Wolf

Kayla Wolf

Dr. Andrus

English 1001.023

08 December 2015

Ethnography Discourse Community: CrossFit

What is a Discourse Community? Through my research and reading several related

articles in the book Writing About Writing, my understanding of a Discourse Community is a

group of individuals that come together to achieve the same common goals and interests that

they want to accomplish together. My research includes visiting and observing the CrossFit gym

that I chose to write about, written interviews, notes from interviews, online research and

recordings. I will also explore the motivational aspects of CrossFit. Author John Swales believes

that there are six characteristics necessary and required for identifying a group of individuals as a

discourse community. The six characteristics are as follows:

1. “A discourse community has a broadly agreed set of common public goals” (Swales p. 220).

2. “A discourse community has mechanisms of intercommunication among its members”

(Swales p. 221).

3. “A discourse community uses its participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information

and feedback” (Swales p. 221).

4. “A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the

communicative furtherance of its aims” (Swales p. 221).

5. “In addition to owning genres, a discourse community has acquired some specific lexis”

(Swales p. 222).

1

Wolf

6. “A discourse community has a threshold level of members with a suitable degree of relevant

content and discoursal expertise” (Swales p. 222).

I chose to research CrossFit as a Discourse Community and I will be elaborating on the

break down each of the six characteristics and how they apply to the discourse community I

chose. CrossFit is a fitness-based company founded by Greg and Lauren Glassman in the year

2000 in Santa Cruz, California. Though CrossFit is a global organization, I chose a particular

affiliate gym named CrossFit on the River (CFOTR) located in Cleves, Ohio. The proud owner’s

name of CFOTR is Justin, who is a former Marine and current firefighter/paramedic for the

Cincinnati fire department. He has been a member for about seven years. He says he started

doing CrossFit on his own until he realized he was pretty good and it. He then became a trainer

and then a gym owner. CFOTR’s main website states, “CrossFit is the premier strength &

conditioning program in the world today. The winner of the CrossFit Games is widely

considered the “Fittest on Earth”. It is, by design, broad, general and inclusive. Meaning we take

the best of all aspects of sport & fitness and combine them into a single program. By definition,

CrossFit is “constantly varied, functional movements performed at high intensities”.

I have learned that the common goal of CrossFit among the members is to become a more

fit and healthy person. Mackenzie Potzick, CrossFit member for approximately a year and a half

states, “I feel like everyone's main goal is to be as fit as possible, while having other personal

goals as well” and “The benefits of CFOTR are good workouts, I've lost a total of 25 pounds

since starting... And I've made a lot of new friends and learned about myself.” Justin believes

that member’s goal, as a “CrossFitter”, is the motivation to see what they are capable of mentally

and physically. He also mentions that they commonly looking for some physical change and

want to look better naked. Straight from the CFOTR website also states, “Our goal is to increase

2

Wolf

your overall fitness level in the ten recognized fitness domains: Cardio-respiratory endurance,

Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Agility, Coordination, Balance, and Accuracy. This

community would cease to exist if the members did not share the same beliefs and goals that

they work together to achieve.

Intercommunication is the second listed required characteristic of a discourse community.

Potzick says, “Facebook is a gigantic source of everyone's communication in the gym.” There,

they post pictures and videos of the members’ working-out, health related articles, the Work Out

of the Day (WOD’s), and related CrossFit humor posts. They can comment back and forth with

each other on this page and in private message. Their main website is a great source of their

intercommunication as well because the work out schedule, news and events, and WOD’s all live

here as well. Jason sends out a weekly e-mail containing the weekly work out program along

with other helpful information to go over before meetings, such as, the benefits of getting enough

sleep. Doing this, Jason says, makes their meetings flow more efficiently and contributes to the

common goal of all of the members. All of this is key to be a discourse community and for the

initial members who join this group. The picture below shows a post of the WOD on the CTOFR

Facebook page.

3

Wolf

As listed above, Swales states, “A discourse community uses its participatory

mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback.” There are several CrossFit affiliate

gyms located around the world. You become a member you start by signing up for a monthly

membership. Potzick says, “I pay for a monthly membership, so I'm a "member" but also the

friendships you make makes you a member I suppose.” Justin states similarly, that paying a

monthly fee technically makes you a member but he recommends members attend training

classes at least a bare minimum of twice a week because you will not get the full value of your

money or the value of the program otherwise. According to Swales, just because one pays for a

membership, it does not mean he or she is a member. CrossFit members would need to utilize

other “participatory mechanisms” such as WOD’s, eating right, continuously learning ways to

achieve fitness goals by research and reading, following recommended body mechanics,

participating in games and fundraiser events and actually attending classes you sign up for to

name a few.

