I’ve been doing Crossfit for a year now, and though I don’t proselytize I do share when people ask. Recently there was an email thread at the office where I had the opportunity to share.
The discussion started with someone’s quick & dirty response to the question “What is Crossfit”:
But that isn’t really helpful, I can say the same criticisms about any other activity or sport. Heck, programmers get injured (RSI) and all they do is sit indoors & type!
Another comment was:
You could also have gotten good improvements with many different
exercise programs and likely at lower expense. Chi running, total
immersion swimming, or in this case crossfit don’t have a monopoly on
the basic ideas of exercise physiology.
OK, now I had to do some educating. I’ve done all three programs (Chi Running, Total Immersion Swimming, Crossfit) and they’ve helped me out a lot.
Without further ado, here is my Crossfit testimonial
Some of us are stupid and need to be taught how to do things correctly 
I needed Total Immersion to teach me how to swim better. I could have gotten the same results from a master’s swim class, but the book was a lot cheaper. My running form was crap, I had no clue that there was actually “running technique” until I started reading about Chi/POSE (again, the book was pretty cheap). I went from no running for >5yrs to completing a marathon & racing a 21min 5k in 4 months (and I lost 40lbs!). My previous attempts at running all resulted in debilitating shin pain.
I had been doing weight machines and using the elliptical at the gym and making OK progress. Now with Crossfit, at $10 per class, I’m tons stronger & fitter than I ever was at the gym. I’m undisciplined, and won’t do hard workouts on my own. Spinning class was awesome at the gym, but that’s more expensive than crossfit. The personal trainers at the gym are all a joke, and they’re more expensive than crossfit. I like crossfit b/c someone else takes care of the programming for me – I just show up & do what they tell me for an hour. They make sure my technique is safe & correct and the group env insures that I don’t quit or slack off.
I also wanted to learn how to lift barbells (Olympic Lifting). I could have followed the articles in Muscle and Fitness (bad idea!). I could have bought Starting Strength (I did, great book!), instead I’m being coached every day for $10/hour. That sounds like an awesome deal to me, and my coach’s certifications are:
- CrossFit Coach
- National Strength and Conditioning Association – Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA-CPT)
- USAW certified Olympic weightlifting coach
- Russian Kettlebell Challenge (RKC) Certified
- Navy SEAL veteran
- Over 20 years of coaching experience
You can even do Crossfit on your own (all the workouts & demo videos & forums are online and free!).
No, those trademarked businesses don’t have a monopoly, and with enough research and experience you can achieve the same on your own. There are many free resources for marathon training online (I used them), there are free forums for strength training, and just about every other activity. But I’m lazy, and I don’t want to get a second degree in physiology, so I try different programs and do what works.
I’m not saying that you or everyone needs to do Total Immersion/Chi/POSE/Crossfit, but they are great programs (solutions?) for some of us, and shouldn’t be dismissed b/c someone may be profiting from them.