IGX

The Asshole Barrier

By Craig Silverman

In Coaching

December 14, 2009
PDF Article

Fortunately, assholes are somewhat rare in the CrossFit world—but why, and how do you deal with the occasional jerk? Affiliate owners and academics offer answers and strategies.

After finishing the WOD, the guy looked over at one of his fellow members at CrossFit Virginia Beach and said, “Is that all you’re going to lift?”

For owner Thomi Gill, that was the last straw. Less than a month earlier, this particular member had shown up at CrossFit VB. Soon, Gill noticed that other athletes seemed to tense up when he walked in the door. And when she tried to coach him, he wouldn’t listen. After he made that snide remark about another athlete’s performance, Gill decided it was time for him to go. If he didn’t get the message, Gill was ready to play her trump card: the “asshole clause.”

The waiver at CrossFit VB states, “CrossFit Virginia Beach strives to provide a positive and encouraging environment for our clients. Anyone that is disruptive or negatively influences this environment is subject to having their membership revoked. This is at the sole discretion of CrossFit Virginia Beach Management.”

CrossFit Inc.doesn’t have an official no-assholes policy. What’s taken shape is more powerful than any written directive: a culture that, as Coach Greg Glassman put it in the CrossFit Journal video Primal Fitness (Aug. 25, 2009), naturally “co-select(s) for a bunch of admirable character traits.”

“Primal fitness” is about accomplishing tasks in life. If you can’t move your body in a functional way, you aren’t going to very good at life—or CrossFit.

“All great things in every province, in every domain, come to those willing to suffer and endure and sacrifice and commit,” he said. “It’s blood, sweat, tears and other bodily fluids that make things happen.”

Tony Budding said CrossFit can be an “asshole barrier,” where the program creates a community that weeds out weak people who aren’t willing to work for success. Coach Glassman agreed. “So much of repugnant behavior is about trying to get something for nothing, and the CrossFitters inherently don’t believe that it’s possible.”

Coach Glassman addressed the results of the 2009 CrossFit Games. He’s convinced that CrossFit athletes will learn the lessons of this year’s Games before the number-crunchers. “Winners are remarkably adept at figuring out what’s required to win,” he explained.

Tony Budding joins Coach Glassman for Part 3 of this interview filmed on Aug. 8, 2009, in Tustin, Calif. Additional reading: The Quest to Measure Fitness by Tony Budding, published July 1, 2008.

theoverman wrote:

“Primal fitness” is about accomplishing tasks in life. If you can’t move your body in a functional way, you aren’t going to very good at life—or CrossFit.

“All great things in every province, in every domain, come to those willing to suffer and endure and sacrifice and commit,” he said. “It’s blood, sweat, tears and other bodily fluids that make things happen.”

Tony Budding said CrossFit can be an “asshole barrier,” where the program creates a community that weeds out weak people who aren’t willing to work for success. Coach Glassman agreed. “So much of repugnant behavior is about trying to get something for nothing, and the CrossFitters inherently don’t believe that it’s possible.”

Coach Glassman addressed the results of the 2009 CrossFit Games. He’s convinced that CrossFit athletes will learn the lessons of this year’s Games before the number-crunchers. “Winners are remarkably adept at figuring out what’s required to win,” he explained.

Tony Budding joins Coach Glassman for Part 3 of this interview filmed on Aug. 8, 2009, in Tustin, Calif. Additional reading: The Quest to Measure Fitness by Tony Budding, published July 1, 2008.

THE ASSHOLE BARRIER HAS BEEN BREACHED!!!

WildGorillaMan wrote:Olympic Weightlifting: You're Doing It Wrong, Redux

Beelzebub wrote:I want to be the rope

Coach Glassman addressed the results of the 2009 CrossFit Games. He’s convinced that CrossFit athletes will learn the lessons of this year’s Games before the number-crunchers. “Winners are remarkably adept at figuring out what’s required to win,” he explained.

WildGorillaMan wrote:Olympic Weightlifting: You're Doing It Wrong, Redux

Gin Master wrote:

WildGorillaMan wrote:Olympic Weightlifting: You're Doing It Wrong, Redux

Could be anything. Burpee...squat...one of those things Cash Reynolds did where he flips over the bar and and does a somersault. When you're that elite, you can bend space and time.

Really Big Strong Guy wrote:

Gin Master wrote:

WildGorillaMan wrote:Olympic Weightlifting: You're Doing It Wrong, Redux

Could be anything. Burpee...squat...one of those things Cash Reynolds did where he flips over the bar and and does a somersault. When you're that elite, you can bend space and time.

One things for sure, he ain't doing no 100kg+ thruster.

For the life of me, I'm trying to figure out which move they did with more than 200 pounds overhead that would have resulted in this pic being taken.

Sofa King wrote:Personally, I love "snatch" events that have nothing to do with @fit.

JohnnyBadAss wrote:

Really Big Strong Guy wrote:

Gin Master wrote:

WildGorillaMan wrote:Olympic Weightlifting: You're Doing It Wrong, Redux

Could be anything. Burpee...squat...one of those things Cash Reynolds did where he flips over the bar and and does a somersault. When you're that elite, you can bend space and time.

One things for sure, he ain't doing no 100kg+ thruster.

For the life of me, I'm trying to figure out which move they did with more than 200 pounds overhead that would have resulted in this pic being taken.

I'd assume that's the "snatch" event. I say "snatch" because very few of the lifts actually resembled the real Olympic lift.