Let's Get It On!!!

I got an interesting comment from a fellow fitness pro in my area, Lee Daugherty in regard to my post “Why I Hate CrossFit”. It was a pretty long comment, so instead of making an equally long response to his points. I posted it right here, so you could read, and leave your comments. Was my  ”Why I Hate CrossFit” post unfair and unfounded? Or is my opponent failing to see the truth? You decide. Read on!

He begins:

“I almost always agree with your advice to folks trying to get fit, but as a CrossFit certified trainer , I had to respond to this post. Here’s my rebuttal:”

  1)The “certification” program: Most fitness instructors I know have attended 2-day training programs at some point in their career. This type of training is common practice in virtually all industries, let alone the fitness industry. Unless you’ve attended the cert. (have you?), I’m not sure how you can criticize. Would you also explain what impact the cost of the program has on it’s validity? 

Lee, as I’ve been a fitness trainer with multiple certifications for close to 2 decades now, I am perfectly qualified to criticize a certification program as I see them described on the organization’s website, and based on descriptions from certified individuals. 2 day personal training certifications are ridiculous enough, without the terrible anti-science of CrossFit.  I’ve taught certification courses, and I can tell you, as many other experts will tell you, the curriculum in relation to the actual “system “ is subpar. A 2 day course is NOT sufficient to be set free in the world to conduct ANY high level training session. Let’s not even talk about Olympic lifting. The impact of cost on validity is simple. For the $1000 someone spends on a CrossFit cert, a more respected, and globally recognized certification, or two, can be enrolled in. For example an NASM, or ACE, or NSPA certification, can all be purchased for under $1000. The student will learn the science based foundations of training, and be prepared. To design safe, and effective fitness programs.

 2)Lack of programming logic: See New Rule #9 from Alwyn Cosgrove’s New Rules of lifting (Everything Works, Nothing Works Forever). As far as mastery of exercises, practicing the lifts is built into each CrossFit workout, and workouts are scaled to accomodate all fitness levels. Speed is not added until a person is proficient in the lift(s).

Lee, don’t bastardize Alwyn’s brilliance trying to justify the lack of programming logic. Learning exercise technique is meaningless if it isn’t married to a well-designed systemized training SYSTEM.  If you are going to use Mr. Cosgrove as a justification tool, don’t forget to mention that he is considered to be THE authority in the art and science of program design. If the CrossFit method were a legitimate method for the masses, he’d be doing it. However, he is not. In fact, he is quoted as saying this about CrossFit in T-Mag “This type of all over the place programming can be dangerous…”. He went on to say: “A recent CrossFit workout was 30 reps of snatches with 135 pounds. A snatch is an explosive exercise designed to train power development. Thirty reps is endurance. You don’t use an explosive exercise to train endurance; there are more effective and safer choices.

“Another one was 30 muscle-ups. And if you can’t do muscle-ups, do 120 pull-ups and 120 dips. It’s just random; it makes no sense. Two days later the program was five sets of five in the push jerk with max loads. That’s not looking too healthy for the shoulder joint if you just did 120 dips 48 hours ago.”

  I’m just sayin. Innovation is good if it moves science forward. CrossFit completely ignores science, and dares you to say anything about it. Strength and conditioning expert Charles Poliquin had this to say about CrossFit: “

3)Elite Snobbery: Not sure what to say to that, except as your blog post reads it’s like the pot calling the kettle black. As it relates to the topic of specificity, there is a reason why the military, law enforcement and emergency services communities have gravitated to the CrossFit model – the lack of specificity in the programming. Specialists are typically good at one thing, but in real world situations, being a specialist could have life or death consequences. Military and emergency services professionals may be called upon at any moment to perform any combination of the ten physical skills. Failure to be proficient in any one could be devastating.

Ok, the people you just mentioned who have chosen CrossFit because it has a pumped up, macho image, not because it is PROVEN to be superior to any other training system on the planet. To assume that is crazy. Many top level fit pros like JC Santana have also served these groups with more sensible programming. I dare you to examine JC’s programming, and call it inferior to CrossFit. I know you are smarter than that, Lee. Heck, I’m no JC Santana, but I’ve also trained military, police, and EMT personnel, and they have all seen massive improvements in their performance without CrossFit. This is my exact point about CrossFit. Too many CrossFitters beat their chests, and act like they know something no one else knows, and are somehow “elite” because they can excel at a poorly designed workout. As far as your “calling the kettle black” comment, at no point do I ever claim to be the end all be all world’s greatest trainer, and if you aren’t training in my system, yours is crap. You know me, Lee, I’m shocked you would even put that kind of personal attack out there. You did, however, prove my point.

