M/34/5’7” Would joining CrossFit be too intense for someone who’s obese?

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christy01

New member
Currently weighing in just under 300lbs and I’m considering joining a local CrossFit gym to help get myself back into shape but really for what I perceive to be a community aspect. But im concerned it might be too intense considering my size.

I’m not a complete newbie to working out as I used to powerlift in my early 20s (only did 2 meets), but over the past 4 years or so depression got the best of me and so I piled on the weight and completely isolated myself. Through therapy I feel like im in a place where I want to try and get my health in order, but over the past 6 months I haven’t been able to consistently go to the regular gym. My thought process is that maybe if I have a place where I get some social interaction it might make it more likely to stick to it? Also, having some sort of environment where I’m directed to the workouts might be helpful too since I feel like I’m mindlessly working out when I go to the gym by myself.

Idk just looking for some thoughts.
 
@christy01 I did CrossFit for a few years and saw a lot of people training in the box. People with all kinds of body's and fitness levels. It will not be too intense, since you are actually the one that chooses how intense to go. You decide what weights to pick, you decide how hard to go in a wod, ... With a good coach this will be easier and they can show you alternative movements for things you can not do, like pull ups.

Most boxes will have a try out session, on board lessons or an intake possibility. Just check it out and see if you like it. And get a green light from your doctor.
 
@christy01 The running would be challenging. Also the pull ups and burpees. I’d try rucking to make some of the body weight exercises easier. It depends if the coach can get you there and how much pain you can handle. Check with your doctor before starting.
 
@christy01 I recommend checking out the box and talking to the coach/coaches to get a feel of their style of coaching. Also, looking at the people in the classes might give you an idea of what to expect.

You should be able to scale everything to your level: you can do step ups on a small step instead of box jumps, ring rows instead of pull-ups, etc., and then move on to a 'harder' variation as you improve.

Another option would be to start at a different gym where they do lower impact workouts (my box has both, the CrossFit classes and other types of less intense classes), or get a personal trainer and do some individual sessions to get you started safely.

As others commenters have said, do check with your doctor first.

Good luck on your fitness journey!
 
@christy01 As someone who did CrossFit for 8 years I’ll say yes it can and will absolutely be beneficial. That said you need to have a good coach who knows how to scale movements to your fitness level.

On one hand CrossFit is amazing because you will learn different exercises, push your body in a healthy way and walk away from each workout with a sense of accomplishment. How often do you get to say you did something hard today? I used to tell friends that CrossFit is the laziest form of exercise because all you have to do is walk in to the gym. Once you’re there there’s no walking out since everyone would see you quit. Not that people would shame you, but you feel obligated to stay and finish with everyone else. It’s like you’ve signed a social contract to stay and suffer with your peers.

On the other hand that same social pressure can work against you. CrossFit by nature is competitive. You compete with others and you compete with yourself. People injure themselves when they aren’t able to keep their ego in check and start to compromise form for results. And it’s inevitable that eventually you will want to put bigger and better numbers on the board.

So yes. If you can go into the gym every day with longevity and health in mind and spend time understanding proper body mechanics then CrossFit is an excellent way to stay in shape. Be safe and have fun!
 
@christy01 I’m not going to comment on CrossFit, except to tell you what my sports physio told me: he never had more work than since crossfit took off.

My approach: stick to powerlifting for the workout, join parkrun for the community.

Powerlifting: if you already know what how to do the lifts and use the equipment. There’s volumes on the internet about programs and programming. Check r/fitness wiki. Or if you’re the book type I highly recommend Mike Matthews’ book Bigger Leaner Stronger. It covers both food and exercise, and of all the books in that space has the best signal to noise ratio IMHO. Look for a powerlifting gym - you’re more like to find engaging and helpful meatheads there than at planet fitness.

Parkrun: it’s just a bunch of people that get together on Saturday mornings to run a 5k in a park somewhere. It’s run by volunteers (hey you can volunteer too - great way to get thrown into some human interaction). Some of the volunteers walk the course at the back to ensure that no participant gets left behind or ends last. My local one meets at a nearby coffee shop after for a bit of social. I have married friends who met their spouses at parkrun.

At 300lb you may not want to run, but you can absolutely walk it until you’re at a lower body weight. In the meantime, pay attention to your heart rate - try to keep a pace where you can still talk comfortably but don’t really want to. This is the magic spot for building cardio base. You’ll find that over time you’ll have to walk faster and faster until you feel like running. Once you do start to run, I would suggest taking up the couch25k program. This is important as it’s paced to give your joints and tendons time to adapt and get stronger - this happens much slower than for muscle. But it’s a great way to start. This is how I went from 350lb couch potato to running a marathon.

Good luck!

EDIT: a word
 
@helper29 I wish we had a strong Park Run culture here in the US. It sounds delightful. It hasn't really taken off and there's none near me (NYC) though I keep checking the website for updates. Alas.
 
@lucyflor There are actually quite a few running group that seem to operate on city streets near me but they're all a bit intense in terms of pace and most do over 5k. Esp right now as so many are at the peak of marathon prep.

I like the idea of Park Run--I think because it's contained in a park, there's a bit more leeway to set your own pace and it seems more social and less fitness-focused.

Or I might be projecting my own biases :p
 
@christy01 Yes! I tried a CrossFit free trial class when I was about your age, but quite a bit lighter. Ended up causing a meniscus tear (in one session!!!) and it messed up how I walked for a while.

You could do with getting a PT, getting some muscles leaner and better prepped to burn fat, and then work on cardio.

Please don't harm yourself in the pursuit of fitness.
 
@christy01 Make sure you get a good coach. I did "Crossfit" back before they had all the real certifications and stuff and it ended up making my knees worse. I think it's a good program in principal, but you need to be aware of any concerns and limitations..and your coach should help you scale/modify the moves.

And I'd stay the hell away from any sort of box jumps..step ups instead.
 
@dgrace I've done both for a few years, I prefer bjj. Crossfit was okay just too intense for me and I found I had a hard time recovering and the DOMS were very uncomfortable and distracting, plus the WOD would wipe me out for the rest of the day. Now I lift 3x a week and bjj 3x a week, for me that's the sweet spot. DOMS are way more manageable and I have enough energy for the rest of my day.
 
@christy01 Every time I have been to a CrossFit gym and worked out (because of an invite from CrossFit friends) I felt peer pressured to push myself to the point of pain. 0/10 I think if I ever joined I would get injured, or have breakdowns and cry if I stood my ground.
 
@christy01 Just go. You’ll look better and be healthier and make friends. You don’t need to be in shape to go, literally you could start today and it’s surrounded by great community that’s very inclusive. Do it for one year and report back. 😁
 
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