CrossFit

Knottie69176602 · September 2015

Hey everyone....

Looking for some advice. I LOVE cross fitting, but at my last appointment, I was told not to lift over 20 pounds while working out and to be cautious of my heart rate going over 140. I love working out - it is my only stress reliever. I don't see the benefit of cross fit anymore since I can't lift heavy or move at the pace I was.

I'm looking for some workout suggestions that are still good workouts and will keep me both fit and sane throughout this pregnancy. It is my first pregnancy and I am 8 weeks along. I don't want to push my luck with continuing to do cross fit :-/

- Frustrated new momma

imrachellea · September 2015

I also CrossFit (though I've had to take a break for a few weeks because of morning sickness, can't handle it, will be going back in a week or so). My practice okayed it for me since I'd been doing it well over a year before I got pregnant. I have no complications or reasons to not continue, so I modify as needed. Do you have complications or are those rules simply your practices guidelines? Barring any complications, women should be able to continue their workout routines, with proper modifications (like not attempting PRs, step ups for box jumps, no ab exercises where you're flat on your back after 12 weeks).

Taraphanie · September 2015

My OB said the same thing, but I think that maybe crossfit and weightlifting can seem a little scary for them. I read a lot about crossfit and weightlifting in general when I got pregnant and the general opinion was that you can continue what you were already doing, but listen to your body. I've been doing crossfit for 1 1/2 year now and I noticed that I get out of breath faster. So I just take it easy and slower during the workout. I make sure to drink a lot of water and stay in front of the fans. I'm not using as much weight as I use to, but I couldn't picture myself deadlifting 20 lbs... hihihi... The important thing is to listen to your body and slow down or stop if you're not feeling good. You can tell your coaches too and they can modify the workout for you.
I'm not doing anything that is upside down anymore and I won't be doing anything that requires me to lay flat on my back.
You can also ask your OB why he wants you to be so cautious with weights. There was a seminar at my gym for pregnant women and the lady who did it gave us a document with all the modifications to do during each trimester. I'm sure you can find something similar on the web.

runlong3 · September 2015

IF you do not have any complications or reasons to limit exercise, your doctor's info is way out of date.

Current ACOG recommendations: https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/37/1/6.long

Run that by them and see if there is a reason you can't follow current guidelines.

plus15pie · January 2016

I haven't heard anything from this thread in a while so I figured I'd check in. How are all you crossfit mamas doing? I still crossfit 4 times a week. I can no longer do burpees or even cleans properly but my gym is great about modifying everything for me. I even made crossfitter of the month at my box!!

Taraphanie · January 2016

I'm still going 3 times a week. I'm at 29 weeks now, so I can't clean anymore. I use the rack when we are doing presses. I've been starting to have a bit of pain when I do squats, so I don't go as deep as I use to.

plus15pie · January 2016

@Taraphanie that's awesome that you still go! Everyone keeps telling me that labor is going to be a breeze from all this exercising. I hope they're right.

zazouille · January 2016

It's nice to know that others are keeping at it too, and congrats on the crossfitter of the month, @plus15pie! I'm 25 weeks tomorrow with a rather small bump and still going 3-4 times a week. I can still do burpees, but lower myself down (not all the way) like a pushup. I don't enjoy the feeling of double-unders, so I either row or do step-ups. Everything else is fine, I can still clean and snatch. I'm not hitting any PRs, but I feel like my fitness is finally coming back after being sick the first trimester. Generally baby boy doesn't move much while I move, but the past week he's been super active with me - my WODs are always partner WODs

Taraphanie · January 2016

I do single under instead of double, but if we do a lot of them, it's not very comfortable. I hit a PR with my deadlift two weeks ago. I wasn't planning on doing it, but I was feeling good and it didn't feel difficult, so I went with it. Usually, I try to lower the weight.

stephpl · February 2016

anyone else doing the CrossFit Open?!

Jules08 · February 2016

I think the others gave some great advice. I just wanted to add that I did a photo shoot for a Barbells for Boobs event and there was one mama who was somewhere around 36-38 weeks participating. She had a few modifications, but not many. I remember that she constantly had a few plates on her bar all afternoon.

plus15pie · February 2016

stephpl said:

anyone else doing the CrossFit Open?!

I'm doing the crossfit open at 32 weeks!! Onlythingthat will have to be modified are the burpees.

Julesby · February 2016

I'm so glad to see that there are ladies still Crossfitting! My last class is Monday. I wasn't making it enough times a week to warrant paying $200 for March, but I will miss it greatly.

And Crossfit will definitely help us through labor, delivery, and recovery. My docs keep commenting on how strong my abs still are and how much control I still have.

Good luck to those of you competing in the open!

stephpl · February 2016

plus15pie said:

stephpl said:

anyone else doing the CrossFit Open?!

I'm doing the crossfit open at 32 weeks!! Onlythingthat will have to be modified are the burpees.

