When are you signing up?

Have you guys ever heard of CrossFit?  It's become huge around the military.  Just my opinion, but I think it's become so popular because of this whole fitness trend of "more pain, more gain."  Actually, it seems like it would be appealing to you Brad, since it revolves around the premise of pushing your body to it's absolute limits.  Their slogan is "Forging Elite Fitness".  

But I think it's a cult.

1.  Cults generally believe that they are the ONLY game in town.  If you are a part of anything else, you're missing the real deal.  If you want to be REAL, you have to be a part of the cult.  That's exactly how CrossFit people talk.  All other forms of physical fitness are inferior, and therefore a waste of your time if you are "serious" about physical fitness.  There is only one way to work out, and that's at a CrossFit gym.

2.  Cults are always trying to recruit others to join.  This one is closely related to #1 above, but I've never met a "CrossFitter" that didn't tell me that if I just went one time, I'd be hooked.  They are more persistent than JWs!  It cracks me up how people who do CrossFit are always doing it outside, in the park, along the road, taking pictures, posting pictures… it's a full-press PR campaign.  They are certainly not the only fitness people who do it, but I think it's physically impossible for a CrossFit person to workout and NOT post the results on Facebook, results which only make sense to other CrossFitters (see below).

3.  Cults have their own lingo and you have to be on the inside to understand it.  If you ever come across a couple of CrossFitters having a chat, you'll be dazzled by words and phrases like AMRAP, firebreather, pukie the clown, GHDs, wallballs, hero WODs, metcon, fran, murph, KTEs, EMOMs, and the filthy fifty.  Push-ups and sit-ups are lame.  See #1.

4.  Cults always have a cost involved if you want to get in.  CrossFit isn't cheap.  If you want to work out in one of their "boxes" (a complete CrossFit gym - see #3) then you have to be prepared to shell out about $200 per month.  It's kind of funny since their workouts mostly use body weight or free weights.  No fancy machines (cardio or weight) at a CrossFit gym!

5.  And lastly, cults usually have some nasty secret that they don't like to talk about, and that's also the case with CrossFit.  One of the terms that I didn't mention in #3 is "Uncle Rhabdo", which is a reference to rhabdomyolysis.  Some websites even refer to "Uncle Rhabdo" as the unofficial mascot of CrossFit.  You've probably heard about rhabdomyolysis, because occasionally you'll see it in the news if there is a case of it in college or professional sports.  You may remember that in January of 2011 thirteen Iowa football players were hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis, and it's no joke.  It is caused by muscle damage (often caused by extreme physical exercise) and can result in kidney failure.  I guess that for some CrossFitters, it's a kind of sick bragging right if "Pukie the Clown" took you to see "Uncle Rhabdo".  Ridiculous.

Do some research and tell me what you think.  I'm linking this article and this article to include in your research.  Needless to say I won't be joining the cult.