What Is "Right" About Crossfit......

I am not a "Crossfitter".  I have never participated in a Crossfit training session, nor have I attempted a "W.O.D"  (workout of the day).  You'll never hear me talking about my time completing "FRAN", or how many "kipping" pull-ups I can perform.  I would not recommend Crossfit for an unconditioned individual, and I would even be hesitant on recommending Crossfit for an average trainee.  If Crossfit is a form of exercise you would like to attempt, proceed with caution, because injuries can occur with improper technique in any strenuous exercise program.

There are many coaches and trainers who claim that Crossfit is evil and should be banished from society.  There are also devoted followers of Crossfit who claim that it's the holy grail of fitness and everyone should bow down to Greg Glassman before beginning the beloved W.O.D. 

Mr. Greg Glassman - creator of Crossfit and one of the "most controversial individuals in fitness".

Throughout the Internet you can find numerous articles, blogs, and videos that ridicule Crossfit workouts and all of the negative things associated with what Crossfit entails. 

Is Crossfit really that bad?

I mean, we live in a society where more than 1/3 of Americans are considered obese.  The majority of adults I know consider a 30 minute jog an awesome workout.   Everyday people go into commercial fitness facilities and peddle away on a recumbent bike for a 10 minutes, then do some bicep curls and call it a strenuous training session.

There are those people who sit on the couch eating Ben & Jerry's making fun of anyone who eats a healthy diet or enjoys spending time exercising on the weekend.  Now that's the enemy!  As a trainer / coach, those people get under my skin more than the "Crossfit Cult".

This is more of a problem to our society than Crossfit!

If a form of exercise motivates people to get up off their asses, lift some weight, do some mobility work, and elevate their heart rate, should it really be ostracized from the fitness community? 

The good things regarding Crossfit:
-There is a strength/resistance training component that involves compound movements.
-There is a mobility component which focuses on a dynamic warm-up before exercise.
-There is a "team work" setting where people are motivated to do their best.
-There are goals and standard to measure your level of fitness and strive for improvement (W.O.D. times)
-The accountability factor of being at a class or to a training session on time (you miss, you're charged!)
-It can be more "cost efficient" than individual training sessions.
-There is a nutrition component that influences people to eat "healthier" food. (Paleo is better than that Jenny Craig/Quick weight loss crap!) 
-Some of the girls in the crossfit games have awesome bodies, just sayin'......

I know there are several strength coaches and trainers that can make a list 3 times as long listing all of the negatives surrounding Crossfit.  I would probably agree with some of the the things written on those lists, but there are a lot of positives with what's going on it the Crossfit community.  It's obvious the Crossfit craze is catching on like wild fire, and people are drinking the Kool-Aid.  If people can become that passionate over a form of exercise I have to show a little respect toward the Crossfit Klan.

As a person who endorses exercise and physical fitness I think we should embrace a variety of exercise and conditioning protocols, except Zumba, that's just lame!