“It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.” Tony Robbins
OG vs NEW-G CROSSFIT The recent departure of Dave Castro and the apparent changes to CrossFit social media has been a topic of conversation among OG CrossFit affiliate owners and athletes. Many OGs are upset about the changes at CrossFit, yet the CF management team are confident that the changes will make CrossFit a better & bigger company and community for affiliates, enthusiasts and professional CF athletes. Admittedly, the battle between legacy communities and new leadership has been played out many times in corporations, churches, private organizations, and even churches many, many times. It is the topic of the best-selling business book, “Who Moved My Cheese?”, written in 1999. Over time, dissenters will either move on, or get onboard.
I got started in CrossFit in 2004. To me the ability to get a full-body workout done in 10-20 minutes was mind-blowing. I used to spend hours in the gym lifting weights, and in my 30’s, hours on the road or in the pool training for triathlons. Like other OGs, what appealed to me was the community of extreme athletes (military, police, fire) that were posting their results on the CrossFit blog, the intensity of the workouts, and the amazing results that came so quickly, and the fact that it was so different from traditional fitness & gyms. In 2006, I attended a Level 1 Coach Certification course and was blown away by what I learned about CrossFit, fitness and nutrition.. The founder of CrossFit, Greg Glassman, was my instructor. His approach to fitness was so simple and yet, based upon scientific method. His test subjects were his clients in his small gym in Santa Cruz.
Glassman changed the traditional definition of fitness. Google will tell you it is: “the condition of being physically fit and healthy” – utterly ambiguous. After much thought and discourse, Glassman defined fitness as “increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains” – the ability to do more in more diverse ways. Thus, fitness became measureable. For example, assume an individual moved a pile of bricks 100’ in 20 minutes and then, for 6 months, exercised and practiced. If, at the end of 6 months the individual moved the same pile of bricks 100’ in 15 minutes then, his/her fitness improved by 25%. Strength gains, weight loss, cardiovascular improvements are all ancillary benefits!
Glassman created workouts that included constantly varied, functional movements and executed with intensity: CrossFit. All CrossFit movements and workouts were measurable and repeatable: load, distance & time. These workouts consistently yielded the best fitness results – as measured by the improvements of his clients and eventually by the fast-growing online community. OGs preached this to friends and family and anyone who would listen.
CrossFit, by virtue of the workouts & equipment (bumper plates, kettlebells, climbing ropes, etc), and it’s unique community, became the counterculture to traditional gyms. Affiliates were dark, gritty, loud, small gyms usually located in industrial areas of town, or in garages. CrossFit OGs were born in these gyms.
Glassman also vigorously defended the brand and methodology from attacks by competitors and others. He also lauded the food & beverage & pharmaceutical industries which were contributing to the metabolic disease crisis in our Country. And, he repeatedly publicly proclaimed that CrossFit cured chronic disease and Affiliates were the lifeboats of health & fitness. OGs believe in this message.
So, a simple, yet elegant change to the definition of fitness, and the combination of functional movements and intensity, allowed for practical measurement of results and allowed CrossFit to proclaim itself the best fitness methodology in the world and a cure for chronic disease. The fact that many top athletes, elite military personnel, fire and police were exalting CrossFit gave credibility to the claims of greatness. Eventually, the CrossFit Games became the promotional manifestation of the definition of fitness and accelerated the growth and popularity of CrossFit and – some OGs will say – the commercialization of CrossFit.
The growth of CF is inevitable and essential (for the new owners). The new management team has made some substantial improvements to the internal operations of the organization. And, like any new corporate management team, they’ve hired new blood to promote and grow the business. They’re focused on expanding and growing users, fans, partners and revenues. Their messaging and marketing strategies are different from Glassman and that’s difficult to accept for many OGs. Eric Roza moved our cheese.
Diablo CrossFit will remain true to the original CrossFit methodology. We will also continue to support and participate in the CrossFit Games: the ultimate manifestation of our fitness. We will continue to cure chronic disease with our uniquely elegant solution: CrossFit. And, we’ll celebrate and participate in CrossFit’s eventual expansion and growth.
Most OGs will do the same, I’m sure.
ROW’D ROYALTY BEGINS THURSDAY! Our 12th Annual Row’d Royalty indoor rowing competition begins on Thursday, January 20th at 9AM. Every week for 4 weeks, we will announce a new workout. Workouts must be completed by the following Monday. Rower Giveaway! Each week, we’ll be giving away a new Concept 2 Rower via a drawing among everyone who completed the week’s workout. You’ll have 4 chances to win.
Row’d Royalty is unique because we have height categories: Standard & Tall. We understand that a longer row stroke benefits the rower. Having two height categories allow for a better competition for all athletes. [Text Wrapping Break][Text Wrapping Break]Row’d Royalty gives cash prizes for age-group winners! We are the ONLY online rowing competition that provides a prize purse for top competitors. As a result, we attract indoor rowing enthusiasts from all over the world.
CRAIG’S LIST (Stuff I’m Reading, Hearing, Watching, Using or Buying)
Greg Glassman – Compilation: “Fitness is a hedge against sickness with wellness as an intermediate value.”
The Last Duel: Amazon. This is a very good movie, but long. It retells a story of the last “trial by combat” in France during the middle ages. Actors: Matt Damon, Ben Afflec, Adam Driver.
Can CBD Prevent Covid? Rhonda Patrick posted this on Instagram, and it was also reported by numerous news agencies. I haven’t had time to read the study, but the data so far looks very interesting!
Make it an awesome week!
Craig
