Saturday, September 18, 2010

CrossFit, Communication, and Respect


CrossFit has hit Norway recently, and people are still making up their minds about it. I have some mixed views of the training methodology used with CrossFit, however, with whatever misgivings I have, I do respect the fact that they encourage mental toughness and discourage whining. I train people to be athletic and powerful. In order to train my clients to be strong, fast, and lean I wanted some new equipment (good ropes, rings, KB’s), and I thought that the CrossFit in Sandnes would be a good place to start the search.

After getting lost driving and cursing the Norwegian right of way laws (they are ridiculous) we (Anna and I) found CrossFit Centrum. It is a nice gym with lots of steel beams, a huge floor space, and some good equipment. I met the owner Joran at the door, we both shook hands and I told him why I was there. He proceeded to show me around the gym, I couldn’t resist using the climbing rope or the heavy kettle bells, so I used the hell out of them (Anna climbed the rope as well, with no feet; strong) .While being shown around Joran and I talked about his facility, his members, the equipment that he had, and our respective areas of expertise. We also discussed CrossFit. This could have been a touchy subject; I don’t think that the way many Crossfit coaches teach is safe or particularly effective for long term fitness. I respectively let Joran know my position; I neither attacked him, his gym, or CrossFit. I merely let him know what I thought the system did well, and the areas that it could improve on. Joran agreed on some counts and disagreed on other counts.

It is common that people tell their children to respect others points of view, and rarely do they put such actions into practice. Joran and I talked like professionals who love what we do and are constantly working on perfecting our methods. If I had come in to his gym and lied about my beliefs just to avoid some form of imagined conflict, then I would have missed out on an opportunity to connect with a passionate trainer who respects others beliefs and is open to ideas that will help his business and his clients.

I strive to communicate with honesty and in doing so I find that others usually respond in kind. Dishonesty is a coward’s refuge; it limits life and creates unstable, short term relationships. If being honest hurts everything you might do, reexamine your life. In treating others with respect life becomes easier and more doors open. I might not like many aspects of CrossFit, but I do like and respect some of its trainers, and in turn I am accorded the same respect that I show them.

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