Since it was founded 18 years ago, CrossFit has appealed to active duty military, first responders and veterans alike.
Now CrossFit Inc. wants You! Or at least a few Certified CrossFit Trainers to work as "Strength and Conditioning Coaches" for a tentative US Army pilot program.
But why would the Army be considering implementing CrossFit into their training?
Navy veteran Leo Rogers, co-owner of Star Spangled CrossFit near Ft. Drum, NY described how CrossFit is ideal for the military, "It's the ultimate in functional fitness. If you had to pull yourself up over a wall wearing a lot of gear, this is the type of training you want ... we use exercises like pull-ups, dips and squats to develop power and flexibility," Rogers explained.
Allison Jachowski, Owner of Odin CrossFit in Frederick, MD described the diverse range of benefits this training provides, “CrossFit trains you to be strong, yet fast, and have the endurance for a long time or in quick bursts. We want you to have everything in your toolbox.”
Rogers, who is also a Syrcause Fire Fighter knows firsthand how much CrossFit can help the troops. "More than 60 percent of our members are military," Rogers said. "We've had 75 person platoons from the base in here training, and they love it."
Jachowski, whose clients include active duty military, veterans, firefighters and FBI agents, explained how this functional approach to movement can help everyone, "whether you’re a Mom and you need to pick up a 50lb bag of dog food and hoist it onto a higher shelf … or you’re a Ranger team that needs to move a 200lb log out of the way, you need to be strong, but you need to be able to move well. That’s what CrossFit teaches.”