CrossFit Impavidus Shuns No Aspect of the Body

There is a trend in fitness to identify the ideal athlete that sets the standard for fitness. Some have pointed to long-distance runners or endurance athletes, others to bodybuilders.

At Ashburn’s , the owners reject the notion that a specialized athlete should be the model, and instead point to fully balanced athletes whose high level of general fitness enables them to perform in all arenas. The location on Red Rum Drive opened in January.

CrossFit co-owners Conan Bruce and Jerry Haran, and their team of CrossFit-certified coaches train members – known as athletes regardless of their background or profession – to raise their conditioning levels across a wide spectrum of physical activities.

"Although the level of daily physical challenge differs among, say, college athletes versus soldiers, or school teachers compared to grandparents, we all lead physically demanding lives," Haran explained recently. "CrossFit Impavidus challenges athletes to make fundamental improvements in ten broad areas of fitness including Cardio Endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance and Accuracy.” 

Crossfit workouts, while not often comfortable, help athletes push their personal limits in all the ten areas noted above.

"CrossFit programming is, by design, broad, general and inclusive," Conan said. "Our specialty is raising the general fitness of our athletes."

Haran noted that even elite athletes can be deficient in some of these areas.

“I was a gymnast in the 1980s for the Naval Academy," he said, "and I developed a high level of strength, coordination, flexibility and balance. But I found my fitness lacking when I first attempted a one-mile run for time, or in the weight room attempting to dead lift or squat.”

Conan comes from a different tradition.

"I played soccer when I was young and coached a bit when I got older," he explained. "But most of my sports activity focused on carrying heavy things for long distances in the Army."

Since the physical requirements of the U.S. Army involve general ability, Conan's experience, while different from Haran's, led him to similar conclusions. 

"We all face all types of physical challenges," Conan said. "As we get older and spend more time behind a desk, we need to find better ways to keep fit in many areas.  Combat, survival, sports and life reward this kind of fitness. Specialists who are only strong, or only fast, will suffer when challenged beyond the limits of their comfort zone."

Haran stresses that every member of CrossFit Impavidus, regardless of goals or profession, is an athlete.

"The CrossFit program is perfect for any committed individual," Haran said. "We use the same routines for elderly athletes with mobility issues as for law enforcement officers training for SWAT, and everyone in between. We scale load and intensity, but the core program works for everyone."

As Conan puts it, from elite athletes to those simply trying to stay healthy as they age, CrossFit is the perfect fit.        

"The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree, not kind,” he said. "We've formed a program around gymnastics, power-lifting and a variety of sports skills including throwing, catching, carrying and so on, along with scientific endurance training tools like interval training.”

While not a one-size-fits-all approach, the program helps raise the general fitness level for the whole spectrum of athletes.

“Our terrorist hunters, firefighters, mountain bike riders and housewives have all found their best fitness from the same regimen,” Conan said. “CrossFit is about getting back to basics. It's great for everyone, no matter age or previous physical condition. If you are looking to feel better and get more fit, it’s for you.”

Monday - Saturday at various times throughout the day.  For those wanting to try it out, CFI offers a free WOD every Saturday at 10 a.m. Visit the company’s Web site for more information.