Founder and CEO of the mega successful Crossfit brand, Greg Glassman is using the church community blueprint created ages ago to spread his religious like workout gospel. He feels he has a lot in common with the faith community, even though Glassman is a self-proclaimed atheist.
Crossfit launched in 1995 and is an exercise regime that is constantly using varied functional movements at high intensity, combining aspects of gymnastics, weightlifting, running and rowing, the official website said.
In an interview with CNBC, Glassman talks about the fellowship created within his fitness community, a message that he took to Harvard’s divinity and business school, because like many of his “box” followers, he looks at it as a dose of religion.
Saying, “I have a lot in common with those kids, the ones at the Harvard Divinity School, more so at the Divinity School than at the Business School.”
“I have more in common with wanting to change the world and improve people’s lives than just to make money.”
“It’s the sacrifice, it’s the soreness, it’s the getting up in the morning, it’s doing one more rep when you think you can’t,” says Glassman. “It’s drawing from somewhere really deep, it’s learning that ultimately the best things in life come out of commitment, out of sacrifice, out of working harder than the other guy, getting up earlier, staying up late.”
According to the Harvard Study, “How We Gather”, millennials, young people between 18-34 years of age, the research paper stated, are finding spiritual homes in places outside the church instead of just in one like Crossfit.
Co-author of the study, Casper ter Kuilie said last year, “We are offering a challenge, and this is more of a challenge to the world of religion, that if you think religion is dying, we are saying religion is changing.”
Confirming,”These things are actually religious. You should treat these institutions as religious options that people find.”
“That’s a difficult thing to hear if you are a church or for other denominations. At the same time, it’s exciting.”
The former gymnast has over 13,000 “boxes” with locations all over the world and roughly an estimated 4 million followers.