Pinterest owes a lot to CrossFit(r). CrossFit and CrossFit-esque (i.e., ultra-tough, bragging-rights, jock-like) workouts are littered across the Pinterest news feed like bees across honeycomb. In fact, there’s actually a whole Pinterest category called “CrossFit Humor”. (Go ahead–look it up.)
It may seem that everyone is doing CrossFit these days. Which may lead you to question whether CrossFit is the right choice for you. (And those abs and shoulder cuts that they sport in the photos wouldn’t hurt a bit, right?)
There’s something quasi-appealing about being a member of the fitness elite–wanting to prove to the world that you are not an everyday, office-dwelling suburbanite. To dig deep. To shred that fat and ignite those muscles.
And I want all those things for you. I want you to live fully, at your edges, digging deep and becoming better every day.
But unless CrossFit has a deep psychological benefit for you, I don’t recommend it as the best long-term weight-loss tool.
While it is true that doing heavy lifting, explosive movement, and aggressive cardio spurts will indeed accelerate your metabolic burn and probably give you a better body, there are quite simply other ways of using functional strength training to lose weight that are gentler on your body and kinder on your mind. (Again, unless you thrive on that type of challenge.)
This hyper-competitive trend seems to me nothing but a throwback to the “no pain, no gain” era of the 1980’s. With emerging modern science, we’ve since learned that overtraining can actually backfire metabolically, forcing our bodies’ primitive instincts into survival mode.
Moreover, years of intense training can and almost always does lead to injury (at least wear and tear), burnout, or both. The muscle-laced bodybuilders of the 80’s are now wearing knee braces when they go out on the golf course.
And an injury for someone who’s all-or-nothing in their approach to fitness, can just be the death knell for their fit lifestyle. When you don’t value balance, you can’t stand the thought of doing something “half-way,” so you don’t do it at all.
CrossFit-style workouts place an emphasis on large muscle groups–which is great for muscle-building and fat-loss), but over time that may lead to imbalances in the smaller stabilizers which become essential for everyday movement as we age. (Source: Bloomberg Business). And the nature of many of the exercises themselves carry an inherently high risk for injury if miscalculated or done with sloppy technique.
But, then, endurance running carries many of the same risks, and I’ve run two marathons. Not because I think they’re the ultimate best way to get in shape, but because I had something to prove to myself (twice, apparently).
I don’t regret running them–although I don’t need my racing shoes to prove my identity. I may or may not run another marathon in the future. At this point, I’m more concerned about keeping my body in top working order as it carries me through the next several decades.
So here’s my advice, no matter which side of the CrossFit camp you fall on:
No-Go Camp: So you’re relieved I talked you out of it? Whew, close call! But do realize it takes more than a light stint on the elliptical to yield serious results. It takes effort, variety, and consistency to make serious changes in your body. But there are plenty of ways to achieve this. Find something you like–but don’t get too comfortable with the same old routine if you’re still chasing a weight-loss goal.
I Wanna Try It Camp: Ballsy! You’ll probably have a great time. View your training the way I viewed my marathon training–something I temporarily invested a lot of effort in but also a lot of cautionary procedures. Take time to mitigate the repetitive stress on muscles and joints by cross-training for smaller muscle groups (a flow-style yoga is great for this), stretching, foam rolling, and investing in regular massages. And if your muscles are screaming at you the next couple of days after a workout, take it easy until they heal. Your muscles actually get bigger during the resting period after a tough workout, not during the workout itself. And by all means, post those bad-boy pics to Pinterest!
For a deeper dive into the risks and rewards of CrossFit-type exercises, check out this post from Bloomberg Business.
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