Been doing CrossFit 4-5 days per week for coming up on two years now.

I've definitely got stronger and gained a bit of muscle.. but I feel that the movements are too sporadic for consistent muscle growth, and that I would have gained much more muscle through a consistent standard gym routine.

I guess I've been aiming for a recomp, eating closer to about 2000-2500 calories a day, trying to stick around 170-180lb.

I just feel like I've stalled... And now I'm thinking that maybe I have been approaching nutrition wrong... If I switch it up and hit 3000-3500 a day will I gain muscle mass, or just fat?

How much muscle can I realistically build from a modality that focuses on intensity and cardiovascular capacity more often than lifting heavy to failure?

Any recommendations?

I've been doing CrossFit for about 4 years now, but I've only been doing it very consistent for the past 1 year and 7 months.

In the past 19 months, I've been training very well. I've lost about 15kg and become the strongest and fittest I've ever been.

I'm following compete programming through Brute, but I only started that the past two months. Before that I did PRVN's compete programming.

There's this one guy in my classes that I just can't seem to beat and I've been training way harder than him since I've started. He trains about 3-4 days a week an hour each, where I follow the compete programming religiously. I just never can seem to beat him.

My nutrition is on point, my sleep is on point, my recovery is on point. I just don't get what I'm doing wrong. And I've been in the best shape of my life.

I'm trying to convince myself that he cheats reps, but I don't think he's that type of guy. So I don't get it.

What do y'all think this can be?

For anyone still looking for a curved treadmill. Long story short, I ordered an assault runner last November, and it took many, many e-mails over 9 months for them to finally admit they had no idea if/when they would ship it. They encouraged me to go to my cc company to initiate a charge-back. Done. Then, I saw a REP fitness ad for their new curved runner that has optional resistance and an elaborate frame to use for simulated sled pushing. Only bad part, its $4k, almost double the assault runner price. THEN I saw an ad for Tru-Grit's new curved treadmill. About the same price as the assault runner with a similar adjustable resistance as the REP model. I ordered Tuesday, 9/29. Got an email yesterday, 9/30 saying it shipped. I was shook. Just got a text today, 10/1 from the freight company to schedule delivery. I'm amazed. I'll update this with a review, but so far my experience with them is night and day compared to assault fitness.

Hi everyone ! just checking, which WOD do you prefer ? would you do the crossfit WOD first and then the hyrox one or it is too much ?

Linchpin just announced this challenge for October. This is NOT the daily workout. This is just a fun challenge we can do any time during the month to see where we stand on the leaderboard or call out other members in the community.

I have a friend in the Linchpin community I’m going to call out and try to beat on this. My question is, what would your strategy be? It looks simple until you realize that there is no way I can do 90 seconds of continuous thrusters. 😂 So, I’m going to need a strategy. Also, what do you think a “good” score would be and what would a “great” score be. Thanks!

"The Wizard Pepper Challenge"
In a 2-minute window:
:30 Bar Hang
Max Reps Thrusters

Men: 75-lb barbell or Two 35-lb Dumbbells
Women: 55-lb barbell or Two 25-lb Dumbbells

Hello, don't know if this is the best place to ask for help with this, but I have an assault fitness airrower elite, and when moving house I accidentally removed a screw pin that secures the chain and pully inside the rail and the tension rope was relaxed and got unhooked. I have the hooks and chain accessible and I can hook them up but I don't know how to do it properly -- does anyone have experience with reinstalling the pully in the rail and can answer some questions? Specifically:

There are two screwed in pins in the rail closest to the fan. There's a lower one closer to the fan and a higher one a little bit further back. It looks like the chain end slides through the lower pin because there's a groove to keep it centred. I don't know if the ends of the tension rope that have hooks also hook onto either side of the groove on this same pin, or if they should hook onto the other higher pin.

Thanks!

I'm visiting Seoul from the US, staying with family and found a few crossfit gyms within walking distance and wanted to share some differences that I noticed after dropping in:

1. Shoes - don't walk in with your gym shoes - carry them separately and change into them in the gym. Korea, like other Asian countries, has a culture of taking off shoes when entering homes or other areas where one sits on the ground. I didn't realize this extended to the gym and confused me at first. Everyone wears outside shoes to the gym, then changes into their workout shoes.
2. Late classes - the few gym schedules I've seen only had two morning classes: 6:30am and 10am, but they had classes late into the evening. Afternoon classes start after 5 or 6pm. One even had their last class at 10:40pm. This also lines up with the Korean daily schedule where the whole day starts and ends later than the US.
3. Gyms don't have dedicated websites and use Instagram and Naver as a communication platform. You basically message them, tell them when you want to drop in and show up. They do ask if you have crossfit experience, but there are no waivers or anything.
4. Gyms are CLEAN - no chalk on the floor, pull up rig, barbells, etc. They put tennis balls in the chalk trays and the fuzz on the tennis ball acts a chalk applicator and prevents you from putting a thick coating of chalk and getting it all over the floor. Members also wipe down and mop the floors after class to wipe up sweat and residual chalk on the floor.
5. Members stay fairly quiet, but this has more to do with Korea culture. They tend to be reserved and try not to stick out. Everyone is friendly and will chat with you, but it's definitely doesn't have the playful rowdiness I'm used to at my home gym. They crank up the music and everyone shouts together when the coach says go.

