I tried Crossfit 1 day and I haven't been able to lower my arms for a week

Sounds like you got a mild case of rhabdo. This happened because:

one, you went into it totally lacking in fitness;

two, the guy running the crossfit class was a clueless douche who let you jump into it full-scale rather than having you build your capacity up slowly.

Seriously, crossfit (or any high-intensity functional training, whether or not it calls itself crossfit) is a great way to develop your fitness. But it's growing really quickly & a lot of the new crossfit boxes haven't been around long enough to know what they need to be cautious about.

Letting you jump into a full-scale workout was like joining a running club & having them send you on a 10-mile hill run on your first day. It's a great workout for a serious runner, but it'll wreck someone if they're a newbie.

At this point, rest up as much as possible, eat your fruits & veggies, and get lots of sleep. You should be fine in a few days. If you're interested in continuing to crossfit after this, limit yourself to 15 pullups per workout your first month, and build up gradually from there. In 6-12 months, you should be able to handle 100 pullups in a workout without any damage. Just like high mileage, though, you gotta build up to it.

I believe rhadbo is when you pee blood due to excessive and overly strenuous physical exercise.

I might have missed something but I didn't see where the guy said he his urine was bloody.

Anyway, I'm not a crossfit advocate. Some of those dudes are cultish. They make it seem like crossfit is the only effective way to be fit. Whatever.

1/10. If you can't lower your arams how are you typing? I doubt any person or trainer is dumb enough to take that on as a first workout. I am curious though, please go run a 5k and let us know how much time you dropped.

Crossfit is constantly varied functional movements performed at a high intensity. Nothing more.

It's hugely popular amongst military, police and fire fighters because it creates workouts that strive for all around fitness. You never know on a particular day if you are going to have to run 5 miles, climb over a wall while chasing someone, or lift 1.5x's your body weight off of someone who is hurt.

I agree that crossfitters can be cultish and obsessive, but so can runners, bikers, rowers, swimmers, etc.

you probably have the world record for hands-in-the-air-the-longest. But on a more serious note, I truly hope you're okay

My SN is accurate in this case, as I'm not at all an expert on this topic. However, I had an experience like yours once (I did some sets of pullups and some lifting until exhaustion without proper build-up or experience and ended up with less than fully-functional arms), and was diagnosed with a tendon strain in my elbow. It was sore for about a week, and I did no upper-body work for another week; I was back to normal by the middle of week three (16 or 17 days later).

crossfit is highly popular among douchbags.

try a little work out progression next time moron.

a big advocate of crossfit wrote:

Crossfit is constantly varied functional movements performed at a high intensity. Nothing more.

It's hugely popular amongst military, police and fire fighters because it creates workouts that strive for all around fitness. You never know on a particular day if you are going to have to run 5 miles, climb over a wall while chasing someone, or lift 1.5x's your body weight off of someone who is hurt.

I agree that crossfitters can be cultish and obsessive, but so can runners, bikers, rowers, swimmers, etc.

I know what CrossFit is. I am actually a level 1 certified CrossFit trainer, and the amount of jibberish is just too much. I know runners and cyclists and rowers and swimmers go overboard sometimes, but nothing like I've seen crossfitters do. And CrossFit endurance? Don't get me started.

I had something similar when I spent an hour throwing medicine balls about, particularly lying on my back on the floor and throwing one up into the air and catching it when I was in a bit of a rage. Only, if I remember rightly, when I woke up the next day I couldn't raise my arms instead, and I felt sick. It lasted about 10 days. Nothing helped apart from time. Have you been able to drive?

If you want to lift...lift.

If you want to be an Olympic lifter then do so.

If you want to be a strongman, then lift cars.

If you want to get hurt...then Crossfit.

Crossfit is for people who think pain = effort = results. As the saying goes..."Don't confuse effort with results".

If you want to get results then try something simpler...standard periodization. But that doesn't sell. You can't sell a franchise on simple basic concepts that have been around since Arnie was lifting.

Also, the way Crossfit teaches the pullup is akin to child abuse. If you like bodyweight exercises try this

Monday/Wednesday/Friday:

Pushups AMRAP (as many reps as possible)

Pullups or Inverted Row AMRAP

30-60s rest, repeat 3 times.

Leg Crank (24 reps of the following all in a row: squat, lunge, split jump, jump squat). Perform with good form, deep squats, deep lunges, full extension/power with the jumps. If you can do a complete leg crank in 90s you're doing a great job. I'd suggest starting with 12 reps each as a beginner and working up from there.

Here's another:

Snatch Burpee Pushup

Squats

Explosive Pushups

Jump Squat

Meb Ball Pushups

Split Jump

10-15 reps each. 3-4 sets each pair.

Have fun.

Alan

I laughed at the first post for about 15 minutes.

Ah...I remember this workout. I crossfitted all last summer, and I never experienced acute muscle soreness. I was sure to eat a ton of protein (milk, meat, cottage cheese, plain yogurt) along with the fruits and veggies. You probably didn't tear anything..and I agree with the 1st to reply, you probably have rhabdo. Make sure you get a ton of sleep over the next few days, and maybe ask the "trainer" (I'm hesitant to give them full credibility) for an alternative workout. Sometimes, I'd jumprope that class to get some good cardio while not making myself more sore. Hope this helps...and don't follow the Paleo diet they preach. Trust me, it can mess you up.

I like crossfit - so am I a douchbag? Yes there are crossfit freaks that are somewhat cultish, agreed. Yes there are runners that just as ingorant and don't choose to be openminded (case and point - calling all crossfitters douchbags, saying if want to get injured then crossfit). I sure wish nobody ever had any injuries from running...

I crossfit because I like to challenge myself

I run marathons because I like to challenge myself

To the original poster - yes you should have eased yourself in, just like any physical activity.

No advice on how to get back to normal other than rest... but maybe some on how to avoid this from happening again (other than never doing CF):

Scale down when necessary, which for CF workouts will be practically all the time if you are new to it. For pullups, the sub would be to do the band assisted variety if possible. No shame in this at all.

that kid with the oreo cookie wrote:

Sounds like you got a mild case of rhabdo.

Someone with possible rhabdomyolysis should be seen by a doctor immediately. Kidney failure and death are possible outcomes associated with this condition. The doctor will run blood tests to determine the severity of the condition and whether dialysis is needed.

bananas. lots of 'em

"I CAN'T PUT MY ARMS DOWN!"

What in the Sam Scratch is Rhabdo, its Rhabdomylsis (muscle breakdown but worse) its like calling the Marathon a "Thon" and we all know how you letsrunners enjoy that term

i second that on the pullups. i saw a younger guy at my local gym talking to a few older (mid-50s) gents about his cross fit routine. he was bragging about how hard it was, how much it sucked, etc. then i saw him doing the pullups. what in the hell kind of herky-jerky motion was that? is that seriously how crossfit people do pullups? it looked like he was kicking his legs out and almost using that to create momentum for actual pullup. i think the comparison is to a fish flopping around out of water. looked terrible.

to the op- try to build up some reasonable strength before you try something like that. don't just blindly jump in.