What is cross fit? (exercise question)

I keep seeing people post about cross fit, how much they love it, how effective it is, etc.

What the heck is it?  Is it something a newbie could do or do I need to build up some endurance first (oh, and be cleared for weight lifting exercise, of course)?  Will I die on the first day?

I'm sure it or something like it is offered at my gym, but I'm such a chicken about stuff where I feel like I'll fail. . .

Cross fit AFAIK is a pretty hard core group fitness class...kind of like boot camp, but with some extra stuff like tractor tires, big heavy weights.  I wanted to give it a shot, but couldn't find a class nearby with a schedule that would work for me.

It isn't wear I would start out personally.  I was looking into that after starting with just walking, progressing to water aerobics and then spinning classes.  My weight loss stalled out and I was hoping that maybe upping my exercise intensity and increasing muscle mass would move me forward.

Hello there!
Yes, you'll need to be cleared ffor all exercises 1st. You won't die the 1st day but your physical limits will be tested and you will be sore for several days to a week. You won't fail if you do like I did and just stick with it.  Although I still have to scale back some of the exercises, I've come a long way in what I can and can't do. Most people in the CrossFit gyms or "Box" as we call it are very encouraging and helpful.  There's no way I could have lost 51 lbs since October w/o CrossFit.

I've been doing CrossFit  since October and I can tell you that my experience with it has been great.  It is a cross training/circuit training program that involves weightlifting, kettlebells, cardio, wall ball squats, pull ups and many other exercies.  The workouts are constantly changing daily and each workout normally consist of combination of weightlifting and cardio.  The best IMO is that the workouts can be tailored to your fitness level. I began in October @ 290 lbs by going 3 days week (Mon, Wed, Fri) and by the 3 month I also added the Sat morning workout. Last week I began  a 3 on (Mon-Wed), 1 off (Thur), 2 on (Fri-Sat), 1 off (Sun) routine.  I will say that the 2 cons of CrossFit so far to me are: 1) You' can get hurt if you're not careful just like in any other form of physical activity so you have to make sure you use good form and technique.  You shouldn't worry too much about this as this is normally taught during the 1-week indoctrination course that most CrossFit places offer. 2) You are going to be sore as heck alot of the time because CrossFit is designed to cause muscle confusion. This especially true during the 1st few weeks.  Eventually your body will adjust some (not get used to it) but your body will recover quicker later on.  Here are a few links about CrossFit that should be able to answer some of your questions.

CrossFit Website
http://www.crossfit.com/

CrossFit Forum (sort of like OH...lots of posts with great information)
http://board.crossfit.com/index.php

Feel free to contact me if you have any question either by responding to this post or via message.  Take care! -Larry

I would try a kickboxing class first.  Crossfit seems more weightlifting intensive whereas kickboxing is a lot more cardio with some strength training thrown in the middle.  For example, a 60 minute kickboxing class at my gym (CKO...not sure where you are from) is something like 5 minutes of stretching, 10 minutes of cardio (jumping jacks, mountain climbers, jogging, etc) and then 15-20 minutes of bag work (which is still considered cardio), then a 10 minute session in the middle working with medicine balls, weights, resistance bands, and then the rest of the class is bag work and cardio.  Depends on the instructor how this goes.  Try the website ilovekickboxing.com to find a local gym offering classes.  Sometimes they are offered at martial arts places.

If you decided to try crossfit, make sure you are very comfortable with the instructors...I've had a few friends get injured because the instructors weren't as solid as they should have been.  Also good to know your limits, so you can know before you've pushed too far.  It's very intense...some people have tons of success with it though.

Thanks, everyone!  I'm still 2-3 weeks from being cleared for all exercise, so for now I'll stick to cardio, then maybe add a few weeks of weights back in before really looking into this.  It does sound like something I may need to work up to, depending on the quality of instructors at my gym. :)