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Weightlifting/Strength Training

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Posts

  • MrMonroeMrMonroe passed out on the floor nowRegistered User regular
    Hello weightlifting thread

    I do this now? I always hated it at the gym but now that I'm indefinite WFH and the gym is closed I've been actually forcing my horrible self to do things and it feels great and I've dropped nearly 20lbs since the start of the year.

    But the biggest thing I have at home is a pair of 15lbs dumbells and I'm tired of counting quite so high. I'd like to get some better home equipment but I'm not sure what the best investment is. I figured I'd look into something like this plus a bench but a lot of the stuff on Amazon looks cheap as hell and it's not clear what's decent and what's well-photographed garbage.

    Recommendations?

  • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    MrMonroe wrote: »
    Hello weightlifting thread

    I do this now? I always hated it at the gym but now that I'm indefinite WFH and the gym is closed I've been actually forcing my horrible self to do things and it feels great and I've dropped nearly 20lbs since the start of the year.

    But the biggest thing I have at home is a pair of 15lbs dumbells and I'm tired of counting quite so high. I'd like to get some better home equipment but I'm not sure what the best investment is. I figured I'd look into something like this plus a bench but a lot of the stuff on Amazon looks cheap as hell and it's not clear what's decent and what's well-photographed garbage.

    Recommendations?

    How much money do you want to budget, and how much free space do you have? Are you in an apartment, house, do you have a concrete slab to set things up on? I've always heard good things about the BowFlex adjustable dumbbells. Pair them with a good adjustable bench and you'll go a long way towards fitness. What kind of cardio are you doing? Adding in something like a rowing machine will really round everything out.

    webguy20 on
    Steam ID: Webguy20
    Origin ID: Discgolfer27
    Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
  • MrMonroeMrMonroe passed out on the floor nowRegistered User regular
    It seems like "several hundred dollars" is where I'm likely to land if I want to get anywhere, the space I'll likely use is about 10'x12', an apartment, no. (And I have downstairs neighbors so I'll need to confine myself to exercises that don't involve dropping anything)

  • twotimesadingotwotimesadingo Registered User regular
    MrMonroe wrote: »
    Hello weightlifting thread

    I do this now? I always hated it at the gym but now that I'm indefinite WFH and the gym is closed I've been actually forcing my horrible self to do things and it feels great and I've dropped nearly 20lbs since the start of the year.

    But the biggest thing I have at home is a pair of 15lbs dumbells and I'm tired of counting quite so high. I'd like to get some better home equipment but I'm not sure what the best investment is. I figured I'd look into something like this plus a bench but a lot of the stuff on Amazon looks cheap as hell and it's not clear what's decent and what's well-photographed garbage.

    Recommendations?

    What are your goals? Are your interests more cardiovascular fitness, powerlifting, circuit training...? Any good recommendation should be specific to your goals and interests.

    PSN: peepshowofforce
  • MrMonroeMrMonroe passed out on the floor nowRegistered User regular
    In roughly descending order of importance:

    - extend probable lifespan
    - be stronger (eg I can now do diamond pushups whereas I basically could not before and that feels great)
    - be sexier (I've dropped most of the beer belly and i don't avoid looking at myself in the mirror)

    We've already talked about getting a stationary bike for cardio so i can watch mst3k and not think.

  • twotimesadingotwotimesadingo Registered User regular
    MrMonroe wrote: »
    In roughly descending order of importance:

    - extend probable lifespan
    - be stronger (eg I can now do diamond pushups whereas I basically could not before and that feels great)
    - be sexier (I've dropped most of the beer belly and i don't avoid looking at myself in the mirror)

    We've already talked about getting a stationary bike for cardio so i can watch mst3k and not think.

    Cool cool, that's definitely doable.

    Cardio:
    1) I'd scope your local FB Marketplace and/or LetGo for either a Concept2 Rower or an Airdyne/Assault Bike. Neither are very affordable purchases new, but if you can score one used, they're fantastic.
    1a) A good jump rope. Provided you've got a non-carpeted spot somewhere to use.

