Big Rocks Build Your Foundation

In high school I had a great technology class where I was assigned to construct a water filter using no more than $2.00 worth of supplies inside an empty soda bottle. I learned that the way to build a good filter is to sort the waste from the water from largest to smallest. The top of my filter was filled with large rocks, then gravel, then coarse sand, fine sand, and finally a cheese cloth at the bottom near the spout. Remarkably, the sludge-looking water the teacher prepared came out looking clean* from my filter.

Crossfit: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

If you want to be polite company at a dinner party it’s usually best to avoid emotional and polarizing topics like politics, religion, or Crossfit. Crossfit regularly sparks fiery debates in people that are similar to the level of intensity seen in discussing closely held beliefs. If you’re prone to getting angry from reading something that differs from your world view, then avert your gaze and find something that gives you a good laugh because you really need to lighten up.

Before moving forward I must say that the following is based strictly on informed opinion and anecdotal evidence. There is next to no research on Crossfit and the research which does exist is of questionable quality, so I will have to work with the information that’s available. I have my own personal biases, but I will attempt to be as objective as possible with my analysis.

A Multidisciplinary Approach

“What kind of trainer are you?” This was the question the large man sitting in front of me kept asking. A bit over a year ago I was interviewing for a trainer position in what was listed as a “medical office” in the ad. Entering the office I saw a wide variety of posters and pamphlets all claiming miraculous results using long-debunked (and even some dangerous) ideas. It turned out this was not so much a medical office as it was a quack’s office. Going into the room to interview I was already very put off by my recent discovery, but I tried to make the best of the situation.

What’s the Point?

Every so often in my life I find it’s good to take a few minutes out of the day to ask myself why I’m doing something. What do I hope to accomplish? What’s the goal? Why do I want these things? I think all too frequently people do things without really knowing why, which in turn leaves them spinning their wheels and not going anywhere. So what’s the point of this riff-raff then?

Earn Your Exercise

Imagine walking into a boxing gym for the first time knowing nothing about boxing. Within minutes you are given some gloves and a mouth guard and told to go spar a few hard rounds against an experienced boxer training for an upcoming fight. What makes this situation ridiculous? You are a novice being asked to compete against an expert. It would be foolish to assume you could box with a professional when you don’t know how to throw a punch.You are totally unprepared.

In many traditional disciplines (including boxing) you must first demonstrate a level of proficiency before moving on to a progressively more challenging task. Back when exercise was called “physical culture” people would have to demonstrate their mastery of a skill to their coach before moving on to using heavier implements or more complex movements. In the modern world of fitness many people seem to have lost this respect for technique and movement quality, instead favoring hoisting heavier weights for more repetitions. It is not a stretch to assume this has lead to an increase in preventable injuries.