I would like to address something that has gone unchecked long enough in the great Crossfit debate. I am motivated to write this first, because we clearly don’t have enough articles and posts about Crossfit throughout the fitness blogosphere and second, because the topic has broader implications for the health and fitness industry at large. In short, we can’t keep falling back on the ‘it’s better than nothing’ argument whenever a discussion about quality comes up. This is not the way to set the bar. Beyond that, I would argue that this attitude is an unfortunate product that is being produced from within the industry itself, not something that the industry is merely reacting to. The enemy, it would seem, is within. (Star Trek anyone?)
It’s Better Than Nothing Is Not An Argument
A very common defense of Crossfit, which is not without merrit, is that it gets people off the couch and into a gym. Ok, the argument goes, maybe they are not doing things with very good form or with very well thought out goals and strategies, but at least they are doing something. I understand where this argument is coming from and that we sometimes do need to focus on small, gradual changes in order to foster positive forward progress. It is also true that not everything we do in life has to be ‘all-in’ or ‘all-out’. Doing the best you can in a tough situation rather than being perfect is certainly worth something, and I advocate for it all the time. However, we health and fitness professionals should not confuse that bit of wisdom with an argument for subpar work. Since when, I ask my fellow Americans, is ‘better than nothing’ the standard we strive for? When in life do we tell ourselves, our kids, or each other that the bar of achievement is set at ‘better than nothing’?
This is more than an academic point. The state of health in this country is an issue and it has reached a macro-level. There is significant machinery being put into place to deal with it and the fitness industry often touts its position as part of the battery of broader solutions. This is a good thing, but for any measure to be successful we must be honest with ourselves and each other about its merrits. We must demand that we do our best and when we are not getting our best, we have to ask why, not settle for ‘better than nothing’ and then move on in the same direction.
Health and Fitness Professionals have to be the ones to say that the effort will be worth it.
When discussing the problem of motivating people to embrace some of the more challenging components of quality exercise, movement function, and nurtition, another argument that gets thrown around is that people simply don’t want to focus on these things. They want their fitness to be fun, engaging, enjoyable, and as stress free a part of their day as possible and we should therefor cater to that desire. Again, this is in the hopes that this will at least get them to do something, which is better than nothing. A big part of this problem is that this attitude does not just come in from the general culture, it is an attitude that the fitness industry itself continually perpetuates. When we constantly offer flashy classes, programs, or products that promise huge results with only fun and excitement, we undermine our own ability to impress upon people that making progress in health and fitness sometimes requires a little work, patience, and maybe even (gasp) some sacrifices. Sexy, dehydrated, half naked, doused in water fitness models with six simple moves for flat abs, I’m looking at you, and also, fitness professional who say ‘well that’s what people want’, I’m looking at you too!
Something Positive to End On
I’d like to reiterate that I’m not saying everyone has to be perfect all the time. I also admit that none of this is easy to solve, but there are ways to improve. To come back around to Crossfit and be at least mildly fair, look to Kelly Starret, auther of Becoming A Supple Leopard. He has made himself into a serious authority within the industry, bringing quality movement and training wisdom to legions of followers, all with a wit that keeps everyone having fun. So Crossfit, you’ve gotten thousands of people into weight training and you deserve credit for that, now is the time to take it up a notch. Start emphasizing how much better your devoted followers would be with some mobility and movement education, program design, and emphasis on patience and longevity. You have the talent under your roof, start making it the standard rather than the exception so we can all move past ‘better than nothing.’