literacy ethnography revised

8/2/2019 Literacy Ethnography Revised

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Alex Boyd

Mr. Borrero

ENGL 1101

26 April 2012

Literacy Ethnography

Crossfit Eternal and the Crossfit Culture

Revision: Crossfit, defined as a mixture of weightlifting, sprinting, and

gymnastics, is a new way school of thought on creating an elite level of fitness. A way of

life dedicated to knowing and testing the extreme limits of your body. This essays

purpose is to educate people on the advantages of Crossfit as an alternate form of

exercise, as well how the culture has shaped and influence a different generation of

warriors. This papers intention is to shed light on the intricate communication system

between Crossfit gyms and individual home gyms as well as how this new warrior type

lifestyle is bringing people more in touch with their physical bodies. In addition to this, I

would like to cover how Crossfit gyms use group exercise systems to increase motivation

and strengthen the bond between athletes.

Currently, there are 3400 Crossfit-affiliated gyms worldwide, most of them in the

United States (Schwechlerl 1). This number does not include the home gyms or people

that practice Crossfit in standard Olympic style gyms. The gym I studied was Crossfit

Eternal. Based out of Charlotte North Carolina, Crossfit Eternal serves North Charlotte,

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Concord, and the University area. This gym, as with the others, is based on the teachings

of Gregg Glassman. Glassman developed Crossfit in the early 2000s, he believed it to be

more of an ideology than an organized sport.

As you cross the threshold into Crossfit Eternal, you are greeted by the familiar

scent of sweat, chalk, and gym equipment. To the left of the door is a small table with

information on membership pricing, and the all-important medical waiver. The medical

waivers are required to due to recent criticisms of the sport. Many critics believe that the

sports high physical demands mixed with the accessibility of the workouts make it

dangerous to beginners (Cooperman 1). The patrons of Crossfit Eternal who partake in

the workouts of the day, or WODs, are highly motivated individuals. This motivation

can be deadly; a condition known as rhabdomyolysis, where muscle tissue breaks down

into the blood stream, poisoning the kidneys, can lead to hospitalization or even death.

Lining the entranceway of Crossfit Eternal are t-shirts bearing logos of athletes

performing Crossfit exercises and cartoons poking fun at serious issues such as

rhabdomyolysis and puking during workouts.

Above the main office is a small loft for the children of the athletes, here they

play during long training sessions. This indicates a strong family dynamic involved

within the gym and encourages a more social experience as the whole family can be

involved. As you walk into the main workout area the right side wall is lined with chalk-

covered pull up bars. The grip tape is well worn from countless repeated kipping pull-

ups and feet to bar exercises. Coach Stephie, the head trainer at CF Eternal, explained to

me how they incorporate one-on-one training into their group work out programs. Each

member gets attention from the multiple trainers to aid in perfecting their form. For each


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station, and each individual exercise, they are all grouped together. This creates a team

dynamic which is unusual in an individualized sport.

Crossfit is the perfect tool to expose holes in our movement,

he says. A Crossfit gym is a lab: its a safe place to press

boundaries, experiment, test and re-test, see what works and

what doesnt work, and become better athletes. (Murphy 1)

To the left, as you move towards the center of the room, you see the main

workout area. Here you see the men and women of CF Eternal drenched in sweat, some

lying on the floor near motionless after completing the grueling. The workout on that day,

Cindy, had drained the athletes. I knew I was next; I talked to many of the members

about the upcoming workout to get some last minute advice before the 5 oclock group

started our workout. It seemed that the most difficult aspect of the workout consisting of

5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 air-squats as many times as possible in 20 minutes, would

not be one certain exercise, but pure stamina. It amazed me as we did the workout the

level of fitness in the room.

Similar to the Special Forces, this mixture of soccer moms, CEOs, janitors, and

chefs knew the ins and outs of every muscle fiber in their body. As you finish your

workout you are invited to go into the clubroom and cool down by a fan, drink water, and

relax while you reflect on the prior event. Here the members of Crossfit Eternal brag

about their times, or complain about the harder aspects of the WOD, bragging rights seem

to play a large part of this community.


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One of the greatest assets you have inside the Crossfit arena is your peer.

Communication plays a huge part in your success in Crossfit. Throughout our workout

the trainers were constantly yelling. Similar to military boot camp, they use theyre

voices to motivate patrons through the pain of the exercise (Shugart 2). As we moved on

to the body squats the trainers began to bark out orders for us to squat lower and maintain

a straight back. These orders were not just to make the exercise more difficult, but also to

make it more effective and prevent injury. I was told before I started the workout that me

being the new guy I would be heckled throughout the 20 min workout. This didnt just

come from the coaches though, everyone chipped in, it was astounding the amount of

reinforcement I received. The members of Crossfit Eternal truly act as a family.

It has been my pleasure to expound upon the culture of Crossfit Eternal. It is my

hope, that with my first hand account paired with the research I have conducted, you now

have a greater understanding as to what it truly means to partake in Crossfit. I hope you

can see how this new sport is based on more than just physical prowess. Through

communication, community, honor and respect, and an intricate knowledge of ones inner

self, Crossfit has forged itself into the culture of todays elite warrior class.


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Works Cited

Cooperman, Stephanie. "Getting Fit, Even if It Kills You."

New York Times [New York] 22 Dec 2005, n. pag. Web. 11 Apr. 2012.

Ferestein, Gregory. "Crossfit: Where Navy SEALs and Pregnant Soccer Moms Help

Each Other Get Ripped."Fast Company. Fast Company, 08 Feb 2011. Web.11 Apr 2012.

Murphy, TJ. "Burning Runner: Inside the Crossfit Culture." Competitor. Competitor,

08 Aug 2008. Web. 11 Apr 2012.

~http://running.competitor.com/2011/08/burning-runner/burning-runner-an-

inside-look-into-crossfit-culture_34473

Shugart, Chris. "The Truth About Crossfit." T-Nation. T-Nation, 4 Nov 2008. Web.

11 Apr 2012.

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