We received communication last night from CF Legal that our affiliate license was to be terminated today. Greg Everett (Catalyst Athletics) received the same notice.
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204 Comments
Robb, just wanted to add another bunch of good wishes. Everyone knows you’ll just go from strength to strength, I imagine you and Nikki know it too, and I can’t wait to see more (starting with that book!)
I find it interesting that despite all of this, your moderate stance has never changed. The latest podcast talks about CrossFit and the Zone in exactly the same way you’ve always treated them; i.e. with respect but not reverence, and as tools in the box to use when appropriate, but not as perfect answers to everything. It’s no surprise to see you behaving this way (i.e. with some class), but good to see none the less.
Like almost everyone else I can’t help but be engrossed in all of the goings on, it’s as addictive as crack, but the important thing is of course to look out for yourself and Nikki. So on the one hand I hope more details are made public (partly through nosiness, but mainly because other affiliates or people thinking of paying any money to HQ would benefit from seeing this stuff), but more than that I hope you do what’s right for you, and if that means staying quiet on some or all of it then that’s the best route.
Shit, waffling again – short version is: “all the best, finish the book, do what you think is best. Oh, and get to the UK and do a seminar next year!”
Hey, Everyone, look for the positive in all of this … light a candle, light a blowtorch, but keep shining!
I choose good and will subscribe to PerformanceMenu. For sometime I’ve been educated by Robb, Gregg, Dutch, Rip and plan to continue.
Here’s to the future!
Asshole Barrier, anyone?? From HQ’s side…
DoubleCrossedFit is now affiliating.
Robb, sorry to hear this also, but I’m sure this will be better for you in the long run. You have provided an amazing service through your blog and the nutrition cert/seminar, and most recently the excellent podcasts.
I know I’m not the only one who has learned a lot and been able to improve me life and the lives of others through what you have done for the fitness community.
Thanks!
Robb,
We’ve got Rutman coming out Aug 27th for the MEBB. Wanna take the 2nd day? We can still have it on the beach. Keep up the good fight. I see the difference you make every day in myself, my family and the athletes at my box. Between you, Rutman and James I’m pretty sure my mom would be proud that i’m hanging out with the “good crowd.”
-Jeremy
Sad state of affairs. But i know you and greg will come back stronger than ever. You both will always have support!
Robb, for what its worth I recently submitted some high quality climbing photography for the mainsite and just sent them an email stating I no longer wished to be publicly associated with their enterprise and to please not use them in any way.
I know they get tons of submissions and mine will be easy to overlook, but I almost hope they decide to try and make a point by pushing the issue. I’d like to show them how big a pain in the ass a 3rd year georgetown law student with a focus in IP law and too much free time can be…
Up to this point I was willing to see this as unfortunate growing pains (although they were out of line) that might fade as time went on.
That’s bullsh*t, but knew it was coming. Last thing HQ wants is norcal via programming and nutrition, (that is PALEO) to win an affiliate cup or have any other recognition. Its unfortunate for the crossfit community, because Robb and Greg actually give a damn!
Wow. Talk about a dumb move by CFHQ. All this does is reinforce the fact that affiliates need to make sure they have an exit strategy. Cause if the house of cards falls, people need to be ready to offer a great service outside of the CrossFit Brand.
You and Greg have done so much for the community, keep up the great work. Myself and others know where to go when they want unbiased information.
Jeremy-
That sounds AWESOME! shoot me an email and let’s look at that.
looks like HQ did you a big favor:
http://www.google.com/trends?q=%22robb+wolf%22&ctab=183017504&geo=all&date=2009
Has anyone seen or heard of the Soviet CSS method? Here is an interesting link – http://www.elitefts.com/documents/TomMyslinski.pdf. Sounds a little familiar.
If Crossfit is a sport, what’s to keep you from continuing to use the name crossfit? For example, football is a sport and HQ doesn’t have to license the name football for the Crossfit Football certification. Seems like they’ve put themselves into a corner by claiming crossfit is a sport.
Robb,
I use what I learned at your Cert EVERY DAY with my clients. Truth be told, you are the most educated, detailed presenter of any cert I have attended, and the competition is fierce, as they were all outstanding.
This bothers me on a deep level, as it seems that voices that stray too far from the company line get axed rather than put to the test, as is the mantra.
This would’ve been a perfect opportunity to truly test this whole Zone versus Paleo idea and see who wins. Instead, the “opposition” has simply been excommunicated, as that is the easier tactic.
I wish you and Nikki the best of luck. Clearly you have a loyal following and will do fine without CrossFit HQ, but I’m sure it helps to “feel the love” that is flowing your way all the same right now.