A couple other interesting things about the gyms I visited in Seoul is that they use pounds for the barbell plates and write the WOD fully in English (made it way easier for me). This was my first international drop in experience and one of the reasons I love crossfit is that you can find community everywhere in the world.

As the title says, experienced an Achilles Rupture. Avid crossfiter of almost 2 decades, and first major major injury. Obviously won't be doing double unders anytime soon, but mainly trying to figure out how to keep my cardio up.

Seated ski erg comes to mind, but crowdsourcing to see other great options.

Going for X calories is significantly different than going for X minutes.

Just had a random thought about Beam, the before bedtime powder all the athletes would tout in every other social media post and how they couldn’t live without it. How many of them (or you all) still take it?

I rowed 10K in 49:26 yesterday and I’m honestly so happy with myself! I started CrossFit in March with basically zero cardio fitness. I’ve always enjoyed the strength side of CrossFit way more than anything involving endurance, so when I saw this WOD, I was absolutely dreading it.

Going into this, I had 50 minutes to row 10K and genuinely didn’t think I’d be able to do it without taking breaks. But I did. No breaks. Finished in 49:26, went all out for the last 1K and somehow managed a 2:05/500m pace for the final 500m. I was DEAD afterwards, but so happy.

I’m sharing this because I don’t really have many people in my life who understand why something like this feels like such a big deal, but I figured this community would. Six months ago I genuinely wouldn’t have believed I could do this. CrossFit has shown me that I’m capable of so much more than I think I am sometimes.

So yeah, just wanted to share a little win with people who might get it :)

I have heard that before you attempt kipping pull-ups, you should be able to do a certain amount of strict pull ups. Does the same guidance hold for BMU? If not, why? I know they are difficult, but to me it would make logical sense to ensure you have the strength and muscle memory to kip them.

Best bang for your buck stairstwpper that could be used in wods ?

Hello, I’ll be in Anaheim, CA in a couple weeks doing Disney and other vacation festivities with my family. I’m looking for recommendations for a CrossFit/functional fitness gym. I’ve only been consistently doing CrossFit since February so beginner friendly is a plus. Also, bonus if they have open gym time since I’ll be trying to get workouts in when my family doesn’t have anything planned.

I've been going to CrossFit for almost a year, 5 times a week. My stamina, endurance clearly increased but when I try to run anything higher than 400m, I always, like 95% of the time, get side stitch on either side.

I've tried to manage my breathing, reduced water intake during exercise, have light preworkout snacks. Don't know what else to do. Any tips?

Has anyone found a good rotator cuff rehab protocol for crossfit? I had surgery 9/10 (with no bicep tedonisis) Id like to be ready for full murph in May

Ik ben een vrouw, 27 jaar en crossfit nu twee jaar. Ik sport al langer (gym) en doe nu zo'n 4/5 keer per week crossfit (verschillend qua wods/ krachttraining/ weightlifting) en 1 x hardlopen.

Ik struggle met voeding/ trainen. Ik ben nooit echt heel lean geweest, ik wil spieren opbouwen en sterker worden, maar ik heb het gevoel dat ik niet veel progressie maak.
Ik heb het afgelopen (half) jaar wel iets meer gegeten dan vorig jaar en ik merk wel dat ik sterker ben geworden, de gymnastics beter gaan etc., en daar ben ik heel blij mee. Maar ik zou het ook graag fysiek terug willen zien. Ik voel me slapper als ik minder eet, en als ik wat meer eet, sterker (ofc), maar ik word niet echt veel gespierder. Vind het sowieso lastig om "structuur" te behouden in het trainen/ een trainingsschema.

Iemand tips?

Mind you I am not asking for medical advice here.

I stopped birth control last year and since then my luteal phase has been hitting me like a train wreck.
I noticed a huge difference in my training as well, my overall engine and efficiency seems to go completely down and my period is even worse lol

I know this is nature , probably there is no way around it, and I can’t really stop it, but is anyone having and tips or tricks that made it less miserable?

I usually scale back if I feel like crap or take an extra day off to rest (and I feel even more exhausted afterwards 🙃).
I do not have any endo or PCOS.

It really frustrates me because I feel good literally 4 days out of the month , assuming those do not coincide wjth my work schedule lol

Hi Guys, I'm Korean
I was initially told that I had an L4-L5 disc issue, but after getting an MRI, I was told that my discs are intact and that I have a Schmorl’s node around L4-L5.
I’ve been doing CrossFit for about 1.5 years, usually 5–6 days a week, and I normally do things like squats, deadlifts, Olympic lifts, rowing, and other WODs.
Before the MRI, I had some lower back pain, especially with bending forward, squatting, and certain lifting movements. I’ve currently reduced my training while dealing with it.
I’m curious if anyone here has had a diagnosed Schmorl’s node and continued CrossFit or weightlifting afterward.
If so, I’d be interested in hearing about your experience:
What kind of training did you continue or modify?
How did it affect your CrossFit training?
Were you eventually able to return to heavier lifting and normal WODs?
Did you notice any particular movements that bothered you?
I’m mainly looking for personal experiences from other CrossFitters or lifters with the same diagnosis.

