Crossfit's greatest challenge

Colin McNulty · 09-25-2006, 02:01 AM

Hi, unlike what seems like nearly every noobie posting here, I'm not already a fitness expert. In fact, it's worrying me somewhat that the only people that seem to start Crossfit already have years of fitness training behind them, but we'll see.

I used to do a lot of athletics as a teenager but that was 15 years ago, and I have done *no* exercise of any kind for 15 years, and have worked in desk jobs all that time. I have a very sedentary life! At 6 foot I now weight 14st 8lbs (about 205 lbs) and actually measured the widest part of my waist last night. I shocked myself to discover it was 43 inches!!

So, is crossfit right for an over weight, completely out of condition guy like me as well?

There is one other thing I'd like an opinion on please: The reason I stopped exercise in my teens was because I got fed up of falling over! Basically, every now and then whilst sprinting, one of my knees would give way and I'd end up eating dirt. I went to the doctors in the end and had an op on the worst knee. They poked and prodded and cleaned it, but basically said there was nothing to be done. I never did get a sensible diagnoses, other than it was fooked and there was nothing they could do.

A few years ago (10 years later), I decided to go back to the doctors again, and this time his an MRI scan and full x-rays again. Basically I apparently have rough surfaces on the underside of my kneecaps or something and this rubs when exercising and causes pain and inflamation. Again there's nothing they can do, and again the doctor was a bit vague. I'm not sure they really know what's wrong as every normal physical examination is fine.

Practical symptoms are that any kind of knee impact sport swiftly creates significant pain and I fall over. Just kicking a football once for example can result in a massively sharp pain that ends up with me on my butt and hobbling for 3 days. :-( As a result, I'm terrified of even simply running.

Twisting of knees is also a major problem, I have to take care just waking down a flight of stairs if it has a turn half way down, as the twist motion combined with the extra pressure of stepping down can end up with me tumbling. As long as I'm going in a straight line however, mostly I'm fine if I'm careful.

However, I can't continue like this or I'll end up dieing of a heart attack. I'm hoping that I can modify the crossfit WOD's to compensate for my knees, and maybe being fitter will actually help them? What do you think?

BTW, anyone know of a Crossfit outfit in Manchester, UK?

... oops, sorry this intro post is so long, thanks for reading.

Rory Gibson · 09-25-2006, 04:43 AM

Hi Colin,
Welcome to Crossfit!
There are plenty of people on here who've started from being very out of shape, and are now extremely fit.

I'm not a physio, but I do know that I've had a fair bit of knee (and back) trouble myself, and correctly performed movements such as the squat and other Crossfit staples may help to stabilise your knees.
In any case - yes, you're right, you should be able to modify the WODs enough to still get benefit even while taking care of your joints.

If you send a message to Mark Beck on this forum he might be able to help you with Crossfit in Manchester - I know he was thinking of starting something.

Kevin McKay · 09-25-2006, 06:14 AM

cross fit is the perfect place you, the program can be adapted to anyone situation with fantastic results! I have had times when my back/hips where so bad I could not run/jump at all, but was still able to train. I am now defiantly in the very best shape of my entire life at 38 thanks to cross fit. First thing to do is get some of the weight off you knees. Look into either the zone or paleo diet. Or just do this if you don't want to buy and books.

4-5 meals a day

protein size of palm of hand every meal
non starchy green leafy veggies unlimited every meal
nuts small hand full or 1 tbs oil every meal
fruit 1 piece per meal
Don't eat after 6 except post workout

no grain or grain products
no refined or processed anything
no legumes
no sugars
no juice
no dairy

Example foods to eat
chicken, lean grass fed beef, turkey, eggs
broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower
walnuts macadamia nuts
fish oil, walnut oil, canola oil, olive oil
berries

(Message edited by kmckay on September 25, 2006)

Frank M Needham · 09-25-2006, 06:15 AM

Crossfit is for everyone if approached with commone sense, much like many things in life. What you want to do is scale the WODs to fit your abilities. Start slow, always testing yourself. Try to get your eating habits under control. Use the search button to read up on things you want to know about, it is very helpful. Keep reading this site, it can change your life.

