9 crossfit myths debunked
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As any other sport, crossfit has been tagged with labels such as too dangerous, a cult of obsessed people, rhabdo friendly and so on.
Coming from the sport of alpine skiing, I find crossfit ridiculously safe. On the other hand, people who have never done sports before, can encounter several obstacles such as feeling uncomfortable, unsafe or simply not fitting in.
Contents
- 1 Is crossfit really as bad as the haters say?
- 1.1 Myth 1: Crossfit is dangerous.
- 1.2 Crossfit Myth 2: women will get bulky.
- 1.3 Myth 3: You have to “kill yourself” every training session.
- 1.4 Myth 4: You will get Rhabdo.
- 1.5 Myth 5: Crossfit is too hard for me.
- 1.6 Myth 6: It’s too expensive.
- 1.7 Myth 7: You won’t gain muscle mass or lose weight with crossfit.
- 1.8 Myth 8: Paleo or zone, there is no other way of eating.
- 1.9 Myth 9: all boxes are great.
Is crossfit really as bad as the haters say?
It’s important to understand that crossfit is not a franchise; each box sets up their own rules to follow. Each owner is responsible to create a safe environment where people feel comfortable to work out. 
And last, each coach is, though not on paper, responsible for the group he leads. Though it is easy to act smart while writing this article, the reality is a bit more challenging: injuries, and other setbacks, will happen.
Also obsessed people and the ego-driven athletes with a crappy technique will come along. And so will the box owners who enter the game for the fame and money.
But that does mean we should generalize the opinion and succumb to one of the following myths?
Myth 1: Crossfit is dangerous.
Any physical activity can be dangerous. How dangerous something is or isn’t, depends on your approach towards it.
You can definitely find coaches, and members, out there who are making crossfit risky. But in general, through the development in the past couple of years, most boxes scaled down the intensity in order to keep up with a good technique and safe execution of the movements.
That said, beside crossfit, weightlifting and other specialized classes have been established so the members can learn the correct movement patterns first.
The gap between the competitive and recreational crossfit has widen; and the latter has been transformed in a way it is focused on making people fitter in terms of health.
In my opinion crossfit allows you to have control over everything; the intensity, the technique, the stability, the focus… you can always, in no time, drop the barbell, slow down the tempo, scale the exercise, etc in order to make the sport safer. But will you do that?
Crossfit Myth 2: women will get bulky.
Anyone who wants to feel healthier needs to build a certain amount of muscle mass in order to support the normal (efficient) functioning of the body. So do women. Will that make them bulky?
First, each one of us has a different perception of what bulky actually looks like. Second, it takes years of hard work, and certain illegal supplements, to develop a definition and muscle mass that would make you look like a bodybuilder.
When you put in the physical work, on consistent basis and longer period of time, your body will change.
Most women will lose weight or gain a firmer, as we like to say more toned, body: narrower waist, stable shoulders, firmer legs, rounder booty and a beautiful body posture. If you call that bulky, than skip doing any sport or physical activity at all in order not to change for the healthier.
Myth 3: You have to “kill yourself” every training session.
The myth has luckily been debunked with the development of crossfit in the recent years. Along with a positive psychology trend “do the best you can” many people have been seeing training as something to punish themselves through 100% effort.
After all it feels mentally relaxing lying down in a recovery position. On the long term this is anything but productive if your main goal is health, and in most cases, even on the professional level, health is related to a better performance.
You should not destroy yourself every time you walk into the box. Most coaches will support you to go at the percentage which will be a challenge but will allow you to finish the workout in a steady pace. They will slow you down to point out your technique flaws. And most importantly, you won’t have to compete with anyone.
Myth 4: You will get Rhabdo.
Rhabdomyolysis is a muscle injury where the muscle fibres break down and enter the blood stream. It’s a rare but serious condition which can lead to complicated implications such as kidney failure.
Rhabdo can be caused by accidents, hard hits, burns, electrical shock, prolonged periods of immobility (muscle compressions), drugs and alcohol use, heat stroke, infections … and with extreme muscle exertions in sports. Rhabo in sports is called exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER) which can happen to untrained or pro level athletes.
There has been just enough cases of rhabdo that crossfit was labelled as “prone to it”. The company spiked the controversy with their advertising of Uncle Rhabdo – a clown vomiting after supposedly finishing a hard workout.
Above all, exertional rhabdomyolysis is still very rare and most people won’t experience it. Beside crossfit, other sports which reported ER include swimming, bodybuilding, and running, yet people are still widely taking part in them.
Myth 5: Crossfit is too hard for me.
Same as with myth one – the danger, for who the training is appropriate depends on the coaching staff. In general, crossfit workouts should be made appropriate for everyone; the company supports scaling down the exercises in a way they can be performed by all levels of athletes.
From elderly to compete beginners with no sporting backgrounds, anyone can do crossfit. If you want the proof, visit the CrossFit Inc. official’s Facebook site or drive to the nearest box in your area.
Myth 6: It’s too expensive.
Not everyone can afford to join a box. The membership costs are higher compared to francized fitness chains. However the difference is the training which is run in classes with a supervision of a coach.
The rules also state classes should be limited to 12 people. That’s where its price derives from: smaller group, a coach and the feedback.
In case you cannot afford it, there are workouts which demand no equipment and can be done at home.
Myth 7: You won’t gain muscle mass or lose weight with crossfit.
Gaining or losing weight always, and exclusively, depends on your nutrition intake. You won’t gain muscles if you don’t eat a daily surplus of calories, and nutrients, which will allow you to do so.
To build a house, you need a surplus of bricks with which you can actually construct something. The same applies to your goal of gaining a solid muscle mass.
Of course the opposite goes for losing weight: you simply have to eat less to create a calorie deficit. This means you have to burn more than you ingest.
Crossfit can easily be adjusted into a form of training with less aerobic component and more traditional bodybuilding methods which support both, gaining or losing weight. What effect you will be creating exclusively will depend on your eating habits.
Myth 8: Paleo or zone, there is no other way of eating.
Now that the paleo and zone craze has been over (and done), most crossfitters switched to moderation or flexible eating.
This way of eating allows you to combine your favourite foods, even the grains, into a reasonable ratio of all macronutrients: protein, fats and carbs.
Believe it or not, most of the crossfitters, in moderate amounts of course, enjoy a sugary dessert on weekly basis.
Myth 9: all boxes are great.
No at all.
For some of them, those myths above definitely apply. But most of them aim to run a successful business which leads us to believe they should be responsible enough to follow the rules of safety, comfort and well-being of their members.
If not, change the place.
There are plenty of great boxes around, less known but better doing their job.
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