CrossFit is a popular and unique discourse community in which frequent communication and participation is mandatory in order to fulfill the purpose of the community, and also achieve goals on a more personal level. In this discourse community, strength, integrity and dedication are not only encouraged but required. Members of the tight-knit CrossFit community actively interact with one another via many communication platforms. While the sport can be individual or team based, all participants belong to a CrossFit affiliate gym and attend group classes. Much of the communication that occurs within the community is face-to-face, in class. There, they are taught skills and proper techniques by a certified instructor, and also gain feedback and encouragement from other members. In-class instruction, teamwork, and friendly rivalries are a huge part of why communication is so beneficial to CrossFit’s success. People come together and share a common challenging, motivating experience in which members constantly strive to do better, and encourage others to do the same.
CrossFit founder Greg Glassman insists that “the communal aspect of CrossFit is a key component of why it’s so effective” (crossfit.com).
Personal, written, and digital communications are the foundation for building camaraderie and a team-based environment, necessary factors for achieving the ultimate goal of elite fitness. While face-t0-face interaction plays a major role in the CrossFit community, online communication platforms are hugely supportive in assisting members to expand their knowledge and participation within the discourse community. The discoursal expectations, which John Swales argues are created by genres, include understanding the terminology and body movements, as well as participation. In the article Materiality and Genre in the Study of Discourse Communities, Amy Devitt tells us that “Genres organize and generate the exchanges of language that characterize [discourse communities]” (Devitt, 550).
Genres are essential factors in the function of any discourse community. “You are probably already familiar with many genres, although you may not know them as such; perhaps your knowledge of genres is limited to types of books, whether mystery, horror, action, etc. Now I’m going to ask you to stick with me while I show you how knowledge of genres goes far beyond a simple discussion of types” (Dirk, 250 ). Kerry recognizes a prevalent intimidation and unfamiliarity with the rhetorical aspects of a genre and seeks to explain it in a more simplistic fashion. She leads us to find that genres may refer to any written text regarding a chosen subject matter.
Genres make the discourse community more accessible to its’ members. They inspire greater participation, and motivate members to become more knowledgeable, enhancing their expertise within the community and improving the ability to speak the specialized language. CrossFit members communicate effectively because they have developed a set of specific terminology relating to fundamentals, players, movements, workouts and equipment. Knowing the proper names for exercises is essential to one’s ability to participate in the class, and understanding the coaches critiques to ensure proper form and avoid injury. Written communications, or genres, are seen in class as well as online. Amy Devitt proposes that often, genres are intended to be read and analyzed by community outsiders. She quotes, “Surprisingly, many genres are designed within one specialist community for functions to be filled by nonmembers of that community,” (Devitt, 543). I would argue that the function of genres within the CrossFit community are centered around strengthening the knowledge and motivation within the community, rather than to entice or enlighten the non-participants. Below, I will break down the features and purpose of each of the most popular genres of CrossFit.
Whiteboards: Each CrossFit affiliate gym is unique in layout and design, yet maintain similar defining characteristics. Gyms, also interchangeably referred to as “boxes”, are quite unlike many popular athletic clubs. While most athletic clubs often hold much more equipment than actual participants, CrossFit boxes possess only the most basic weights and equipment. They rely much more heavily on how the body can perform a variety of movements with only a few different kinds of weights. Each box is centered around a whiteboard, as it is the primary form of written communication within the CrossFit community.
Whiteboards are used daily to write out each WOD (workout of the day), as well as warm-up weightlifting sequences, cool-downs, and optional competitor WODs. A very specific lexis is used in whiteboard communications, which would make it challenging for nonmembers or very new members to comprehend. Many abbreviations and acronyms are used to describe each workout such as AMRAP (as many rounds as possible), EMOM (every minute on the minute) or HSPU (hand-stand push ups). Members scores are also recorded on the whiteboard as a gesture of pride, and also to motivate participants to give each workout their all, knowing that results will be publicly shared. Many CrossFit gyms choose to have a separate whiteboard dedicated to a leader board. This holds the box’s top performers (usually one male, and one female score) for benchmark workouts or other personal records chosen to display at the owner’s discretion. This is an extra way to motivate crossfitters to perform at their highest competence levels, striving to get their name up on the leader board, or to m
aintain a position already held on the leader board.
This genre is used to assist with in-class participation. Coaches will write down different scalability approaches such as weight loads or rep schemes to allow members of all levels complete the workouts. Because the whiteboard is updated daily, it is intended to assist only those who came to class that particular day. However, many coaches choose to maintain an “online whiteboard” as well on their affiliate webpage, allowing those who missed a day to see what the WOD was and potentially make it up later in the week. While some of the other genres in the CrossFit community may be accessed and analyzed by community outsiders, the whiteboard is intended solely to communicate with not only community members as a whole, but specifically community members belonging to that specific gym.