Crossfit’s lawyer kind of explains what happened (from their point of view) without giving any names or incidents:
http://www.board.crossfit.com/showpost.php?p=711335&postcount=15
as long as the podcasts don’t stop!
in all seriousness, good luck to you.
I asked for my account to be closed at the CrossFit Message Board after they banned this posting:
“For a great summary of the Paelo Diet see: http://robbwolf.com/?p=1046”
and the revoking of Robb and Greg’s affiliation. Open source my …
Robb,
Here’s the breakdown from last night’s madness:
Post-workout Meal 1 (around 7:30): 6 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 2 medium-large sweet potatoes.
Meal 2 (half an hour later): 10 oz local, organic, grass-fed sirloin steak (rare, of course!), 12 oz broccolini, 4 oz almonds, 1 pear.
Meal 2.5 (dessert from Meal 2, really): 1 can (14 oz) coconut milk, 3 oz walnuts, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup frozen raspberries.
Meal 3 (about 90 minutes after 2.5): the second 10 oz sirloin steak I grilled for Meal 2, 2 Jazz apples with about half a jar of Sunbutter, and about 1.5 cups of sweet potato mash.
Meal 4: 5 hard-boiled eggs, 6 oz fresh blackberries, a big handful of brazil nuts.
Meal 5: 8 oz smoked salmon, half a honeydew melon (a DELICIOUS combination, BTW), and some sauteed zucchini/onions with fresh basil and lime juice.
“Meal” 6: an unrevealed (but very large) amount of Purely Decadent Mint Chip coconut milk “ice cream”. This stuff is CRACK. Be warned. Melissa introduced me to their Chocolate Explosion flavour, and we’ve been spreading the Decadent Love ever since.
And… I woke up RAVENOUS this morning.
Be well, my friend.
I am sorry about all this, mostly because I owe crossfit a lot, but I owe so much more to you: I’ll shut up and subscribe to Nick’s short version : “all the best, finish the book, do what you think is best. Oh, and get to the UK and do a seminar next year!”
dude…you are a MACHINE!! All hail The Dallas!!
Hey Robb,
I just wanted to extend my thanks to you. I have a major personal respect for you (as well as coach). After all, Coach helped me with the fitness side of my progressions, but your advice to me was what helped me regain control of my nutrition and helped me lose 185lbs using Paleo. It feels odd to see this whole thing happen, but I want to let you know I will always continue to follow your work. You and Nicki also offered me so much valuable advice on starting my Affiliate and I love the progress it has shown.
Once your book is done and you start touring again, I would love to have you out to CrossFit Pasadena for a Paleo Nutrition Seminar.
All my best to you and Nicki,
-Johnny D
I’m with Thalin, get to the UK at some point. I came to your stuff late in the day and am just starting ti implement paleo on the strength of your cogent explanations. The podcasts are superb (if a little rough and ready) and I posted a comment on iTunes recommending it.
This whole situation reflects badly on Crossfit. Keep maintaining your dignity in it. It’s quite amusing listening to some of the back issues of crossfit radio… strikes me that a lot of the Games winners are using paleo over Zone. Surely the “athlete zone” highlights the fact that the zone is not the perfect finished article… Anyway, your material is superb and your approach worthy of respect. Be true to yourself, the rest of us don’t matter and your clients will be your clients because of your qualities not because of a badge.
Horrible state of affairs, horrible move by HQ. OPEN CHARTER? I thought the idea here was being open to new ideas, that the ‘commitment is to improving human performance, not our methods’ (Greg – speaking to the War College). Sickening.
Robb, you’ve certainly been the model of class throughout this; I hope for my (and other’s too, I guess) sake you continue being the educator you’ve been, regardless of your relationship with CFHQ.
Hey Robb-
It is a bummer in one way, only how they went about it. But in the end, maybe you and Greg are just to big to fit in the Crossfit box anyway! I loved your Cert at the Energy Lab ( I was the one with the Type 1 teen son)- never in my life had I experienced a self-professed science geek explain science so well. I use what you taught everyday and it works if you do it. I guess you just have to chalk this one up to CFHQ choosing a side, maybe for commercial alignments?
Anyway, there is no doubt about the importance of what you are doing, so keep it up and I will keep following. Good luck with the book!
I’ve said it before and Ill say it again. CFHQ has lost their minds. CFHQ was the transition from globo gym to some real training. However, as we all evolved others came into the picture; Robb, Greg, Rut, Rip, OPT, Dutch…all superior to the original CF. If you fail to recognize and adapt you will fail. Keep up the good work. Who really follows the main site anymore anyway.
And hurry up with the book……..
@Dallas. Not to threadjack but this ice cream is kosher for paleo?
