CrossFit Maniacs (?)

There was a recent article published in Huffington Post by Penny Love Hoff called "Is CrossFit Only for Maniacs?" She refers to CrossFit as a fitness program for "audacious radical fitness zealots". She states that while researching CrossFit, she read a summary on the CrossFit main site (Greg Glassman's 100 Words) in which she agrees with almost every point. However, she then goes to the internet to check out what CrossFit is all about, I should preface, there are a lot of you tube videos out there that would put anyone off of CrossFit. Videos of kids trying to lift much more than they should and having incredible fails, people flaunting their mashed up hands or throwing their head into a bucket, etc etc. This is really the extreme of CrossFit - not the norm, and certainly not something to judge the whole community by. 


Yes, CrossFit can be done on your own, in your garage, and that is one of the big things that they tout as a huge plus. But CrossFit embodies more than fitness. It embodies a community of driven, hard working, intelligent and innovative people - just check out the microeconomy that CrossFit has grown, with companies that create custom athletic journals, clothing, gear, jewlery, food, even their own groupon like site. 


CrossFit embodies a belief that we should give back to our community at large. An event entitled Fight Gone Bad raises millions annually for organizations such as the Wounded Warriors Project, Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Infant Swimming Resources and Camp Patriot. When the helicopter of seals was downed and all 31 aboard perished, CrossFit quickly raised hundreds of thousands for the families through the 31 heroes events. This month, hundreds of boxes around the world will partake in Barbells for Boobs, a fundraiser for breast cancer awareness. This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how CrossFit gives back to the community at large. 


CrossFit embodies the knowledge that we can always be better then what we are now. We can always try harder, we can always lift a little more weight - even if just another pound, we can always go a little faster - even if just by a second. It embodies the idea that we should always give everything 100%. CrossFit is never easy, you may get faster at the workouts, or lift heavier weights, but it will never be easy.


CrossFit celebrates everyones strengths and weaknesses, it preaches the value of scaling workouts. Pushups on your knees, pullups with bands, lighter weights, shorter distances - the ultimate goal is always to do a workout as Rx'd, but it teaches you to get there in steps, rather than leaps. 


Does that sound like a community you would want to be involved in? HELL YES! Will you work hard and see major fitness gains? Surely. Will you gain mobility and see a decrease in physical ailments? Highly likely  Is it crazy and just for maniacs? Certainly not!