Awesome! I'm 34 weeks and I'm trying to figure out how to meet the standards of burpees (very slow burpees) so that I can have a legit score of more than just the lunges! I'm thinking of trying to make a platform of weights to burpee on that has a void in it for my belly to go through...we'll see how that goes!

laurcorbs · February 2016

Please keep in mind that Crossfit coaches are NOT TRAINED to deal with special populations including pregnancy. So I wouldn't trust that your coaches can a) give you appropriate modifications, and b) that they would even know when a modification is required. Obviously there are many benefits to exercising while pregnant, but please make sure that you're talking to your doctor about what's safe & unsafe, and preferably seeking fitness advice from someone that has more experience than a one-weekend course - which is all that level 1 crossfit trainers have! (Level 2 trainers are "strongly recommended" to have some personal training experience and must participate in another weekend-long course; but you don't even need First Aid/CPR until Level 3. To me, that's pretty scary for mamas-to-be!)

Taraphanie · February 2016

laurcorbs said:

Please keep in mind that Crossfit coaches are NOT TRAINED to deal with special populations including pregnancy. So I wouldn't trust that your coaches can a) give you appropriate modifications, and b) that they would even know when a modification is required. Obviously there are many benefits to exercising while pregnant, but please make sure that you're talking to your doctor about what's safe & unsafe, and preferably seeking fitness advice from someone that has more experience than a one-weekend course - which is all that level 1 crossfit trainers have! (Level 2 trainers are "strongly recommended" to have some personal training experience and must participate in another weekend-long course; but you don't even need First Aid/CPR until Level 3. To me, that's pretty scary for mamas-to-be!)

The coaches where I go had a training for dealing with pregnant women and what modifications were needed at each trimester. They have been taking really good care of me and the baby and making sure I could do the movements or what modification would be appropriate. There was also a full weekend seminar at the box with a doula and a personal trainer who is working mostly with pregnant woman, so I feel really secure with them. Of course my doctor knows that I'm doing crossfit 3-4 times a week and he's happy I didn't stop. I listen to my body and take it more easy than before.
I didn't sign up for the Open, but did the scaled version with half burpees. My doctor said I might deliver early, so I didn't want to pay and miss the last wod.

zazouille · February 2016

Still so happy that we're able to keep up with our fitness, and good luck to those competing in the open! I'm having to modify more and more and am not really competitive, so while I'm not registered for the open I'll still be doing the new workout every Friday at my box. That said, I've been lifting rather heavy lately and feeling strong (thanks for your testosterone, little man!). I keep telling myself that all this training and these wods are the best prep for what will be the hardest wod of my life.
I too feel like my abs are quite tight (though my doc hasn't commented). Anyone concerned about diastasis recti from having abs that are too tight? Or are these concerns unfounded as long as strict ab work is avoided (sit-ups, toes to bar, etc.)?

laurcorbs · February 2016

Taraphanie - I'm so glad to hear you're working with qualified coaches. There will always be coaches that go above and beyond and get additional qualifications which is fantastic! ... I just don't think that most do. I have concerns with Crossfit not requiring their trainers to have at least a diploma or degree in exercise science (You just can't learn everything you need to know about anatomy/biomechanics and proper exercise technique in a 1-weekend course!)... but more importantly, that they're not required to have first aid and CPR!

Zazouille - I cut out all abdominal exercises about halfway through the second trimester. The problem does not stem from just doing endless sit-ups, etc. The rectus abdominus (which is what separates with diastasis recti), is connected to so many other abdominal muscles including transverse abdominus (which you activate every time you lift a weight - even a simple biceps curl) and your internal and external obliques. You use those for side bends, twisting, breathing! and overall support of the spine. The problem is that if your obliques get too tight, they can pull outwards on the rectus abdominus which increases the likelihood for diastasis recti. Your abdominal tightness can also increase with something as simple as a plank or pushup because you *should be* activating your entire core muscles with those simple movements. So personally, I would be avoiding doing these exercises this far into your pregnancy... but talk to your doctor for sure (and before it's too late!)

zazouille · March 2016

Thanks for the info, @laurcorbs. My doctor has always been very supportive of all my sporty habits, only forbidding the most obviously dangerous ones during pregnancy (skiing, downhill mountain biking, scuba diving, rock climbing, etc.). He's known me and my body for years so maybe that it why he hasn't raised any alarms for my abs. Just in case (and since I've been freaking myself out googling "diastasis recti"), I had a chat with my coach who is an osteo and one of my crossfit buddies who is an ob/gyn, both of whom better understand what crossfit is and the effects of the movements on the body. The osteo says that all pregnant women will experience some level of abdominal separation, most of it not significant enough to classify as diastasis recti. The ob/gyn feels that, much like stretch marks, genetic predisposition plays a large role. Both of them have watched me grow and modify movements over the months and feel that I am doing everything correctly and should not be worrying, which is a relief. So my plan is to keep doing what I'm doing: listening to my body and being thankful for every extra day in this pregnancy that I am (we are) healthy enough to be active.

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