Crossfit vs Gymnastic Training

[PlastiqueFruit]

I find myself torn between the two choices. There's a gymnastics place that works with adult beginners & a cross fit place that's close to my house. Both cost about the same, but I only have the cash for 1.

Any suggestions? I'm going for a drop-in gymnastics class. The cross fit place does not have tryout classes.

[bigm141414]

Depends on your goals. CF has a decent mix of everything, strength, running, and gymnastics stuff. If you want to be specific in gymnastics and body weight stuff go the gymnastics route. Whatever you do just enjoy it I know not helpful but it is really a personal choice.

[161803398874989]

Gymnastics if you ask me. CF's programming is all over the place. Chances are that gymnastics will be as well, but at least you get some cool skills.

[Waldo]

Gymnastics if you ask me. CF's programming is all over the place. Chances are that gymnastics will be as well, but at least you get some cool skills.

Eventually here I'm probably going to switch gears and start following Coach Sommer's WOD's. First things first though I need a basic degree of competancy in all categories of skills. Even scaled down those things are straight up beast mode. With those there is at least a thought out plan.

To answer the OP, it really depends on what you would like to accomplish. Crossfit will likely have you more generally fit, while gymnastics will give you more cool skills.

[PlastiqueFruit]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I attended a gymnastics class yesterday, and I think I may stick with it, at least for a while. It was a lot for fun even though i was relegated to attempting to perform cartwheels and handstands. But frankly I've never done either of those, so I'm okay with learning some new skills. I might do cross fit come winter, cause it's closer to my house.

Thanks again!

[Razor]

I admit I've only gone to one crossfit class, but I didn't like it. Nor have I liked what I read about it. The idea is great. Train for everything. Be the boy/girl scout of fitness. Be a freaking super-solider of athleticism.

However, when I went there, they encouraged the amount of reps over good form. Doing chinups, everybody was swinging upward rather than using controlled movements. On the squatting, people were picking their heels up and bouncing off their calves. And trainers never pointed this out, and when I asked about it, they literally replied "There's no difference". Maybe things would be different if I went over to cali and forked over ridiculous loads of money to train with elite crossfitters, but my experience with them wasn't good and didn't improve when I did research afterwards. However, the idea is good, and if you personally make sure to keep your form good for exercises despite pressure of peers pumping out reps and trainers telling you you should be doing double the reps you did (What they told me), it's pretty awesome and something i will more than likely give another chance later on.

Gymnastics is ridicuoulsy awesome, and will give you a great strength to weight ratios. However, if you're tall and have longer limbs you're much more prone for injury. In fact, staying in gymnastics for a very long time no matter your strength and body type you're prone for injury. I have a friend who's 5'1 and been doing gymnastics since we were kids, and ever since high school he's always had some sort of wrap or brace every time I see him.

[161803398874989]

Gymnastics is ridicuoulsy awesome, and will give you a great strength to weight ratios. However, if you're tall and have longer limbs you're much more prone for injury. In fact, staying in gymnastics for a very long time no matter your strength and body type you're prone for injury. I have a friend who's 5'1 and been doing gymnastics since we were kids, and ever since high school he's always had some sort of wrap or brace every time I see him.

Erik says: fuck that shit. He's 6'6.

If gymnastics is injuring you, you're doing it wrong. Many coaches don't get that you need a high amount of strength to perform the elements safely.

[ellystar]

I admit I've only gone to one crossfit class, but I didn't like it. Nor have I liked what I read about it. The idea is great. Train for everything. Be the boy/girl scout of fitness. Be a freaking super-solider of athleticism.

However, when I went there, they encouraged the amount of reps over good form. Doing chinups, everybody was swinging upward rather than using controlled movements. On the squatting, people were picking their heels up and bouncing off their calves. And trainers never pointed this out, and when I asked about it, they literally replied "There's no difference". Maybe things would be different if I went over to cali and forked over ridiculous loads of money to train with elite crossfitters, but my experience with them wasn't good and didn't improve when I did research afterwards. However, the idea is good, and if you personally make sure to keep your form good for exercises despite pressure of peers pumping out reps and trainers telling you you should be doing double the reps you did (What they told me), it's pretty awesome and something i will more than likely give another chance later on.

That's definitely a fault with the trainers. My box constantly encourages good form over reps. The trainers are always on me about keeping my heels down when squatting.

[ponita]

I admit I've only gone to one crossfit class, but I didn't like it. Nor have I liked what I read about it. The idea is great. Train for everything. Be the boy/girl scout of fitness. Be a freaking super-solider of athleticism.

However, when I went there, they encouraged the amount of reps over good form. Doing chinups, everybody was swinging upward rather than using controlled movements. On the squatting, people were picking their heels up and bouncing off their calves. And trainers never pointed this out, and when I asked about it, they literally replied "There's no difference". Maybe things would be different if I went over to cali and forked over ridiculous loads of money to train with elite crossfitters, but my experience with them wasn't good and didn't improve when I did research afterwards. However, the idea is good, and if you personally make sure to keep your form good for exercises despite pressure of peers pumping out reps and trainers telling you you should be doing double the reps you did (What they told me), it's pretty awesome and something i will more than likely give another chance later on.

I have to second ellystar's experience. I've only been doing CrossFit for a few weeks but the trainers always emphasized form over number of reps. And I never felt like I was competing against the other class members, what I love about CrossFit is that you're competing against yourself. I'm recording my work-outs, my reps, and my times but not at the expense of doing it correctly. Sorry your experience with CrossFit was so negative, but it certainly goes against my experience and the experience of others I have talked to about it.

At the end, it's all about doing what you love. If you love gymnastics, stick with it and have amazing amounts of fun:victorious:

[161803398874989]

what I love about CrossFit is that you're competing against yourself.

Funny, that's what I love about strength training.

[spezzy]

I admit I've only gone to one crossfit class, but I didn't like it. Nor have I liked what I read about it. The idea is great. Train for everything. Be the boy/girl scout of fitness. Be a freaking super-solider of athleticism.

However, when I went there, they encouraged the amount of reps over good form. Doing chinups, everybody was swinging upward rather than using controlled movements. On the squatting, people were picking their heels up and bouncing off their calves. And trainers never pointed this out, and when I asked about it, they literally replied "There's no difference". Maybe things would be different if I went over to cali and forked over ridiculous loads of money to train with elite crossfitters, but my experience with them wasn't good and didn't improve when I did research afterwards. However, the idea is good, and if you personally make sure to keep your form good for exercises despite pressure of peers pumping out reps and trainers telling you you should be doing double the reps you did (What they told me), it's pretty awesome and something i will more than likely give another chance later on.

Gymnastics is ridicuoulsy awesome, and will give you a great strength to weight ratios. However, if you're tall and have longer limbs you're much more prone for injury. In fact, staying in gymnastics for a very long time no matter your strength and body type you're prone for injury. I have a friend who's 5'1 and been doing gymnastics since we were kids, and ever since high school he's always had some sort of wrap or brace every time I see him.

if the coach told you you should have compromised form to get double the reps, they are a bad coach.

like anything else, you can get good an bad coaches everywhere. this can happen in gymnastics, it can happen in yoga, it can happen in weightlifting, and it can happen in crossfit.

sorry your experience was so negative, but as a crossfit coach and having been to dozens of crossfits and having worked with many crossfit coaches, I can tell you that they're not all like that. (but yes, they do exist. a lot of them)