Does anybody do this? I am very interested, it seems to get results and there's a friendly gym in the next town an acquaintance is starting to go to (there's a Groupon for X many classes.) However, I've also read some negative things about the people being pretty intense and the potential for injury.

If you search, you will find some threads. I have posted my experience before, I loved it at first, until I got a pretty bad injury. Reflecting, I found many issues with it and I'd never do it again. It really depends on the box but some people enjoy it, some people who have done it but regret it.

I haven't done it but my cousin is doing it. The place she does it has a "beginner" class for a couple weeks where people learn the proper form and stuff, and only then can they advance into the normal classes. You have to listen to your body, and use your own gut feeling on whether the instructor really knows how to keep you safe or not.

Yeah the one I went to had a beginner class but Crossfit is also notorious for injuries. Part of the problem is the coaches in that they will push you. Some are trained, others are not. The training for a coach is basically a weekend. Although the head of ours had an extensive background in kinesiology and personal training, his other coaches didn't. The gym was eventually taken over and now is run by people who have no fitness background which is scary to me but oh well.

Nelie, I did search but there were only small experiences buried in other threads, not one thread with lots of info (as far as I could find. I'm not a fantastic searcher). Given my history of lower back injury, I am very cautious of CrossFit because of its notoriety yet it does seem to get results (not that that's worth injury.)

I love it I'm lucky enough to live close to a great box, friendly and very focused on safety and technique. Injuries old & new are always up for a discussion before a class and every WOD can be changed to suit. I've tried a different box when on vacation which was very different, hardcore & not for beginners. If you find the right box it's awesome

The main issue with Crossfit is that the goal is to do whatever you are doing as fast as possible and it is infectious. So form often suffers in the heat of the moment. I've read a lot of professional articles stating that you should never do Olympic style lifts for time and honestly I agree. The Crossfit style workouts that many gyms have started employing rely on safer exercises such as wall balls, kettle bells, ropes and such without throwing in various Olympic weights. I'd just personally never go back.

I did it for about 18 months and never got injured but my box was very concerned with form. Especially for beginners, they would help you unload the bar as soon as your form started to get a little sloppy mid workout. Both owners (who were always around) and many of the coaches had both crossfit and olympic lifting certifications so I'd definitely ask around about qualifications before committing to it. It can be a lot of fun, but only if it's done properly.

And always remember, you're only competing with yourself. It's very easy to get caught up in the moment, as has already been pointed out.

I've visited a couple of boxes - it really depends on the quality of the coaches. If they emphasize form over speed you should be fine. If they're not giving basic instructions or watching your form you need to approach with caution.