Dan Cerrillo, owner of CrossFit Bellevue and former Navy SEAL operator and BUD/S instructor, has been inspired to create a SEALFIT class at his affiliate. The class is made up of CrossFitters including those seeking entrance into a military organization and CrossFitters Cerrillo calls “hard.” Even Cerrillo participates in the program.
“This program’s a lot different than CrossFit,” he says. “A lot more is expected of you all the time.”
Cerrillo leads the class through a typical warm-up, a strength component, a WOD, a stamina component and an endurance component—including a buddy swim and buddy carry.
“I’m trying to show them there’s a different thing you need to be capable of,” he says.
Cerrillo describes how he runs the program. He has interested clients start the program gradually only after they have been CrossFitting for at least a year.
“Basically the one rule is if you’re going to do the entire SEALFIT thing, you can’t quit, because if you quit, you can’t come back,” he says.
According to Cerrillo, his goal is simple: “send a good quality candidate because a person who didn’t show up in shape, they’re a waste of time.”
He adds: “If you think pull-ups, push-ups and sit-ups are going to get you in shape, you’re wrong.”
9min 16sec
Additional reading: Staying in the Fight by Mark Divine, published Sept. 12, 2011.