Yeah, I'm thinking it's specific to these trainers/this gym as well... from a casual browsing of Crossfit forums online, it doesn't look like restraint is something most Crossfit gyms advocate.

I didn't mean to imply that these trainers were necessarily atypical, just that they sounded good.

But yeah, my impression is that some Crossfitters do approach it in a very macho, push-yourself-until-you-vomit way, and unless you've got trainers who can rein that in, it's a set-up for injury.