    Strength:
    If you're not really interested in trying to lift the back of a Volkswagen, think about grabbing a couple kettlebells in various weights. A kettlebell circuit can be legit, and they're extremely versatile. They're also easier to find both from online vendors and in local marketplaces (at least where I am) right now than adjustables like Powerblocks/BowFlex/IronMasters, since everyone and their brothers are trying to buy home-gym stuff.

    That's a (depending on the cost of a rower/bike) low-cost approach to health and strength.

    An additional benefit of these items is that they're easily flippable if you find you either a) don't like them, or b) decide to invest in another area (powerlifting, WODing, etc).

    PSN: peepshowofforce
  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    If you've got very limited space and a need for strength I would get one of those doorway pullup bars, you can get a fancy one but the cheap ones work just fine, and a range of bands from somewhere like EliteFTS or Rogue (they make good solid ones that are categorized in a consistent way) and I would watch youtube videos made by smart people about what you can do with bands, and do that.

    Edit: A steady diet of pull-ups and push-ups, supplemented by whatever resistance training you can muster, will do you body good without needing to be fancy. Obviously this is a thread full of people who love to be fancy, lifters are the most extra members of the fitness community, but the basic stuff is still great!

    Edit edit: Congratulations on what you've done so far, we should probably all have led with that!

    Peen on
  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    Been able to do most of my lifting while at work this past week, hit garage squats today.

    Walked dog ~2 miles
    Box jumps / KB swings / rear delt raises 3 rounds
    Snatches 4x3 up to 80kg
    Squats 3x135/3x225/3x275/3x315/3x365/2x3x405/5x315/10x225#

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    I swear to god I am getting so mad about my lack of upper body strength, specifically in terms of my ability to hang from something. I don't want bigger muscles per se I just need stronger ones

    Does anyone know good alternatives to pullups in terms of developing that hanging strength? cos I am doing pullups and I really don't feel much stronger. And tbh I am not making a lot of strength development in pullups either, and some days I just feel like shit, I can barely do them.

    (Edit: when I am really on form, I can do three sets of eight pull-ups with a minute rest in between the sets, currently. I'd honestly like to improve that to four sets of ten, at least)

    Solar on
  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    Three sets of 8 pullups is good, well done! You could try adding weight, doing dead hangs or doing weighted dead hangs.

  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    How effective are dead-hangs, and what kind of length of time are we looking at for them? I could do weighted ones, I've got a harness and a sling/biner I can attach weights to. Although I am unsure as to what weight level to use. I hear that weighted pull-ups are really effective although I have to say, I expected that pull-ups would get easier as my ability to do more in a set increased, but it still feels hard to do just one, it's just that I can do more. Which is weird. So I dunno how much weight I'd be able to throw on.

    I also bought a new pull-up bar which will give me more height because the current one sits too low on my door frame to give me comfortable use.

  • twotimesadingotwotimesadingo Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    Solar wrote: »
    I swear to god I am getting so mad about my lack of upper body strength, specifically in terms of my ability to hang from something. I don't want bigger muscles per se I just need stronger ones

    Does anyone know good alternatives to pullups in terms of developing that hanging strength? cos I am doing pullups and I really don't feel much stronger. And tbh I am not making a lot of strength development in pullups either, and some days I just feel like shit, I can barely do them.

    (Edit: when I am really on form, I can do three sets of eight pull-ups with a minute rest in between the sets, currently. I'd honestly like to improve that to four sets of ten, at least)

    For grip strength: I also struggle a lot with grip strength, and have had luck with a combination of kroc rows, double overhand high-rep deads, and fat gripz reverse grip curls.

    For pull ups, I'm a big believer in an EMOM day and a pyramid day for working your pull-ups.

    EMOM: Take an off-day from upper body stuff and do 10 sets of 40% of your max reps, every minute on the minute. Next week do 50%, following week do 60%.

    Pyramid: On an upper-body day, dump what would otherwise be your back work and take 60% of your max reps as your pyramid top (say max reps 15, 60% = 9), then do a sets of 4,5,6,7,8,9,8,7,6,5,4. Next week do 70% of your pyramid top, but drop the two first and last set (i.e. 6, 7,8,9,10,11,10,8,8,7,6), next week do 80%, but again drop first and last two.


