I know I'm going to receive a verbal ass whoppin for this, but I gotta be me.
Eccentric because I do CF? Not sure. The best path to fitness? Also not sure. Crossfit provides a definition of fitness to which CF is tailored. Then the CF community says that CF is the best way to fitness. Hmm.. sounds like loading the dice to me.
The thing today's question makes me think of most is how the wonderful community of crossfit needs to mature. (In the words of BB: have some humble pie.)
If someone walks up to me and point blank tells me that their way of doing something is better, I want to punch them in the mouth. I try to remember that whenever I talk about CF. It doesn't matter whether CF IS the best or not. I have already turned off the person I want to talk to beginning a discussion like that.
Now go a step further and look at a whole community of people claiming that what they do creates the fittest people in the world? They even crown their champion fittest man and woman in the world. Eccentric isn't the word I would use to describe it. I'll let you choose the word.
Anyway, I'm not about bashing CF here (really). I like CF, love the people, and pay a crap load of money to do it. But when I think eccentric, I think Stephen Hawking. When I think CF... I think of a community that could use some PR help because half the time they put off people that WOULD otherwise do CF except for the perception of what it is.
Rant over...
--Austin
Yesterday, I posted a quote by Bertrand Russell regarding being eccentric. I then asked members if they were considered eccentric by their friends and family for participating in CrossFit. Austin's reply is posted above. In his post he makes a number of points. Some very good and I agree with. Others I disagree with.
Let me start by saying I should have also asked another question after asking if friends consider you to be eccentric. "Or, do you think CrossFit draws the already eccentric because it is so different than what most gyms offer as fitness?" I have been involved in CrossFit now since 2004. I have seen and met a large number of people both here and abroad that use CrossFit as their fitness program. I think a large majority of them are extremely eccentric. So I would argue that sometimes, not always, we as CrossFitters are bit off and that's ok by me.
In the first paragraph there is a question as to whether CrossFit is the best path to fitness. Austin isn't sure and he goes on to argue that CrossFit tailors the definition of fitness to suit itself and "loads the dice". I argue that this is too simple of a statement because no other organization has defined fitness in any measurable way. I have seen members of CFB and other CF Affiliates significantly achieve across broad measures of fitness. For example, women, deadlifting 2x+ their bodyweight, then running very respectable marathon's crushing previous best times while training almost exclusively here at CFB. Men performing pull-ups in the 40's and 50's when they never were able to do so before. These are all measurable and have been duplicated by many. The changes in people's lives outside the gym are just as dramatic. I have seen diseases reversed, medications eliminated, body fat lossed that was considered impossible to lose. Could the same results happen in a different fitness program? Sure, but I haven't seen it though as regularly as I have with CrossFit. So, until someone can prove to me that there is a better path to fitness, I believe that CrossFit is the one.
I can completely agree that there are many in the CF community that could benefit from dialing down the ego. This is more of a new trend. I can recall when I first met Greg Glassman, Eva Twardokens, Tony Budding, Dan John, Jeff Martone, Coach B., etc back in 2004 my first impression was of how damn nice they all were! I left my first weekend refreshed because I was in a community that openly shared information and respected each others opinion. That is what I first loved about CrossFit. It has been my experience that those in the community with the greatest egos are also the same ones that achieve the least. 'Nuff said.
Austin, in regards to whether the distinction of "Fittest people in the world" can be given to the top male and female finisher at the CrossFit Games. I have to ask again has there been a better method of staking such claims? Is the top finisher of the IronMan more worthy? What would a competition look like if you were the organizer? Again, at least CrossFit has attempted to truly define fitness and create an open invitation to anyone in the world to compete. I don't doubt that CrossFit as a Sport will continue to develop. The growth of participants is astounding. The talent pool is larger and more competitive and very impressive to watch.
My experience this year at the Games was that the human body can do some crazy things and those that participated the entire two days have a tremendous ability to endure. That level of Crossfit is only 1% of those that use the program for their fitness. What about the other 99% that we see everyday. The beauty of CrossFit is what it has done for them. Focus on that part of CrossFit and you can never go wrong. Thoughts?
Thanks for ranting Austin!
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Warm-up:
Foam Roll
-Lats
-Thoracic
-Glutes
-Quads
-Calves
Mobility
-Over/Under
-Lunge twist
-Greatest Stretch
-Inchworm
-Moon the sky
Strength/Skill:
-Handstand push-up progressions
MetCon: "Chelsea"
With a continuosly running clock complete each minute on the minute
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats
How many rounds can you complete without falling off pace? If you do fall off pace work every other minute on the minute to build in the rest and keep your intensity level higher. Post to comments.
Friday, November 6, 2009 at 12:00AM 
Mike is foam rolling his calves. Be sure to work out those hot spots for better performance!
