This is post is from a friend of mine in California that has his own sports specific training center. I asked him to try CrossFit and tell me what he thinks about it and if he feels it could be used solely for training an athlete. This is his response.
Crossfit gyms are popping up across the world. I think they are great for the general population who are looking for something more than a commercial gym experience, but it greatly concerns me that now many athletes are turning to CrossFit for their performance training. CrossFit’s website states, “Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.” The statement that many sports punish the specialist could not be further from the truth. Elite athletes must be elite in their necessary skill set. This skill set may encompass many traits. For example, a linebacker in football must possess maximal strength, explosive strength, speed, agility and some level of aerobic lactic conditioning. These skills though are not needed in equal proportion, so why would he train them all equally? Cross fit aims to do just this, which is not sound or economical for the athlete.
Another issue that arises with CrossFit when used to train athletes is the lack of specificity and transfer of training. There are specific movement patterns that athletes must master for their sport, CrossFit and their “Workout of the Day” neglects this. Greg Glassman, the creator of CrossFit wrote in a CrossFit Journal article, “We’re asked for workouts for baseball, karate, swimming, dance, boxing, but they all get the same thing: CrossFit.” Whatever sport you play requires specific skills, probably different skills than the athlete from a different sport, who is performing the same workout next to you requires, so why are you doing the same training?
The programming-or lack thereof- exhibited in CrossFit workouts are also troublesome when trying to apply them to athlete’s training. Some prominent strength coaches chimed with the following thoughts about CrossFit for athletes. Alwyn Cosgrove, owner of Results Fitness in Santa Clarita, CA said, "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." Mike Boyle, a prominent Boston-based strength coach and combine preparation specialist added, "I think high-rep Olympic lifting is dangerous. Be careful with CrossFit." Finally Charles Poliquin, owner of the Poliquin Performance Center and trainer of over 100 Olympic athletes across various disciplines stated, “"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."
The workouts discussed above and other CrossFit “WOD’s” are certainly challenging, but a hard workout and a training session that will maximize your athletic performance are certainly not the same thing. For a speed/power athlete, why waste your energy developing your aerobic capacity to an unnecessary level? For an endurance athlete, why waste your time developing your explosive power and maximal strength to an unnecessary level?
CrossFit workouts have merits, they are challenging and combine many good methods. Athlete’s though need to focus specifically on the skills that will help them succeed at their sport and CrossFit fails to do this. If your goals are to be competent at everything, then CrossFit is for you; if your goal is to excel at your sport, than I suggest you find a training method focused on developing the skills you need.
Chad Smith, Juggernaut Training Systems LLC
23541 Ridge Route, Suite C. Laguna Hills, CA 92653 (949)215-7378
6/4/2020
3 years ago
Hi Terrance:
ReplyDeleteI agree on all of Chads' points. Some of those workouts have no place in an elite athletes' regimen. As with most comparisons, it depends on the sport. I can see a wrestler or a martial artist benefiting greatly from CrossFit style training.
Any aspect of training depends on purpose. If your purpose is CrossFit, then do CrossFit. If your purpose is to be a better athlete then you must develop ALL aspects of athleticism, which CrossFit fails to do IMO.
Too many Crossfit workouts are ground based and lack multidirectional movements where the feet are constantly changing direction in a learned motor development pattern. Crossfit fails to develop running acceleration because of the lack of sprinting and quick change of direction movements in their workouts that most athletes need to develop for increased performance.
I am not going to argue increased endurance because Crossfit workouts will certainly take care of that, muscular and cardiorespiratory.
Terrance,
ReplyDeleteChad makes a lot of good arguments about the flaws of crossfit workouts for athletes. If you're training to be a middle linebacker for the Saints (who just won the SB, sweet), than a good 'Helen' time probably isn't worth much.
My concern however, is that 99.99983 percent (rounded for precision ;)) of the rest of us are not going to be in that position. The 'crossfit revolution' has a good chance of changing some of the obesity epidemic raging the populous of most developed countries. It's effective, and usually pretty addictive.
I guess it's kinda like arguing that musicians like Buddy Guy and Jimi Hendrix didn't know how to read music, so most other folks shouldn't bother either. What makes sense for an extremely narrow margin of folks, certainly doesn't make sense for the overwhelming majority of people.
Again, Chad's points are dead on for elite athletes. But making the point open-ended only serves to undermine the legitimacy of a very effective workout methodology, that could be a tremendous benefit to most people (including Marines).
Best,
Cory
I think Chad took Coach Glassman's comments out of context and I can assume Chad has no imperical proof that implementing CF into an elite athletes programming detracts from their ability to perform their sport. If anything there is much evidence that it enhances their ability to perform their sport. Also I would wager that Coach Glassman is not out there telling elite athletes to just simply never practice their sport and start doing nothing but WODs. Chad's comment unfortunately was unfounded and it sucks because I am sure he is probably a great sports specific trainer. I just ask he get imperical evidence and not just quote another gym owners/trainers opinion of it (who also probably do not have quantifiable evidence). Maybe someone can prove me wrong and then I would shut up.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah the comment from Charles Poliquin, owner of the Poliquin Performance Center and trainer of over 100 Olympic athletes across various disciplines stated, “"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."
Uh is he serious? It seems ridiculous to me that Chad quouted this guy. There are many elite/olympic athletes implementing CF into their regimes (unfortunatly I cannot quote how many...I know I am a hippocrite for not having imperical evidence). This argument against CF seems to be the most popular as of recent. No one seems to want to use numbers (including myself but I am trying) to justify their argument. Like Coach Glassman has said if it isn't quantifiable then it isn't justifiable. So in this case I think Chad is wrong.
Mark L. says "Too many Crossfit workouts are ground based and lack multidirectional movements where the feet are constantly changing direction in a learned motor development pattern. Crossfit fails to develop running acceleration because of the lack of sprinting and quick change of direction movements in their workouts that most athletes need to develop for increased performance."
Mark is wrong to. Do more friggin sprint drills in your warm up or in the work out. Mark do you understand anything about the science behind Coach Glassman's methodology? If sprinting is your game then add it to the WOD!!! Or not do the WOD I don't care. I know for a fact that practicing Hang cleans WILL increase my running acceleration or an elite sprinters for that matter. Now if I don't go out and practice sprinting then it might not transfer. Marks does not have a good argument either.
Chad and Mark's comments are bothersome to me The argument that CF does not benefit elite sports athletes is completly unquantifiable therefore it unfounded.
Jason