The History of CrossFit

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CrossFit all began with Greg Glass, a past high school gymnast, and Lauren Glassman his former wife. The first gym that affiliated with CrossFit opened its doors in 1995 in Santa Cruz. This was also the same year that the police department in Santa Cruz hired Glassman to train their troops. For seven weeks the Gagetown Canadian Infantry School was subjected to different tests in the ten fitness categories: respiratory endurance, agility, strength, power, flexibility, stamina, coordination, balance, speed and accuracy. In most of these categories, Crossfit scored highest. But in the vertical jump CrossFit rated a bit lower than the control group.

However, most gym trainers were happy with the results of these workouts. For this reason the gyms that affiliated with CrossFit grew swiftly in number. From only 18 gyms in 2005 it quickly rose to about 1,700 in 2010. Coaches in weightlifting such as Bill Starr, Louie Simmons and Mike Burgener affiliated with CrossFit. John Welbourn, a former played of the NFL, incorporated CrossFit into his football program. This program also gives out certification seminars in power lifting, weightlifting, gymnastics, kettlebells, running and endurance, CrossFit football, and CrossFit Kids.

CrossFit is a program that is designed to optimize your body and bring it to its top performance level. However the rigorous nature of its training programs does not come without risks. For instance, an American Navy sailor suffered several injuries during his performance of a CrossFit workout. He sued his trainers and won the case. According to a biomechanics professor, Dr. Stuart McGill, the risk from some exercises of CrossFit far outweighs their benefits. This is because they are done in poor form and in a limited amount of time. He added that the availability of these workouts online only elevates the risk because they can be performed by anyone without proper supervision.

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