Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know the owner of a crossfit gym that seriously injured himself and ended up with surgery and in the hospital. great guy, very knowledgable, but there are some things the body isn't supposed to do. to each his own, but some of the stuff is really over the top. it does give self esteem to complete some of these things, but that doesn't mean everyone should do it.

i dropped a weight plate on my foot at my regular/non CF gym last week. Does that mean I should no longer lift weights or exercise? I also knew a guy in high school who was injured and hospitalized in a soccer accident, does that mean soccer is dangerous and no one should play it? You can get injured doing any activity. Heck I pulled a muscle in my neck when i turned it too fast getting up one morning. I am not saying that there aren't some dangers to crossfit. Olympic lifts can be dangerous and you can get injured if you don't know how to properly bail on a lift. A top left CF competitor was recently paralyzed performing a snatch at a competition. At the same time I don’t think it means it is inherently unsafe or that everyone will get injured doing it. You need to know you limits and know when to say when. You also need to educate yourself on the moves and find a gym with trainers who know their stuff- beyond just having passed the general CF certification

All of this is true. Some things put you at greater potential for harm. Performing lifts in the manner that CF encourages is reckless. And CF has a disturbing attitude towards all of it's members that suffer from Rhabdomyolysis after performing their WOD's. I was ambivalent towards CF until I came across "Uncle Rhabdo". What a bunch of assholes.

Are you sure he can't go to the gym with you? My gym doesn't have an age limit. You just have to be a certain size that's safe to use the machines. And free weights can definitely be used.

That being said. I don't like crossfit for a lot of reasons, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give a try and see if he likes it. Different things work for different people.

I think having someone work with him one on one is extremely helpful though, unless he enjoys the team aspect of things. You'll just have to keep working at it until you find something he likes.

Are you or your husband scrawny? Nothing can really be done about genetics.

DD has a dance instructor who also teaches crossfit for kids - we haven't done the crossfit class due to scheduling, but having seen how she is as a dance instructor, I would trust that she would be having the kids do activities that are appropriate for growing kids. And from reading the description of the class, it did not sound like your typical crossfit for adults type of environment.

OP I would let your kid at least try it. I did crossfit for a few months before getting pregnant and still haven't gotten back into it but I miss it. CF is a good fit for people who really 1) like a challenge and need that workout high of accomplishing something each workout 2) people who are fine with the group dynamic (eg, folks cheering for you or having to post your times on a board at the end of each workout so everyone knows your business). I do know folks who get injured but they tend to be the ones that push themselves the hardest. Heck, I know people who get injured in yoga. I also think there is a different vibe at each crossfit "box" some are more hardcore than others. Some offer more variation to the workout so everyone feels like they can do it. Based on what you said, CF might be a good fit for your kid. At first it will be hard as hell but once he actually starts learning new skills etc and gets to know the kids he will feel like part of a team and that means learning to support and cheer for others as well. If he hates it, quit. You decide how many times a week he can go. You could also look into a personal crossfit trainer to do one one on one as well. Its been two years but damn, I still remember the feeling I got the first time I was able to do double unders with the jump rope...

Anonymous wrote:I know the owner of a crossfit gym that seriously injured himself and ended up with surgery and in the hospital. great guy, very knowledgable, but there are some things the body isn't supposed to do. to each his own, but some of the stuff is really over the top. it does give self esteem to complete some of these things, but that doesn't mean everyone should do it.

i dropped a weight plate on my foot at my regular/non CF gym last week. Does that mean I should no longer lift weights or exercise? I also knew a guy in high school who was injured and hospitalized in a soccer accident, does that mean soccer is dangerous and no one should play it? You can get injured doing any activity. Heck I pulled a muscle in my neck when i turned it too fast getting up one morning. I am not saying that there aren't some dangers to crossfit. Olympic lifts can be dangerous and you can get injured if you don't know how to properly bail on a lift. A top left CF competitor was recently paralyzed performing a snatch at a competition. At the same time I don’t think it means it is inherently unsafe or that everyone will get injured doing it. You need to know you limits and know when to say when. You also need to educate yourself on the moves and find a gym with trainers who know their stuff- beyond just having passed the general CF certification

You might look into tae kwon do or another martial art. I know where we go there is a fair amount of general fitness work (push ups, etc.).

I know the owner of a crossfit gym that seriously injured himself and ended up with surgery and in the hospital. great guy, very knowledgable, but there are some things the body isn't supposed to do. to each his own, but some of the stuff is really over the top. it does give self esteem to complete some of these things, but that doesn't mean everyone should do it.

have the people complaining about Crossfit actually tried it?

I did it for 4 months so by no means some hardcore CF evangelist and I never got injured. On the flip side I use to run a lot and have had numerous running injuries. I also once pulled my back muscle while working one on one with a private trainer. If you do any activity you risk injury. When I did CF I was at a great gym with trainers who were huge on form and making sure you were performing moves correctly which greatly reduces the risk of injury.

OP Crossfit is wonderful and a great way to build skills, strengths and most importantly improve self esteem. My understanding is that crossfit kids does not include heavy lifting or Olympic lifting like regular crossfit. Most of the moves are body weight. Most gyms offer a free class to check it out and any decent program will answer any questions and concerns that you have. I definitely think it is worth checking out and talking to other parents whose children do the program.

Op here - thank you!

Reason I'm asking is that my 11 yr old DS is very scrawny and weak..no other way to say it. He is on ADHD meds so his appetite is small but he also has coordination challenges. We've already gone the route of "special gyms", all of which are super $$ and honestly, not giving him what he needs. These programs are overkill in that they really cater more to children with much greater special needs and do not push him as hard as he needs to or can be pushed. I also believe these programs CAN feed into his own belief that he is "not as good at sports or fitness as his peers" - so it turns into self-fulfilling prophecy...for him at least.

He keeps asking me to take him to the gym with me but can't do that since he's only 11. I guess what I really need is a personal trainer/gym teacher type for him. Especially if he ever wants to play a team sport.

Guess I will look for a personal trainer or college kid - someone he can look up to an emulate. Dad would do it but he works till 8 most evenings. And DS needs more than just weekends.

thanks and if anyone has suggestions, I am open to hearing them.

Anonymous wrote:Great Article, keep your kid out of crossfit..

+1

Let them decide for themselves when they would like to become a douche.

Great Article, keep your kid out of crossfit..

There is a growing backlash against crossfit due to excessive injuries from the program. Google Crossfit injuries for more on that.

This article, however, spells out a different set of concerns with the whole concept of this exercise program. Might we worth a review.

http://www.t-nation.com/training/crossfit-the-good-bad-and-the-ugly

Sorry I don't know anything specific about the gym you are considering.

There is a cross fit gym in rockville that offers CF for kids.

looking for feedback on the quality of the program.

thanks