I’ve met people put off CF due to the measuring stage of Zone.
CF for me is a great mix of exercises, which arent hard to create for oneself after a few months of doing them. Its exercise, thats all. Can’t see what all the nutritional fuss is about – egos and stalinist tendencies at CFHQ?
I had made a few comments on the Crossfit Journal “Understanding the Real Battle.”
They just deleted my most recent one, after it had been there for about 3 days.
It was about how the firings were only about Crossfit HQ protecting their ability to make money off of their own brand name, and controlling the dissemination of information.
That is what I really believe this is about.
There was nothing inflammatory in the post at all. My other posts were much ‘meaner.’
The only reason I can think that they deleted it was because it was spot on.
Luis-
Anything is kosher anytime…it;s all about your goals, needs and susceptibilities. If one is trying to lean out, 4K cals and ice cream might be at odds. If one is 6% BF (like Dallas) one has significant latitude.
To comment by Ryan Murakoshi
I have been following this whole black box thing since it happened and I have kept my opinions to myself but dude Ryan you are crazy. Perfect example of a Paleo fanatic. When the world ends in 2012, I’ll be sure to prepare for it by following strict Paleo. Absolutely the most retarded fucking comment I have read in the 18 or so months that I have been doing and following CF. Thanks though cause it gave me a good chuckle
Kade-
Pretty sure that was a joke on Ryan’s part but way to rip him a new asshole. Very neighborly.
Sorry to hear this guys, but I have to admit, if I owned a business and two of my star employees had a fight, and one quietly went away and the other blogged at voracious length about it, throwing out accusations and encouraging personal attacks, I would have done the exact same thing. Wrong or right, by your assessment Dave Castro is ruining Crossfit. The mistake you made was to jump up and down with a blog tantrum about someone who is fully backed and loved by the OWNER of the company you both represent. Rather than thoughtfully take him on, and build a groundswell of consent to get rid of him, the public tantrum just looked really bad and discredited you. Quitting your paid contractual commitments, just over an a-hole, didnt look well either for anyone, you let him get the very best of you. Again, wrong or right, his meltdown was isolated only to a parking lot, and in many peoples mind, it is still a very ‘mysterious’ and murky event. Using this as an opportunity to throw up relatively small gripes and complaints as some sort of proof that “all is not right”, was both cheap and easy.
All I am saying is you could have been a bit more strategic here. Obviously I am an armchair quarterback, and my temper has caused a lot of hurt in my own life of which I regret going over the line with family & friends, losing friends and damaging some close relationships. Let this be a lesson that anger, even well justified, can be best applied with a well thought out approach, or at best careful thinking as to the larger implications rather than rushing to ‘justice.’
@Dallas: Try Coconut Bliss’ “Mint Galactica” next time. I prefer theirs to Purely Decadent.
Kade, the most?? Really? Have you read anything Greg Glassman has written recently?
I’ve got theories way more mentally challenged then that one. But to call it retarded, well that’s just offensive.
Robb,
Never posted before, but have been a reader of your blog for awhile and am very excited about buying your book once it becomes available.
I thought it ironic that that when I logged onto crossfit.com just now this came up on the left side of the screen where they have the random quotes from different crossfitters:
I have been an avid martial artist for years and was a former state champion PL’r. On my own I had devised a combination of OL’ing, gymnastics, and sprints with good results…but nothing compared to crossfit. I have been studying Capoeira and within the last two weeks I have done for the first time: a back flip, back hand spring, a planche, and a few other odds and ends. On the last work out of the day in which I did a heavy single dead lift I pulled 365 like it was nothing! I am about 165 6-8% BF. My sleep has improved and I generally enjoy my workout much more than I have in years. I could go on and on but this is enough for now.
- Robb Wolf
Chris-
I’d have to disagree with…well, pretty much everything you said, but I do appreciate the thoughts.
It looks like that might be in tighter rotation than it used to be…not sure on that. The quote from Mark Twight was also in heightened rotation when he left. Could just be coincidence.
Chris
You are asuming Robb didn’t see this coming down the road. Maybe just Maybe Robb is just a little smarter than you give him credit. Just a Thought.
I agree with Chris and feel what he’s said needs to be heard amongst the blogroll of supportive comments. I’ve appreciated your contributions and had an application pending to host a CF nutrition cert prior to this shitstorm. However it’s deemed highly unprofessional in most of the business world to rant against your former employer. +1 if it’s done publicly and constantly. You feel you were unprofessionally fired but your subsequent actions have been professional?
