CrossFit’s Too MAINSTREAM For Me…

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CrossFit Games Posts

Wait A Sec…

Let me get my huge, plastic histperific glasses first.

Cool glasses bro

Okay, I’m good to go.

Is it just me, or is CrossFit soooo MAINSTREAM now? First with the damn Reebok partnership, the ESPN2 and ESPN3 coverage (fuckin Cablevision….WHY YOU NO HAVE ESPN?!?!?!), and now with such an elaborate marketing campaign online, on TV, and on mobile, I’m starting to reconsider my shit.

Remember the days when the CrossFit Games were like a huge barbecue with a bunch of people? Remember when the weights and workouts weren’t as complicated? Remember when NO ONE gave a shit about Reebok?

With the first, two…no. I only started drinking the Kool-Aid like 3 years ago. With #3…lolz…of course.

In All Seriousness

If that’s even possible for me, I’m all about this growth.

*takes off hipster glasses*

I’m willing to go along for the ride and see what happens with the sport of CrossFit. As Web Smith wrote about on his blog, that whole Spealler Twittersphere BLOW UP is a sign of what’s to come.

#Spealler was trending WORLDWIDE on Twitter! How crazy is that?

This weekend, with more CrossFit Games Regionals coverage, especially the Rich Froning Jr.-led Central East, there’s more potential for shit to blow up. I’d love to see #Froning trending as well.

But Why Do I Want This Growth?!?!

Think about it.

I want this blog to BLOW UP as well. No…not in the sense of destruction, like a hacker wrecking my site or my server LITERALLY blowing up. Nope.

Here’s how I see my site in the overall CrossFit ecosystem. I LOVE making people laugh and feel good about themselves.

I want people to look forward to their next WOD, no matter how mindfuckerific and puketastic it may be. I want people to hit their health and fitness goals. I want to help people change their lives.

With happy KippingItReal.com readers, that positive vibe carries on to your boxes. With happy CrossFitters at your box, the better the workouts will be and the healthier people will be. Then everyone at your box will spread the word of CrossFit to friends, family, and even complete strangers.

People will say the usual shit…yes, it’s like a damn script, and I’m sure many of you have experienced it at some point:

Friend/Family Member: Oh wow, (insert your name)! You look great! What have you been doing?
You: I’ve been doing CrossFit and eating Paleo teeeheeeheeee!
Friend/Family Member: What’s CrossFit? And what’s a Paleo?

And blah blah blahhhhh….

I’ve noticed at my box that the majority of its marketing is due to word-of-mouth referrals from our own members.

Okay, okay…Sparnotes you say? I want this site to grow so it can inspire more people to live healthier, better lives.

There are so many obesity-fighting campaigns out there that are still DOING IT WRONG. Food pyramid. Eat less fat. More bullshit.

And you want to lose mad weight???? Do lotssssss of cardio! Eat lesss! Females, lifting weights will make you bigger! OMG! NOOOOOOOO!

Alright, I’m not saying the whole CrossFit/Paleo/Zone/Whatever combo is the only way to go. Nor is it perfect. There are many ways to reach that end goal – fat loss, performance, muscle gain, etc. I’m just saying that I’m tired of all this nonsense people are “educating” themselves with.

At least CrossFit and the lifestyle is a step in the right direction.

WHOOOAAAA…What A Rant!

Yeah…don’t worry. I’m done 😀

With today’s post, I just want to say I’m all about this growth in CrossFit and here on my blog. I really appreciate it when I see bloggers like Shawn who’ve included me in their blogroll and Rob who’ve dropped links to my blog within their own blog posts.

That kind of shit means a lot.

As I wrote to Bethany on her comment yesterday, I don’t want these links, Tweets, Likes, and blog comments just because I’m a greedy motherfucka.

No, I’m not hungry for that garbage.

I’m doing this for YOU. The readers 🙂 Eventually, I was this blog to evolve into a hub for CrossFitters just to shoot the shit.

Sure, there are already forums and groups within social networks to voice your 2 cents on this sport we love, but honestly, most of them SUCK ASS.

Through this hub, I’d love to see the CrossFit lifestyle spread like crazy.

Will you help me make this a reality?

Kip It Real, my friends.

KippingItReal

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Heidi

Keep em comin!

Rob

I was totally against Reebok, however I may be coming around. The shoes look pretty good. Can’t rationalize spending 80 bucks on a pair of shorts though!

    KippingItReal

    Yeah the apparel is pricey, although their shoes – the Nano and Oly shoes – seem solid. I’m definitely looking into a pair of the Oly shoes soon.

    Not to suck their D, but Reebok’s been doing a great job of renewing their brand. I actually WANT Reebok stuff now haha.

Bethany

I’m with you Justin ~ I think I’m half in half on the ‘publicity’ of the sport.

I’ve known about CrossFit for almost 2 years, but it took awhile to get into it. I was teaching kickboxing in a globo gym, and doing Muay Thai boxing the rest of the time.
So I’ve always been a gym rat, but not a healthy one. I was working out like crazy and slowly gaining weight. WTF!!!!

