How did you get to Crossfit

Larry Lindenman · 11-14-2004, 07:23 AM

I think it would be intresting to hear how everyone came to Crossfit. Web surfing, saw it in Outside Magazine, heard it from a friend. I'll start:
I was a regular reader of T-Nation. In September of 2003, I was jumping from program to program every two months or so. I was fit for weightlifting, but not much else. Someone on one of T-nations forums wrote to someone to "...try Crossfit.com for a diffrent workout, if your bored." He went on to say once in a while he would do the workout of the day. Well I came to the site, read everything, and started the workouts. After three months, I decided I wanted to work on my absoulte strength (really an excuse because the program was too hard) and I went off the program for a month, replacing it with a low rep, high poundage, long rest period, program. I gained weight (read fat) and decided to go back to Crossfit and dedicate myself to the program. Been here ever since and it's rare that I miss a day. In about a year I have taken two weeks off, done half volume weeks every 4th week, but have worked through illness, hangovers (once or twice), and work related time delays or lack of sleep. I hope to be swinging into my grave from a pullup bar, in 60 or so years!

Scott Kustes · 11-14-2004, 08:34 AM

I found it on a martial arts forum, though the exact one escapes me now. I too was tired of traditional bodybuilding type of training that promised to be the best way to build strength. Something in me said "isolation isn't right", but I didn't really know how to go about doing something better. Came to CF, read through everything and started incorporating compound lifts and pullups into my workouts. I dropped isolation exercises, but wasn't doing the WOD. Then I found out that Barry Cooper was in Louisville and we hooked up for some Hooverball and then later for WODs at his gym. I got hooked and started doing WODs where I could with the equipment my commercialized gym had and then came to Notre Dame, where I can actually do real squats (the gym at home only had Smith machines) and have room for cleans and such. It's easy cause no one uses the power rack here....that would require them to put down their curl bars.

Brian Gibson · 11-14-2004, 10:06 AM

A friend introduced it to me. We were doing the same bodybuilding type WOs and, quite honestly, I needed something different. They were getting boring. We would incorporate clean and press and deadlifts into my WOs from time to time and that was a welcome change. We also did our fare share of pull-ups, but nothing compared the volume that I find here. I started out doing a WOD every now and then. I then started them more frequently. Now I have been doing them on the days prescribed for a couple of months now. One of the best things I have done. I am not bored working out anymore. It doesn't take as long as my previous WOs. I enjoy my entire WO experience.

Paul Scott Suliin · 11-14-2004, 11:29 AM

I found it in a forum that I frequent for discussing knife-fighting. Hopefully that doesn't make people too uncomfortable.

Albert Clayton · 11-14-2004, 12:52 PM

I was looking at the links on Natural Strength.com and went to Dan Johns website and somehow ended up here.

Laura Rucker · 11-14-2004, 03:09 PM

Brand X Martial Arts! I was frequenting their forum (http://brandxmartialarts.com) and taking a Kickboxing class taught at my office gym by two of their advanced students. I joined the school as a "puppy" crossfitter.

Jeff Martin is a crossfit MANIAC and got me hooked.

Everyone thinks I am insane, but I'm loving it.

Michael Keller · 11-14-2004, 09:55 PM

I believe the first time I heard of it was either on selfdefenseforums or warriortalk, but I can't remember which one. I've been doing martial arts and working out forever, so I always look for something different and/or better. CrossFit is both.

George Koupatadze · 11-14-2004, 10:15 PM

I found a link to CF on the straight blast gym forum, and knew immediately I was onto something big. Although the exact details escape my memory, I know I've been on this site every day ever since.

James R. Climer · 11-14-2004, 11:09 PM

A question came up on Dave Draper's Iron Online forum about how to perform Tabata Squats back in July, 2004, and Laree Draper directed the curious to watch the video on...guess where?

I frequented cbass.com, danjohn.org, davedraper.com, and testosterone.com looking for new insight into the latest workout philosophy. I was familiar with about everything done here at CF, but hadn't put it all together like this site.
This place was something I had been seeking for about 4 years. Switching to the WOD was a no-brainer.

Dave Clarke · 11-15-2004, 01:26 AM

I'm a regular on a particular archery webring and we were having a discussion about what exercises one should do to train ones self for a heavier bow. Amongst all the pullup/pushup routines one person simply posted something along the lines of:

If you want to draw a heavy bow, shoot a large animal, and run back to camp with it on your back, go to crossfit.com.

One of the best links I've ever come across.

