To Crossfit or not?

Crossfit, you either love it, hate it, or don't know anything about it! It seems to spark controversy every which way you look. The issue that drew the most attention, the incident where trainer, Kevin Olgar ended up paralyzed after an accident during competition. A competition where no medical staff was on hand?! This drew more negativity to Crossfit and blew up all over the place. I do not want to be either for or against it, or talk people into or out of it but will simply share my professional opinions on the subject. The thing with Crossfit is that it can be a great workout and you can get the results you want and rather quickly if you are diligent, but, in my opinion, Crossfit should be for elite athletes only. It is very intense, putting the body through great, often unnecessary amounts of stress and excessively heavy weights which can be very dangerous if not done with perfect form. Way too intense for the everyday exerciser. Also, doing high amounts of reps under great stress severely increases the risk for injury as the muscles tire. It will become harder and harder for your body to maintain proper form while completing repetitive exercise, setting yourself up for injury.

The other big issue with Crossfit is their certification requirements. Trainers can be certified in a weekend which means the person overseeing you perform those extremely difficult and advanced exercises while supporting incredible amounts of weight are probably not the most qualified to be doing so. That is absolutely not to say that no Crossfit trainers are qualified, it is a warning to check into the gym you are a part of or are thinking of joining and make sure everyone is experienced and they are not overcrowding classes. Too many participants and not enough trainers means not enough eyes watching everyone's form and keeping everyone safe. This goes for every exercise class, not just Crossfit...you do not want to be in a class with 50 people and 1 trainer, that trainer will never be able to keep eyes on and help everyone.

I think this article was truly well written and covers how I feel/think exactly.

As I mentioned earlier, Crossfit is a great workout and you will see results. I just advise you to proceed with caution and do some research to keep yourself healthy and happy!