    *Edit: I'd start just by adding 10lbs on a waist harness and see how that affects your grip, so you don't find yourself falling/staggering from a set.

    twotimesadingo on
    PSN: peepshowofforce
  • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    Back when I could do pull-ups, grip strength was 100% the deciding factor in whether the pullups were easy or hard. On the days that pullups were near the end of my sets I would use bar wraps to bind my hands to the pull-up bar and it made it so much easier to get the sets done.

    Also negatives work really well for pullups, get your self up, then REAL SLOW go down. It burns like mad.

    Steam ID: Webguy20
    Origin ID: Discgolfer27
    Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    Grip strength is actually something I have in spades cos of all the climbing, it's more the shoulders and back which let me down.

    Solar on
  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    Military 8x40 / 8x60 / 5x70 / 3x5x80
    s/s Lat Pulldowns x8

    Close grip bench 10x80 / 10x90 / 10x95
    s/s DB Row 8 ea x90 s/s low cable flies x 8

    DB curl variety hour for 3 sets superset with close grip pushups 3x15

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    Didn’t have to go in to work early, so was able to get my lift in the garage.

    Back squats up to 3x3x155, rack pulls up to 3x3x185, banded leg curls 2x25

    86 degrees at 88% humidity and swarmed by mosquitos made it pretty miserable

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    Volume block means rep pr. Deads 370 for 8 @ RPE 9. Now excuse me while I take until next year to catch my breath. Backoffs were a total shitshow and if I wasn’t self coaching would have ended after one set.

    And in the next riveting saga of my ghetto belt squat, I decided I needed to move my high pulley further back to get the cable length short enough, so I ordered some shackles to bolt to my rack. Once they’re up, I’ll string a heavy duty chain across them and attach the pulley to that. That should finally do the trick but using shackles means I have a lot of options for positioning the pulley.

    Gork on
  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    Rack pulls have my back feeling very good. I imagine I’m going to be sore tomorrow.

    Some people may not think they have much carry over but at some of my strongest points in my life I have done rack pulls on a regular basis (typically on Wednesday as that’s normally a medium squat day and light pull day) and even though I don’t necessarily go “light”, since they are a shortened ROM (just above knee), I don’t really consider them too taxing.

    Don’t really know why I got away from them, but I have missed them. I treat them as a dead stop hang clean pull so I get the benefit of a strong hip extension and a heavy shrug.

    Edit: @Gork I meant to ask are you using straps on those tough sets? Might make it a bit more manageable when fatigue sets in.

    Dead Legend on
    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    No, I don’t use straps. Just chalk and mixed grip. I had a shitty pair of harbingers and I never really liked them but I tried them a million years ago when I hardly knew what I was doing. I still hardly know what I’m doing, but less so, now. I could be convinced to try some figure eights during volume blocks. Any suggestions? Spud Inc.’s got some reasonably priced ones and their shit is usually good.

    Rack pulls are my go to when I feel like my lockout is slow and my back is fatigued.

    Gork on
  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    I have a pair of Cereberus figure 8’s. I imagine it would be cooler with an axle bar but I don’t really have much use.

    My ironmind straps are still the king

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    Seated shoulder press up to 3x5x70kg s/s cable flies for 5x10
    Bench up to 5x120 and backoff 10x100 s/s face pulls 4x12
    EZ bar pullovers 3x10 s/s cable crunches 3x10
    EZ bar curls 3x12 s/s tricep pushdowns 3x12

    An excellent pump. Light squats, deads on tap tomorrow.

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    So I got my new bar, and it's way better. Sits higher on my door too, and is better on my hands. I did three sets of eight today and it was tough but felt solid and the form remained largely there all the way to the end.

    Anyway my plan to increase the amount of pull-ups I can do is take the amount I want to do, and do the amount I can currently do, and split the difference with negatives.

    So currently, 3x8 with a minute rest. So I am aiming to do 4x10 at the moment. I do 8 pull-ups, focusing on keeping my form (so bad form ones don't count), and then I make-up to 10 with negatives (so ideally 2). Rest a minute. Do 8, then 2 negatives. Rest a minute. Do 8, then 2 negatives. Rest a minute and do 8 negatives, or until I fail.

    How does that seem? I figure that'll brutalise the relevant muscles pretty well, and it'll give me the power and strength to try the harder boulder problems I am looking at. I don't want to do deadhangs, largely because I am going to get a hangboard and therefore my hangboarding routine will already be covering that.

