Rest Day/Theory

The competition was old school: no prizes. Just friends getting together for a great workout and some beer.

“And all the money that was raised, every single dime, went straight to Kenya,” says NorCal CrossFit owner Jason Khalipa.

It was all part of CrossFit’s Hope for Kenya project, focused on improving the conditions of those living in the 250-square-mile rural area surrounding Mombasa. The fundraiser workout—a 12-minute AMRAP of 50… Continue Reading

Veteran and affiliate owner Atom Ziniewicz struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and bipolar disorder. He ultimately lost his battle, but he fought with his CrossFit community at his back.

On Sept. 21, 2012, 34-year-old Atom Ziniewicz faced down two Alaska State Troopers near Mile 270 of the Parks Highway in Fairbanks, Alaska. The former Green Beret, CrossFit athlete, coach and owner of CrossFit Liberation was armed with a… Continue Reading

Dr. Jane Drexler reflects on philosophical ideas through the lens of CrossFit. It’s like Philosophy 101 with CrossFit as the frame—or perhaps CrossFit 101 with philosophy as the frame.

“Men will be good or bad builders as a result of building well or badly.” —Aristotle

Right around Day 12 of a 30-day nutrition challenge, I start to feel good. Day 12 is when I start to believe Aristotle again. I start to believe again that the road to a… Continue Reading

CrossFit subject-matter experts George Ryan and Tony Blauer explain how fear-management and positive action are the keys to any crisis situation.

A feeling of helplessness tormented most Americans in the wake of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn. In the face of so much horror and injustice, some argued for more gun control, while others called for a heavier gun presence in our schools. Many brought… Continue Reading

Champion weightlifter Donny Shankle addresses the true character of the world’s fastest lift.

The snatch is one of two exercises in the sport of weightlifting. It involves lifting a barbell from the floor up and over your head in one motion. Many hours are spent in the gym practicing the snatch, trying to get as close to perfection as possible. Because the movement is so quick, there is little room for error. The… Continue Reading

John Doole takes a philosophical look at the things that make us who we are.

Changing the timing of when I was pulling the bar in a clean was incredibly difficult.

Cleans, like golf swings, are difficult to perform consistently well. Lats engaged, butt up, load the hamstrings, move the bar past the knees, slight re-bend, explode with the hips, shrug and bend the arms to move your body under the bar, elbows… Continue Reading

On the moving of heavy things.

Humans have moved stones for millennia.

Flipping, pushing, pulling, dragging, rolling and sliding until the pyramids towered over the desert.

People moved some of the mighty blocks of Stonehenge over 100 miles, scientists say.

The Paro moai erected on Easter Island is almost 10 meters tall and weighs 82 tons.

It’s in our nature to move heavy stones because we build things. Great things like… Continue Reading

Chris Cavallerano looks at how the benefits of the box extend to the rest of your life.

According to CrossFit Founder and CEO Greg Glassman, the psychology and emotional benefits of CrossFit are “hard to measure and difficult if not impossible to prove.”

That’s certainly true, but the field of psychology suggests several reasons why the things that happen during a CrossFit workout have such an effect on life outside the gym.

People join CrossFit for fitness and… Continue Reading