Isn’t CrossFit dangerous? [Part 2]

Hmm… it’s kinda like running, or softball, or just about any physical activity in that the answer depends a lot on the question: how competitive do you want to be? We have friends that put in a few miles of running a couple of times of week. They aren’t as likely to be injured as someone hammering out dozens of miles per week to compete. We also have friends that “play softball” a couple of times a week; and by “play softball” we mean “drink beer”. They’ll probably never get hurt from the softball part of the equation. We can’t say that about the guys and gals who are sliding into Second in a competitive league. The same goes for CrossFit. Our clients’ injury rate at Gateway CrossFit is very low. But we don’t cater to the hardcore competition crowd. The latter are pushing the envelope in their endeavor. And there is a cost for that; as there is in any sport. (But we can say this after watching the 2013 CrossFit Games this weekend: there were hundreds of athletes pushing their bodies to the absolute limit. For athletes at that level, getting crushed for four days, the injury rate was remarkably low.)
There’s also another part to this question that hinges on something we take into account every day at Gateway CrossFit; risk vs. reward. With every workout we program we ask ourselves, “what is the risk vs. the reward?” The same should be true when you pick a fitness program. What the risks vs. the rewards? Being on an elliptical machine runs a very low risk of injury. But the fitness reward is almost nil. CrossFit is simply unparalleled in developing true, all-around fitness. Is there a slightly elevated risk involved over the no-results programs? Probably. But the rewards are light-years ahead. And most of those programs will do nothing to rehab injury/pain from lack of use/overuse. CrossFit will!
Finally, congratulations to 2013 CrossFit Games Men’s champ Rich Froning for his incredible three-peat! Congratulations to our friends at DogTown CrossFit and their athletes Sam Briggs, Lindsey Valenzuela, and Val Voboril for a stunning 1-2-3 finish among the Women! Thanks for showing us what is possible!