Crossfit

RunBabyRN · Sep 1, 2014

I've been itching to get into it, and I was finally able to go once recently. I definitely plan to go more now that I can afford it!

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Sep 1, 2014

Crossfit is a very, very intense workout program. I have several friends that do Crossfit and they really enjoy it. The thing you have to watch out for is trainers that make you work out well beyond your limits. Development of rhabdomyolysis is a very real possibility, especially if you're "early" in the training and your body isn't acclimated to the greatly increased demands that Crossfit can put on it. Done appropriately, Crossfit can be a very good all-around fitness exercise that really will get you into good shape and it can do it reasonably quickly.

Just be very attuned to your body.

I haven't done Crossfit specifically myself, but the first and last time (so far) that I did something like it, I came very close to full-blown rhabdo. I certainly did a LOT of damage to my legs as they were very weak for several weeks.

Just in case I've not made myself clear: I'm not knocking Crossfit at all. I'm just saying you should be careful in who you choose to train you.

miranda819, BSN · Sep 2, 2014

I did crossfit about a year ago, for 2 whole days...then ended up hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis. For almost a week I couldn't move my arms and it took almost 8 months before the swelling and pain went away. I don't think crossfit is a bad workout, I just think I wasn't prepared for the intensity.

crossfitnurse · Sep 2, 2014

... I'm slightly shocked by the rhabdo posts. Hydration. Hydration. Hydration. Think we would know this.

crossfitnurse · Sep 2, 2014

Anyways - I love CrossFit and have been doing it for a while now. In fact - I own my own box, as well as go to nursing school! People can say what they want but it's do-able and isn't as "intense" as it may seem, because a good coach will scale workouts to your level if needed to prevent rhabdo.

Most cases of rhabdo are actually need by people who go on hikes up large uphill trails or mountains that aren't hydrated or are not used to that amount of work.

If you are a hard worker who likes a challenge, CrossFit is the way to go. It's not for everyone. I call it, working out for smart people.

miranda819, BSN · Sep 3, 2014

I do know how to properly hydrate; I've ran and successfully completed 4 1/2 marathons. Please do not insult my intelligence. Everyone's circumstance is different, but mine involved medication that was already taxing my kidneys way too much. So before I even started crossfit, I was unknowingly behind the hydration game. Nurses are known for pushing themselves, and that is just what I did.

BlueRN95 · Sep 3, 2014

I started crossfit but stopped. Why? I've been out of work for one month now because I herniated L4-S1 disc doing a weighted back squat. I am having a microdiscectomy surgery next week. If you are going to do it, be very careful and make sure that you have disability insurance just in case something happens. It's a good workout but accidents do happen.

RNIBCLC · Sep 3, 2014

I started crossfit but stopped. Why? I've been out of work for one month now because I herniated L4-S1 disc doing a weighted back squat. I am having a microdiscectomy surgery next week. If you are going to do it, be very careful and make sure that you have disability insurance just in case something happens. It's a good workout but accidents do happen.

Ouch! :/

miranda819, BSN · Sep 3, 2014

I hope your surgery goes well uscg2RN.

BlueRN95 · Sep 3, 2014

I hope your surgery goes well uscg2RN.

Thank you!!

akulahawkRN, ADN, RN, EMT-P · Sep 3, 2014

... I'm slightly shocked by the rhabdo posts. Hydration. Hydration. Hydration. Think we would know this.

Rhabdomyolysis is a problem. Hydration helps flush the kidneys and may limit the damage, but we know rhabdo is caused by significant muscle breakdown and release of myoglobin into the bloodstream.

Anyways - I love CrossFit and have been doing it for a while now. In fact - I own my own box, as well as go to nursing school! People can say what they want but it's do-able and isn't as "intense" as it may seem, because a good coach will scale workouts to your level if needed to prevent rhabdo.
Most cases of rhabdo are actually need by people who go on hikes up large uphill trails or mountains that aren't hydrated or are not used to that amount of work.
If you are a hard worker who likes a challenge, CrossFit is the way to go. It's not for everyone. I call it, working out for smart people.

What I bolded above is a major part of getting into CF safely. Your coach should be able to gauge your limits and push you to them without causing too much muscle damage. I would hazard a guess that most people that get rhabdo through "athletic" means aren't adapted to the level of exercise they end up subjected to. My background is in Sports Med. The vast majority of people I worked with were relatively high-level athletes. Rhabdo in them is not as common...

Maintaining adequate hydration is very important. Muscles need it for proper function and if they aren't well hydrated, they can become damaged that much faster.

Like I said earlier, I'm not knocking CF at all. It's just that, like any exercise regimen, you find a coach that can ease you into it and knows when you should back off. It's just easy to overdo it in a CF gym.

As a reminder, exercise actually damages muscle tissue and it's the post-workout repair process that actually builds muscle.