Dave in oz

11-14-2004, 07:23 AM	#1
Larry Lindenman Affiliate Profile: Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Chicago Illinois Posts: 2,769	I think it would be intresting to hear how everyone came to Crossfit. Web surfing, saw it in Outside Magazine, heard it from a friend. I'll start: I was a regular reader of T-Nation. In September of 2003, I was jumping from program to program every two months or so. I was fit for weightlifting, but not much else. Someone on one of T-nations forums wrote to someone to "...try Crossfit.com for a diffrent workout, if your bored." He went on to say once in a while he would do the workout of the day. Well I came to the site, read everything, and started the workouts. After three months, I decided I wanted to work on my absoulte strength (really an excuse because the program was too hard) and I went off the program for a month, replacing it with a low rep, high poundage, long rest period, program. I gained weight (read fat) and decided to go back to Crossfit and dedicate myself to the program. Been here ever since and it's rare that I miss a day. In about a year I have taken two weeks off, done half volume weeks every 4th week, but have worked through illness, hangovers (once or twice), and work related time delays or lack of sleep. I hope to be swinging into my grave from a pullup bar, in 60 or so years!

11-14-2004, 08:34 AM	#2
Scott Kustes Member Profile: Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 1,258	I found it on a martial arts forum, though the exact one escapes me now. I too was tired of traditional bodybuilding type of training that promised to be the best way to build strength. Something in me said "isolation isn't right", but I didn't really know how to go about doing something better. Came to CF, read through everything and started incorporating compound lifts and pullups into my workouts. I dropped isolation exercises, but wasn't doing the WOD. Then I found out that Barry Cooper was in Louisville and we hooked up for some Hooverball and then later for WODs at his gym. I got hooked and started doing WODs where I could with the equipment my commercialized gym had and then came to Notre Dame, where I can actually do real squats (the gym at home only had Smith machines) and have room for cleans and such. It's easy cause no one uses the power rack here....that would require them to put down their curl bars.

11-14-2004, 10:06 AM	#3
Brian Gibson Member Profile: Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Big Stone Gap VA Posts: 424	A friend introduced it to me. We were doing the same bodybuilding type WOs and, quite honestly, I needed something different. They were getting boring. We would incorporate clean and press and deadlifts into my WOs from time to time and that was a welcome change. We also did our fare share of pull-ups, but nothing compared the volume that I find here. I started out doing a WOD every now and then. I then started them more frequently. Now I have been doing them on the days prescribed for a couple of months now. One of the best things I have done. I am not bored working out anymore. It doesn't take as long as my previous WOs. I enjoy my entire WO experience.

11-14-2004, 11:29 AM	#4
Paul Scott Suliin Member Profile: Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: San Jose CA Posts: 173	I found it in a forum that I frequent for discussing knife-fighting. Hopefully that doesn't make people too uncomfortable.

11-14-2004, 12:52 PM	#5
Albert Clayton Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: San Antonio Texas Posts: 186	I was looking at the links on Natural Strength.com and went to Dan Johns website and somehow ended up here.

11-14-2004, 03:09 PM	#6
Laura Rucker Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 845	Brand X Martial Arts! I was frequenting their forum (http://brandxmartialarts.com) and taking a Kickboxing class taught at my office gym by two of their advanced students. I joined the school as a "puppy" crossfitter. Jeff Martin is a crossfit MANIAC and got me hooked. Everyone thinks I am insane, but I'm loving it.

11-14-2004, 09:55 PM	#7
Michael Keller Member Profile: Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Knoxville TN Posts: 297	I believe the first time I heard of it was either on selfdefenseforums or warriortalk, but I can't remember which one. I've been doing martial arts and working out forever, so I always look for something different and/or better. CrossFit is both.

11-14-2004, 10:15 PM	#8
George Koupatadze Member Profile: Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Arlington Heights IL Posts: 110	I found a link to CF on the straight blast gym forum, and knew immediately I was onto something big. Although the exact details escape my memory, I know I've been on this site every day ever since.

11-14-2004, 11:09 PM	#9
James R. Climer Member Profile: Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Paso Robles California Posts: 1,148	A question came up on Dave Draper's Iron Online forum about how to perform Tabata Squats back in July, 2004, and Laree Draper directed the curious to watch the video on...guess where? I frequented cbass.com, danjohn.org, davedraper.com, and testosterone.com looking for new insight into the latest workout philosophy. I was familiar with about everything done here at CF, but hadn't put it all together like this site. This place was something I had been seeking for about 4 years. Switching to the WOD was a no-brainer.

11-15-2004, 01:26 AM	#10
Dave Clarke Member Profile: Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Melbourne Victoria Posts: 61	I'm a regular on a particular archery webring and we were having a discussion about what exercises one should do to train ones self for a heavier bow. Amongst all the pullup/pushup routines one person simply posted something along the lines of: If you want to draw a heavy bow, shoot a large animal, and run back to camp with it on your back, go to crossfit.com. One of the best links I've ever come across. Dave in oz