“A discourse community utilizes and hence possesses one or more genres in the

communicative furtherance of its aims”. CFOTR utilizes several different genres to

4

Wolf

communicate. A few examples are: websites, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Texting, and they

participate in several fundraising events for different organizations such as The Keep a Breast

Foundation. Justin presented me a few books that he and the gym utilize that contribute to their

common goal. The first was a nutritional book called, It Starts with Food, and the second book

for movement and mobility was called Becoming a Supple Leopard. Potzick states that she uses

the “app” on her phone called totalWOD Athlete. She says she can use this application to sign up

for class times, see the other members that are signed up for classes, and what the WOD is.

Justin’s weekly e-mails fall into this category as well. He sends them out every Sunday. On the

CTOFR website they show a very motivating video on what CrossFit is and why members

participate along with examples of the workouts they do, the way they communicate and more.

This is a very good way to communicate to members and non-members the goal of CrossFit and

what it is. All of these genres are created to ultimately connect with others and continue and

grow the discourse community.

“In addition to owning genres, a discourse community has acquired some specific lexis.”

CrossFitters definitely have their own language. This lingo is used especially in regards to the

names of the workouts and movements they do. For example: Burpees, Pistol, Work Out of the

Day (WOD), Metcon, Murph and Filthy Fifty. Potzick adds, “Double unders, snatches, EMOM,

AMRAP, Paleo, there's a lot of lingo!” Justin says, “Language is more of different terminology.

It makes communication more efficient.” For example, Justin can say, “We are going to do an

AMRAP for 10 minutes” instead of saying, “We are going to do as many repetitions as possible

for 10 minutes”. On-Ramp is the name of the eight-week beginner course that helps new

members or as Potzick calls them, newbies, learn all of the language, movements, drills and

overall foundation of the program. Potzick adds to how she thinks new members learn the

5

Wolf

CrossFit language by saying, “New comers probably just over hear how others speak and it

catches on after a while Justin also talked about even though CrossFit members share the basic

terminology he says the lingo changes from gym to gym. For example, Justin has heard some

other members say, “Are you WOD’ing today”. Therefore, taking the common term, Work Out

of the Day, and changing the acronym for it, WOD, into a verb to communicate. From this, I can

see that language will always evolve to communicate with others more efficiently especially

within discourse communities and this is why specific lexis is required. This concept contributes

beneficial growth and change to the discourse community and to its members. The pictures

below are of the white board that is posted inside the gym on the wall for everyone to see. It

shows the work out of the day along with other information and lexis they use to communicate

with each other.

6

Wolf 7

Wolf

The sixth characteristic states, “A discourse community has a threshold level of members

with a suitable degree of relevant content and discoursal expertise” (Swales p. 220). In other

words in order to keep a discourse community alive there has to a proportional number of

participants that live in a spectrum of having the most knowledge out of the group to a number of

members having the least amount of knowledge about the program. Potzick says, I don't think

anyone is an expert, but usually the ones who know the most are the coaches and they have to go

to CrossFit Level one and up courses to get certified. There are instructors and there are

members. Justin, the gym owner, has been certified in several CrossFit classes such as, Level 1

Certified CrossFit Trainer, CrossFit Endurance Trainer, CrossFit Olympic Lifting Trainer,

Coaches Prep Course Certified, Movement & Mobility Certified, Nationally Certified EMT-

Paramedic

In conclusion, CrossFit is becoming more and more popular and is growing rapidly. One

of the main things I have noticed throughout my research is that CrossFit is very inclusive among

its members. I think that is a very important aspect when belonging to a Discourse Community.

More likely than not, as a human, everyone wants to feel needed, involved and a have sense of

belonging. Reading an article from the Observer, the author states, “People who have the same

direction in life and people that love doing what I love doing; training hard, achieving their

sporting goals and educating people on the importance of health and well-being. I thought this

would be a fantastic opportunity to talk about the importance of surrounding yourself with

positive people. That's something that CrossFit Gladstone really focuses on because I want my

members coming into the gym and feeling like they are not alone. I find if you see everyone

around you trying to better themselves, it makes it so much easier for you to find that motivation

to achieve your personal goals.” During Potzick’s interview she even stated similarly, without

8

Wolf

being prompted, that, “It motivates me because my friends there are so supportive... And every

work out shows me something I wasn't capable of before”. I have learned this concept of being

and feeling included has a major role in the being and existence of discourse communities and

tells me why CrossFit continues to grow, expand and benefit the community around us.

9

Wolf

Work Cited

Swales, John. “The Concept of Discourse Community”. In Writing about Writing, A College

Reader (2nd ed.). Boston, New York: Bedford/St. Martin's. Wardle, E., & Downs, D.

(2015). (215-229)

"Tia is having a Spanish Delight in CrossFit Invitational Comp." The Observer: 25. Dec 04

2015. ProQuest. Web. 11 Dec. 2015.

Wardle, E., & Downs, D. (2015). Writing about Writing, A College Reader (2nd ed.). Boston,

New York: Bedford/St. Martin's.

10