I couldn’t figure it out. And then my good friend who owns CrossFit Murfreesboro (who are on their way to regionals this weekend… Do Work CFM!!!) just kept after me to try CrossFit. He knew I was unhappy with where I was, and he knew my eating was keeping me from my goals.
So I finally ‘caved’ 🙂 and drank the KoolAid and am hooked,line and sinker with the little bobber totally under the water!

But most of my friends and family – still don’t know what CrossFit is, or what Paleo is..and to be honest, most of them don’t want to know. They think CrossFit is something where everyone lifts weights that are too heavy and then they all get injured because everybody knows you shouldn’t squat past parallel, right? UGH.

So for that reason, I’m super glad that there’s some publicity through mass media. But I do worry then, that the uniqueness of boxes will become globo-boxes with highly untrained, not time-spent-qualified coaches who will program wrong and then people will get injured. You can get certified in a weekend, but those of us who’ve been doing the work, know it takes longer to really understand ALL the movements that make up our sport.
What can we do about it? Watch and see I guess.

And remain true to our programming. Know our own limits, stay as close to the fundamentals of CrossFit as possible and here’s the big one.. lead by example.
So many of my peeps don’t care at all to ‘hear’ about my latest, greatest adventure.. they only care about seeing results. (no pressure there, right?) But it’s so true.

Anyway ~ sorry. This got a lot longer than I intended.

All that to say, I think the publicity is good – as long as CrossFit doesn’t give in and give out to every fitness trainer/personal trainer who decides they want to be a coach. I think it’s even more vital that there be very specific guidelines for our ‘coaches’, because our safety in the box depends on it.
~B

    KippingItReal

    TL;DR (too long; didn’t read)

    …just kidding!

    Bethany, you gotta stop apologizing on this blog haha. We’re non-apologetic. We just Kip It Real 😀

    What you’re doing is what I hope people would do more often. It just shows that you’re truly passionate about CrossFit, like myself and readers on here.

    I’ve talked about the growth with my friend who’s the head coach of his box now. While it would SUCK if our beloved sport goes down the shitter due to rapid growth, we’re all for the growth.

    We’re risk takers, so we’re willing to see what’s to come.

    Yes, the standards do bother me a lot. Oh look at me? I got my level 1 cert after dropping $1k and spending a weekend learning movements I barely know. Now I can open my OWN box!

    That’s why, even though my noon coach is sorta busting my balls when he says it, he means it when I should be helping out people around me with their form. It’s part of your duty as a regular or “veteran” in your class I guess.

    I tend to help out a lot on the strength portions of our WOD’s, just to ensure people don’t kill themselves with terrible front squat form.

    I’m thankful I go to one of the best boxes out there (it’s just the truth lol), but what about everyone else? In my state, boxes are popping up in the most random towns I’ve never heard of before. I hope their standards are up there.

    As for the friends and family who are skeptical, I rarely talk about it. I just keep my Paleoness and Kool-Aid talk to myself, unless they really do ask. The results get them to talk about it though.

    That’s why I want this site to become a place where we can discuss our Kool-Aid-driven discussions without “spamming” people on our Facebook Newsfeeds.

    For serious, even though I have a lot of CrossFit friends on Facebook now, most of my Facebook friends don’t give a shit haha. On KippingItReal.com, we actually care and are proud of the sport we love 🙂

    HOLY SHIT…I was so fired up by your awesome comment that I didn’t realize how much I wrote as well… #CrossFitCrazy

Bethany

Just kidding!
@Rob, I don’t know about 80$ for a pair of shorts, but the shoes are totally worth it. (This coming from a chick though.) I resisted the shoe thing for as long as I could, until I was the only dinosaur in the box still wearing running shoes. Ugh.. Fine.
So I got the Oly lifting shoes – AWESOME and finally the New Balance version that’s like the Inov8. LOVE them.

I love the idea of this site becoming a safe haven. I think there are a few of them out there, but they really are few and far between.

    KippingItReal

    As I said to Rob, I want those Oly’s BAD. Yeah…they may not have crazy colors, but in terms of functionality, they seem so full of win! Really digging my New Balance Minimus pair, although I’m still adjusting coming from typical running shoes/skate shoes.

    I know the “dinosaur” feeling…when people twice your age have cooler shoes than you, you obviously have issues.

    Yeah, the few out there just don’t tickle my pickle. I’m gonna create something with my own flare that people who Kip It Real will LOVE.

Rob

I will probably get a pair of Nanos. I have Innov8’s now that serve the purpose well, except for any sort of running. They straight up suck. I bit the bullet and bought a pair of Romaleos. Well worth the money.

    KippingItReal

    Yeah, that’s one of the reasons I didn’t go with the Inov8s. Then again, the NB Minimus I have aren’t great for long distance running either. Just wanted something a bit more in the middle.

    Those Romaleos look nice. They’ve been around for a while, right? I think I’m going with the Reebok Oly’s though when the time comes haha.

Beth

Thoughts on the Nano for more distance running?

    KippingItReal

    I’ve never used them before, but I heard the Nano is a great all-around CrossFit shoe. Not sure how it’d be for longer distance running.

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