Results for “military”

Providing CrossFit training to those that do not otherwise have the means to do CrossFit is something I wanted to do. My target audience was the active-duty Marines and civilian Marines aboard Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina. For others, a nonprofit CrossFit affiliate might serve an individual military unit, or underprivileged youth, or perhaps senior citizens; it may be for a group within a corporation or other… Continue Reading

By the time trainees enter the fourth and inal phase of our pre-SOF training program, they have been subjected to a steadily increasing regimen designed to provide a sample of the physical and mental challenges they will encounter in military special operations training pipelines. Like a vaccine, this stimulus is strategically designed to elicit physical and neurological responses and adaptations that will aid them when… Continue Reading

My experiences with athletics, academics, physical training, and military service have exposed me to many types of leaders, students, and trainees. There is a lot of discussion about what makes good leaders, teachers, and coaches, but less about the qualities required on the other side of that relationship--about what it takes to be a world-class trainee. In my exposure to training and teaching interactions across diverse fields, I have observed several consistent characteristics that… Continue Reading

Due to the increasing trend in global radical extremism, the military branches of the U.S. Armed Forces have made a long-term commitment to increasing the size of their Special Operations Forces (SOF). What this means to CrossFit affiliates is that there are an increasing number of individuals across the country who are awaiting the beginning of their training; who eat, sleep, and breathe SOF preparation; and who are hungry for… Continue Reading

"CrossFit women rock!" This sentiment resonates with both men and women. CrossFit women are redrawing the boundaries of performance and having a blast doing it. In fact, their awe-inspiring performances have been instrumental in conveying CrossFit's efficacy to the free world's military. It wasn't the male fire-breathers that did it. It was the women. As one Naval Special Warfare operator said… Continue Reading

Sandbag training has been around as long as there has been manual labor. Even in our industrial age, luggage, duffels, and those huge bags of dog food, concrete, or potting soil don't get onto the shelves or into our cars by themselves; someone has to put them there. In attempts to make fewer trips from the car, we tend to carry our grocery bags into the kitchen in strange and creative… Continue Reading

The power of the mind is immeasurable. When allowed, it is capable of driving the body past its perceived limitations and can help create desired physical outcomes. Through training, the mind can become an individual's foremost tool in sports.

To some extent, athletes, business professionals, military personnel, and law enforcement officials all rely on different, specialized strengths, both mentally and physically; however, the training… Continue Reading

The operational requirements of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM) continue to demand an increasing number of highly motivated, skilled, educated, and trained military warriors to backfill and replace members of Special Operations Forces (SOF) on the front lines. SOCOM lays out its fundamental guiding principles for personnel in three "SOF Truths":
1) Humans are more important than hardware,
2) Special Operations Forces cannot be… Continue Reading

The clean is a traditional and versatile kettlebell exercise that everyone needs to master. Its original purpose was to provide a safe means to get one or two kettlebells in position for overhead lifts. The clean is the precursor for the military press, push press, double jerk, etc. The clean can be used by itself as an exercise for strength and endurance or in combination with bodyweight exercises or other high-repetition… Continue Reading

Tony Blauer is the founder of Blauer Tactical Systems, a consulting firm that has developed innovative personal defense and combative skills based on physiological responses to danger. Blauer Tactical Systems has consulted for many U.S. military and law enforcement groups and offers training for law enforcement, military, self-defense instructors, and civilians interested in research-based self- defense.

As one of the original advocates of reality-based self-defense, Mr. Blauer has… Continue Reading

When Coach Glassman asked me to write for the CrossFit Journal on the science behind CrossFit methodology, I thought that the first thing I should do is discuss the term "science" and some important related concepts.

Science in the broadest sense refers to any system of knowledge attained by verifiable means. A central concept in science and the scientific method is that all evidence must be empirical--that is, it must be based on evidence that is… Continue Reading

This article is a 2006 briefing document that uses a series of slides, photographs and bullet points to provide an overview of the Canadian Forces Infantry School’s seven week long Austere AOFP project. Weekly breakdowns, testing protocols and results, and candidate perceptions are among the topics covered by Capt LW Rutland, Capt JT Williams and Capt Jeff Bird.

Our soldiers need realistic training where commanders use all the available resources to train as we intend… Continue Reading

This is the story of how a small group of soldiers used “unconventional warfare” (UW) to bring CrossFit to 1st Battalion 1st Special Force Group, Torii Station, Japan.

Insurgency is a condition of subversive political activity, civil rebellion, revolt, or insurrection against a duly constituted government or occupying power wherein irregular forces are formed and engage in actions, which may include guerrilla warfare, that are designed to weaken and overthrow that… Continue Reading

Introduction
The organization and format of this article may be confusing for some; it may appear to be written in a foreign language. However, to others--namely, military officers and senior non-commissioned officers--it will be instantly familiar and comprehended. "The Grinder" is produced following the NATO operations order format. An operations order (OPORD or Op O) is a directive issued by a commander to his subordinates in order to… Continue Reading

The Press is the oldest barbell exercise in the gym but its value is underappreciated, Mark Rippetoe writes in part 3 of his series on the slow lifts.

If we use the term “press” specifically in reference to barbell exercise, we mean a standing overhead press with a bar in both hands. Anything that modifies this movement must be described with a qualifying term, such as a strict… Continue Reading

Stall bars are an excellent tool for developing strength, conditioning, and flexibility. A set of stall bars looks like a wide ladder, typically about three feet wide and eight feet tall, with round steps, mounted to a wall. Good stall bars are heavy and robust, and they are made to handle any person or activity without failing. They are valuable to athletes, gymnasts, physical therapists, military and police personnel, martial… Continue Reading

Last year the Royal Canadian Infantry School, CFB Gagetown, New Brunswick, Canada, tested the validity of the CrossFit concept against the extant Canadian Army fitness program (AFM).

U.S. and Coalition Forces personnel can contact Coach Greg Glassman (greg@crossfit.com) for more information about the trial or CrossFit implementation, or to contact the Canadian Infantry School CrossFit Cell.

We want to thank the officers of the Canadian Infantry School and Instructors from PSP… Continue Reading

Combat Demands
Conducting military missions overseas requires a physical adaptation that is nearly impossible to duplicate in training. The realm in which we work is not for the specialist. Operationally as well as physically, those who focus on one domain will be punished while executing their mission. "Specialize in not specializing" is a phrase I heard at work long before there was a CrossFit Workout of the Day. The principles of variation… Continue Reading

Evidence suggests CrossFit is more effective than traditional military and law enforcement physical training (PT), Coach Greg Glassman wrote in December 2004.

Over the past 60 years traditional PT has been flensed of nearly all skill elements that train for coordination, accuracy, agility, and balance. The costs here are enormous and extend to losses in speed and power as well producing an athlete generally less capable of dealing with variances and vagaries of… Continue Reading

What does CrossFit training have in common with Stoic philosophy and the story of an American Prisoner Of War (POW)? Mental toughness. The ability to tolerate discomfort for a higher purpose. The strength of will to not be broken by adversity. Of course, the demands of a CrossFit workout can’t compare in intensity to being tortured as a POW for military secrets, but it does compare in kind. CrossFit is all about… Continue Reading