can't tell you how many times, while training in public gyms, Rachel and I have had people come up to us and ask us if we were Crossfitters because we are squatting. Other than that, I totally agree with you, I'm all for as much emphasis on physical activity as possible. And if Rachel wasn't into lifting I'd be more than happy if she said she wanted to do Crossfit instead of just sitting on the couch.
ReplyDeleteI actually wrote a blog post about it back when I was thinking of using my training log to write actual posts (I think I created 2 posts before just making it a log):
http://adampowerlifting.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-hate-crossfit.html
Crossfit is the disco trend of the 00's. Much to the chagrin of people like Tracy Reifkind and other "milf" type people (and you can translate to Men I'd Like to Fuck as well for all I care, because most of these "men" a just chic's with guy parts) this Crossfit trend will be over and everyone involved will look back and say, Oh you remember when we were crossfitting, lol, omg, wtf XD and all that other senseless horseshit.
ReplyDeleteI completely know where ajweins is coming from. There is a sense of scumbag entitlement that the majority of crossflitters have. Yeah, you touched a nerve, smugness and arrogance are my two biggest pet peeves. If you're crushing weight, by all means, get your strut on my brother. But if your looking down your nose at me because you just did 150 jumping jacks and some dead fish flop pullups, GTFO.
Thank you, that is all.
I respect the crossfitters for what they can do and most of the ones I've met respect what I can do also. If some believe they're superior, I don't care. I'm way stronger and in my world, strength trumps everything.
ReplyDeleteEverything except hot chics in yoga pants.
Sometimes, you gotta compromise.
"The empire has definitely been crumbling for a while. I think one of the reasons so many guys latched onto that is because so many guys want to feel like they are a part of something. Not really because the training methods are sound or the philosophy is correct. But because they can wear a t-shirt and use a bunch of terms no one fucking understands."
ReplyDeleteI stumbled across this gem while mining for gold in your archives. It's from Jan '11, and you were talking about westside, but it's eerily applicable to xfit. I guess my feelings are the same on both - if a non-training guy or gal gets into training because of westside or crossfit, then they are better off (provided they dont wreck themselves doing unnecessarily dangerous crap). I only get frsutrated when proponents of either system get carried away with their own genius and eliteness. But then this is really a problem I have with humanity in general, myself included.