Since the start of My ARCC (3 months ago,or it feels that way;D)we have done crossfit everyday.Like anything some guys get a good work out,some dog it... as per in life in general.
What I have noticed:
*People with little to
no background in any work out plan,are hurting bad.Most are having a hard time walking up a flight of stairs by wensday.
This is the problem with adopting something like CrossFit as a "one size fits all" program: there is a cost to starting people out on a program like this; they must be "eased" into it, either by starting with the lightest weights possible (i.e only bodyweight or assisted reps) and/or doing the requisite stick work for the Olympic lifts as part of the work-out. This will be mitigated when ALL units start doing these training sessions as part of their daily PT programs. Good luck on that......
*Quick workouts means more time to shower and get prepared for the days lessons.For us and the instructors.I highly value 5-10km runs however with people at many different fitness levels from civilian Ironman competetors to Extremely obese,usually takes well over the prescribed PT period to finish.Thus turning the morning into a rushing mess.
Amen to this issue. I find that traditional PT programs focus too much (IMO) on the warm up, easy run/play ball hockey/move some weights around ineffectively, cool down, rinse, repeat as neccesary. As EX-RCAC-011 alluded to, these periods are ripe for people to dog it, and nobody really gains: the instructors, the students, are left rushing to get ready on time, and the overall fitness will either drop (for those in good shape) and likely stay the same for the remainder. It looks good on paper (check in the box for carrying it out...) but in the end, it is only an inconvenience.
*Cardio has dropped.I have been giving 110% every morning,however my running has been drastically affected.I have have added minutes (1:36 5km 2:56 10km)to my running times with the same perceived effort as before.
I would argue that your cardio won't drop, it's just that the muscles involved in the running process might not get exercised. You don't train for running by swimming, nor for swimming by running. If the metcon exercises are done 100%, you will usually be sweating for hours afterwards, and even during the pure strength training exercises, if you are "givin' er" you will work your cardio, but maybe not your legs [for running] depending on the exercise.
*DOMS! Very effective.Nothing makes a man feel better IMHO!
WTF is 'DOMS'?!?!? Da Overall Muscular Strength?!?!? Sorry, but I haven't heard of that before (therefore it mustn't exist 
)
*Weight control.Going from instructing DP1,with most evenings to myself to work out at the gym I was expecting to gain "mucho"fat while on a course of this length,as I am the kind of guy who MUST study to do well...sort of ruling out going to the gym at night.
However with short workouts lacking long distance cardio weight has not become an issue as I previously expected.
See my comment about cardio above, although cardio and weight control aren't necessarily the same. There are tables and charts that show "mets" values for various exercises: those are handy for weight control planning (i.e it isn't just the exercise you do: it's the duration, intensity, load, etc that determines how much energy is expended). I wish Dr's would issue chits that say something like "Members energy intake must be lower than energy output". Dare to dream.....
*We have been keeping track of how guys perform on the honor system.However what I took as a personal record,some from other Armd units take as a competition.SOMEHOW when I completed 16 reps,the guys from another English armd unit managed to take 3 breaks,dog it the whole 20 minutes and still get two higher than myself. :
Gravy eating.... ;D
Some people have no shame, and it doesn't matter what hatbadge one wears, Gilly. I was starting to think that RCD stood for 'Really Chubby Dudes' when I saw the influx of, ahem, larger Dragoons into the School. I was starting to think that you were getting all the gravy urns that we (the Strats) were getting sent to 202 Paintshop for overhaul due to the mileage we put on them. Keep in mind I started my career as a Dragoon before you get your (Regimental) panties in a bunch ;D
*Crossfit clearly shows you your weakness/strength's.
Oh yeah sister!!! If there are WODs that you hate, those are the ones you should focus on.....kind of a zen thing.... I avoid certain exercises like the plague, and those are the ones that bite me in the ass on the WODs.
*For myself I believe if coupled with a bit of running crossfit could be the way to go.I now plan on completing crossfit WOD during the night while focusing on cardio during the morning PT period (which I have the privilege to do on my own after performing well on morning PT).
CrossFit is NOT designed to replace any exercise/fitness program: it is used by many elite athletes in conjunction with their normal workouts. Those cats get the opportunity to work out many hours of the day, whereas we don't always have that luxury. I just think it is a more efficient use of our training time.
*And the big one for myself.Can be conducted INSIDE.There is nothing I hate more than waking up at 5h00 to go to the gym at 6h00 for a outside run(actually there is one...webbing marches..why the heck am I going for a walk for PT?Can we say time wasted!)Crossfit can be always staged in a nice warm gym with very little equipment.
I agree and disagree: I agree with that it CAN be done inside, but it can also be done anywhere, including on operations, on course, in the field, etc. A few examples: I was teaching on a gunnery course a few weeks back, and I was missing out on my XFit workouts, so I improvised. I grabbed a jerry can full of water (Note to those that want to try this: scale the amount of water in the can to suit your purposes, and make sure the cap doesn't leak, unless you like getting soaked on a wind-swept range) and did some Overhead Squats, some Overhead Lunges, used the water can as a platform to raise my feet for elevated push-ups, did Kettle-bell swings with the water can, and then did Hand-stand Push Ups against the range shack. Of course people (who were standing around smoking and playing grab-ass) were likely snickering and saying "WTF is that guy doing?!?!?!", but at least I got my workout in without the benefit of a climate controlled gym. Another example: we were watching some video from A'stan the other day, and for a fleeting second, I saw a soldier (not sure if Infantry or Armour) doing bicep curls via a piece of wood, a bungee cord, and his vehicle. BowFlex it wasn't (and a useless exercise, IMO) but he was roughing it, and that falls in line with the AFM and the AOFP Austere Conditions mentality of improvising and using whatever you have available.
For those in the Gagetown area, but not in the know: PSP have outfitted the field house with a XFIt training area (near the rock wall), so CrossFit is here!!! I have a few minor quibbles with what they have done (a rule that states that no supplemental equipment is allowed to be brought in.... does that mean no skipping ropes, or plyo boxes for box jumps??!?!? ), they are definitely showing that this isn't a fad that will soon pass.
BTW, excellent post Lee. There will be people who will call it (XFit) down, saying that it is old wine drank from a new bottle, or that somebody is going to get hurt doing the Oly lifts, or that it's too hard on the body, yada, yada, yada. There is the cult-like devotion to overlook: "Drink the Kool-aid, man" (look up Jonestown suicides if you don't get it), but I don't think that there is another program that comes even close to getting soldiers, LEOs, firefighters, etc for the rigours of their jobs. As one of the people who introduced XFit to me, and who led the charge to have it implemented at the Inf School (Capt JT Williams) said "I won't be the last one pulling myself onto the helicopter [to leave the battlefield]". Amen.....
AL
