Chris Cavallerano looks at how the benefits of the box extend to the rest of your life.
According to CrossFit Founder and CEO Greg Glassman, the psychology and emotional benefits of CrossFit are “hard to measure and difficult if not impossible to prove.”
That’s certainly true, but the field of psychology suggests several reasons why the things that happen during a CrossFit workout have such an effect on life outside the gym.
People join CrossFit for fitness and health benefits. Yet, in that pursuit people experience a holistic transformation that extends beyond the physical. Coach Glassman has described this as the “transference effect.” Traditionally, this psychological phenomenon has been defined as unconsciously redirecting feelings from one thing to another. You have a bad day at work, you go home and kick the cat.
Conversely, in the unique case of what we’ll term “CrossFit transference,” the same effect occurs but with a positive outcome. The stories are endless: the mom who says she makes partner in her law firm because of the determination she experiences doing CrossFit, the addict who finds an outlet to overcome his demons, etc.
To better understand the “how” behind CrossFit transference, take a closer look at the relatedness between CrossFit and motivational psychology.