CrossFit.com: Crossfit.com is the central communication hub for CrossFit members, both nationally and internationally. It is written both to inspire people who are interested in joining the community, and to provide information to those who already belong. The first thing to catch your eye on the home page is the Workout of the Day. Accompanied by the WOD is usually an inspiring picture of someone crossfitting in beautiful scenery, reaching a challenging weight goal, or collapsed after a brutal workout. The main page also contains links to CrossFit Journal, the CrossFit Games website, a schedule of coaching certification courses, and an extensive list of affiliate gyms. The sidebar holds a menu offering an abundance of information including:
• What is CrossFit?: The theory behind the development of the sport. It defines CrossFit in the most basic way, as constantly varied functional movements performed at relatively high intensity. Included in this segment is a brief motivational YouTube video where community members contribute their personal goals and passions in terms of CrossFit. A gentleman at the end of the YouTube video gives my personal favorite explanation of what the sport is all about—“A fitness program where the reward for doing well is the ability to express your fitness in everyday life, in as many different planes, or as many different activities as you can possibly imagine. People walk through the door and say, where’s all the machines? We ARE the machines” (Let Me Tell You About CrossFit).
• FAQ’s: Examples include: What is a tabata? Where can I buy rings? How do I scale a workout?
• Exercises and Demos: This section includes short videos of the foundational movements to give a visual demonstration of the movement, as well as training tips to ensure proper form and safety.
• Message Board: This is where we see much of the active participation and written discussion within this genre. Novices and experts alike write posts on forums of various CrossFit subject matter. Topics include: methodology for beginners, theory of fitness; crossfit rationale and foundations, exercises, digital coaching, WODs; thoughts on modifications, members personal workout logs, competitions, nutrition, equipment, injuries/health/medical, and how to open a CF gym; tips and guidance.
CrossFit Journal: The CrossFit Journal is self-defined as “a multimedia fitness encyclopedia that can help you improve your performance as an athlete or trainer.” This online magazine, or encyclopedia, contains articles on a variety of topics all relative to the sport of CrossFit. It also has a link to the same message board accessible on the CrossFit.com website. There is a subscription fee for full access to the CrossFit Journal, however plenty of articles are made available to the public free of charge. With a subscription, you not only gain access to the full library of articles, but also may take advantage of instructional videos posted by top coaches, listen to the latest CrossFit news and hear profiles of elite athletes on CrossFit Radio, and interact with other athletes, trainers and leading experts in subscribers-only discussions (http://journal.crossfit.com/subscribe.tpl). Many of the articles can be downloaded as a PDF and printed to share with other crossfit friends and community members. Examples of recent articles include:
• CrossFit basics: Just Squat-“Regardless of what the problem is, the answer is to squat.” Those are the words of CrossFit founder and CEO Greg Glassman. “People who do not know how to squat do not have normal hip function, don’t have normal leg functional,” he says in this medley of clips paying homage to the movement.
• Athletes: Seven Years’ War-“After focusing on competition in 2008, Ben Smith wins the CrossFit Games in 2015. July 26, Ben Smith was crowned the Fittest Man on Earth.”
• Coaching: Master of the Many– “It takes great skill to manage a large group of athletes. Affiliate owners share how they learned to do it and how they’re teaching others to be leaders.”
• Nutrition: The Foundation is Nutrition-“Combining the CrossFit training methodology with a diet of meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar brings ‘a jet stream of adaptation,’ says CrossFit founder Greg Glassman.”
• Health: The Myth of Adrenal Failure “Did you overwork your adrenal glands or are you getting worked by mythology and marketing?”
Affiliate Websites: Each Affiliate gym has their own website, a means for participation and communication with local members. On the website, information can be found regarding general introductory information about CrossFit, class schedules and services offered, pricing details, coaches’ qualifications, photos of gym members, a newsletter with current events or fun facts, and of course, a blog recording each WOD (workout of the day). Much of the general information is set up to be accessible to new potential members, inspiring them to join the CrossFit community. It is also intended to be frequently used and accessed by current community participants. Most members enjoy checking the WOD online ahead of class time to mentally prepare for the upcoming challenges. Many affiliate websites are set up for members to maintain a personal “digital whiteboard” in order to record PR’s and benchmark workout weights and times. This allows for a baseline to work from when they next complete that same workout, and hopefully increase weight or speed each time thereafter.
We can see by analyzing the different genres of the discourse community that each genre is structured to strengthen te levels of expertise for members, and also to encourage participation and community bonding. Though most genres are accessible by nonmembers, the intended purpose for each is generally not directed towards those people. Affiliate websites and CrossFit.com are, in fact, the most absorbable genres to outsiders of the CrossFit community. They purposefully support their ideas with simple terminology, not a specific lexis to be understood by knowledgeable members only. This allows an ease of entrance to the community, as opposed to building barriers much too intimidating to break through. Though Devitt argues that genres function for nonmembers, I would maintain that within the discourse community of CrossFit, members are typically the intended audience. The purpose of genres within this community are to increase dedication and proficiency amongst members.
Works Cited:
“CrossFit Sonoma County.” CrossFit Sonoma County. Web. 4 Sept. 2015. <http://crossfitsc.com>.
Devitt, Amy J., Anis Bawarshi, and Mary Jo Reiff. “Materiality and Genre in the Study of Discourse Communities.” 2003. Web. 2 Sept. 2015. <http://cdh.sc.edu/~hawkb/readings/dbr-genre.pdf>.
Dirk, Kerry, “Navigating Genres.” Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. Eds. Charles Lowe and Pavel Zemliansky. Parlor Press, 2010. 249-262. Web. http://writingspaces.org/essays.
“Subscribe to the CrossFit Journal.” CrossFit Journal. CrossFit, Inc. Web. 4 Sept. 2015.
“What Is CrossFit?” What Is CrossFit? CrossFit, Inc. Web. 10 Aug. 2015.
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