Ok. I waited till the very last minute to write and post and tag this blog, simply, because I wanted to participate in an actual Crossfit session, in an actual Crossfit facility, so that I can make a fair and true (to me) assessment and comparison of the training method between the crossfit “brand” and bodybuilding training.

Here’s how it all started

A very great friend of mine and a couple of his friends opened up a Crossfit spot, 3 minutes from my house (how convenient, right?).  My wife and I decided, via invitation, to partake in the training session.  Neither of us, having never done this type of “class”, so, of course, we were a little reserved.  Much like my bodybuilders’ training, a gameplan, or WOD (workout of the day) was already composed, so we familiarized ourselves with the movements.  Deadlifts (been there, done that), medicine ball cleans (I do those on the regular except with weight) and situps (come on, now)… easy peasy… Oh, wait, I forgot to mention, and as you see in the WOD listed above, the rep counts were 10DLs, 20 cleans, 30SU’s– for time, for 5 rounds.  Note, for time means NON-STOP! I was cool with it.  I shrugged it off like whatever, man… then I did the first set.  There were 4-5 others in my “heat”, and being the man that I am, I got competitive… in the first round. Yeah, by the second round, I quickly realized– I was competing against myself, my mind, my body and the urge to vomit.  But the funny thing is, I have felt this way before, damn near daily, in all of MY training sessions.  So what’s the big deal?  155lb deadlifts is warm-up weight, a 20lb medicine ball is light and 30 situps. Child’s play. Right?

What is Crossfit?

Why is it the “thing” that’s drawn so much attention recently that they have endorsed it into Crossfit games, supplement companies formulated specific Crossfit supps, Reebok makes specific shoes and gear for the training?  Crossfit, according to Wikipedia, is–

“CrossFit describes its strength and conditioning program as “constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement,”[4] with the stated goal of improving fitness (and therefore general physical preparedness), which it defines as “work capacity across broad time and modal domains.”[5] Workouts are typically short—20 minutes or less—and intense, demanding all-out physical exertion. They combine movements such as sprinting, rowing, jumping rope, climbing rope, flipping tires, weightlifting, carrying heavy objects, and many bodyweight exercises; equipment used includes barbells, dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, kettlebells, medicine balls, and boxes for box jumps.[6][7][8] These elements are mixed in numerous combinations to form prescribed “Workouts of the Day” or “WODs”. Hour-long classes at affiliated gyms, or “boxes,” typically include a warm-up, a skill development segment, the high-intensity WOD, and a period of individual or group stretching. Performance on each WOD is often scored and/or ranked to encourage competition and to track individual progress. Some affiliates offer additional classes, such as Olympic weightlifting, which are not centered around a WOD.”

My take on things

What I understand, after my experience, is that everything in that definition is an easy read.  The actual Crossfit training is sick.  I mean that in a good way.  Before I get to the meat of this thing, let me just note that, my time was 2nd best in the class.  I’m 200lbs, 12% bodyfat, strong as an Ox and the fastest time in the class was completed by a dude, maybe 6’0″, 200lbs, basketball player, scrawny.  Huh? I’ll come back to that.

The training that I know, the bodybuilder’s training, is nothing short of ridiculous intensity and stomach churning, skin ripping, body trembling, I-think-I-might-throw-up-and-pass-out insanity.  I do a set, I rest briefly before going heavier for the next set and repeat.  Keywords, rest briefly. It’s not much of a rest, anwhere between 25-120 seconds, give or take, depending on the muscle groups worked.  Hold on, muscle groups worked… usually one to two muscle groups in one workout, different 4-5 or 6 times a week, depending on your program.  Those designated groups are trained till complete muscle failure. Sounds like a simple enough formula, but we know better, right? It’s this method of training that has put true muscle mass on my frame, with symmetrical presentation and aesthetics.  It’s what has earned me a Pro card in the sport of competition bodybuilding… and I live it, every day, and have been for the last 10 years.

Crossfitters and crossfit games

So, when the Crossfit phenomena slammed down, I was like, what the hell, man?  It’s basically, cross training, isn’t it? Take a few exercises, order them and go… I was a skeptic, I won’t even lie.  So, I watched some YouTube videos, I caught the Reebok Crossfit Games on ESPN and I finally understood the “hype”.  I watched the guys go at it– swimming, biking, powerlifts, endurance lifts, gymnastic moves, etc. I was impressed.  Really, I was.  These guys were beasts.  No, they didn’t have quad sweeps to compliment there delts spans.  No, they didn’t have massive muscle groups, at all… but they were in great shape.  They were doing these exercises in order, for time, like crazy people.  It was cool.  Then I saw the women… Yo, when I say my mind was blown, I mean my mind was severely blown.  These females were not the average, much like female bodybuilders and fitness competitors.  These ladies were strong.  They had muscle, abs, delts, legs, but more impressive, their drive was tremendous.  I’d never seen anything like it. I loved it.