Kevin McKay · 09-25-2006, 06:31 AM

Here is a great food list created by Rob Wolf (crossfit nutritional guru).

If you simply eat like this you will see dramatic changes in your body composition.

(Message edited by kmckay on September 25, 2006)

Matthew Mackey · 09-25-2006, 06:55 AM

As far as knee pain goes, I've had inflammation in my right knee for a few years now--I've made pretty good progress through xfit the past few months, and I've come to realize that strengthening my glutes and really activiating them when I walk, run or generally do weight-bearing activity has helped to take a lot of stress off of my knees and spreads the force out such that my knee doesn't bother me (as much--I've still got a fair bit of progress to make). Working the squats with good form, deadlifting, and generally being aware of and activating your glutes when you walk should help you develop strength and stability there.

Andrew G. Greenberg · 09-25-2006, 07:13 AM

colin, follow this maxim about musculoskeletal pain and you can't go wrong: If it hurts, don't do it. if you need to know how to modify a movement to match your abilities, just ask.

Colin McNulty · 09-25-2006, 11:32 AM

Thanks for the all the great replies. Just from today, I'm already in contact with 2 crossfit guys in Manchester and have emailed Mark Beck who appears to live in the same town as me!

Mike Neill · 09-25-2006, 01:15 PM

Colin, take heart. My age is past prime. In January I was totally de-conditioned after several years of beer & Twinkies. I walked, then jogged until March to get some sort of conditioned capacity. Then I began one-on-one weekly training with Dave Werner at Cross Fit North. I started full class particpation a few weeks later. It has not been easy but if your goals are clearly defined and you are committed to them, eventually with scalability you will be able to lift the cup and drink the Kool-Aid.

Laura Rucker · 09-25-2006, 05:14 PM

Colin : So, is crossfit right for an over weight, completely out of condition guy like me as well?

Yes. I started out the same as you. Except in high school, I was unfit as well. I played a bit of tennis and that was it.

Now, I can do things at 40 I never could have done at 18. This program is AWESOME for out of shape mid-lifers.

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09-25-2006, 02:01 AM	#1
Colin McNulty Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Stockport Manchester Posts: 205	Hi, unlike what seems like nearly every noobie posting here, I'm not already a fitness expert. In fact, it's worrying me somewhat that the only people that seem to start Crossfit already have years of fitness training behind them, but we'll see. I used to do a lot of athletics as a teenager but that was 15 years ago, and I have done no exercise of any kind for 15 years, and have worked in desk jobs all that time. I have a very sedentary life! At 6 foot I now weight 14st 8lbs (about 205 lbs) and actually measured the widest part of my waist last night. I shocked myself to discover it was 43 inches!! So, is crossfit right for an over weight, completely out of condition guy like me as well? There is one other thing I'd like an opinion on please: The reason I stopped exercise in my teens was because I got fed up of falling over! Basically, every now and then whilst sprinting, one of my knees would give way and I'd end up eating dirt. I went to the doctors in the end and had an op on the worst knee. They poked and prodded and cleaned it, but basically said there was nothing to be done. I never did get a sensible diagnoses, other than it was fooked and there was nothing they could do. A few years ago (10 years later), I decided to go back to the doctors again, and this time his an MRI scan and full x-rays again. Basically I apparently have rough surfaces on the underside of my kneecaps or something and this rubs when exercising and causes pain and inflamation. Again there's nothing they can do, and again the doctor was a bit vague. I'm not sure they really know what's wrong as every normal physical examination is fine. Practical symptoms are that any kind of knee impact sport swiftly creates significant pain and I fall over. Just kicking a football once for example can result in a massively sharp pain that ends up with me on my butt and hobbling for 3 days. :-( As a result, I'm terrified of even simply running. Twisting of knees is also a major problem, I have to take care just waking down a flight of stairs if it has a turn half way down, as the twist motion combined with the extra pressure of stepping down can end up with me tumbling. As long as I'm going in a straight line however, mostly I'm fine if I'm careful. However, I can't continue like this or I'll end up dieing of a heart attack. I'm hoping that I can modify the crossfit WOD's to compensate for my knees, and maybe being fitter will actually help them? What do you think? BTW, anyone know of a Crossfit outfit in Manchester, UK? ... oops, sorry this intro post is so long, thanks for reading.

