Military leaning away from CrossFit?

[Jason Gipper]

I've got to throw in my $0.02.

I've been working with our gym on base which is like all others in that they cannot endorse CrossFit. BUT, they got with me and told me that they had just ordered equipment to help train Marines for the new Combat Fitness Test (CFT). You know what equipment they had ordered?? Let's start the list with
-Bumper weights and bars
-Kettlebells
-Med Balls

So even though on paper they can't "endorse" CrossFit yet, they are gearing towards that type of training. I'm sure that Coach would agree that even if they don't initially endorse the CrossFit name because of silly paperwork problems, we're still instilling the fundamentals and exercises. Isn't that what we're really looking for anyway?

[Glenn Pendlay]

and my 2 cents worth...

Myself and other vendors are selling an incredible amount of bumpers, KB's, bars, Dynamax balls, etc, to the military. Often sold in "packages" designed to supply the neccessary equipment to do various CF workouts. This equipment is being bought by the military, by the individual soldiers when they cant get approval from the higher ups, and is being shipped here in the US, overseas, etc. In every conversation I have with a military customer, the word Crossfit comes up. Last year we donated 9 complete packages because some special ops units that were operating far away from available facilities were going through withdrawal because they couldnt do their WOD.

So yes, the military is doing CF, and judging from sales, their use of it is picking up, not slowing down. There is just no denying this.

glenn

[Scott Dyck]

Man, I wish they'd had that gear at Ali Al Salem when I had to pass through there. That was some long, boring time.....a mind shattering WOD would have been terrific!

Originally Posted by Ben Chapman

I certainly don't agree with sentiments that the Air Force is moving away from CrossFit... especially the deployed Air Force.

Ali Al Salem AB in Kuwait has CrossFit workouts posted on the wall of the weight room and went out of their way to purchase several sets of bumper weights, rings, kettlebells and a climbing rope. The Wing Commander is the one instigating it all. He's a huge CrossFit proponent. Many of the methodologies are posted along with the WOD every day. So you can count one very large deployed location as one that is moving TOWARDS CrossFit, at least at the 06 level. I also know that there are CrossFit groups training at Balad, Baghdad, Bagram and Mosul. Who knows how many others there are.

I find those emails somewhat funny considering most of them were from civilians and senior enlisted. Hardly any of the actual higher ups of the command, much less the Air Force itself. I've met my own opposition to CrossFit, but mostly just on a personal level with people who think it's dorky, not unsafe. So far my experience has only shown that it is on the rise. As soon as they ban it at Air Force gyms, you can bet there will be some uprisings.

As to standardization, this bothers me too. Some gyms provide big tubs of chalk, others ban it altogether. There are many many things that are completely inconsistent between bases and it gets under my skin to no end, especially considering I hop from base to base quite frequently.

It might also be worth adding that Ramstein AB in Germany has an affiliate that trains exclusively at the base fitness center. Hardly shying away from it there.

[Justin Lascek]

Originally Posted by Michael Wengloski

Exactly. I was just trying to point that out because someone had posted that they were shocked the military did not have a standard.

Gotcha.

I haven't read this whole thread, but we all know CrossFit is viral. The more that are educated, the more realize it is effective -- including the military. Greg Glassman is not idle.

[David Vessey]

Originally Posted by Michael Wengloski

The military is always all over the place, it's all about who you ask and how they interpret it. For instance... maybe it's not the same as AF, but Navy and USMC.. ask 5 different people what the policy on sandles are and i bet you will get at least 3 totally different answers. And now i'm totally way off topic.

I expected that to 7 different answers

Originally Posted by Amber Mathwig

Well said, and very likely correct, but I think that similar in the manner to which teachers have been finding students who CrossFit are better at school....the Navy and AF may find that CF'ers are better at their jobs. Sure, we may spend part of our day on the message boards, but the hours dedicated to the job itself are going to be significantly improved via the CrossFit mentality. Additionally, I don't really see CrossFitters walking out of the gym and lighting up a cigarette, as people who do the minimum PT standards often do. Yet another mental advantage. The mental advantages to the fleet are all there, but too many people will take the upper echelon's opinions as facts and not even give it a shot.



