Talk:CrossFit/Temp

CrossFit, Inc. is a fitness company and its associated strength and conditioning programs founded by Greg Glassmanin 2000. The company has approximately 7,000 gyms, primarily located in the United States. Members complete workouts either at the gyms or elsewhere from daily workouts posted on the company's website or workouts prescribed by a coach at a local affiliate.

The CrossFit exercise program is a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise including some gymnastics-style body weight exercises and weight lifting. CrossFit emphasizes intense workouts, described as the "Workout of the Day," or "WOD," done over a short period of time, generally less than 30 minutes. Members of area encouraged to compete and WODs are scored.

CrossFit gyms and WODs are used by firefighters, police officers and the military. The Royal Danish Life Guards use the program for fitness.

CrossFit Games
The "CrossFit Games" is an annual competition for CrossFit members that have been held every summer since 2007. A

Criticism
According to Dr. Stuart McGill, a professor of spine biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, the risk of injury from some CrossFit exercises outweighs their benefits when they are performed with poor form in timed workouts. He added there are similar risks in other exercise programs but noted that CrossFit's online community enables athletes to follow the program without proper guidance, increasing the risk.

Makimba Mimms, who suffered injuries while performing a CrossFit workout on December 11, 2005, at Manassas World Gym in Manassas, VA under the supervision of an uncertified trainer, claimed that CrossFit poses an elevated risk of rhabdomyolysis. He successfully sued his trainers and was awarded $300,000 in damages.

Articles on many websites criticize CrossFit for its lack of periodization, lack of quality-control accreditation standards for trainers or affiliates, and illogical or random exercise sequences.

Some publications have raised concerns that CrossFit promotes a potentially dangerous atmosphere that encourages people, particularly newcomers to CrossFit, to train past their limits, resulting in injury.

CrossFit efforts to address rhabdomyolysis
Crossfit Level 1 trainers are certified through the American National Standards Institute. Since May 2005, CrossFit has published several articles about rhabdomyolysis   in their online CrossFit Journal (which is not peer-reviewed). Three of the articles are included in the CrossFit Manual provided to all prospective trainers.

International growth
There are now hundreds of CrossFit affiliates outside of the United States.