BRASH Fitness & Conditioning: My Week of Crossfit

For one week in November I decided to abandon my usual training to try my hand at the global phenomenon known as crossfit. For those of you who may not know what crossfit is you can read about it here. Crossfit posts daily workouts they call WOD or workout of the day. I picked 4 WOD from the the crossfit website and recorded my results.

Here are my results...

Day 1

21-15 and 9 rep rounds of:
Left-arm Kettlebell snatch, 1.5 pood [16kg]
Right-arm Kettlebell snatch, 1.5 pood [16kg]
Pull-ups

Record and post your time.

AC: 9:10

Day 2

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

AC: 28

Day 3
Complete 40 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest. Perform 8 consecutive intervals of each of the following exercises:
Wall-ball 20 lbs ball , 10ft target [reps]
Sumo deadlift high pull 75lbs [reps]
Box jump 20" box [reps]
Push press 75lbs [reps]

AC: 9, 10, 10, 9 [reps]

Day 4

Five rounds for time of:
Run 200 meters
20 Pull-ups
Run 200 meters
20 Push-ups
Run 200 meters
20 Sit-ups
Run 200 meters
20 Squats

AC: 32:12

After each day I would go to the crossfit website and check out results posted by real crossfitters. After day 1 I will admit I was feeling a little defeated, 9:10 was at least 3 minutes off the best posted time. My first reaction was bullshit! There is no way someone could get through that workout in 6 minutes while using proper technique. And to be completely honest I think that may be the case. I'm a certified kettlebell instructor, and when working with kettlebells proper technique is mandatory. Even while I was in the moment going through the workout doing the kettlebell snatch I was thinking my pacing was probably slower.

That was day 1, no problem, I put it behind me because I knew Day 2 was more up my alley. I completed 28 rounds which was right up there with the best result- I think someone had completed 30 rounds.

Day 3 was tough for two reasons. Firstly, it was a tough workout and secondly trying to keep track of my numbers because I was doing it on my own. But, I got through it and my numbers were pretty good. The reps I posted were from my first round, they dipped a bit 1 or 2 less reps for the last few rounds but that was to be expected for 8 rounds.

And Day 4. I thought Day 4 would have been the hardest because of all the 200 meter runs but I found that I really liked that set up. I liked it so much that I ended up using that format for one of my group classes.

After all that, going through with the WOD's my ideas of crossfit have not changed. I can appreciate what they do, functional strength training, getting women involved with strength training, their work with the military and wounded soldiers but for me I don't believe it's complete enough. For me. I need speed, agility, quickness, and reaction drills. I need core specific training, balance training, flexibility, endurance as well as strength training.

I've had many people ask me about crossfit recently, and I always tell them the same thing; try it. I tried it. I enjoyed the challenge of it. Would I do more WOD's in the future? Sure. Why not challenge myself, see how I stack up against some of the fittest people on earth.

Workingout should be about three things; being healthy, looking good and challenging yourself. That's why I do it and that's ok.

If you're interested in crossfit, my professional advice to you is try it. Find a GOOD crossfit affiliate in your area or one you are willing to travel to and try it. How do you find a good crossfit affiliate? Well, they should spend time teaching you proper technique and before having you lift any weight you should have a full functional fitness assessment done. There are bad crossfit gyms out there, just like there are bad traditional gyms and trainers. Remember to become certified as a crossfit instructor you only have to pass a weekend course. The lifts they use in their programming take years to perfect. If they have only been doing it for 3 months forget about it.

Take a look at this video from a crossfit affiliate, you don't have to be a professional trainer to cringe at the technique...