No such thing as an average CrossFitter

Jan 01, 2013 17 Comments by JoshBunch

He said he didn’t train competitors. That the average CrossFitter was the CrossFitter he was in the market for. What exactly does an “average” CrossFitter look like, I thought.

Five years of owning a CrossFit will get you a lot of questions weather you suck at it or not. In fact, now I think you just have to be open to be an expert.

Lately, that trend of questions has changed. It’s not about which programming style to start with, or what equipment is considered bare bones, or which insurance to trust. The big, and wrong, questions some new affiliates are asking today is: “What kind of CrossFit should I be?”

“CrossFit is the sport of fitness,” I said getting a little more serious with my new friend. “How do you NOT train competitors?”

“I like to make the regular people feel welcome,” he said. “My members just don’t want to work that hard.”

He lost me. We hit that point in a conversation where you feel like you were talking to someone you knew, then suddenly, like that really hard bite of a really good steak, they get all tough and make you gag a little.

I have never considered anyone who CrossFitted regular. To me, CrossFitter already meant abnormal. That was kinda the point, and the original motivation in the first place. It was the rejection of the normal that wasn’t working in the first place.

“Coach said men will die for points,” I said to our new affiliate owner. “I’m pretty sure he meant all men, and women, regardless of age, size, goal, or background. I don’t think he meant everybody needs to make it to the Games in California, but I do think he meant, we all have our version of the Games.”

I don’t think it matters if your Games is Reebok sponsored, local or global, little league or big league. It doesn’t even have to be traditional, your Games is your kids, it’s your fun, it’s your life. If your not competitive there, your either a liar, or dead.

His blankness was kinda making me uncomfortable. I couldn’t tell if I just metaphorically killed his hopes and dreams or if he mentally checked out of the conversation.

Like a broken fitness record Coach says a lot of the same things when he speaks. “Chase excellence” is a big one. It’s not “chase gimmick.” Chasing a gimmick is trying to differentiate yourself from other CrossFit’s by saying things like, “I don’t train competitors,” or “we are the hardcore CrossFit in town,” or worst of all, “Were the regular people CrossFit.”

The reason my box is different from any other box in the world, or down the block, isn’t because of whatever crappy one-liner I come up with, it’s me and my training team. It’s what our life experience leads us to believe about fitness. Then it’s our attitude and personality that allow us to present it in such a way that you either hate it, or love it. Everything else, is a sales pitch. Everything else, is unnatural.

Our roots are making better humans, everything else, is worthless.

Warm-up:

Coaches choice

Strength:

Snatch Balance
5,3,2,1,1

For score:

5-Handstand push-ups
20-Squats
30-Double unders
AMRAP 14 Minutes

Auxiliary:

Pistol practice
5 Minutes

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