In Defense of CrossFit

I continue to hear people and see things on social media in opposition to CrossFit, so I can’t help but write a defense of it.

I can relate to all the claims that oppose CrossFit because I was, at one time, one of the persons who believed CrossFit is another fad where people threw weights around unnecessarily, cheated on their reps, and got injured.

So let’s look at the different elements one by one:

CrossFit as exercise:
The problem with opposing a CrossFit-styled exercise program is that unless you hold to one type of fitness (i.e. bodybuilding, powerlifting, yoga, running, etc.), and ONLY one type of fitness, you are a cross-trainer, and are attempting to become fit across multiple spectrums: i.e. CrossFit. So if you practice yoga one day, and lift weights the next day, whether you call yourself one or not, you are a CrossFitter. #sorrynotsorry

Lack of variance:
One problem people (most recently, Jillian Michaels) have with CrossFit, is the lack of variance. This is rather sad, since the definition of CrossFit is “constantly varied, functional movements, executed at high intensity.” If a CrossFit program is not including variance, it is not upholding to the standard of CrossFit, and therefore, your quarrel is not with CrossFit, but with the programmers. CrossFit SHOULD be a mixture of sports, encompassing movements that will be used in everyday life (i.e. functional movements). CrossFit programs should be including long distance endurance activities, mobility, body weight movements, and powerlifting movements to name a few. If a CrossFit program does not constantly change, it is, once again not adhering to the standards of CrossFit.

Functional movements:
Functional movements have gotten a bad reputation, and I’m not sure of the reason. A functional movement is a movement that is applicable to life, and I’m not sure how that can be something to oppose, so I must simply ask the question are you sure you’re not just opposing functional movements because it’s the thing to do in your circle? I’m sure glad my mom, at 68 years old, is doing the functional movement of a burpee (the action of getting your whole body down on the floor, and getting back up), so that when she has a fall when she’s in her 70’s, 80’s, and/or 90’s, she has the ability to get herself back up.

High intensity:
The high intensity opposition should be divided into two points: throwing around weights, and using terrible form:
First, I will discuss the former:
What spectators think is throwing weight around, is actually athletes dropping the weight after the weight has been lifted. I get it, why drop the weight? Yes, athletes who drop the weight are missing the eccentric portion of the lift. Be that as it may, does it matter? If an athlete is getting stronger, does it matter whether or not he utilized the concentric, eccentric, or isometric portion of the muscle contraction? The concentric contraction (the contraction that takes place in order to lift a weight), is also the weakest contraction of the muscle, so the bulk of the work is done once the weight is lifted. Not to mention, once you have done Fran, you’re going to want to drop the weight. Trust me.
Lastly, don’t forget we are talking about functional movements. I remember when Levi (my husband) was framing our house, he thought it was cool how the clean and jerk in CrossFit, transferred to the framing. And believe it or not, he didn’t need to slowly lower a stud once he got it into position (eccentric movement), he simply needed to get it up and into position (concentric movement).
Using terrible form:
Believe it or not, there are movement standards on CrossFit, and like any program, some athletes uphold the standards like saints, and some would rather use sloppy technique. There are going to be athletes who, no matter what the coach says, do not scale appropriately, and use incorrect form. Sometimes it’s because they want to be cooler by using more weight, and sometimes it’s because they want to be lazy and don’t want to use full range of motion. But regardless of what outsiders think or say, we cannot force people to scale weights and/or movements. We can’t slap them on the head in hopes that they will finally understand the proper technique of the movement. We can simply instruct, demonstrate, and cue to the best of our abilities. We can lead by example. And if a coach is leading a class where the athletes are using sloppy technique, it could mean that that coach needs more experience, or needs to consider different cues for the athletes, so they can understand what the coach is trying to tell them. Once again: if athletes are using sloppy form, that is not the fault of CrossFit, it is the fault of the coaches who should always be upholding and demanding a standard of excellence. Intensity should be applied only after an athlete has demonstrated consistency, and proper mechanics.

