The national strength and conditioning program CrossFit made its way onto the University of Alabama campus in December and has since become UA’s most rapidly growing club by offering its services to all skill levels. Founded in the early ‘90s by Greg Glassman, CrossFit was developed as a training initiative for many police academies, tactical operations teams, military special operations units, martial artists and professional athletes. It focuses on varied, high-intensity workouts where members are motivated by the energy and drive of others. “CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program that is best described as the ‘Sport of Fitness,’” said Erik Glynn, founding member and president of UA CrossFit. “We are constantly varying our workouts to ensure that the members achieve functional fitness. It becomes a great way to challenge yourself. It’s a lot of fun because of the camaraderie you build with the other members as you all try new workouts and help each other with strengths and weaknesses.” After spending more than a year with other CrossFit gyms, Glynn, along with John Hindy and William Rountree, decided to embark on the process of creating a program on the UA campus for students and faculty in November of last year. By December, UA CrossFit became an official student organization and sports club. By January, the club was fully functional, with a location at Head Hunters Gym that provides the necessary equipment for the exercises. “We could tell there was an interest around campus in this program because we would see other students doing a ‘Workout of the Day’ in the Rec Center,” Glynn said. “We knew that the sport would draw a varied audience, just like the workouts that we do. “Professors, athletes and students have joined the club. They have absolutely no experience in CrossFit, which is fine, because we teach the newcomers everything they need to know.” The CrossFit training sessions are based on specific ‘Workouts of the Day,’ which incorporate exercises such as weightlifting, running and gymnastics. Each WOD varies daily and is flexible to the needs of the diverse members. Because of this individual attention, membership of the club has grown exponentially from the three original trainers to 30 committed members of differing skill levels. “My motivation to join CrossFit was to be more physically in shape,” member April Wallace said. “I grew tired of my usual routine at the Rec Center and realized that I wasn’t achieving the results I was hoping for. I decided it was time for something new.” Wallace was looking for a more personalized workout with trainers who would push her through each time. “The leadership and coaching of the CrossFit club has been the best I have had in any workout class environment since coming to UA,” she said. “The coaches’ goals are to get you to give everything you have and where they repeatedly say there are no strengths and weaknesses, but only strengths and opportunity. “The coaches motivate you to do your best during every workout, and after the workout, you feel a sense of accomplishment.” Designed for anyone interested in improving their physical and mental state, the UA CrossFit Club offers an inexpensive and individualistic approach to exercise and conditioning. The trainers encourage interested students and community members to visit their website, www.uacrossfit.wordpress.com, for more information. “We at UA CrossFit want to cultivate a fit community that transforms lives by providing functional fitness so that people may live happier and healthier,” said head coach John Hindy. “CrossFit is something that we are passionate about and want to open the doors to students, faculty and staff and show them the greatest fitness program in the world.”