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32 | Touchline issue 22 | November 2015
risk management
From its humble beginnings in a Santa Crus gym
in 1996 CrossFit has become a fitness epidemic
with over 10,000 affiliated gyms worldwide, and
spreading fast throughout Australia. It appeals to
a very broad demographic in terms of age, gender,
stature and experience/competency levels and
accommodates competitive aspirations or just
general fitness improvement. It also offers great
versatility in terms of setting, equipment and
customised programs for participants. However
with this broad appeal and uptake comes a broad
range of risk issues.
Why crossfit?
For whatever reason, people are drawn to CrossFit. It is
based upon constantly varied, high-intensity, functional
movement exercises designed to improve fitness and work
capacity across a broad spectrum of activities. CrossFit gyms
use equipment from multiple disciplines, including barbells,
dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, jump ropes,
kettlebells, medicine balls, plyo boxes, resistance bands,
rowers, and various mats. It adopts elements of a multitude
of disciplines such as calisthenics, Olympic-style weightlifting,
powerlifting, Strongman-type events, plyometrics (vertical
jumping), body weight exercises, indoor rowing, aerobic
exercise, running, and swimming.
It provides the ultimate workout in a fun and challenging
package with a sense of team. A combination of strength
and cardio topped with the heady mix of a cult like culture.
Once you are in the doors, you are sucked in. You train day
in, day out. It's go hard or go home. You miss a training day,
expect everyone to rip into you the next day for being slack.
There is a sense of toughness, heroics and stoicism in the
CrossFit culture.
It is just this type of culture that can create increased risks
that need to be carefully considered and minimised. CrossFit
members and trainers can get caught up in the "go hard or
go home" attitude and as a result, injuries happen. When
injuries happen, blame happens.
CROSSFIT
CULT
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE
R I SKS ASSOC IATED WI TH CROSSF I T