CrossFit is one of the fastest growing fitness phenomena of the last decade. Considered the largest fitness business today, CrossFit’s widespread popularity has attracted increasing interest from a variety of disciplines. Despite this burgeoning scholarly attention, few analyses have focused on examining CrossFit’s discourse of self-optimization and the role it plays in shaping the ideal image of the CrossFitter. The present paper addresses this question by examining the popular literature on CrossFit using a Critical Discourse Approach (CDA). Findings reveal CrossFit’s understanding of self-optimization as a polyhedral and demanding process that goes beyond physical discipline to encompass all facets of the self. Five main themes of self-optimization are identified in the popular CrossFit literature: 1) failure and weakness, 2) pain and constant preparedness, 3) integral self-work and passionate commitment, 4) constant self-improvement, and 5) community support. Drawing on previous research on the topic, the paper also reflects on the relationship between CrossFit and neoliberalism, suggesting CrossFit as a fertile ground for the humanities and social sciences to further explore the intersections between the fields of health, sport, self-optimization, and identity.
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