Comments on: CrossFit: An Independent Unbiased Review

By: Matt

Matt — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 18:08:38 +0000

In reply to Dan Jolley. Well weighted response. Hands on weight lifting experience lingers dangerously close to Bro-science. I prefer to take my fitness advice from someone educated in whats going on under the skin, rather than what a lift looks like from the outside.

By: James Jarman

James Jarman — Sun, 27 Oct 2019 14:15:33 +0000

hi dan.
I’m a doctor and crossfitter in perth. If you’d like to try another session contact me. I’m a fan. I’ve been running and doing traditional gym weights for 20 years before starting crossfit and thought i had pretty much got as good as i can get. Now aged 41 i’m hands down the fittest of my life and made a bunch of great friends too. I think a lot of the bad press about crossfit come from people who have read about it but not actually done it and/or not read any of the peer reviewed studies on it.
I know the owners of 2 perth crossfit gyms. Give it another go

By: Walter Lowe

Walter Lowe — Wed, 11 Sep 2019 00:26:28 +0000

Thanks for your view and opinion based on your knowledge.

By: Dan Jolley

Dan Jolley — Tue, 27 Aug 2019 03:55:50 +0000

In reply to Maggie. Thanks Maggie, glad you enjoyed it. Any exercise is ok in our books, if you enjoy it, it meets your needs, and you can maintain it safely.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Sun, 25 Aug 2019 21:58:16 +0000

Thank you for this informative and well written review. I really appreciated your scientific approach, as a scientist myself 🙂 I also just joined a CF gym and am enjoying the new challenge, but have a few reservations about some things… I think being a healthy skeptic is probably good though! Thanks so much for the great read.

By: Dan Jolley

Dan Jolley — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 07:34:22 +0000

In reply to Samantha. Nice one Samantha! I hope you enjoy your training, and thanks for the thoughtful feedback!

By: Samantha

Samantha — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 20:16:17 +0000

Awesome article! It seems like Dan presented information as factually as possible. I appreciate that he also wrote of his own personal experiences which could affect his bias either way so the reader is aware. I just recently joined a crossfit gym and this article makes me feel as though I am going into this venture a little more knowledgeable. Thank you!

By: Dr Bill Sukala

Dr Bill Sukala — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 06:01:00 +0000

In reply to Jake Nickel White. Cheers Jake. Yep Dan is The Man! ?

By: Jake Nickel White

Jake Nickel White — Sun, 23 Dec 2018 21:54:00 +0000

This is a great article for anyone considering crossfit.

It came off as unbiased and insightful. I just graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology and am trying crossfit out to make my own opinion.

Dan is certainly qualified in education and experience.

By: Dan Jolley

Dan Jolley — Sun, 19 Aug 2018 04:32:00 +0000

In reply to Bradney A. Boli.

Thanks for elaborating Brad. It looks like you’ve agreed with most of the points I’ve made in the article! For example:

1) I identified that exercise selection is often not varied between clients in a given session – you’ve confirmed that.

2) I identified that power or speed is often synonymous with intensity in CrossFit programming – you’ve confirmed that.

3) I identified that rhabdo is not unique to CrossFit, and identified some high risk groups and activities. You’ve confirmed this, though your experience is slightly different to the scientific literature (which is understandable).

I draw no conclusions regarding qualifications, other than the fact that CrossFit qualifications are much shorter than other alternatives. Your response was to compare hands-on CrossFit instruction to a qualification heavy on theory. I agree that hands-on experience is highly valuable, but your argument in this case is a false dichotomy.

To explain: I teach a personal training qualification that lasts for a full academic year, and involves hundreds of hours of hands-on coaching, as well as theoretical learning. A sports science degree will be similar in the combination of theory and practice. A good qualification will not make you choose one or the other!

Keep in mind that this article was not a criticism of CrossFit, just an exploration of this type of exercise compared to other forms of exercise, and some suggestions on who it may (or may not) be appropriate for. I’ve been careful to make it clear when I’ve expressed a personal opinion, rather than a fact.

If I’ve made any factual errors please let me know, but you haven’t identified any so far.