New crossfiter. Read before the hate

[C T J]

Your post shows you have almost no knowledge of nutrition. Neither CF nor eating "clean" has anything to do with getting lean. In fact, crossfit type workouts are a great way to LOSE muscle in a dieting stage if that is your desire.

I think Oly lifts are great and very athletic as well as challenging. The bastardization of them in CF is so far beyond what anyone should even consider doing...well....it's stupid. Form above all else in olympic lifing. Performance above all else in CF. That is why you see so many injuries. Hell, you can kick, swing, and round all you want, as long as it gets you more reps in the end.

CF is NOT a path to proper body composition. Eating to proper nutritional requirements is. Period.

I'm very well versed in nutrition actually. You seemed to have taken my post the wrong way.
What I meant was that I focused on eating clean back then while having maco splits (usually 30f, 50p, 20c and 40f, 30p, 30c)
But I was a "clean eater" and I simply got burned out. In total, we're talking over 7 years ago. I didn't know as much back
then as I do know now. Now, I basically eat whatever I want but balance my macros. Again I know more now than I did over 7 years ago.

As far as performance above all else in CF, that depends on who/where you train. Form is number #1 in every CF gym I've trained in.
I've posted numerous videos of my lifts. The consensus seems to be my form looks pretty damn good.

 

[C T J]

I also train at a regular gym and have yet to see a guy/girl perform the deadlift with proper form.
I've only seen a few people squat properly. I've yet to see a person use full ROM on the leg press.
Blows my mind. They also use the bumper plates for their "deadlifts" which cracks me up.
I'll just be over here snatching and clean and Jerking with the bumpers. But do I clown
on any of these guys/girls? Nope...doesn't matter what gym you go to, you're always going to see some jokers.

 

[macgyver]

What I meant was that I focused on eating clean back then while having maco splits

But I was a "clean eater" and I simply got burned out. .

Can you explain to me what "clean eating" is? To me, if I drop some food on the floor, I will wash it before eating. That is about all "clean" eating means to me. Currently I am down well below 10%bf and on a weekly basis, I consume, pasta, pizza, breads. 3-4 times a week, I eat icecream. Daily I consume lots of dairy along with all kinds of saturated fats...butter, coconut oil...etc.

As for crossfit, to me there are some very athletic people that do it, but most are wanna-be type. There are some things I will NEVER get past. Kipping pullups is one. The repetitive bad form is another. You say form is number one in every crossfit gym you have ever trained in....well did they describe to you the impingement risks of doing pullups in a kipping manner? Shoot....if you cant do a pullup.....get stronger. I love kipping dips. That is the funniest thing I have ever seen. All this CF talk about performance....well I will share something. Most truly strong people can perform. BUT I am careful as to what I subject my body to. In my 40's I am smart enough not to push repetitive strain type injuries. My very good friend is a chiro and his business has boomed since the popularity of CF.

Foundationally, it takes some of the best things you can do and applies them in the worst way. Hell....why not just oly lift?

 

[C T J]

Mac, I understand IIFYM...so you know what I mean when I say "clean eating" i.e. the style of dieting by only eating whole, healthy foods e.g. chicken, oats, tuna, veggies, etc.
I'm at 11%, without diligently tracking cals/macros. I eat pizza, burgers, tacos, ice cream, etc.

I know what you mean on the kipping pull ups.
Right now I am only Oly and power lifting, as mentioned in my previous post.

 

[macgyver]

Mac, I understand IIFYM...so you know what I mean when I say "clean eating" i.e. the style of dieting by only eating whole, healthy foods e.g. chicken, oats, tuna, veggies, etc.
I'm at 11%, without diligently tracking cals/macros. I eat pizza, burgers, tacos, ice cream, etc.

I know what you mean on the kipping pull ups.
Right now I am only Oly and power lifting, as mentioned in my previous post.

Seems we will go round and round. I dont mean any hate at all man (srs I dont)....but I have seen current pics of your composition. I dont think you are anywhere near 11%. I was leaner then you in jan when I started cutting. We are both 5'9 and I have lost almost 40lbs to get to where I am now just under 10%. My guess is you are 17-20%.

Again....no hate at all. Lots of people completely underestimate the amount of fat they carry. It is not till you actually lose it that you realize how much there was.

 

[C T J]

no problem at all! You look in amazing shape in your pics. Definitely better than myself! Much respect.
But 17-20%...maybe you're right. I thought I was less than that.

3 months ago.

]

put on some BF% since then...higher than 11% here
but don't think I'm 17-20%

Reference chart

 

[macgyver]

Thanks for not thinking I was being a dik. I just know the path I have taken (first time I really tried to get truly lean). Hell....I have always thought I was at 10% over the years. It is humbling to find out how much of what we are attached to is just extra fat.

The pic you posted showing various examples of bf% s ok...but it does not account for 2 things. Body fat % is by definition a percent. A guy who is 5'9 and 150 @ 10% is a lot leaner than a guy who is 5'9 and 210 @10%. It also leaves out 50% of the body...and yes, for many men, legs can be an issue. (I have the opposite problem...even "bulked" I have 4mm skinfolds on my quads and full blown vascularity...yet my midsection sucks). It is different for everyone. BF% dont mean much in the end....but it is good to have a realistic idea of what you are carrying. You definitely are "fit" no doubt. Good solid base for sure. When you see that many guys our size (an natural) step on stage in the 150's, you see why. (I am not a natural, but I was using that as an example.) I think if I ever cut down to stage ready, I would be in the high 180's low 190s at best. (and I had similar composition to your above pics when I was 230lbs. (that would be about a 50lb drop to stage condition).

Gives me even more respect to the guys who compete. I will never call myself a "bodybuilder" as I have not earned that right. I have competed in powerlifting events, but I cant dedicate to any one pursuit, so I guess I am just a "lifter".

In closing....I dont hate crossfit completely..... I can see where there can be some good parts to it and it would be a lot of fun to push yourself in those ways. It is just hard to get past certain things that are such a part crossfit and so widely accepted, it makes you turned off at the entire package.

 

[tommyguns2]

I think that one of the reasons CF got popular was the anaerobic nature of the workouts, and how that type of interval training can really help drop the bodyfat. If you don't get hurt, CF can really help in the body recomposition. However, P90X can really help too. The challenge I've got with CF is that when I'm squatting or deadlifting or "snatching" (not sure if that's correct term), my first 5-10 reps are pretty good, and I know what proper form is. However, at the one minute mark when I'm at rep number 20 to 30, my form has completely gone to crap no matter how much I "know" what proper form is. I've been anaerobic for 20 seconds and there is nothing in the tank. It's at that moment that I'm in danger of injury. But it's also the point when I'm burning off the bodyfat.

THAT is the challenge, IMO. I've got a lot of respect for CF people. They work hard. But I'm going to have to pass... at 48, my body just is too close to the injury threshold and it's not worth it to me to battle the injuries. I don't bounce back as fast as I used to. "Bounce" back actually infers a relatively quick recovery. I don't have that... it's a SLOOOOW recovery these days.

 

[Turbolag]

Welcome to the board man!

I'm excited to watch the 2015 CF games.

 

[JackD]

Welcome to TID, Cross fit and all.....

 

[Jeffbcause]

Welcome to the team
I'm solely on an Olympic lift program but i often find myslef in a cross-fit box doing my lifts when i am traveling. so maybe ill see you around.

 

[Bigwhite]

Welcome...