Pretty controversial article in the wake of the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games. I think he brings up some good points, but I think some of them could be argued....
Read the rest here: https://hitthewoodline.squarespace....fit-games-fittest-alive-or-best-at-exercising
The title "Fittest man/woman alive” is bestowed upon the winner of the CrossFit games each year. This is absurd for many reasons. Before I go any further, I am not a CrossFit hater. Quite to the contrary, in fact. I believe that when programmed correctly CrossFit is an amazing training system that produces incredible results. When programmed the way that it is in most cases (let's throw shit at a wall and see what sticks) it is a recipe for a one-way trip to snap city. I digress. I am a fan of CrossFit and have been an avid supporter for a decade. I have coached close to 5,000 CrossFit classes and have done several competitions including the South West Regionals as and individual, twice. I'm not a Kool-Aid drinker either; I refuse to accept that the title of "Fittest Man Alive" can be given after doing a couple of CrossFit workouts.
I am not saying that Sam Briggs and Rich Froning are not amazing professional athletes, they are hands down the best CrossFitters alive. However, to give a person the title "Fittest alive” is no less ridiculous than saying that I am the "smartest man alive". I understand it will piss some people off when I say that CrossFit has no more of a right to crown the fittest man alive than Outside magazine did when they proclaimed Mark Allen was after six Ironman world championship titles. Before you get your lulu lemon-wearing ass in an uproar, here are my arguments placed in an easy to read bullet point format:
1.) Defining fitness
CrossFit isn't exactly unbiased here folks. They are using the definition of fitness that they created, and then their head quarter’s staff picks the tests that fall in line with their own definition. Now I know what you are thinking... "That’s what all sports do." The NFL creates rules and definitions, creates a season and then crowns the fittest man alive... Nope. The NFL crowns the best football team of that season following their win at the super bowl. But Leo, CrossFit is the Sport of Fitness so the winner is the fittest person. Wrong, "The Sport of Fitness” is something that some dude at Reebok came up with to sell shoes; it's a jingle, a slogan, and a tag line. The person who wins the CrossFit games is the best CrossFitter alive.
Read the rest here: https://hitthewoodline.squarespace....fit-games-fittest-alive-or-best-at-exercising