Statements like "This is part of a “dramatic change” in CrossFit’s marketing, says Eric James, Ph.D., a professor of communication at Metropolitan State University of Denver." MAKE ME CRAZY!

There's a clear lack of understanding about CrossFit programing at the core of that statement. There's nothing new here, in fact the opposite, these principles are foundational. 

Check out the photo in this post from 8 years ago: http://www.crossfitsantacruz.com/workoutoftheday/2012/01/13/everyone-can-not-everyone-does
"We like to say that, "CrossFit is for anyone, but it is not for everyone." What we are trying to say with that quote is that no matter your fitness level, no matter your age, no matter what, CrossFit can be for you. But, not everyone will want to do CrossFit. The hard work, the diligence to being a beginner before being elite and the humility to fail in front of others prevent some from participating. Scaling and modifying workouts is at the heart of what we do, making workouts appropriate to an athlete's physical and psychological tolerances."

Thank you for sharing this terrific article drawing attention to CrossFit's ability to help all athletes! I cant wait for my box to reopen so I can propose we offer a class for our communities' parents and see how we can take it from there! Keep the tips coming on how we can make this a big success for our older athletes!

Nice to see this. Lots of positive stuff going on right now, from the physicians network to the “at home” series. What they are doing at HQ right now with their crew of seniors is really inspiring.

One thing the Men’s Health piece mentions is that it will be a PR disaster the first time “one 70-year-old has a heart attack or breaks their femur.” It will be a tragedy for sure and is probably only a matter of time. But how many seniors will languish away due to sedentarism? One thing I know for sure is that CrossFit will not back down. I’d bet all of CrossFit’s competitors have press releases already drafted to capitalize on the first octogenarian who skins a knee.

After the first rhabdo case, CrossFit could have watered down their program. Instead, they opened up a dialogue about rhabdo and brought more attention to it than anyone prior. I expect the same with regards to training seniors and special populations. Lessons will be learned. What we know for sure is that seniors desperately need functional movements at progressively higher intensity. What they don't need is some half-wit telling them to be careful with two pound dumbbells. Having someone in your life pushing you to be a better person is valuable at any age. Most children have that. Some adults do. But how many seniors?