Greg Glassman is the creator of the largest brand in the sports industry, bringing in one hundred millionth annual revenue. CrossFit is not just training, but also spectacular events, dragging out millions who want to be involved in a healthy and beautiful lifestyle.
How it all began?
The future creator of the global brand in California was born in July 1956 in the family of the scientist Jeffrey Glassman. The boy was ill with polio and was very weak. To restore muscle tone, he tried many sports, from weightlifting to gymnastics. Growing up, got a job as a trainer in the gym.
Greg loved his work. He sought to captivate customers and complement their training sessions with general physical training. This was not liked by the managers of the sports club. The administration considered that it is impossible, while working in a respectable fitness facility, to engage in extraneous things, such as, for example, jumping training through a bench from the discharge of plyometrics (a sports technique that improves athletes' results). Therefore, the innovative coach was fired.
Greg continued to work in the rented rooms as he considered right. Visitors to his training were mainly firefighters, military, police. One of his clients, the head of the police station, asked once if it was possible to tighten the general physical training (OFP) of the employees of his police station. Then crossfit was invented. Only the name came later.
Unique training system
Greg married one of his clients. In promoting business, Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai (photo below) were now excellent allies.
Glassman’s technique was bought by the Reebok company, training was sharpened specifically for this brand. The first crossfit hall was opened in 2001. By 2015, there were already thirteen thousand of them. There were plenty of visitors.
Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai convinced that CrossFit is not just a sports program, but a philosophy designed to improve a person’s physical characteristics. The training system involves a combination of activities that are functionally close to natural:
- run;
- rowing;
- rope climb;
- jumping rope;
- strength exercises;
- work on the crossbar and rings.
Occupation in groups is important for quick “pulling up” of newcomers and effective competitions between regular community members.
Greg Glassman sold his technique and training in large quantities to police and fire departments. Things were going well, as it is working with a budget, not personal wallets. Classes were designed for both male and female audiences.
In addition, applications of a special nature were created for the program:
- for aging people;
- for children;
- for pregnant women;
- for persons seeking to enter combat special units, etc.
Thus, the target audience expanded and covered as widely as possible.
Workout or show?
The company was looking for additional options for developing a business model: a game (game) was needed to add entertainment to the classes. Since 2007, public competitive games have been held continuously, mainly in the summer.
The particular interest of participants and spectators is that the sports direction and competition conditions are not announced in advance - that is, the athlete must be ready for anything. This attracts the attention of people and causes the desire to get into the team.
Glassman vs. Coca-Cola
When Greg Glassman worked to expand his influence among the masses, he made an aggressive attack towards the Coca-Cola company. He owns a tweet that caused a great public outcry: “Open diabetes.”
Greg himself did not expect that his "demarche" would be so noticeable.
Now Glassman continues to fight sugary drinks, as they trigger the onset of type 2 diabetes (usually accompanied by obesity). He proposes a tax on similar products. Glassman has a lot of supporters: for example, the WHO believes that this measure is the most effective means of combating harmful drinks.
Supply system
The company is active in educational activities aimed at preventing diabetes. However, according to the famous Moscow fitness trainer Lev Goncharov, Greg Glassman does this not only for the love of humanity: the basis of propaganda is commercial interest. CrossFit offers its nutritional recommendations aimed at reducing calories consumed, but supplying enough energy.
It makes no sense to torture yourself on a treadmill if you do not follow a diet - the founder of CrossFit Greg Glassman is convinced. Of course, many coaches came to this idea before him, but it was Greg who brought it to the mass consciousness and organically built into his methodology.
Is crossfit useful for everyone?
Despite the uniqueness and effectiveness of the training system, she has a lot of opponents. Ideally, only very healthy people should be engaged, since the intensity of individual work in the classroom is highest. For example, the load on the heart muscle is so significant that many doctors consider this unacceptable.
The risk of injury is high, mainly due to sudden movements and extremely intense exercises. Muscle tissue destruction (rhabdomyolysis) is common for the same reasons. However, company representatives argue that the risks are no higher than when practicing other sports. In any case, full-fledged statistical studies and examinations of the training plan have not yet been conducted.
The brand could be different
At some point, Greg, who invested so much in his brainchild, conceived back in 1996, could lose complete control over him, or even lose the company. It all started with a divorce from Lauren. By the way, this was not the only marriage of Greg Glassman, whose biography has three wives and six children.
Lauren wanted to sell her share of the business to outside buyers. This share was estimated at sixteen million dollars. In order not to divide the company, Greg began to seek funds. One of the investment groups agreed to give Glassman a loan, most likely secured by his own share in the business. Now the innovative trainer is the sole owner of the company, which does not even have a board of directors.