4)Denial of risk of injury: See New Rule #12 (fast lifting is not more dangerous than slow lifting)from Alwyn Cosgroves’ the New Rules of Lifting. The ability to sustain movement in a fatigued state is an identifier of fitness capacity. Certainly no one is endorsing an unsafe training program, but people must explore the boundaries of their fitness capacity if they want to elicit a training response. An Olympic lifter’s goal is to perform one rep max lifts in the games, therefore they are specialists and have no need to train any other way. To say that the Olympic lifts should not be utilized as a training tool in other ways is shortsighted. A friend of mine recently broke her toe taking a ballet fitness class. I guess there is no room for sloppy in that class either.

Once again, Lee, you take Alwyns words out of context. He wasn’t speaking about Olympic lifting when he made this rule. Fast lifting isn’t more dangerous than slow lifting IF the exercise in question is a stable, low tech exercise like a bench press. Do repeated sets of loaded, barbell snatches for reps, and technique WILL breakdown, putting your trainee at high risk of injury. It’s a fact, and you know this, you aren’t new, Lee. In fact, the one and only Mike Boyle had this to say : “I think high-rep Olympic lifting is dangerous. Be careful with CrossFit.”. Once again, it’s not just me saying this, it’s high level, respected strength coaches around the nation who are saying this as well. Strength and conditioning legend Charles Poliquin said: “If you try to do everything in your workout, you get nothing. CrossFit is different, and maybe even fun for some people, but it’s not very effective. No athlete has ever gotten good training like that.”. finally, are you really comparing ballet to CrossFit?!? You are really reaching, Lee. It seems as if you haven’t read my post in its entirety . The evidence behind my statements is solid, and you haven’t helped Crossfit’s case at all with the nonsense in your rebuttal.

5)The guy who started it all: Greg Glassman is a former gymnast who suffered an injury years ago. Unfortunately this injury has impacted his ability to perform exercise as he prescribes. Vince Lombardi didn’t suit up and take the field with his team on Sundays, so does that mean he wasn’t a great coach? You’re using broad brushstrokes to paint an unfavorable image of CrossFit and it’s founder, very surprising to me given the normally positive and enlightening approach you give to most of your writings.

Greg Glassman: “If you find the notion of falling off the rings and breaking your neck so foreign to you, then we don’t want you in our ranks,” he said in a 2005 New York Times article. Glassman responded to a lawsuit filed by Makimba Mimms, a former Navy CrossFitter who claims he suffered permanent disability from a CrossFit workout, by posting a video of children doing the allegedly dangerous workout, which was sarcastically renamed “Makimba.” (CrossFit and Glassman were not named as defendants  in the suit; Mimms was ultimately awarded $300,000 for his injuries.). Glassman has endorsed the “Pukey the Clown” award given to people who push themselves to point of vomiting, and the “Uncle Rhabdo” character commonly found in CrossFit “boxes”, which represents a real, potentially  life threatening injury caused by overtraining. Lee, tell me where I’ve misunderstood Greg Glassman? Tell me 5 good things about the man. Share one positive thing he has contributed to the fitness industry. By the way, being a former gymnast who got an injury is no excuse to be fat, and out of shape if you are representing a FITNESS PROGRAM! I have had numerous injuries in my wrestling career, including several degraded cervical vertebrae, a surgically repaired torn pectoral, and low back injuries. Know what? I’m 37, and regularly maintain less than 10% bodyfat, and I’m as strong as ever. An expert fitness trainer knows how to work around injuries to ensure the represent their product at all times.

Lee, I respect your knowledge, and what you’re doing to help improve the condition of our community. However, in this instance, I feel you are completely without a leg to stand on. The science of training flatly supports my stance on the CrossFit method, and as for it’s founder, well, his words and actions speak for themselves.   I truly belive the concept behind CrossFit is legit, the but it’s the method behind the concept that is extremely flawed. However, if someone likes the activity in the CrossFit method, more power to them. Any physical activity is better than none!

BTW, this is the absolute last time I blog about Crossfit. Comments can be left below, and I will gladly speak to anyone wanting to discuss this topic more. But there will be no more full posts dedicated to the topic. As much as I still want to, lol…

Thanks for commenting Lee, I definitely look forward to talking to you more about this in the future!

Chad Smith is a Hagerstown personal trainer, fitness columnist, radio show host, and speaker whose “Metabolic Mayhem” fitness training program was called “One of The Best in The Country” by Emmy Award winning fitness celebrity Rocco Castellano. Find him on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/hometeamfitness, or listen to him weekdays at 12pm est on his FTNS radio show “Jump Start With Chad and Kat” on http://www.ftns.co