Strongfit’s origin story can be traced back to my initial trip to Brazil, where I began training with the MMA team at Barra Gracie. It was here that I delved into real physical conditioning under the guidance of a Cuban wrestling coach and subsequently realized i had never truly pushed myself. Those Monday morning workouts were so grueling that they kept me up on Sunday nights due to the anxiety of what lay ahead. Two months of this rigorous training transformed me into the fittest version of myself at that point though. I knew then i had found my way forward.
However, the roots of Strongfit stretch far beyond that. I’ve been involved in sports at a national level since the age of nine. This background is essential to understanding my perspective when discussing topics like programming and prehabilitation.
In 2007, I ventured into Crossfit, even running my own affiliate for a year. Surprisingly, I first heard about it back in 2000 through a friend in the fighting world, making me somewhat of an “old school” enthusiast. My foundation always revolved around functional fitness, heavily influenced by martial arts and grappling. Consequently, my gym naturally gravitated towards training Crossfitters.
During this time, I was deeply immersed in Grappling and Strongman competitions, starting in 2011 (for the latter). This becomes a significant point in our story.
What quickly became evident was that a majority of the Crossfitters coming to my gym were grappling with similar issues: specific shoulder pain, overdeveloped lower back muscles, and more. It became clear that the programming in Crossfit was causing flawed movement patterns due to overemphasis on particular movements.
Curiously, this contradicted Crossfit’s anti-specialization philosophy, which only held true in terms of energy systems. When it came to movement patterns, almost all Crossfit exercises were confined to the Sagittal plane (up and down), leading to these issues.
The solution became crystal clear: restoring a balance in movement patterns, planes, and angles. This is where Strongman exercises entered the scene. Tailored to address the aforementioned needs, they allowed athletes to express their fitness in a more harmonious way, and, surprise, we observed a reduction in the severity of these problems.
There are no solutions, only trade-offs.
The reality is that Crossfit is primarily a training system founded on functional movements. However, exclusively focusing on Crossfit as a sport can lead to issues like shoulder pain and back problems. My advice: push a sled, pull a rope, and carry f*cking heavy objects (up to 100 feet) – your body will thank you later.
