The fitness world is on fire and it's not a good thing.

I speak metaphorically, of course, about what I've seen and been disgusted by lately. Namely, the useless name calling, posturing, bashing, and overall flamming on fitness sites on the internet. It has been eating away at me for days now, since Friday to be exact, like a drop of acid on a metal table. You know, eventually, it's going to leave a hole.

So the whole thing (no pun intended, but it's kind of funny) starts with an article posted on a web site I read from time to time called T-Nation (note, no link- if you want to find it, find it, but I ain't helping). In the article, actually a collumn, the author calls out and slaps down a site I feel I belong to called CrossFit (again, no link as the flames over there are really quite something and I don't want to fan them). Actually, he says something along the lines of "screw you guys" referring to the whole CF thing. One big dis. Later, he admits that CF only recently shoed up on his radar and that before the NY Times article, he really didn't care. Bullshit.

The guy holds himself out as a well read, well informed, purveyor of all things fitness and he just recently came to hear of CF and Greg Glassman. Somehow, I doubt it. I could be wrong and maybe the author sits in his ivory tower in Colorado Springs and only sees all things bodybuilding, but again, I doubt it. He's far too smart to get away with that assertion. I've read his stuff before; posted comments; appreciated his humor; revelled in his celebration of being a man and brimming with testosterone. This came off as ill-advised and off the cuff. Not his best by far. OK, it was wrongheaded.

This isn't where the story ends, it's where it begins. You see, the fitness community despite its vastness, really is small. The true leaders are few and all are well known. I'd say they are public figures. I'm not speaking of Tony Little or Jack La Lane. I'm talking about coaches who work with athletes, write articles, post on boards, and help the common man. I doubt Tony Little reads his e-mails. Hell, I doubt he reads at all. No, a particular coach was called out for his response because he is a well known member of both communities. Well, here's where the shit storm starts. So, to make a really long story really short, name calling ensues; a flame war begins; asshats from various boards descend on CF like the Allied armies on Normandy; posts are deleted; feelings hurt; shit is stirred (I'm looking at you Bill Fox even though you were not part of this particular bit of internet pissing, I read the Irongarm stuff with shock. . .I expected better, although it means zip to you); and a friendship is crashed upon the rocks. In all, a perfectly good molehill was made into a big stinky mountain of shit. Well done.

I'm not pointing fingers; nor making anyone a martyr. I'm just here to voice my overall displeasure at the total lack of sense this all makes. I'm sure there is blame on both sides although, again, I'm not going to portion that out. I guess what I have to say is I'm saddened by this all. I'm disappointed to find out there's a place on the internet where fitness is a secondary concern to anti-Semitism and misogynistic baits. I'm a little frustrated that most of the responses against CF were nothing more than tough guy posturing by people who neither know, nor want to know what CF is about.

Yeah, I'm a CF guy. I know Greg Glassman; I respect Greg Glasman; I consider Greg a friend. He and his wife have given me immeasurable support and knowledge. I have used the CF ideals and seen them work. Therefore, yes I defend him and his actions. I cannot question his convictions. I find most who criticize his ideas and methods to be ill-informed and their rants as half-baked whines. You don't like the way he operates? Fine, but to call for his murder and rape of his wife? That's just fucking pathetic, and you know it. (I might end up the subject of one of the posts over there at their board and, frankly, I don't care- I don't get their brand of humor or sarcasm or sense or irony or whatever they may call it) Better to criticize his methods with well thought out arguments with evidence to support your claims (right, Bill, the D.A.?) rather than resort to name calling or other schoolyard behaviors (I know he called you a dumbshit, but the context in which he said it makes pretty good sense).

This probably isn't the whole story, but after a good 3 days of reading mostly insipid posts and letting this idea fester, I just decided to get it out of my system. I'm limited by time to write or even care about this further. I want to spend my time on better things, but like a train wreck, I keep looking. Oh, and for all those on the forums I don't post to and won't be reading after this, if you want to, call me a "Moonie" or a Cultfitter, or a "skinny no-nothing fuck;" whatever.
It's a free internet isn't it?


By the way, you would be exactly the second to call me skinny in the past 2 weeks, let alone the past 43 years. I have never been known as "skinny," but I'll take it.