CrossFit Certification--Trip Report

[shemp]

I'll try once more, and then give, I promise: Jump rope is not meant to be an indicator/test of overall athletic performance, so it doesn't make sense to me to complain that jump rope is not an indicator of overall athletic performance. Jump rope is meant to develop athletic performance.

I'm saying that I think the following is a non sequitor whose main purpose seems to be to set up the analogy about black people swimming. (And I'm really not trying to give you grief (again!)-- which I assume you know, but others might not.)


[ QUOTE ]
Jump rope is highly skill specific and a very poor indicator of overall athletic ability.[...]And yes, that is my almost entire problem with it

[/ QUOTE ]

[shemp]

J-- Had you used a GHD before? I've tried various subs-- I don't think I've been in a gym that has one of those, though.
edit:There's a horizontal version of a roman chair that almost does the trick, but I'd like to get on the real thing.

[AZK]

Do you do any type of strength work in addition to CF? like Cf/Me/CF/break rinse repeat?

What was your working out background before totally drinking the koolaid?

What really got you into it? I've had a few sips and it looks like a fantastic program in theory, and I've learned a [censored] ton about fitness/eating/etc from that site, but I'm still more interested in getting stronger before I start really crossfitting. I already know I will have to scale down all the conditioning/endurance work, I'd like to not have to scale down the me days too... I know this sounds probably somewhat illogical, but my goal is to get strong/ripped/down to 10% bf or so, with comfortable lifting numbers for me...namely a 1.5xbw bench, a 2xbw squat, 2.5xbw dl, weighted pull ups, and then from there go on to CF in the hopes that it will keep me in that shape and improve some of my major weaknesses...aka anything endurance/conditioning based... I realize it will probably be like 8 months if not a year before I jump to CF... depending on how things go I might just get into it sooner... when I have more time I also planned on taking some of their classes to improve my cleaning/snatching/jerks/ohs/fs/etc... Thats another thing holding me back...I don't trust my form/ability in these exercises and I have no one around here to really teach me. The other thing holding me back is lack of certain accessories for CF workouts... i.e. muscle up rings... At some point in my life I can see myself building my own gym so this won't be an issue forever.

I like the idea of a program that works you out for functional movements, it's what attracted me in the first place...

[El Diablo]

J,

I guess we'll see how well crossfit gets you in shape for tennis soon enough.

[Blarg]

Um, people don't wind up in nursing homes because they can't walk, or sick because they can't do pull-ups. Nothing you do in cross-fit is going to keep you from getting diseases or aging. You can be very physically fit and absolutely ruined inside.

Glad you enjoyed your certification.

[J.Brown]

[ QUOTE ]
J Brown,

Jump rope is highly skill specific and a very poor indicator of overall athletic ability. It'd be like taking an NBA player and throwing him into a pool and then wondering why he sucks at swimming.

And yes, that is my almost entire problem with it [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

If I was looking to play sports I'd be doing a program that would be almost the exact same.

[/ QUOTE ]

although Shemp covered this notion of yours completely i must say that it isn't anymore skill specific than doing most lifts correctly or anything else in a gym with a olympic bar (how about the snatch as an ex., omg)

anyway, it is better way to help get fit and coordinated than to test for it in someone who has never done it before.

i mentioned before watching this kid this weekend who was an animal do a like 3:20 Fran, do 60 unbroken kipping pullups in like 70 seconds or so, and then not literally be able to do singles on the jumprope. i guarantee he is fit.

so do we agree, sort of?

[J.Brown]

responses:

shemp--had been on a GHD before, but only a little bit.
they really really stressed safety as a main concern.
i liked it, but subs that i have used seemed fairly close.

AZK--i will respond in detail later. great questions.

El D.--i am plenty fit for say best 7 out of 13 sets. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

Blarg--i disagree in part to what you are saying. loss of the ability to move your own body is a major concern at a later age. if you can do a pullup at age 70 or squat all the way to the ground and up again how does that not help you maintain your independence?

will it prevent all disease or internal problems, of course not, but no one (doctor, etc. etc.) will tell you that maintaining some sort of physical fitness and activity level will do anything but help you. do you disagree with this?

later. J.

[Thremp]

J,

Yeah, I wasn't specifically saying that you thought it was a good test, but I've heard people be like "ZOMG he couldn't jump rope for 30 seconds what a loser" without recognizing why that didn't hold water. I phrased my previous post poorly. But whatev.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
responses:


Blarg--i disagree in part to what you are saying. loss of the ability to move your own body is a major concern at a later age. if you can do a pullup at age 70 or squat all the way to the ground and up again how does that not help you maintain your independence?

later. J.

[/ QUOTE ]

People live independently, and pretty decently, in wheelchairs for decades, and can do the same with walkers and canes. None of those mobility matters have anything to do with the aging of your internal organs, your immune system, or infection or disease. It's the latter that sends you to an old age home, hospital, or hospice for the dying. Sending someone with bum legs there would be like sending people to insane asylums because they have red hair.

[El Diablo]

J,

"El D.--i am plenty fit for say best 7 out of 13 sets."

Cool, I'm good for the 42 games it will take to dispatch of you.