CF and interval training

[sean tucker]

Hi everyone.

I had a question about CF and interval training. I want to preface it by saying that I have been doing CF for about a year, and I really enjoy it. I have also seen a significant improvement in my general fitness.

From a cardiovascular standpoint though...does CF really do interval training? I thought that interval training requires a certain period of rest following a high intensity effort (and usually a certain work/rest ratio). Usually in CF metcon we switch exercise but we are not necessarily resting. I ask because I read about the long term health benefits of high intensity interval training.

CF cites the fact that they use intervals, like the tabata, when they argue that for the benefits of certain aspects of their approach. However, the Tabata article had "subjects" do HIIT multiple times a week. Is it fair to claim that one would get the same benefits when one only does tabata, or fight gone bad, once a month?

Again, CF is wonderful, but does it really do interval training like they say.

I would love to hear people's thoughts.

thanks

[Gant Grimes]

Originally Posted by sean tucker

I have been doing CF for about a year, and I really enjoy it. I have also seen a significant improvement in my general fitness.

Originally Posted by sean tucker

I ask because I read about the long term health benefits of high intensity interval training.

[Garrett Smith]

Some CF metcon workouts might be specified as interval training based on the definitions here, most would not as they typically don't require nor have specified rest periods.

Obviously, as you mentioned, Tabata intervals and FGB are CF workouts that use intervals. So is "Barbara":

Five rounds, each for time of:
20 Pull-ups
30 Push-ups
40 Sit-ups
50 Squats

Rest precisely three minutes between each round.

CF does utilize interval training as one of the many exercise modalities employed in the WOD.

[Corey Duvall]

I literally laughed out loud when I saw that picture, Gant

[Steven Low]

Like Garrett said you have to look closer. Some workouts will be based on tabata (or modified tabata), some on intervals, some on time, strength, endurance, etc. There's tons of different stuff that work which is why CF applies many different methods to elicit fitness.

[sean tucker]

thanks for the posts.

However, the point was whether CF can claim to have the same benefits of interval training as cited in the scientific literature. CF prides itself on empiricism and uses much of the scientific literature appropriately (but do they do so in regard to interval work)

Also I am in know way claiming that CF use NO intervals, or that it is not an excellent program for fitness. It was simply a question...not a criticism.

[Mike ODonnell]

Everyone will claim their program is best....just how business works...tomato...tamato....still tastes like ketchup when you eat it......it all works....intervals is a broad catagory anyways as you can have 100 different work/rest ratios which will also change the % of max weight done per exercise...I bet you take one person....clone him 100x....make his clone army eat right...and give them 100 different interval programs (assuming they all are hard on some level)....the difference in output performance will be not worth fighting over.

[Garrett Smith]

Sean,
People doing CF get stronger and do ME work, therefore they claim the benefits of strength training.

People doing CF gain increased endurance and do LSD work and some hellishly long metcons, therefore they claim the benefits of endurance training.

People doing CF do intervals...get the picture? I'd say the only way it would be hard for CF to not claim the benefits of a particular method of training would be if it was *never* in the program.

[JW Luckett]

I don't think random interval work is going to do you much good. I don't think random strength work will work for very long. Without consistency and progressive loading I think you will just be spinning your wheels. That was my experience of 2 plus years of crossfit. It is a nice little collection of some very good workouts, but their claims of stallar strength gains (500-700lb deadlift), better body compostion than bodybuilders, ad nauseam, are preposterous.

Does crossfit do interval training? Sometimes. Just like everything else.

[Steven Low]

Originally Posted by JW Luckett

I don't think random interval work is going to do you much good. I don't think random strength work will work for very long. Without consistency and progressive loading I think you will just be spinning your wheels. That was my experience of 2 plus years of crossfit. It is a nice little collection of some very good workouts, but their claims of stallar strength gains (500-700lb deadlift), better body compostion than bodybuilders, ad nauseam, are preposterous.

Does crossfit do interval training? Sometimes. Just like everything else.

I wouldn't be so sure about that considering body composition is mostly diet. Lean mass gains with the same diets? Possibly.. depends what kind of training. Better health (well, body composition in terms of triglyceride levels and such) with something like Paleo/Zone? Definitely.

But yeah, that's just nitpicking.