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Comment by scotch_drinker | Hacker News Reader

If you want measurable results, try CrossFit. It is built around measurable results. Every workout is done in comparison to the last time you did that particular workout. By tracking your results over time, you can quickly measure the progress you have made.

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It's interesting to see this, because one of my main criticisms of Crossfit is that the results aren't measurable because of the strong emphasis on utilizing an extremely wide variety of exercises, and lack of emphasis on progressive overloading of the same exercise.

My understanding of Crossfit is that its purpose is to isolate fitness adaptations from exercise-specific skill adaptations, to produce a well-rounded athlete who can perform almost any exercise at a competent level with minimal skills training.

In other words, if you run a 5k for every workout, and your 5k time goes down, how do you know whether it went down because your fitness improved, or because your running technique improved? How do you know if that improvement will transfer over to, say, swimming, or basketball?

Crossfit tries to answer this question by having the athlete perform various unrelated exercises, in circuits, for time, and varying the exercise selection each day. But the problem is, if you never (or infrequently) do the same circuit twice, how do you know you've progressed at all?

Contrast that with a powerlifting program that would have you increasing the weight on the bar by a certain percentage each workout. Yes, your improvements will be partly due to improved form and technique, but there's also no question that you're getting physically stronger as well. No attempt is made to separate the two phenomena, as they are inherently intertwined.

Perhaps different Crossfit gyms take different approaches to programming, though. I suppose the quality of the programming could really depend on the training philosophy and experience of a particular Crossfit coach. But I don't get the impression that the concepts of measurable results and progressive programming are really part of the core philosophy of Crossfit.

My experience shows it is measurable, but indeed since it is very varied for some workouts it may be months since you repeat exactly the same one. But eventually you do, and individual exercises are repeated much more frequently, so you can see your progress in basic exercises easier than in full combined workouts.

If you want measurable results, just start measuring your results. You just need a pad and pencil, and it won't cost you $150 to $200 per month in membership dues.

Sure but someone coming to fitness as a beginner has no idea what to do much less what to measure. Also, for $1000, you can have a pretty well stocked garage gym (I do) if you are comfortable with most of the exercises.

Of course, many of the CrossFit exercises are technically challenging and most people aren't going to feel comfortable teaching themselves. That $150-200 a month isn't just for the equipment. At a good gym, it's for quality coaching.

The problem with most exercise plans, professional and amateur alike is that there is no concept of measurement. CrossFit has that built in.

It's not only coaching - though it's important too. But also both challenge and support. It's one thing trying to do some workout alone and completely other thing doing it with people around you - you could both challenge yourself (this guy can lift this 25 times - why wouldn't I be able at least 10 times? Maybe I should try harder!) and be supported (it's east to tell yourself "ok, I can't do it" when you are alone, but when people around telling you "yes, you can do it!" you have better motivation - and frequently it turns out you indeed can). I discovered that I can't push myself nearly as efficiently in solitary setting as I can in group setting, and that gives results too. I think it is well worth it.

This sounds awesome. I thoroughly enjoy Crossfit, but don't think my gym has ever had the same WOD more than once or twice in a year, so it's hard to track that. Tracking what you can do (how fast / how many / how much) is still very useful, but you might need to put work into breaking down your WoD into components.

e.g., how do I compare a 5 min AMRAP ("as many _ as possible") of something which I can't lift at RX to a later attempt where I might lift more (but slower), or less (but without stopping)?

Similarly, how do I meaningfully compare the performance of the same lift (e.g. deadlift) in an AMRAP situation with doing a set amount in as long as it takes? (I'm slow.)

I don't mean to imply that Crossfit is less than awesome. It makes me feel amazing, and I love it. I just have had a really hard time _quantifying_ my performance.

I find I encounter key movements often enough that I can definitely gauge progress. We do strength and metcon, so every few months each lift will get its spotlight - it's easy to compare my 5x5 power cleans now from my numbers in April. (Though doing something like Starting Strength is even more quantifiable due to consistency.)

In terms of metcon, I mostly compare myself against Rx, since I scale most things. So, this week I'm doing pullups with an assistance band one level harder than the one I'd been using for months beforehand. It feels wonderful. If I scale thrusters to 65lb from 95, when in the past I've had to scale to 55 from 95, that's also clear progress for me.

I try to follow the main page programming. I have a policy that I can't move up in weight until I improve the previous version of the WOD. I use CrossFit Brand X scalings and if I set a PR, I move up to something closer to RX.

BrandX typically will tell you the goal of a particular MetCon. For example, they'll say that you should be able to do Fran in 5-7 minutes. If you're below that time, increase the weight up to RX. If you're above that time, decrease the weight. Your goal should always be to complete the WOD in approximately the same amount of time as top athletes, you're just doing it with less weight.

Lots of good information in the BrandX forums around scaling and measurement.

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