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The first rule of Crossfit is…always talk about Crossfit. The second rule of Crossfit is…ALWAYS talk about Crossfit. It seems everyone on my social media newsfeed is posting something about this type of exercise (read: cult). People hate Crossfit or love Crossfit, but rarely are they indifferent about it. So why does it have such a huge following? Are Crossfitters really as crazy and obsessed as they seem? What does Crossfit mean to the pencil pushing, conference calling, cubicle warriors like you and me? I’ll dive into these questions and more, but first, let me offer a disclaimer. I am one of those crazy, obsessive fad-following athletes known as a Crossfitter.
The Rise of Crossfit
As you probably know by now, Crossfit is a workout program that focuses on functional movements, strength, and agility. The sport combines weightlifting, gymnastics, plyometric movements, and cardio. Crossfit basically started off as a hipster indie-folk band. Barely anyone knew about the exercise program, and most practicing Crossfitters were working out in “underground” clubs and gyms. The sport was especially popular with military personnel, serving both at home and overseas, because of the emphasis on functional movements and the reliance on readily available equipment as opposed to large, bulky machines. But that was then, and this is now. In 2009, there were about 1,000 Crossfit affiliate gyms located worldwide. By 2012, the number of gyms jumped to more than 5,000, and the number of facilities opened has doubled every two years. So what happened? Well, representatives from Crossfit Headquarters claim the exponential growth is due to the Internet and social media. This totally makes sense and explains why your newsfeed is inundated with obsessive freaks like myself posting about our “WODs,” “Boxes,” or “Paleo this or that.” You see, the rise and emphasis of social media helped spread the word about this new fitness routine like wildfire. If you think about it, outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others have made a tremendous impact on the diffusion of information relating to social awareness, trends, news, gossip, or political events. Why should a new exercise trend be any different?
The Crossfit “Cult”
The big difference between Crossfit and many other fitness activities lies in those who practice the sport. From the outside world, it seems like Crossfitters are crazy, obsessed, and a little brainwashed. I can assure you that not all of us are. Like any other hobby or activity, there are those who believe in moderation and those who come off as extremists. Unfortunately, those participating in moderation rarely catch people’s attention, so outsiders only see the freaks who cannot look beyond the barbells and medicine balls. The sport is filled with athletes of all ages, genders, shapes, sizes, and ability levels. Some people participate in Crossfit because they want to get into shape, some love the competition and see it as a sport, and others see it as a hobby they can participate in to get themselves out of a rut. This is why Crossfit is so popular. Because the sport can literally be for everyone, Crossfit is the SUV of the fitness world. No, we don’t all constantly post Instagram pictures of our Paleo meals, and we don’t all brag about our workouts in a daily Facebook status. I am truly sorry if you have friends who do engage in those practices.
Why Crossfit Matters
I personally believe that Crossfit is the perfect activity for postgrads for several reasons. First and foremost, you’re not 20 anymore. At some point, your metabolism is going to slow down, and the beers you pound on the weekends to make you feel a little better about your miserable job will eventually catch up with you. Crossfit is a great way to get (and stay) in shape. You probably don’t have a lot of free time, but Crossfit doesn’t take a lot of time. Most gyms offer classes that are 60 minutes long. If you do these classes a few times a week, you will see and feel the results in no time.
Finally, your life probably sucks right now. Sorry, but let’s be honest with each other here. You traded in a four year vacation at some resort disguised as a higher learning institution for what? For this? You are the first one in the office and the last one to leave. You work from home and you work weekends. You have a cubicle with a view of the hallway and access to the office pot of the crappiest coffee money can buy. Crossfit offers an escape from all of that, for an hour a day. Human beings were not created to sit behind a small desk in a quarantined area while monitoring a white screen for eight hours a day. You have the opportunity to be active, lift heavy things like a badass, and not look like the overweight single 40-year-old who sits behind you. But probably the most valuable thing that Crossfit offers is the sense of community. The people you work out with will become your friends, and you will look forward to seeing them in the gym. The community offers a supportive environment where people genuinely care about each others’ progress and wellbeing. Often times, athletes feel the members of their gym are like a second family, and the facility becomes a second home. This is especially important in this day and age.
In her article, Eleanor Brown explains how in the past, it was quite common for adults to have “third places” locations where they should spend time outside of their workplaces and homes. These “third places” often took the form of bookstores, cafes, and pubs. However, over the years, many of these places have failed to sustain themselves as third homes. Brown states that Crossfit gyms may be recreating the phenomenon of third places–the result is a person who feels more socially connected to others and his or her community.
After college is over, you and your friends probably parted ways for career reasons. Now you’re in a new location where the only people you have to hang out with are the ones you met at work. Wouldn’t it be nice to actually hang out with people you like, and people you get to choose to associate with? Plus, you get the added benefit of escaping all things work-related for a while.
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patricktheroadwarrior
Patrick is an Arizona State University alumnus. After graduating with a pre-med major, he traveled to universities across the US working for his college fraternity. Patrick now works for his Alma mater while he tries to determine what he wants to be when he grows up on a daily basis. His hobbies and interests include patriotism, fitness, craft beer, fine bourbon, firearms and denying accusations of being a hipster.
