INTERNET buffs are often accused of being flabby couch potatoes. Tell that to the several hundred people who battle it out in Los Angeles on July 29th-31st for the title of the fittest person on Earth. The finalists of the CrossFit Games are the the sturdiest of more than 26,000 competitors from 59 countries who responded to challenges posted on the internet.
The participants filmed themselves lifting barbells and performing calisthenics in busy streets, driveways, or public parks, then uploaded their feats on the web for other aspirants to judge. Few are professional athletes (though sponsorship is growing). Many have careers in physically taxing vocations like the army or firefighting, though a surprising number are school teachers (not just PE, mind you). What unites them is a passion for practical fitness—and the voyeuristic camaraderie of watching others punish themselves through the same task, often against the unlikeliest of backdrops and using whatever (typically hefty) objects happen to be to hand.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Online fitness: Virtual contest, real sweat | The Economist