Cheating movements i.e. kipping:
Kipping equals cheating. Yes? Well, maybe not. Functional movements, remember? I remember when I have done mud runs, and there was a wall I needed to climb over. Essentially, I needed to do a muscle up, and pull myself over. You know what I did? I used momentum. Guess what I didn’t do: a strict movement. That wouldn’t even make sense. I needed to pull myself up and over a wall, why would I not use momentum? Of course I would.
In CrossFit classes, you will often times see people doing kipping pull-ups, kipping toes to bar, and kipping muscle-ups. Once again, that’s because utilizing the kip increases the power of the movement, and therefore, the functionality.
Additionally, the kipping pull-up, and the strict pull-up, are really two completely different movements. The kipping pull-up is an exercise of muscular endurance, and the strict pull-up is an exercise of muscular strength. Both are essential, and both should be utilized.
That being said, if an athlete is unable to do at least one repetition of these movements without the kip, the athlete should reevaluate whether or not he should be doing the movement, and look at the possibility of scaling. Strict movements are important aspects of CrossFit, and should also be regularly included in the programming. Once again, if it is not, your dispute is with the programmer, not CrossFit itself.

Scaling:
Scaling is THE most important aspect of CrossFit. Scaling refers to modifying workouts so that anyone and everyone is doing the same thing, each to their own capability. As founder, Greg Glassman has said, “[Our] needs…differ by degree, not kind.” I’m really glad that I can workout with my 68 year old mom, and my husband, and all three of us can get the same stimulus because of scaling. Can you think of another type of program where a 3 person team made up of a 68 year old woman, a 26 year old woman, and a 26 year old man, can all do the same movements together, and all get a sick workout in? This is possible because of scaling: modifying movements and weights to a degree that makes the workout achievable to all athletes.

Community:
The community of CrossFit is unrivaled. When I moved to Kentucky, as a young wife, I struggled to find new friends. After a year in Kentucky, I decided to give CrossFit a chance, and I found a new home gym as well as a new community of friends. And I don’t just mean friends that I see at the gym. While I do of course see them at the gym, they’re friends that I hang out with outside of the gym as well.
Not only that, but I have dropped into my mom’s CrossFit box when I visit Florida, and have always been met with a comparable community of friendly, hardworking, encouraging individuals. I remember during the week of thanksgiving, when Levi and I were dropping into CrossFit Rebels, we did a workout of 5 rounds of a 400m run (about .25 mi.), and 15 overhead squats at 65 pounds for women (95 for men). I was the last one to be done, and as the other athletes finished, they cheered for me and encouraged me, all the way till I hit my 15th rep of my final round. Can you tell me another fitness program, where athletes encourage the last finishers before they’ve even finished catching their breath from their own workout? That’s community.

A fad? Think again:
I think the people who claim CrossFit is a fad either don’t understand what a fad is, or they don’t understand the history of CrossFit. A fad is something that’s cool for a few weeks or months (POSSIBLY a few years), and then disappears. CrossFit officially began in 2000 (that’s going on 19 years), the first CrossFit gym was established in 1995, but it informally and unofficially began decades before that when Greg Glassman performed barbell movements, mixed with body weight movements, at high intensity while he was in high school. Sorry, but something that’s been unofficially in the works for 26 years, and officially for 19 years, I don’t think classifies as a fad.

Regardless of what people may think of CrossFit, aren’t we all in this together? Isn’t each of us trying to make ourselves better, become healthier versions of ourselves, push off the nursing home, and live the best quality of life? Because if that’s the case, then we don’t have any reason to put down the different fitness programs that we each choose.



Don’t knock it till you try it. Most people judge a book by the cover, or by the things they’ve heard. Don’t be like most people. It’s okay if CrossFit isn’t for you, it’s not going to be for everyone. But at least make an informed decision about it, and don’t make untrue claims, or put down the type of program that other people enjoy. Why don’t we all cheer each other on whichever program we choose, and stop cutting each other down because we think our chosen program is better than someone else’s? CrossFit changed my life, and I know it has changed the lives of countless others. So let’s just all get along and cheer each other on.

“CrossFit is for people who want the most out of life, and want to be surrounded by other people who want the most out of life.”

Soli Deo gloria,
Charity