Limited edition in the sandbox....

Exactly. I bet that if I can get my troops CF'ing, they'll have less sick days. I can ask the analyst or tech to pick up and move that big box of stuff without worrying about them popping a disk because a) they have no core stabilization muscles and b) they've never TRIED to lift heavy. Let's not forget about esprit de corps while we're at it.

[Jason Theriault]

I agree with Sean.. i have been doing some research so I have information to sell our gym staff on doing Crossfit here at Hulrburt fld.. I am just in the NAME collecting and BASE collecting space right now.. But as Sean said they are doing CF on USAF bases in DC, and I found that the commander that was at Bolling moved onto LUKE in Arizona.. Guess what they are doing at Luke now.. We have numerous people trained here, but no crossfit program. We have a couple more people going in April to Milton for the Level I and I hope soon I have enough of a package put together to at least get the ball rolling..

So anyone out there who knows people in the Ft Walton beach area/Hurlburt field, we're looking for you to get on board and spread the word as much as you can..

[George Mounce]

Originally Posted by Jason Theriault

I agree with Sean.. i have been doing some research so I have information to sell our gym staff on doing CrossFit here at Hulrburt fld.. I am just in the NAME collecting and BASE collecting space right now.. But as Sean said they are doing CF on USAF bases in DC, and I found that the commander that was at Bolling moved onto LUKE in Arizona.. Guess what they are doing at Luke now.. We have numerous people trained here, but no CrossFit program. We have a couple more people going in April to Milton for the Level I and I hope soon I have enough of a package put together to at least get the ball rolling..

So anyone out there who knows people in the Ft Walton beach area/Hurlburt field, we're looking for you to get on board and spread the word as much as you can..

If you have a gym by this summer near there, I'll stop in. My wife's family rents a condo every summer on the beach down in Destin.

[Carolyn Rocco]

Hey Jason!!!
You get a workout in this morning? I did 20 min worth of 21 KB swings, 15 box jumps (on the step over by the pullup bar by the cardio equip) and 9 thrusters. In 20 min i sweated more than a 30 min run, but i'm not talking to a rookie, so you know how it goes. LOL.
Hope you're having a good weekend! LOVING this weather!!!
Cheers!

[Mike Malloy]

OK,

My name is what you see, I am an 18 year Pararescuemen, and the current selection NCO for my team. I was part of CF when only 3 people would come to seminars and the gym was the size of most master bedrooms. Now that you know where I am coming from....

In 2002 I had my neck fused and went to Coach to get back in shape. Thinking that this program could help me....It did.....

Prior to using CF to train my candidates, we would just "beat" them with the standard Cals and long runs. Not only was this boring, but it did not make my boys enter the "quit" zone. I needed something more effective, so I started to implement CF. Since this has happened the boys I send to Lackland for indoc, which is under the command of Air Education and training Command (AETC) we have had a 100% graduation rate. The current wash out rate is 80%, which AETC, in the infinite wisdom of that command has deemed an issue. So they try and lower the standards to meet the quota.....Why not find a better way to train people?

Out 20 people that I have trained more than three quarters have been Honor Grad at this school, and they are known as savages. This has nothing to do with me, it has everything to do with CF and the way we implement it. We currently put a workout on Specialtactics.com called the Special Operations Preperation WOD (SOPWOD) that countless wannabe's follow. I have received numerous PM's stating that they made it through Indoc because of these workouts.

The Indoc instructors implement some form of CF in the daily workouts for the students, and are currently looking to get trained. AETC will not give them the money to get trained because AETC is not EDUCATED in the basic principles of CF.

I have tried to get CF in the Airforce for years, maybe one day someone will eject their head from their butt and try something different.

Oh and to the people that like to throw out acronyms like CAG, DEVGRU, SWAT, STS, and say that they don't train in this manner at least some of the time, if not all. You talk about stuff you have know idea about.

[Shane Skowron]

Mike, I occasionally do some of the WODs from specialtactics.com. They are some of my favorites. I am continuing to use CF for my SOF preparation. By the way, I have a lot of respect for you PJs and I am giving serious consideration to that route when I graduate.