Known for their extreme military style workouts that push their athletes to the limit, CrossFit gyms have been popping up all over the country. News of CrossFit’s “dirty little secret,” Rhabdomyolysis, has recently been circulating the web.
Strength coach and owner of CrossFit 540, Trevor Belline, describes Rhabdo as a massive breakdown of muscle tissue in a short amount of time. Rhabdo is commonly seen in impact victims, but there have also been cases in football players, marathon runners, and extreme endurance athletes.
“Normally the only people that are super susceptible to Rhabdomyolysis are athletes, or people who have the capacity to do major amounts of work, but have not done it in a CrossFit setting,” Belline said. This is because their ego and competitive nature usually kick in, and they push themselves too hard when they’re just starting out in the program. He says however, after the athletes have been doing CrossFit for a while, their bodies adjust to the style of training and it is almost impossible for them to get Rhabdo. He added: “We have athletes just go almost drop dead on the floor after workouts day after day after day and they are completely fine.”
If you are interested in trying out CrossFit, Belline suggests visiting different gyms or boxes in your area to find the best fit. He says if you’re going to a solid CrossFit gym, this is not going to be an issue. If the thought of CrossFit intimidates you, know that all of the exercises are scalable to match your current fitness level. And as with any strength and conditioning program, it is important to listen to your body and use good judgment when performing the various exercises.