05/12/2025
Dear CrossFit Curious,
We need to talk.
You’ve heard the rumors. Maybe you’ve seen the videos. You’ve definitely noticed the strange vocabulary, the enthusiastic fist bumps, and the fact that your friend who started CrossFit three months ago now owns more athletic shorts than regular pants.
“It’s a cult,” people say. Fair enough. Let’s examine the evidence.
Strange behavior? Check. We voluntarily wake up at 5 a.m. to lift heavy objects and run around in the dark.
Intense community? Absolutely. These people know your back squat PR and your dog’s name.
Unique language? You got us. We say things like “AMRAP” and “EMOM” and somehow everyone knows what we mean.
Sense of belonging? Guilty as charged.
All-consuming lifestyle? Well, we do talk about it a lot.
So yeah, we get it. From the outside looking in, we probably look a little … intense.
Here’s the thing, though: calling CrossFit a cult was an easy way to weaponize against us, especially 25 years ago, when we were doing something radically different. When you challenge the status quo — when you suggest that maybe chronic disease isn’t inevitable and that gyms should feel like communities and health homes instead of treadmill warehouses — people get uncomfortable. And when people get uncomfortable, they reach for labels.
But inside CrossFit affiliates around the world, we’re not drinking Kool-Aid. We’re fighting actual enemies: disease, weakness, decrepitude, dependence, and a broken system that profits from your sickness.
That doesn’t make us a cult. It makes us vital.
Because in a world with a backward healthcare system and skyrocketing chronic disease rates, what’s more important than:
Fighting off the decline that everyone says is “just part of aging”
Surrounding yourself with people who genuinely want to see you succeed
Eating food that actually nourishes you instead of just filling you up
Being able to sit down, stand up, and use the bathroom without pain or limitation (seriously, the bar is low out there)
Playing with your grandkids, skiing, and hiking well into your 70s, 80s, and beyond
Bypassing a health care system that waits until you’re sick to care about you
If that’s a cult, sign us up.
But Wait … There’s More
Here’s the thing about real cults: they’re based on blind faith. CrossFit is based on results you can see, measure, and feel every day. We’re talking cult classic, not Jonestown.
There’s nothing secret about what happens here. CrossFit has been open source for 25 years. We want everyone to do this. We literally post our workouts online for free. What kind of cult does that? A terrible one, probably.
And unlike actual cults, you can test our claims. Don’t just take our word for it — look at the science:
Lowered risk of Type 2 diabetes
Improved health biomarkers across the board
Measurably increased strength
Better cardiovascular fitness
Observable improvements in quality of life
These aren’t mystical promises. They’re trackable, repeatable, provable outcomes. If these are the results of a cult, we’re in.
The Invitation
So here’s the deal: Yes, we’re intense. Yes, we care deeply about what we do. Yes, we’ll probably try to convince you to join us because we genuinely believe this works.
But we promise we won’t make you part with all your worldly possessions, isolate you from your loved ones, or make you live on a compound. You can keep your friends. You can keep your family. In fact, bring them with you — the more, the merrier.
We’re not looking for followers. We’re looking for people who are tired of accepting “good enough” when it comes to their health. People who want to be strong, capable, and independent for as long as humanly possible. People who think fitness should be something you do with others, not alone on a machine while staring at a screen.
If you’re curious, come see what the fuss is about. Visit a gym. Try a class. Talk to the people there. See if the evidence matches the hype.
And if you decide it’s not for you? That’s OK, too. We’ll still be here, doing our weird workouts, speaking our strange language, and fighting the good fight against decrepitude.
But if you do join us, welcome to the cult.
We’ve been expecting you.
Sincerely,
CrossFit St Marys
P.S. Yes, you’ll probably end up buying more athletic shorts, too. We tried to warn you.
“CrossFit is a cult.”We've all heard it. But here's the truth:We’re fighting disease, chasing longevity, building community, and getting stronger for life.We...