@Chris, Damon
You two make interesting points, but I wonder if it is easier to look back from outside the situation and critique? At a non-CF sponsored event, an uninvited guest and HQ employee, along with another HQ employee and a contributing member (perhaps lackey) of the CF Journal, shows up and starts a fight. In the midst of this, you were removed from your position (note Robb did not post anything until he was fired) because of your response to an outburst that by all accounts, and not refuted by HQ, was inappropriate by a member of HQ. A similar situation apparently occurred once in the past where Robb was dragged through the mud.
Would you sit there and not say anything? Would you let the organization demean and criticize the work you did? Certainly, I would hope not. You would stand up for what you believe in. You can disagree with the manner in which Robb has publicly presented his side, but I really don’t see how you can disagree with presenting it at all.
One more thought. Mr. Saran posted a “hypothetical” situation in response to someone’s question regarding OPT’s new certification offering. In his response (http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=53840&page=2), he argues that company x violates the CF license agreement by disparaging CF and hurting “good will.” As far as I have heard or read, Robb never said anything negative about CF. His frustration (or rant) was directed against the owner of the company who subsequently on the CF.com mainsite and affiliate blog pages questions the qualifications and potentially the integrity of Robb. I would offer for your thoughts, the question of who is hurting the business more? The owner criticizing a fired employee (a human resources nightmare in some states) or the fired employee defending his integrity and reputation? It is not an easy answer particularly when it is placed in the backdrop of what is unprofessional in a given setting.
Sorry to the rest of you who have to slog through my post. Robb, best of luck to you. I will always trust your nutrition info and appreciate the willingness you have to fight for what you believe in.
Now, I wonder how long it will take for Mr. Saran to post something….
Damon: “However it’s deemed highly unprofessional in most of the business world to rant against your former employer.”
And Glassman is professional in his discourse?
As stated by Robb, the character assasination was inevitable, so he wanted to get his side out lest the momentum swing toward Couch and his usual manipulation of things.
There is back story here that Robb has LIVED that you seem to be missing.
Brandon-
They do not appear to post places they can not delete or monitor controversial material. I’ll be damn glad to put all this behind me. Thanks for the long and well reasoned post.
Unfortunate for everyone!
I have attended Greg’s Olympic lifting seminar, and as a member of norcal crossfit have had the privilege of Robb Wolf and Nikki Violette’s coaching. I attended Crossfit Norcal because of the amazing educated staff and direction given by its owners. I also have incredible admiration for Robb and Nikki because of their intelligence and education. Biochemistry was one of the most challenging colleges courses for me in college, so right off from the start I respect Robb as an educated man for his nutrition interpretation and philosophy. This situation is unfortunate because of the passion and respect both Gregg and Robb have for Crossfit. I do believe that both of youguys are highly qualified, and specialized trainers that will rise to the top in this particular situation and any other that are encountered:)
Does anyone else miss Barry Cooper? He adds so much comic relief to all this. I was thinking about it, HQ resembles the 3 stooges. Greg as Moe, Tony as Larry, Dave as Curly
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24xYLYcPWYU&feature=related
Dale Saran Wrote: “Maybe because I’m a lawyer, this seems so obvious and fundamental to me.”
http://www.board.crossfit.com/showpost.php?p=711335&postcount=15
Dale Saran Wrote: One of my favorite lines from law school (ever) by a law professor regarding argument:
“Whenever someone says ‘clearly’, or ‘obviously’, or ’self-evidently’ – everything that follows that is totally unsubstantiated and unsubstantiable. If it weren’t, you wouldn’t need those words.”
http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=53744&page=3
—————-
According to Dale, everything in Dale’s explanation regarding deaffiliation that followed the word “obvious” is totally unsubstantiated.
In Dale’s explanation, he ignores that Wolf has done nothing but damage control and try to defend his reputation. He hasn’t taken the low road and published the emails explaining the last time Wolf left Crossfit. He’s simply addressed the lies being told about him by Greg Glassman, Budding, and Saran.
Robb,
I think we all saw this coming.
In my opinion this hurts CF’s reputation more than yours. Some will argue that you shouldn’t have publicised the issue the way that you did. I would argue that there has always been a feeling that affiliates cannot disagree with HQ and it’s time someone stood up and was counted.
Best wishes to you and Nikki and NorCal S&C.
I’ll be visiting you when I’m next in your part of the world and you’re always welcome at our box if you make it down under.
Regards, Adam.
@Renee,
Thanks for the recommendation.
I’ll try the Coconut Bliss, if for no other reason than they make a dessert with the word “Galactica” in the name. That’s just over-the-top enough to get my attention. Though, if it’s any better than the Purely Decadent, I might be in trouble
Robb, have you noticed how I’ve ever-so-subtly distracted folks from the un-fun discussion of HQ politics by talking about frozen desserts?
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