Special Populations

Born deaf, Jordan Levin runs a CrossFit affiliate and is a motivational speaker. Lon Wagner tells the story.

I am talking, on the phone, to Jordan Levin. Normal. Mundane, even.

When I emailed Jordan, I wasn’t sure how this would go, how we would do the interview. Maybe it’d have to be done through email. Or a chat window. Here’s the thing: Jordan Levin was born deaf. And he still is.

“Right now,” Jordan says, his voice sounding… Continue Reading

Retired U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Bill Center was obese and in declining health. He reached his goals to achieve functional fitness by giving CrossFit a chance.

I couldn’t get up from the floor.

My body—270 lb. and just 63 years old—lay prone because I lacked the strength to command it upright.

Rising from the floor is such a basic capability, a natural motion first achieved before most of us could even… Continue Reading

On Episode 205 of CrossFit Radio, host Justin Judkins interviewed Practice CrossFit trainer Mindy Coby and goal-setting guru Greg Amundson. This episode was webcast live at 6 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012.

The WOW (Workout of the Week) is from Wasatch CrossFit:

For time, 21-15-9 reps of:
115-lb. power cleans
Hand-release push-ups
Rest 2 minutes
15-12-9 reps of:
115-lb. power cleans
Hand-release push-ups
Rest 2 minutes
12-9-6… Continue Reading

The S&M community meets the CrossFit crew at the Taranis Winter Challenge. Emily Beers reports.

When CrossFitters from different boxes gather together, it usually becomes one of those rare moments in life where strangers feel like friends. But for the people around us, our presence can be overwhelming.

We check into our hotels and immediately get noticed. Some people look intrigued, others intimidated, and others confused. They start asking… Continue Reading

On Episode 199 of CrossFit Radio, host Justin Judkins interviewed CrossFit A.C.T. owner Bill Shockley and Pepperdine University professor Dr. Cooker Perkins. This episode was webcast live at 6 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011.

The Workout of the Week (WOW) is from CrossFit L.A.’s website:

In 3 minutes, complete the following:
Run 200 meters
135-lb. thrusters, max reps
Rest 2 minutes
In 6 minutes, complete the following:
Run 400 meters
… Continue Reading

After an incredible transformation of her body and mind, Stephanie Vincent has become a Level 1 trainer and has suggestions on how to coach the unfit.

I had been obese since I was a little girl.

I wasn’t good at gym class, never played a sport and was always limited in my ability to participate in physical activities.

I walked through the doors of CrossFit King of Prussia at 320-plus lb., having no confidence… Continue Reading

Dr. Cooker Perkins and Hannah Dewalt explore training intensity during pregnancy and call on CrossFitters to help them take their research further.

One relatively new territory that has received a lot of attention in recent years is exercising during pregnancy. At this point, we know quite a bit about aerobic activity during pregnancy (e.g., walking, jogging, swimming). The first guidelines about what women can and can’t do with respect to aerobic… Continue Reading

“If you focus on a big idea and a big goal, you can make it happen through small, actionable steps,” says Jessie O’Brien of Westlake CrossFit in Austin, Texas.

Through the help of fundraisers like 500 Burpees for Time, O’Brien and CrossFitters from CrossFit Calgary in Canada traveled to Sri Ram Ashram in Haridwar, India, this past January. The ashram is an orphanage, school, charitable medical clinic and home of CrossFit Sri Ram Ashram, founded by… Continue Reading