As a rule for myself, I usually try and stay away from any of the “political” side of Crossfit in these blogs. You may or may not know that Crossfit has a very active “team” of people at Headquarters who spend a ton of time, and money, both challenging and defending ideas around health and fitness. They do not shy away from a fight and will defend their stance with the full corporations might. Last week a close to six year long battle came to an end in a courtroom after literally millions of dollars in legal fees and proceedings. I thought this one was worth sharing as it plays directly in to what we do at 306 and bringing in new members, as well as retaining current ones.
For the past five years CrossFit has been in a legal battle with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) in regards to a study that the NSCA produced. The study had essentially two things to say about CrossFit. First, it said that CrossFit and it’s training methodology is good. It give information stating how it is a very good thing for “GPP”; or general physical preparedness. This is exactly what CrossFit wants to be. CrossFit is not designed to make you the best basketball player. It won’t make you the best soccer play or the best surfer. What it is designed to do, and what it excels at, is to make you physically ready for everything. If you are able to perform constantly varied functional movements at high intensity, then you are physically capable to deal with “life”.
The other part of the study went on to talk about the injury rate within CrossFit. In an effort to discredit CrossFit and it’s training, the NSCA’s study include supposed “data” on people being injured while participating in CrossFit. This study was probably the most wide spread and well-backed document discussing this fact. Over the past five years the NSCA has continued to push their study into media and gain it exposure. Through this entire time, CrossFit HQ was in a courtroom with the NSCA trying to get the truth out. On December 4 when the ruling was handed down, it was a complete landslide in favour of CrossFit. Below is a quote from the judges ruling:
[I]n twenty-five years on the bench, “[t]his is the first case that [the Court] ha[s] ever had that has gotten to this point.” … Having carefully considered the record, “[t]he severity and frequency of defendant[’s] bad faith misconduct is as egregious as anything this [C]ourt has ever seen or read.
I will link the rest of the article from the CrossFit Journal below if you want to read the whole thing. Essentially, all data provided within the report was falsified and fabricated. The judge basically said she had never seen a case of such made-up BS and lies as the NSCA had published in their “study”.
While this legal battle goes deep into the politics of CrossFit, I thought it worth sharing. Injuries are something that are going to happen. No question about it. Whether you are using CrossFit for as your way of being “GPP”, and ready for everyday life or you are using it as your “sport”, the injuries can occur. Dare I even say, “they will occur” if we are at it long enough. However, the alternative is a far worse outcome. If we were to not train, to not be physically prepared for life, we may not pull hamstring or tweak our back or have shoulder pain. There is no argument though, that what you will develop is some type of health concern or disorder that is going to be far worse. I’ve heard this analogy before and I, personally, think it worth sharing. If I’m in my 80s or 90s and in a nursing home, first of all I’m happy that I’ve made it that long. If in that nursing home I can skip down the hall and go to the bathroom by myself, I’m doing pretty well. If I have had some bumps, bruises, aches and pains along the way, I will gladly take them as a trade off for my independence. If my blood pressure is higher than it should and my cholesterol says a number that doesn’t fit on a chart but I am still able to carry my own plate of food, sit down and eat it and enjoy it, I’ll take those numbers.
The long and the short of it; yes, you might get hurt doing CrossFit. You might also get hurt stepping out of the shower. The facts are, the numbers of injuries are no higher than they are for any other form of exercise or sport. Another fact, that has countless data to back it up, is if we are not active and physically prepared, the outlook for our health is far worse off.
https://www.crossfit.com/battles/major-victory-for-crossfit-judge-orders-terminating-and-massive-monetary-sanctions-against-the-nsca