  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    Solar wrote: »
    So I got my new bar, and it's way better. Sits higher on my door too, and is better on my hands. I did three sets of eight today and it was tough but felt solid and the form remained largely there all the way to the end.

    Anyway my plan to increase the amount of pull-ups I can do is take the amount I want to do, and do the amount I can currently do, and split the difference with negatives.

    So currently, 3x8 with a minute rest. So I am aiming to do 4x10 at the moment. I do 8 pull-ups, focusing on keeping my form (so bad form ones don't count), and then I make-up to 10 with negatives (so ideally 2). Rest a minute. Do 8, then 2 negatives. Rest a minute. Do 8, then 2 negatives. Rest a minute and do 8 negatives, or until I fail.

    How does that seem? I figure that'll brutalise the relevant muscles pretty well, and it'll give me the power and strength to try the harder boulder problems I am looking at. I don't want to do deadhangs, largely because I am going to get a hangboard and therefore my hangboarding routine will already be covering that.

    How many days a week are you doing pull ups?

    I think you could make one day that.

    I think you could also start doing 8 sets of 5 pull ups.

    Or do 2 sets of 8, 4x4 with weight, and a final set going for broke with no weight.

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    Nice squat day shaping up. 320 for a crispy set of 8, which the last time I did, I was 15lbs heavier. Pretty pumped I pulled that off.

    Followed by nailing four sets of backoffs and SSB box squats. Bye bye, legs.

    Gork on
  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    Worked up to a clean triple at 120
    Hit back squats 5x120 / 5x140 / 3x160 / 4x3x175
    Sumo deads 5x140 / 3x5x155
    Band leg curls 3x25 superset with band standing crunches 3x15

    Pretty fried, wind was blowing good but weather was hot n humid.

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    Solar wrote: »
    So I got my new bar, and it's way better. Sits higher on my door too, and is better on my hands. I did three sets of eight today and it was tough but felt solid and the form remained largely there all the way to the end.

    Anyway my plan to increase the amount of pull-ups I can do is take the amount I want to do, and do the amount I can currently do, and split the difference with negatives.

    So currently, 3x8 with a minute rest. So I am aiming to do 4x10 at the moment. I do 8 pull-ups, focusing on keeping my form (so bad form ones don't count), and then I make-up to 10 with negatives (so ideally 2). Rest a minute. Do 8, then 2 negatives. Rest a minute. Do 8, then 2 negatives. Rest a minute and do 8 negatives, or until I fail.

    How does that seem? I figure that'll brutalise the relevant muscles pretty well, and it'll give me the power and strength to try the harder boulder problems I am looking at. I don't want to do deadhangs, largely because I am going to get a hangboard and therefore my hangboarding routine will already be covering that.

    How many days a week are you doing pull ups?

    I think you could make one day that.

    I think you could also start doing 8 sets of 5 pull ups.

    Or do 2 sets of 8, 4x4 with weight, and a final set going for broke with no weight.

    I was going to go with three days a week

    A day of that, and a day of 8x5 could be good yeah. Definitely. Hadn't thought of that. And then one with weight too.

    I need to figure out a way to intersperse it with a hangboarding routine though as well to be fair.

  • Shazkar ShadowstormShazkar Shadowstorm Registered User regular
    Gosh I’ve like

    Not exercised really since February and also my walking amount went to near 0
    I was decent about walking for a bit but had some depression 0 walk weeks

    And each time I try getting back into it I get demoralized by the face that my warmup from a few months ago is enough to completely tired me out and a few pushups make me sore for days

    I wasn’t in amazing shape in February but decent enough, over a year of consistent gym again and in shape enough to snowboard for 4 days

    Now walking is tough 😱

    poo
  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    Solar wrote: »
    Solar wrote: »
    So I got my new bar, and it's way better. Sits higher on my door too, and is better on my hands. I did three sets of eight today and it was tough but felt solid and the form remained largely there all the way to the end.

    Anyway my plan to increase the amount of pull-ups I can do is take the amount I want to do, and do the amount I can currently do, and split the difference with negatives.