@PStenquist
This reads like a well-written infomercial.
Crossfit and Herbalife. Two things I’ll never try because the people addicted to it are the worst kind of human being. There’s also plenty of studies discrediting the benefits of both the companies I listed. Like Texag mentioned, the trainers are not actually trainers and they can actually train you to fuck up your joints.
Don’t know why this is getting voted down. I completely agree. Way too often I see facebook posts saying “Jenny has lost 21 lbs so far on her Herbalife journey!” Congratu-fucking-lations for eating only 1 meal of real food a day and the rest liquids.
I have a Facebook “friend” who literally (I mean literally) only posts about the progress of her “clients”. Ya know, because we all give two shits about their unhealthy nutrition and work out regiments.
Haha, “clients”… How thoughtful of the friend to post their progress. Considering their “clients” are the lab rats needed for that friend to continue to get free products.
I overheard this in a crossfit gym “Dude, lets load up the bar all the way and then take pictures for Instagram” The problem with crossfit is after about 3 months you plateau and do not find the “WODs” challenging any longer. Most Crossfit gyms have huge turnover or members who still pay but no longer show up (obviously a benefit to the business). To quote the great Kenny Powers “I play real sports. I’m not trying to be the best at exercising.”
I’ve never been to a crossfit class. I’ll never go to a crossfit class. Maybe you can answer this for me. Is there a certain time set aside within the work out so that everyone can take photos and update their social media about their WOD? It seems like updating your Facebook is a crucial part of the crossfit routine. Also, people would probably think nothing of crossfit if the participates didn’t act like they invented exercising.
That’s actually part of the cooldown segment. We stretch and update all social media outlets. After all, if you did a crossfit workout but didn’t post about it, did it even happen?
You’re saying this with tongue-in-cheek. But other health nuts are too far gone to realize this. How else could you explain them posting daily after-workout or even mid-workout selfies?
I am a complete health nut. I eat high protein meals, and a salad with every vegetable imaginable for lunch everyday. I spend nearly 2 hours after work every day at the gym, Saturday mornings I spend in the gym instead of hungover in my bed. Its a great life, I personally love it.
With that being said, I don’t make other people have to see my progress by posting about my workouts on social media and stuff. Plain and simple those people suck and more times than not they’re taking pictures right after they work out when their muscles are full of blood and pumped up.
You’re a good man whiskey tango. Keep fighting the good fight.
If you had anything worth saying, you should have said it in the column. Now shut up.
I kinda want to punch you in the face.
I’d like to punch you in the face emotionally…
Nice come back…..what’s next the middle finger?
“If you think about it, outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others have made a tremendous impact on the diffusion of information relating to social awareness, trends, news, gossip, or political events.”
That’s a ground breaking observation right there..
Crossfit doesn’t get shit on because it’s the people are annoying (you are), but because it gets people that have never done a squat before to try to do snatches under the supervision of “trainers” who aren’t trained to teach proper form and it’s fucking up peoples’ bodies. Also calling crossfit a “sport” just makes you look like an asshole. Oh, and people like Miranda Oldroyd and Jason Khapila did not get to looking how they do with Crossfit. They’re basically paid models.
Heard. The people problem with crossfit comes form the losers who flunked gym and made it to the bench JV for one year in HS. Now they view themselves as “athletes” when they probably have the hand-eye coordination of an infant. To be fair though, I’m always down for a session where someone simply tells me what to do and holds me accountable. Then I can’t quite after 7 minutes at 6.0 on the treadmill (worst varsity athlete of all time). If you have a basis of weight training this shit is not hard. It’s just a good workout.
https://pgparchive.wpengine.com/stopcrossfit/
Looks like it’s time for Volume II. W R Bolen, get on it.
This video really helped me understand crossfit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnjYyfkcaNI
Just put some weights on a bad, and lift. If you want cardio, run. Crossfit attracts bigger dbags than those late 20’s guys at college night at a bar
define your goals, find a program that will lead you to your goals, and stick with that program.
What you’re paying extra for at a box are the people watching you while you lift saying “c’mon you can do it”
And equipment that a Globo Gym won’t have, like kettle bells, ropes, olympic bumper weights, Olympic lifting platforms, a legitimate pull up bar rack… the list goes on. Some shitty gyms won’t have rowers or med balls, for other examples. Hey, stick to doing curls in the mirror though bro. Maybe get in some leg curls too.
Make sure you have what you need at your gym before you sign. My gym has every single one of those things you mentioned.. except i don’t know what constitutes a “legitimate” pull up bar.
White Goodman would have loved CrossFit. It’s right up his alley.
I came to the conclusion that Crossfitters have no idea what they are talking about. As an assistant strength and conditioning coach for a D-1 track and rugby team, these “trainers,” are complete idiots. WOD’s are good for the non-motivated and for someone that needs a form of competition to get out and workout. But I would take these ‘trainers” encouraging words with a grain of salt because you don’t want to walk around like an old man at 35.