Olympic Gold for Functional Fitness?

Functional fitness is a trend that’s really going from strength to strength. Just look at the fitness industry—the F45 Training family has grown to almost 2,000 studios around the world and millions of people recently tuned in for this year’s CrossFit Games.

The question that’s on a lot of people’s minds is if we will ever get to see an F45 or CrossFit-style event on a stage as big as the Olympic Games. While branded forms of sport can’t appear in the Olympics, it would be possible for the sport of ‘functional fitness’ to make an appearance. 

The truth is that functional group training isn’t just a great way to stay healthy and have fun, but it can also be really exciting and entertaining to watch as well, even for non-athletes and casual fans. With Olympic events like the decathlon (which includes multiple disciplines over two days) remaining a Games favorite, there’s every reason to believe that a functional fitness event could prove to be just as popular.

While it’s too late for the event to appear in Tokyo 2020 or Paris 2024, Los Angeles in 2028 could definitely be in the cards. With organizations like the International Functional Fitness Federation (IF3) and the Australian Functional Fitness Federation (AFFF) working hard with other international counterparts to make 2028 happen, it’s not just a pipe dream any longer. 

This is immensely exciting for all of us at F45 and we can’t wait to tune in or possibly see someone from our studios stepping onto the podium, but what does this increased interest and growth mean for F45 today? Is the business primed to take advantage of this current groundswell? 

First off, one of the defining features of F45 Training is the business’ ability to offer a consistent, top-quality experience across every studio and touchpoint. We already have the right people, training and technology in place to ensure that the growth and success of the network don’t come with the cost of compromise and loss of quality. It might also mean choosing to wait until the right structures and support are in place before expanding into certain territories and markets. By making sure that our franchise system, fitness programming, and brand remain healthy and on the cutting edge, we will continue to grow a successful and sustainable business.

Of course, health & fitness and the drive to change lives remain at the heart of what we do, so the idea of helping athletes train for an Olympic event is massively exciting. A major difficulty for athletes is training for an event where they don’t exactly know what to expect, but these are things we address throughout our approach to training and across each and every workout.

Our focus on establishing proper movement patterns and safely increasing intensity, reps, and resistance means that F45 athletes learn how to first perform the various exercises correctly. This reduces the chance of injury, allowing them to perform better and move more efficiently. Our vast array of exercises and workouts also means that every aspect of our members’ fitness is challenged and continues to improve. While it might be difficult to train for wildcard events, equipping athletes with well-developed holistic strength, endurance and mobility remains the best way to prepare for any functional fitness challenge—or everyday life.

The little things—like proper nutrition, recovery, workout timing and tapering—can also make a difference between winning and losing. As we refine and perfect our formula, you can expect us to offer more in these areas, not only to benefit competitive athletes but also more casual members as well.

It’s an exciting time in the world of health and fitness, and for F45 Training in particular. Here’s to hoping that Los Angeles in 2028 has a distinctly functional flavor!

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-03/could-functional-fitness-become-part-of-the-olympics/11306920

 

Olympic Gold for Functional Fitness?

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