dan⋅ger⋅ous
–adjective
- full of danger or risk; causing danger; perilous; risky; hazardous; unsafe.
- able or likely to cause physical injury: a dangerous criminal.
Outsiders to the CrossFit world often use the word “dangerous” to describe what we do. High-rep Olympic lifts, lifting heavy weights, mixing beginners and advanced athletes together, the use of free weights in general, and even the use of the full sit-up have all been labeled “dangerous”. They are right. It is dangerous. However, to be fair, we need to qualify that claim.
The statement that something is “dangerous” evokes an overly simplistic, black and white view. The truth of the matter is that every activity possesses an inherent level of risk. Even the act of being inactive carries with it some risk. The issue, then, is not whether or not to engage in a “risky” or “dangerous” activity; that is too simple a thought process. Because danger and risk are relative, the actual level of risk depends not only on the activity, but also on all mitigating factors.
Moreover, the concept of risk-reward needs to be considered as well. It is a simple question to ask, “do the rewards to doing X outweigh the risks of doing so?” We do this every day, usually unconsciously.
Take driving a car. There is always some chance that you will get into an accident while driving and that you will get hurt. People, however, still elect to drive. Why? Because the risks of driving a vehicle are deemed to be outweighed by the rewards of driving. How do we make that determination? By looking at the risk mitigating factors: seatbelts, airbags, anti-lock breaks, crumple zones, traffic lights, defensive driving capability, experience, etc.
In the CrossFit world there are also a number of mitigating factors: experience and knowledge of the coach; size of the training group; use of progressions to develop skill; prioritising the development of skill and technique before adding intensity. There are more examples, but the point should be clear by now.
The bottom line is that the level of risk or danger of any activity needs to be qualified by considering all factors involved. Finally, it might be worthwhile to consider the risk of not engaging in an activity, too.
Workout
Nate
Complete as many rounds as you can in 20 minutes of:
- 2 Muscle-ups
- 4 Handstand push-ups
- 8 Kettlebell swings (boys: 32kg; girls: 24kg)
