Crossfit Level 1 cert--advice

[Mike ODonnell]

I guess the question is what are you planning to do with the cert? Use it professionally or just because you want to spend $1000 on a fun weekend? Professional advice, get a CSCS of NCSA-CPT. Fun weekend....go to a tropical island with a hot girl and drink while getting tan....you can do burpees on the beach and pullups on the coconut tree for free.

[Peter Dell'Orto]

I get the impression people think the CF Level 1 cert isn't worth the money.


Is it that it's not worth $1000, or that it's not worth it at any price?

[Steven Low]

Originally Posted by Peter Dell'Orto

I get the impression people think the CF Level 1 cert isn't worth the money.


Is it that it's not worth $1000, or that it's not worth it at any price?

Well, I think the [main] point is that anything you'll learn at L1 cert you can find on the Interwebz. However, some people like the hands on approach and coaching that you'll get over those few days... just like some people like to train at affiliates as opposed to spending their money building their own home gym and training there. Different preferences. MOST of the people on this board I would say are of more independent thinking and training methodology which reflects in their and my comments.

If you're interested in affiliating obviously you want to or rather need to do it.

[George Heckert]

Originally Posted by Peter Dell'Orto

I get the impression people think the CF Level 1 cert isn't worth the money.


Is it that it's not worth $1000, or that it's not worth it at any price?

The cert is loaded with good information which you can get for $25 on a subscription to the journal. Definitely not worth the grand I dropped on it. Money would be better spent on an Oly cert(CA or Burgener) or the Rippetoe cert(I attended both and both were more informative and generally more useful than the level 1 CF cert).

Just my 2 cents

[Blair Lowe]

Ouch, seems like the CF L1 Cert has been getting plenty of bashing here.

Unless you want to the kick-assness of the L1 to get you into the CF world, I think the journals, website, forum, and youtube can you teach you most of the basic movements. I came in with a knowledge of most of this before hand though. I wasn't great at some stuff, but most of it wasn't too new, just their implementation.

It also makes sense to go through the L1 if you are making an affiliate of course or going that way. Right now for a long time it just hasn't made sense for me to spend that much if I'm not going to be an affiliate or CF trainer. I missed the whole license plate free Level1 cert offer unfortunately as well.

Then again if money wasn't so tight, I probably would think differently.

[George Mounce]

Originally Posted by Peter Dell'Orto

I get the impression people think the CF Level 1 cert isn't worth the money.


Is it that it's not worth $1000, or that it's not worth it at any price?

Not worth it at that price. You get a ton more for less at the BB and Oly certs.

[Craig Brown]

I'm with George- not at that price. It seems designed for folks who haven't done their homework. I loved the Martone & Rip certs, which were both great technically and for seeing how to teach movement. My take at this point would be that a grand will buy you a decent bar & bumpers, squat stands, and a few kbs...so for the person with a garage, a few contraptions made from pipe (chin bar), rings, sandbag...you are done.

Craig

[sarena kopciel]

Hey all, I agree with everything said thus far but in all honesty, he didnt ask us how to spend his money. It sounds a sif it is a done deal already and wants to prepare.

Perhaps he can get out of it tho if he wants and apply the grand to some of those other specialty certs. That might be a way to prepare!

[Patrick Donnelly]

If you want a CF1 certification, then just get a license plate that says "CrossFit" or some variation thereof, and you can get one for free. Or, at least you could get one for free. I'm not sure if the deal is still running.


The thing that worries me the most about the CF1 cert is that they don't have a prerequisite for CPR/AED... Every other certification does, even the garbage ones like ACE... And if any program would need CPR/AED knowledge, it'd be CF...

The CF "certifications" seem a lot more like seminars... I've heard that the CF2 is a pretty legit one though, it's just not recognized by anyone other than CrossFitters. I have no idea what the CF3 entails.

[Mike ODonnell]

XF cert will NOT get you a job in the fitness field unless you open your own place....and even then good luck getting insurance.

Most people spending the $1000 either have no real understanding of what they want to do with it and have the expendible income.....or already have the certs neccesary to open a fitness business and want another one. $1000 is very steep by any level of professional fitness certification, and while the main one I know little about...the fact that it has branched into other silly certs like jumproping makes me think less of the whole idea.

In the end....you make a living not by your cert....but by getting people results. However a fitness business makes money by selling people on needing more certs. The info is out there for free.....$1000 for a weekend of fun is better spent drinking tequilla with half naked women on a beach.