Now bugger me another Cross-Fit gym out of no-where and interestingly right in the middle of an outer suburb that at first glance you wouldn't think had the demographic for that facility.
Now read through my previous posts and I flay Cross-fit pretty badly, mainly because I can't stand some of the 'me now' individuals who are jumping on the band wagon because they believe Cross-fit is sexy and cool. I much prefer those who have been slaving away in strength and health for years regardless of what the latest fad is.
Nevertheless I give true Cross-fitters their due. As all-round athletes (much like decathletes at the Olympics) I think they have a great level of conditioning. Though it's personally not for me I'm happy to lift heavy shit, push a prowler and swim in the summer for my fix.
Regardless I think they are very successful is in their business model and the more people getting healthy the better it is. Now a couple of structural things are present in the environment that contribute greatly to its success namely:
- more conditioning focus which plays to the societal preoccupation with aerobic based activity
- propensity for the average amongst us to seek the next fad (Zumba, Tai Bo etc)
- The fragmented nature of other strength sports, there are literally millions of disenfranchised individuals wanting to be better but not being satisfied by a regular gym environment and Cross-fit are just hoovering them up like a fat kid on a cup-cake
That being said Cross-fit do a few things very, very well:
- ramp up the community feel which plays particularly well to women who may not have always felt comfortable in traditional gym environments
- the focus on group based work means no one appears to be left behind and peer group pressure and support provide a good reinforcing loop to keep people engaged
- The physiques that cross-fit produce are attractive for the mainstream. Lean, lots of ABS and not too much bulk.
- Oh and more and more guys get into it because of......
Yep the 'Bros' out there love hot girls lifting weights, so again there is another pretty strong reinforcing loop that keeps the paying customers coming back.
Now the real master stroke has been the link to Weightlifting particularly in the USA. Now here we have weightlifting another relatively fringe endeavour (I know its an Olympic sport but name me the top 3 in each weight class at the last Olympics??? there its a fringe sport). However given the need to perform the standard lifts in Crossfitt we have plenty of previously uncool weighlifters able to cash in on their abilities coaching to Cross-fit.
Hell I am pretty sure Jon North would still be training at Cal Strength not running his own gym if he wasn't now able to criss cross the country doing coaching seminar where I suspect 90% of those paying customers are Cross fit franchises.
Now what does all this mean for powerlifting. It means we are dicks for never getting our shit together i.e.. Federations that argue about rule differences when a little negotiation might start the process of aggregation...dicks! Popular writers who moan about the perilous state of lifting then go and start yet another fed..dick!
People are always saying the most popular federations globally need to sit there shit down and work out how to rationalise. I mean we aren't talking about Northern Ireland 20 years ago or the Gaza strip. This is just a bunch of silly fuckers arguing about wraps or no wraps, mono or stands, gear or no gear. Like any true change management initiative the impetus must come from the top, from the Federation executives.
So just remember while we all sit around tossing shit at that other federation another Cross-fit has opened taking more potential customers that should have been on our platforms. Think about it!
Stay Strong
Thomo
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