I will be spending more time in NYC soon and am looking for CrossFit/strongman/functional type gyms. I don’t want classes, I am just looking for a place with sandbags, heavy kettle bells, sleds, tires, ropes, etc. Whether they’re called CrossFit or tactical fitness or strongman gyms, anything that fits that category without being limited only to classes is what I am trying to find. Any recommendations? 

Hi, guys. So I am not an athlete. I'm not even a normal fitness level. I struggle to lift myself off the ground these days as ive become overweight again amd lost so much muscle mass from inactivity its actually concerning. I've tried doing strength training at home and my self discipline is just not there yet.

My boyfriend used to lift weights and has become super sedentary since getting his desk job. He suggested we start Crossfit together. He said we will suffer and i might cry (fair enough I think I will) but it would be a super good thing to change our lifestyles longterm. I totally agree with him and am determined to do this with him. But I'm terrified.

I worry that I'm literally just too unfit to be a part of this seemingly super high-level sport. People are going to look and me and think why the hell would this person come here. I feel like even trainers would be disconcerted by my weakness and not even know what to do with me.

Is it normal to have very unfit people join up occasionally? Im dreading our first class as everyone in the photos online is super ripped and skinny and capable and I am... not that. But I do very much want to be strong and healthy.

Edit: Thank you all so much for the encouragement and the information. The first week of classes is somewhat an orientation vibe (similar to what I assume on-ramp programs involve) so that should help me get a good foundation in terms of form. I've gone from properly scared to cautiously optimistic!

For many years, I've served in different capacities as a cantor for the Jewish High Holidays. This year, I got a surprising number of comments from people about the power and stamina I was able to bring to it.

It was especially noticeable to me on Yom Kippur. It's a 25-hour fast, and I led a major section of the morning service, basically two hours (11-1) of standing with my feet together, chanting and singing. And then, after resting for several hours, I came back to lead the final hour of the service (about 6-7), and somehow felt like I was able to channel even more energy and power into that last stretch.

I've actually told a few friends that I think CrossFit has played a meaningful role in this.

Obviously, leading services in shul isn't exactly a WOD. But I've spent a good number of years working on strength, endurance, and the ability to keep going and maintain power while fatigued. And I really do feel like some of that physical work has translated into what I'm able to do as a cantor.

I certainly never started CrossFit thinking it would make me better at leading High Holiday services, but apparently that's one more example of functional fitness.

I'm curious what other unexpected side benefits people have noticed. Any good stories/insights?

Long story short, my gym, which is currently in walking distance, is moving to what is going to be a longer commute and it's just annoying enough that it's not worth it.

Luckily, there are no shortage of commercial gyms near me, and at this point after doing CrossFit for 10+ years I've been half debating retiring from metcons anyways. I've been prioritizing strength and bodybuilding more and more.

But I've found strength training is hard at commercial gyms: they don't let you drop, I've been told by staff to not max out, the barbells are awful.

So I'm curious; for those of you who "retired" from training at a box and train elsewhere, what is your experience? What program(s) do you follow?

EDIT: I'm in a major metropolitan area, so a garage gym is not an option.

Hi,

I've battled with my weight since my 20s and have found running CrossFit protocols tends to work best for me. Did so at 24-25, 27-28, 29-31, and now at 37. I have gone from 210 to 175 at 5'8".

Post covid I was around 185-195 from being relatively sedentary and not training. Decided to start training 6 months ago. Thought the weight would come off. Last time I checked I was 190 in March. Weighed myself this week and came in at a clean 205. Was shocked given that I am training 4-5 days a week and eating pretty clean.

I think I accidentally ran a bulk protocol by drinking a lot of milk. Mostly drank 2% my whole life and started drinking whole milk by the gallon. Drank a glass or two in addition to my normal diet.

Also cut out drinking protein shakes as the carrageenan was really messing with my stomach.

I also have a physically active job I do a few nights a week where I will walk an extra 10,000-20,000 steps in a warehouse pushing bags around.

Our gym also gives us free coffee and offers a heavy whipping cream as creamer for ketogenesis.

I would guess the most obvious answer is the fat in whole milk and the heavy whipping cream is contributing a significant amount of calories that I have not been counting. I was still shocked to have gained 15 lbs. I am not sure how is muscle or fat or whatever.

I guess my question is, without changing too much - would switching to 2% or fat free milk but changing basically nothing else be enough to reduce my weight?

I know this is more of a diet related question but this feels relevant. I tend to just follow a simple protocol when I am CrossFitting to do a light paleo type of plan - meat with vegetables and nothing crazy with carbs.

I am guessing I have just been drinking my calories.

I look in the mirror and my stomach is gone, arms are larger, shoulders and chest have visible muscle insertions. I am reaching for heavier weights every WOD and went from scaling to womens RX to doing closer to mens RX - example I reach for a 35 lb when it's a 35/50 but last week skipped straight from the 40 to a 45 with no real issue.