When CrossFit first started gaining attention outside of Santa Cruz, California, many of the early adopters were military and first responders — “tip of the spear” professionals.
In fact, the first CrossFit Level 1 Course came about at the request of a SWAT team in Florida that wanted to use CrossFit as their training program. Very quickly, the program gained a grassroots following with Navy SEALs, Reconnaissance Marines, and Army Special Forces. Cadre started using CrossFit workouts as tests during assessments and selection, and the best-prepared candidates trained using CrossFit.
CrossFit’s emerging popularity among first responders and military groups on the heels of the 9/11 attacks soon caught the attention of hardcore fitness enthusiasts seeking a no-nonsense program that delivered an extreme challenge and unrivaled results.
The challenge and results have not changed in more than 20 years. The fittest police officers, firefighters, and operators are doing CrossFit in some form, either in unit training or individually.
Unfortunately, our reputation as the chosen strength and conditioning program for some of the most elite and physically rigorous professions has, at times, been a double-edged sword. Our association with elite athletes has definitely attracted those who want to train like and compete with the best of the best. Inevitably, however, this elite reputation may have scared others away — namely, those who think a program perfectly suited to Special Forces soldiers is too advanced or arduous for them.
They are wrong.
Who is CrossFit Really For?
The goal of CrossFit is to maximize our work capacity so we can dominate life’s challenges and adventures, even as we age. This is a universal fitness goal that applies to everyone, whether an athlete, soldier, businessperson, or homemaker.
One of our basic tenets is that the needs of our grandparents and elite athletes differ by degree and not kind, meaning we all need increased power, strength, cardiovascular and respiratory endurance, stamina, flexibility, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. These fitness skills or qualities are each important to the fittest operators and world’s best athletes, and to the oldest among us. The only difference is that one group is training for functional dominance, while the other group is training for functional competence.
Over the years, with literally millions of participants, we’ve found that the very same methods that elicit optimal responses in elite athletes elicit the same responses in the elderly. To develop functional capacity that improves our quality of life and prepares us for the rigorous challenges or professions we want to pursue at any age, we need to implement a safe, effective way to perform a wide variety of functional movements at an intensity that expands our fitness boundaries.
That’s what CrossFit delivers for anyone willing to put in the time and work to get the results.
This Is a Lifelong Journey
CrossFit is not just for younger athletes, soldiers, or first responders training for their missions. To the contrary. As we age, our CrossFit workouts become even more important for preserving our fitness and quality of life, as time marches on to steal both. A common refrain from those in their 50s and 60s is that, at this stage in their lives, they’re just focusing on cardio and mobility, not strength.
This is a mistake.
“Longevity Is Not Permission To Coast”
In a recent newsletter article, CrossFit athlete Marcus Filly made the great point that training for “longevity is not permission to coast.” He is absolutely right. Fitness and health are lifelong pursuits. It’s a battle we wage daily against the inevitable effects of aging. The second we stop pushing ourselves, we start losing ground; we start losing the battle. The only way to have a chance at the quality of life we hope for in our final years is to put the work in today, tomorrow, and every day moving forward. If we take our foot off the gas pedal or coast too soon, we’re setting ourselves up for a final chapter of decrepitude and disease.
There’s no doubt CrossFit is perfectly suited for training the elite of the elite. But this should not scare away the average fitness enthusiast or those of us who find ourselves on the back side of middle-aged. CrossFit is also perfectly suited to help us achieve our mission of dominating life until the last day. That’s the opportunity CrossFit offers, and today is the day to take it. We promise that all the hard work will pay enormous dividends.
About the Author
Stephane Rochet is a Senior Content Writer for CrossFit. He has worked as a Flowmaster on the CrossFit Seminar Staff and has over 15 years of experience as a collegiate/tactical strength and conditioning coach. He is a Certified CrossFit Trainer (CF-L3) and trains athletes in his garage.
Comments on CrossFit Isn't Just for the Elite. It Never Was.
0 Comments