09-25-2006, 04:43 AM	#2
Rory Gibson Member Profile: Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Doncaster Yorkshire Posts: 57	Hi Colin, Welcome to Crossfit! There are plenty of people on here who've started from being very out of shape, and are now extremely fit. I'm not a physio, but I do know that I've had a fair bit of knee (and back) trouble myself, and correctly performed movements such as the squat and other Crossfit staples may help to stabilise your knees. In any case - yes, you're right, you should be able to modify the WODs enough to still get benefit even while taking care of your joints. If you send a message to Mark Beck on this forum he might be able to help you with Crossfit in Manchester - I know he was thinking of starting something.

09-25-2006, 06:14 AM	#3
Kevin McKay Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: albany ca Posts: 1,110	cross fit is the perfect place you, the program can be adapted to anyone situation with fantastic results! I have had times when my back/hips where so bad I could not run/jump at all, but was still able to train. I am now defiantly in the very best shape of my entire life at 38 thanks to cross fit. First thing to do is get some of the weight off you knees. Look into either the zone or paleo diet. Or just do this if you don't want to buy and books. 4-5 meals a day protein size of palm of hand every meal non starchy green leafy veggies unlimited every meal nuts small hand full or 1 tbs oil every meal fruit 1 piece per meal Don't eat after 6 except post workout no grain or grain products no refined or processed anything no legumes no sugars no juice no dairy Example foods to eat chicken, lean grass fed beef, turkey, eggs broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, cauliflower walnuts macadamia nuts fish oil, walnut oil, canola oil, olive oil berries (Message edited by kmckay on September 25, 2006)

09-25-2006, 06:15 AM	#4
Frank M Needham Member Profile: Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Las Vegas NV Posts: 440	Crossfit is for everyone if approached with commone sense, much like many things in life. What you want to do is scale the WODs to fit your abilities. Start slow, always testing yourself. Try to get your eating habits under control. Use the search button to read up on things you want to know about, it is very helpful. Keep reading this site, it can change your life.

09-25-2006, 06:55 AM	#6
Matthew Mackey Member Profile: Join Date: May 2006 Location: Hanover NH Posts: 17	As far as knee pain goes, I've had inflammation in my right knee for a few years now--I've made pretty good progress through xfit the past few months, and I've come to realize that strengthening my glutes and really activiating them when I walk, run or generally do weight-bearing activity has helped to take a lot of stress off of my knees and spreads the force out such that my knee doesn't bother me (as much--I've still got a fair bit of progress to make). Working the squats with good form, deadlifting, and generally being aware of and activating your glutes when you walk should help you develop strength and stability there.

09-25-2006, 07:13 AM	#7
Andrew G. Greenberg Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Charlotte NC Posts: 402	colin, follow this maxim about musculoskeletal pain and you can't go wrong: If it hurts, don't do it. if you need to know how to modify a movement to match your abilities, just ask.

09-25-2006, 11:32 AM	#8
Colin McNulty Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Stockport Manchester Posts: 205	Thanks for the all the great replies. Just from today, I'm already in contact with 2 crossfit guys in Manchester and have emailed Mark Beck who appears to live in the same town as me!

09-25-2006, 01:15 PM	#9
Mike Neill Member Profile: Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Seattle WA Posts: 214	Colin, take heart. My age is past prime. In January I was totally de-conditioned after several years of beer & Twinkies. I walked, then jogged until March to get some sort of conditioned capacity. Then I began one-on-one weekly training with Dave Werner at Cross Fit North. I started full class particpation a few weeks later. It has not been easy but if your goals are clearly defined and you are committed to them, eventually with scalability you will be able to lift the cup and drink the Kool-Aid.

09-25-2006, 05:14 PM	#10
Laura Rucker Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 836	Colin : So, is crossfit right for an over weight, completely out of condition guy like me as well? Yes. I started out the same as you. Except in high school, I was unfit as well. I played a bit of tennis and that was it. Now, I can do things at 40 I never could have done at 18. This program is AWESOME for out of shape mid-lifers.