Bob-gar

I've been Crossfitting for just over two months now and I absolutely love it. It takes some time to get into the group and get acquainted with the other members but the camaraderie is great and is part of what keeps me coming back. Definitely do your research and keep a skeptical eye on the coaches and the training. For me, the certs and stats of the coaches wasn't as important as my internal BS alarm. If what the coach was telling me to do didn't pass the "sniff test" I would've dumped out long ago. My box is relatively new and has a small group, but I kinda like that. We get close attention from our coaches and it's more intimate, but less intimidating. I've been seeing great results personally and across the group and we all get along really well. The downside to a small box is you run into the growing pains: having to share equipment, small facilities, etc. However, it just becomes a part of the process and we adapt. Try to drop in on a workout and see if you get along well with the coach and others. Sometimes the coach can be a world class athlete, but if they don't get you or understand how you tick, then it might not work for ya. All in all, it should be fun and challenging. You should be encouraged to push yourself to your limits and more, but not to the point of injury. You know your body better than the coaches do so you have to learn to communicate well, but as a med student I can imagine you've got that covered. Good Luck!

Yea I definitely hear you on the scaling, however I think I'm in the opposite direction as you: I want the lifting to supplement CrossFit.

Thanks for the comments guys. i'm still pretty new to CrossFit and I haven't decided where I really want to focus. I like strength, but I also want to improve on endurance. Not that they're mutually exclusive, though.

Hey guys, I started CrossFit at a local box here in town and I'm loving it. I've missed the feeling of getting my ass handed to me at the gym. However, at 3 workouts a week, I feel like I could do more. I've been toying with the notion of supplementing my CrossFit workouts a few days out of the week with running and weights. I'm only a week in, but I want to get my strength up. So my question is, at what point would it be okay to start adding in extra workouts? Also, before I decided to do CrossFit I was thinking about starting Stronglifts 5x5. Has anyone tried working the two programs together? I realize these questions need to be asked of my coaches, but I also wanted to get some opinions from fellow NFers.

Wife and I got a Rogue S2 Rack. Solid as a rock and easy to move if needed (sits under attic access). Love it!

Thanks for the info guys. We're both trying to work through it the best we can. I know when the muscles get stronger there, it gets better and doesn't hurt quite as much. But it also doesn't go away altogether. Anyways, thanks again!

Wow, thanks for those great words. It's definitely encouraging. I definitely have to fight myself because at times I do feel like I'm not hardcore anymore. I have to be honest in that, yea I'm not hardcore anymore. I have to accept it. Squeezing in time for a workout is definitely a tricky task. My wife and I invested in a good rack from Rogue and are set for lifting and running. I just need to get my legs healthy and then I can start actually getting into it again. Thank you again.

Thanks again for the responses. I've been trying to RICE it. Admittedly not doing a great job at that. I'm on the go all day so it's pretty tough to sit and elevate it. I've been doing some light body weight stuff, but the tricky part is staying in it mentally. It's hard keeping your motivation up when you know you're not going to be able to do 90% of the stuff you need to do. Thanks for the advice though. Good luck in all of your personal quests. I'll definitely join y'all on the other side of this issue.

Thanks for the responses guys. A little more background: We have a decent setup here at home to eliminate having to plan gym time. Also we live in a nice neighborhood, so we can run outside. It's just that, for me, I don't feel comfortable doing anything until my achilles starts feeling better. I'm going to see the doc soon, but I'm afraid of bad news. I guess I'm having trouble dealing with falling so far backwards and now, not truly being able to fix it.

Over two years ago, I did something I never thought possible. I got in shape. I lost over 40 lbs., and built some muscle. I didn’t achieve my ultimate goal of single digit body fat or chiseled abs, however, I made some impressive gains. The whole process sparked an interest in personal fitness that I wanted to continue throughout my life. Somewhere between now and then, I lost my edge. There were a number of life events that happened, from the wife getting her bachelor’s degree, to our first child being born, to buying our first home, that made it difficult to maintain the life I was creating for myself. I just haven’t been the same since. I’m trying to rekindle the fire and work my way back to where I was and beyond, but I seem to keep falling into the same, or similar, pitfalls. Currently, my ability to workout is somewhat hindered due to, what appears to be, achilles tendonitis. (Haven’t been to a doc yet, but I’m trying to get an appointment scheduled) I’ve been away from running and lifting for over a month and now I’m at a point where it feels like I’m starting over again. Simple body weight workouts have me depressed and wanting to quit. I’m struggling to do push ups, for crying out loud. Before, when this all started, I had help. I had a trainer to guide and push me, I had my wife right there with me, and I had no other commitments pulling my attention away. Now, there’s no trainer, my wife is still with me, albeit on her own program, we have a home and a child to take care of, and my time is getting shorter by the day. Needless to say this is all hard for me to take. It’s depressing and frustrating. I know what I’m capable of. I know how strong I’ve been in the past and how strong I can be in the future. I just don’t know how to put it all together. Where do I begin?

Excellent points. I'm definitely taking my time and I think I'll avoid all things ankle for ample rest. Thanks for that link as well...great info!

That quote is my theme for 2014! Congrats on the 10k/5k times! I'm looking to running more and improving while starting SL myself. This is great motivation!

Hey guys, I had planned to start lifting again, starting the Stronglifts program from scratch. However I've developed a case of Achilles Tendonitis. This is definitely going to keep me from running for a while, but I'm curious if this is going to limit weight lifting. Has anyone else had the same issue or similar?

For my 2 cents, I've been lifting in either my Vibrams or my Merrell Trail Gloves. Both are very stable and adaptable. As progress further, I'll eventually get some proper lifting shoes, but for my level of strength and fitness, these work best.

Hey guys, My wife and I have both been having this problem for some time and we're looking for ways to remedy the issue. On the outside of my right shoulder, starting from the top and extending down the arm a few inches, I get a sharp pain and stiffness when lifting my arm up overhead. If my arms are in front of me, kind of like doing an OHP, and I extend upward, it doesn't hurt as much. But if my arms are at my side and I extend them outwards and up (imagine if you were flapping your wings) then I tend to notice it more. I'm thinking this is due to how I sleep at night and I'm already trying to learn to sleep differently. Any clues on what this might be? Or ways to strengthen and repair the issue? Thanks