Don’t get ahead of me

I know it sounds like I’m about to crossover to Crossfit, the way I’m raving about it.  There have been times when people have assumed that I hated Crossfit because of the method or the hype… I can’t hate it.  Granted, I have seen some pretty awful lifting form in some of the “games” and videos, but I see that every day in any given gym across the globe.  My response to the assumptions is that Crossfit is not for me in what I DO.  I am a bodybuilder.  I am constructing a specific body to look a certain way, which requires carefully planned training. A sculptor works on one masterpiece, chiseling out each crevice, each line, each part until it is exactly what they have envisioned.  They don’t sculpt while painting a picture while singing a melody while writing a book all at the same time.  I’m not saying it can’t be done or that it can’t be done properly… I’m saying, not every project will get the full attention it needs to be a masterpiece.  To me, and remember, this is ALL based on my opinion, bodybuilding is creation. It’s art. It takes an uncharted amount of time and you never master it.  In my bodybuilding, Crossfit can not, aesthetically nor symmetrically, construct the physique I desire.  It can’t.  Not for me, anyway.

Where do I stand?

What Crossfit can do, is give me an option… a really great option to mix things up a bit in my training as a bodybuilder.  The cardiovascular aspect of Crossfit is incredible.  My heart rate, well, let’s just say that a few times in my Crossfit session, I felt my heart in my throat and I had to slow down a couple of times.  But, I went non-stop for 20 minutes. I was drenched with sweat and I felt like I had ran for the entire 20 minutes!! I don’t like running, with exception of sprinting– again, run, rest, run, rest… Obviously, I like a good break in between just about everything I do.

The lifting aspect… is different.  Because the audience Crossfit attracts differs so much from person to person, the workouts are adjustable to meet, yet, challenge each individual.  My wife’s heaviest deadlift recently, was 85lbs for 8 reps.  Tonight, she did 95lbs for 10, 5 times.  I was extremely proud.  She also had the best time amongst the ladies in the class and a couple guys, includng me.  I ain’t ashamed.  She is a beast (and she had lighter weight, but whatever).  Some can’t do the pullups and other moves required in a Crossfit WOD, some can, so it’s tiered.  Beginner, Moderate and Advanced.  The same goes for strength training.  I start a client with the basics, find out their capabilities then devise a program that will increase their capabilities and expand their training horizon.  Basically, their is the opportunity of big Olympic style lifts in Crossfit and that’s my favorite part.  So, for me, I plan on taking a Crossfit class once a week or maybe every other week as a supplementation to my cardio program.  The calorie burn is there.  Trust me.

Now, before I close this long-winded post out, let me revisit my 2nd best time finish in this class.  Once I got through that first round, I realized, I was my only competition.  True, competitive people will compete in just about anything they can.  Heck, I raced an 11-year old with grocery carts this week.  It’s in my nature.  But what I realized, although I had never forgotten, is that I AM MY OWN WORST ENEMY AND MY GREATEST COMPETITION.  Not the other guys… I feuled up on Athletic Xtreme’s Ultra Reps and Stimulant X, knowing I would need the focus and knowing that lactic acid was sure to be a major obstacle, and I worked through my head all day leading up to the class, telling myself, you better not be a punk, you better not puke and most importantly– you better not quit.  I’ve been living my life as a comitted bodybuilder for 10 years and this is a mantra I still have on a daily basis.  Crossfit was no joke.  I loved it.  I am going to utilize it.  I will get better at it.  Eventually, I will puke.  I’m ok with that.  that part is nothing new.  If there is anything that I have discovered in training– the basics are always the foundation… but what you build on top must be gained through an open mind, the willingness to experiment the new, an open mind and the desire and necessity of knowledge.  To my fellow lifters, I recommend trying Crossfit, even if for one time.  Trainers, I recommend, especially in the shorter training sessions for your clients, that you incorporate some of the methods of Crossfit.  In life, if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.

That’s my take.  I got my ass handed to me doing Crossfit and I’m not one bit too proud to admit it.