    So currently, 3x8 with a minute rest. So I am aiming to do 4x10 at the moment. I do 8 pull-ups, focusing on keeping my form (so bad form ones don't count), and then I make-up to 10 with negatives (so ideally 2). Rest a minute. Do 8, then 2 negatives. Rest a minute. Do 8, then 2 negatives. Rest a minute and do 8 negatives, or until I fail.

    How does that seem? I figure that'll brutalise the relevant muscles pretty well, and it'll give me the power and strength to try the harder boulder problems I am looking at. I don't want to do deadhangs, largely because I am going to get a hangboard and therefore my hangboarding routine will already be covering that.

    How many days a week are you doing pull ups?

    I think you could make one day that.

    I think you could also start doing 8 sets of 5 pull ups.

    Or do 2 sets of 8, 4x4 with weight, and a final set going for broke with no weight.

    I was going to go with three days a week

    A day of that, and a day of 8x5 could be good yeah. Definitely. Hadn't thought of that. And then one with weight too.

    I need to figure out a way to intersperse it with a hangboarding routine though as well to be fair.

    Really any combination you like of sets and reps would be fine.

    You’ll likely be able to do more total reps with few reps per set so if you want to work up 40 in 4 sets, try the 8x5 out and slowly ramp it up. I’m sure I don’t need to warn you about elbow pain, but just be proactive with it.

    @Shazkar Shadowstorm well, it sucks you’re out of shape, but you know the fix as well as anyone. One step at a time

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • KakodaimonosKakodaimonos Code fondler Helping the 1% get richerRegistered User regular
    Man this has been a weird spring/summer.

    Finally got all the garage stuff squared away from the construction. I've found wearing my weight vest while I mow is a decent enough workout and it amuses my wife to no end. I'm finishing up a Texas block and I think I'll dive back into the Reactive program now that I'm pretty happy with my overall load handling. And I've just been doing sets of glute-hams, pullups and dips when I'm running tests which has done wonders for my squats.

  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    Oh no, I’ve figured out how to tetris a reverse hyper into my small gym space and then use a footplate rack attachment so it can function as a GHD, too.

    Someone please come hide my credit card before I do something stupid.

  • MrMonroeMrMonroe passed out on the floor nowRegistered User regular
    Anyone have recommendations for (hopefully free) workout tracker apps? Everything I look at seems to be aiming at being like a personal trainer in your pocket type deal with videos and suggested workouts and such but I honestly just want a place to record results and track/visualize progress over time and after trying to start a spreadsheet to do that I realized I don't know how to design something like that.

  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    MrMonroe wrote: »
    Anyone have recommendations for (hopefully free) workout tracker apps? Everything I look at seems to be aiming at being like a personal trainer in your pocket type deal with videos and suggested workouts and such but I honestly just want a place to record results and track/visualize progress over time and after trying to start a spreadsheet to do that I realized I don't know how to design something like that.

    I’ve been using JEFIT for years and years and years. It’s free. You can set up your own workouts and then record weights x sets x reps very easily. You can also download their workouts if you want, but I have never done so. It automatically visualizes your progress on squats, deadlifts and bench press, which I never look at because then I would get depressed over how little progress I have made in the past few years and kill myself.

    EDIT: I just checked and apparently now it automatically visualizes every exercise. Great.

    Gork on
  • TubeTube Registered User admin
    MrMonroe wrote: »
    Anyone have recommendations for (hopefully free) workout tracker apps? Everything I look at seems to be aiming at being like a personal trainer in your pocket type deal with videos and suggested workouts and such but I honestly just want a place to record results and track/visualize progress over time and after trying to start a spreadsheet to do that I realized I don't know how to design something like that.

    I use Strong App. It's great, and very back to basics.

  • mikeatsumikeatsu Snarf Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    Found this thread thanks to a good friend. I've been getting back into lifting after a 5 year hiatus. I'm curious about a few things I was hoping this group could help clear up. As a medical professional, I read a lot of medical literature and learn quite a bit from my patient's experiences. Because of this I have mostly been opposed to CrossFit. I've seen elevated CKs literally destroy kidneys. But I still have plenty of friends who swear by it and for the most part seem to be getting a lot of positive gains in strength and form. I've always been a more traditional lifter, maybe more on the circuit training end of things. What's this group's thoughts on CrossFit today? Thanks.

    mikeatsu on
  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    I use Intensity on Android, it's very basic but completely fine.

