Out of the box thinking

I keep on meaning to take a break from the "sport of fitness" criticism, but they keep pushing out content that makes me wince.

Take this for example. It's a bunch of people doing Crossfit on the roof of a building. Okay, that's fine. I enjoy how they've tried to make Crossfit look interesting with all the rapid cutting, harsh lighting, etc. But, really, I don't have a problem with the production. (They did manage what are perhaps the most boring Gopro shots of all time though...)

My problem is stated in the first line of the video's description: "We want to show people that fitness is something that can be done anywhere, at any time."  Yeah... with the correct permits and a couple thousand dollars worth of Reebok Crossfit gear...

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I don't know about you, but if that's fitness then I can't afford it. If you are really interested in an anywhere, anytime, no excuses approach to HIIT, then check out Ross Training. And/or read Never Gymless. Then get to your favorite home improvement store and stock up. For the cost of one month at an average Crossfit box you can make yourself a formidable array of strength equipment.

Or forego equipment alltogether. Run, jump, and climb. Vault and balance. Dance. Do martial arts. Work on your pistol squats.

If you live near any kind of natural setting, go find some stones or some logs. Deadlift a big rock, set it aside, then spend the next 3 minutes on the ground checking out all the neat bugs that are living under that rock. Then put it back, select another rock, and repeat!

Look, I understand marketing. A key to opening those upper-middle class wallets is conferring a sense of authenticity. I guess I just prefer products/services that are actually authentic vs. relying on stunts and showmanship. Reebok is trying to generate buzz so they can sell stuff. They don't care about your health. They care about next quarter.

This is ultimately why I decided to turn away from standard MBA jobs after I graduated. The conversations with the career services people went something like this: "Oh, you like fitness? Well, you should try for a brand management position at Nike!" Okay, but Nike doesn't give a hoot about your fitness - they care about Nike's stock price.

I prefer to stay small and stay close to real people. It keeps me honest and keeps my incentives lined up. If I do a good job as a coach, people keep coming back. My end-of-year bonus comes from looking around at all the people I helped make better... and from the fact that I get to be outside for large portions of every day.

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At the end of the video, Reebok asks "Where will the sport of fitness arrive next?" Hey Reebok, how about Chapel Hill, NC? I'll save you some helicopter fuel: You don't need to bring any of your fancy stuff. Just meet me in Forest Theater and I'll show you what real "anywhere, any time" fitness is all about.