01032015Sat
Last updateFri, 02 Jan 2015 5pm
Deli Ocho

City embraces CrossFit phenomenon

“Someday all this pain will make sense to you,” says the enormous wall sign painted over my head as I go through my thrice-weekly workout at my local CrossFit gym.

Maybe so or maybe not, but like the rest of Guadalajara, I decided to embrace the fitness movement with a vengeance.

On virtually any corner nowadays one can find a gym, a fitness studio, or a martial arts dojo. Possibly most prominent among these exercise joints is the CrossFit logo, which is proliferating throughout every community in the area. In fact, as Distrito CrossFit co-owner and head trainer Ricardo Mora explains, there are more than 150 gyms across the city with the CrossFit name, but only five are bona fide programs with a licensed trademark from the parent company.

So what is this CrossFit business? Founded in 2000 by California trainer Greg Glassman after 20 years of research and practice, the company is now a multi-million dollar juggernaut of a strength and conditioning program. It is both a physical fitness regime and a competitive fitness sport, with more than 10,000 affiliates across the United States, Mexico and around the world. The company website is an encyclopedia of CrossFit philosophy, competition regulations, nutrition information, and workout descriptions. The website also offers a workout regime that independent fitness followers may access online through both the parent company and affiliated gyms.

Please login or subscribe to view the complete article.