I am just going to start off by saying that I use to HATE the Crossfit community. Partly because I was jealous of the genius who patented the sport of working out and was now sitting pretty, but mostly because it gave people who were mediocre at a lot of things to think very highly of themselves and act like pompous goofballs. My Highland Games brethren and I use to rip on these skinny folks constantly and call anybody we thought was tiny “a crossfitter” or ask them what the WOD was. We thought we were funny, and they probably poked just as much fun at us in our skirts chucking sticks and stones. But since I have moved out to California, which seems like the mecca of Crossfit, my view has changed dramatically. There are things that Crossfit has brought out in society that I give a big thumbs up for. The next few paragraphs are some of my reason why my mood has changed about them.

First and foremost, Crossfit has people up and moving around. In our country today there is a HUGE obesity epidemic and Crossfit has gotten more people up and moving and exercising and I couldn't be any more glad for that. As a PE teacher and personal trainer I would shake my head when I would work with people or observe others, because I worried about what their future had in store for health-wise. I even implemented Crossfit-type workouts with my students because they were short on PE minutes and I wanted to make sure they got a good, hard workout in when they were in my class. But I digress. Bottom line is Crossfit has gotten people out from in front of the TV, from all ages, and has them moving around and doing some sort of physical activity. A+ on my report card.

Next, I want to comment on the community in general. How many of you have gone to the gym by yourself and have either lost motivation to keep going or just get bored with a workout because it is just you? If you say “never,” you are a liar, because I have from time to time and it's hard work to keep yourself motivated day in and day out by yourself. Crossfit joins a group of people with a common interest and builds a bond within that community. It's a lot easier to get motivated when you have 6-10 people getting their butts whooped just like you as opposed to you doing it by yourself.

Speaking of community, the involvement some of these boxes take in terms of working with outside groups is just awesome. Some of these boxes have gotten grants and such to come into schools and work with kids that may not have appropriate equipment. If that doesn't work out, they usually have after school programs or other programs geared towards getting kids active and keeping them out of trouble. Not much different than a YMCA, if you ask me, and I would bet that these places would be just as successful, if not more. When you have a general caring of everyone's fitness, as a former physical educator, you are good with me.

I am now a weightlifter and the impact Crossfit has had on the weightlifting community has been tremendous. The big thing that I have spoken with my coach and teammates about is that Crossfit has given weightlifting a fan base. Before Crossfit, there were maybe a handful of people who knew what a snatch or clean + jerk were, outside of football programs. They introduced these lifts (although not with the best technique but the thought is there, A for effort) and showed everyone that they can be used in a variety of ways when it comes to exercise.

Another thing that was brought to my attention was that before Crossfit, USA Weightlifting's membership was pretty low and after Crossfit got going and introduced the Olympic movements, the membership almost tripled. That's a lot more people training the lifts, competing in meets, and going to meets to cheer on the lifters. Trust me: that makes a huge difference. My training partner Donny Shankle, for example, is almost on GOD status with Crossfitters. He has his own WOD and boxes across the country are doing fundraisers so he can have the financial support he needs to compete and train in order to make the 2012 team. Eight years ago, did lifters get that kind of support from a yoga class? I don't think so. It blows my mind how the Crossfit community has embraced weightlifters and treats them like pseudo-celebrities. For example, my teammates and I are doing weekly classes at gyms across the East Bay area on the lifts because Crossfitters want to learn how to do them the "right" way. Again, amazing. Last little story on their support and I will move on. Donny and Glenn went to do a seminar in Florida last weekend and when he walked into a gym the owner handed Donny a envelope with a collection they took for him and told Glenn that they wanted to make monthly contributions either with money or supplements to help out the rest of us at California Strength. Stuff like that makes you sit there and think about why this community is reaching out so hard to weightlifters and trying to do all they can do to help us out.

Now I know some of you will still have some of your own thoughts on this and think I lost my mind but I am seeing the whole picture when it comes to Crossfit. Do I see issues in it? Of course, but name me an organization or program that does not have holes in it. Yeah, some of their diet stuff is a bit extreme for me and their programming can be a little rough and occasionally make no sense, but again, who doesn't have issues? People probably say the same thing about my training…(“Eating everything in sight and lifting the same heavy weights is suicide and not good for your body.”) In some sense you are probably right, but you know what? I dig it and my bet is that it’s for the same reason people dig Crossfit. So in conclusion I want to say that before you start judging Crossfit by the outside or that one d-bag that works out at that box, look at the whole picture and what they are trying to accomplish and I bet you will that Crossfit is not unlike most other groups out there.