  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    mikeatsu wrote: »
    Found this thread thanks to a good friend. I've been getting back into lifting after a 5 year hiatus. I'm curious about a few things I was hoping this group could help clear up. As a medical professional, I read a lot of medical literature and learn quite a bit from my patient's experiences. Because of this I have mostly been opposed to CrossFit. I've seen elevated CKs literally destroy kidneys. But I still have plenty of friends who swear by it and for the most part seem to be getting a lot of positive gains in strength and form. I've always been a more traditional lifter, maybe more on the circuit training end of things. What's this group's thoughts on CrossFit today? Thanks.

    While I appreciate the athleticism, I think CrossFit is fucking dumb. Anything that encourages you to do a technically demanding movement with a high injury potential, even when done perfectly, as fast as you possibly can is moronic. I also think a lot of people get lured in by the physiques of some of the top competitors/influencers but I would encourage anyone like that to look into how often those folks fail drug tests/not get tested at all.

    I think most CrossFitters would be just as well served by lifting at a reasonable pace and then just doing some damn HIIT afterwards. At the same time, I’m an unreasonably grumpy non-competing, sort of powerlifter approaching the downswing of my testosterone production, so what do I know?

  • KyouguKyougu Registered User regular
    Has anyone had any luck ordering dumb bells online? They're unsurprisingly out of stock almost everywhere, and the ones that are in stock have no reviews/or comments about how shipping is taking forever.

  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    edited July 2020
    Kyougu wrote: »
    Has anyone had any luck ordering dumb bells online? They're unsurprisingly out of stock almost everywhere, and the ones that are in stock have no reviews/or comments about how shipping is taking forever.

    Gym equipment has been in extremely short supply since the beginning of the pandemic. Your best bet is to sign up for email notifications if you’re interested in a specific product from a manufacturer and then to immediately buy them once you get a pop. Rep Fitness gets shipments in every few weeks but only the people who have notifications get a shot at them. Same for Rogue and every other brand right now.

    Also, I would not recommend buying anything used, right now. The price gouging is outrageous.

    Any kind in particular you’re interested in?

    Gork on
  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    mikeatsu wrote: »
    Found this thread thanks to a good friend. I've been getting back into lifting after a 5 year hiatus. I'm curious about a few things I was hoping this group could help clear up. As a medical professional, I read a lot of medical literature and learn quite a bit from my patient's experiences. Because of this I have mostly been opposed to CrossFit. I've seen elevated CKs literally destroy kidneys. But I still have plenty of friends who swear by it and for the most part seem to be getting a lot of positive gains in strength and form. I've always been a more traditional lifter, maybe more on the circuit training end of things. What's this group's thoughts on CrossFit today? Thanks.

    I've never done CrossFit personally so this is purely an opinion based on looking in from the outside buuuuut

    it seems to me that the biggest benefit of CrossFit is its emphasis on group classes. There's some other stuff, like CrossFit leads to a lot of peoples' first experiences with barbell training and actual regulated eating patterns that are aimed at athletic gain and not just weight loss, but the social aspect of CrossFit seems like it's really important. Some people just like exercising with a big group of other like-minded people and I think smart CrossFit boxes do everything they can to foster that group spirit.

    If you're being uncharitable CrossFit's actual programming is fancy circuit training and you can put that together for yourself or find it, and near as I can tell it's also not exactly geared towards a purpose beyond good general conditioning (which does lead to gains in strength and cardio capacity, but I don't think CrossFit is inherently aimed at bettering either of those things or anything specific really).

    I think you should figure out what your goal is and then figure out the best way to get there. Most of us in here are interested in developing strength first, better body composition second, and cardio can mostly go kick a can, so we train for that and if that's what you want we have many fine suggestions.

  • webguy20webguy20 I spend too much time on the Internet Registered User regular
    Biggest problem with Crossfit is that it was super easy to pay to become a crossfit gym, so the quality of training from gym to gym can be huge. Finding a good gym can be a challenge. Plus, since it's the flavor of the month (or was?) They charge a large premium for it.

    Steam ID: Webguy20
    Origin ID: Discgolfer27
    Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
This discussion has been closed.