Learning to Breathe Fire: The Rise of CrossFit and the Primal Future of Fitness
Description
<p><b>The absorbing, definitive account of CrossFit's origins, its explosive grassroots growth, and its emergence as a global phenomenon.</b><br /> <br />One of the most illuminating books ever on a sports subculture, <i>Learning to Breathe Fire </i>combines vivid sports writing with a thoughtful meditation on what it means to be human. In the book, veteran journalist J.C. Herz explains the science of maximum effort, why the modern gym fails an obese society, and the psychic rewards of ending up on the floor feeling as though you're about to die. <br /> <br />The story traces CrossFit’s rise, from a single underground gym in Santa Cruz to its adoption as the workout of choice for elite special forces, firefighters and cops, to its popularity as the go-to fitness routine for regular Joes and Janes. Especially riveting is Herz’s description of The CrossFit Games, which begin as an informal throw-down on a California ranch and evolve into a televised global proving ground for the fittest men and women on Earth, as well as hundreds of thousands of lesser mortals. <br /> <br />In her portrayal of the sport's star athletes, its passionate coaches and its “chief armorer,” Rogue Fitness, Herz powerfully evokes the uniqueness of a fitness culture that cultivates primal fierceness in average people. And in the shared ordeal of an all-consuming workout, she unearths the ritual intensity that's been with us since humans invented sports, showing us how, on a deep level, we're all tribal hunters and first responders, waiting for the signal to go all-out. </p>
Story Behind The Book
When wife and I retired early (at 45) and moved to an exotic country, we surprisingly met many who had done the same or who were in the middle of a lifelong goal.
Some had taken ten years out of their life to sail the world, others had gone on a continent or even worldwide hiking/biking/motorcycling trip, and although their trip stories were fantastic, I was particularly interested on how they could pull it off.
Surprisingly, many were in the same situation I was in - taking advantage of what we had to live our dreams. Others had found ways to live on little or next to nothing and were traveling the world on a $7 per day budget successfully, and more importantly, happily.
I thought, 'Hey, this would make a great book!' so I wrote it. Unlike many 'How to' financial success books out there, mine is primarily based on real experiences from regular Joes, just like me.