Fitness industry just like Craft Beer community?

Party people,

Roll with me on this one. I was watching a documentary on Stone Brewing Co. (my favorite brewery) the other day and part of the hour long episode was a discussion about collaborations and the quality of craft brewing. Collaborations with other breweries, which typically is when two or more breweries come together to make a "special" beer. Sometimes they succeed, and sometimes they don't (in terms of beer-geek popularity) but the film piece made me realize that the beer industry is incredibly similar to the fitness industry. 

I started ''working out'' in my early years because I wanted to be better at sports, whatever that meant. I continued on with my 'fitness' passion because I thought that to be a male meant benching and curling a lot of weight. Boy was I off the grid in both respects. I reference being off because as I sit here with the little knowledge I have about all things fitness, training, strength and conditioning, athletic development, etc; I realize that the things I was doing years ago had nothing to do with the goal I had at the time. My goal as a 14 year old boy was to run, jump, explode, hit and tackle like the NFL greats. However, I wasn't running, jumping, exploding or anything else like NFL greats. I was running miles at a time, bench pressing sets of 15, and doing calf extensions on the machine. Does this relate at all to athletic improvement? Not one bit. The industry that I knew at the time told me it did. Maybe power cleans, squats, and lateral movement/change of direction drills might have benefited me. What was good for me and what I THOUGHT was good for me was totally dictated by the media/general masses. I ended up growing and learning, long story short my 'fitness' life turned into a 'training' life. If I could increase my deadlift, squat, and press would I not have more muscle mass therefore less fat? What if my mile time went down, was my fitness getting better? Yes and yes, so why has the fitness industry never caught on to performance related activities, measurable activities? What I am referencing to for all you meatheads out there is your pilates class with that ever incredible pulse, and the burn of your legs in your spin class, or your p90x sweat angel has nothing to do with becoming fitter because I cannot measure those things. As I have said, what I can measure is depth/weight of my squat. The time of my 5k run, and the weight put over my head. If all of those improved, would therefor I not be fitter and then therefor look better (decent diet assumed, post for another day)? 

Beer is the most boring and sexy liquid product on the market today without any change in the near future. Many of you wine-o's are flaring your nostrils at this point but again, ROLL WITH ME. I have had chipotle stouts, lemongrass lagers, piney India Pale Ales (Zeus of all beer), and wild-yeast ales that are fermented by the wild yeast that occurs naturally. Beer to most peoples knowledge is bud, miller, coors, rolling rock, stella, corona, insert you name the product here. This would be the same as telling people you enjoy coors because you love beer as I love Mcdonalds because I love hamburgers. The difference here is the quality of the product. Is budweiser really beer? Is Mcdonalds really a hamburger? That is something you'll have to personally answer but just cause it quacks like a duck doesn't mean it's a duck. In the great american beer Budweiser, barely is replaced for rice, and HFCS is added to increase the alc. content. Last time I checked beer is not supposed to have rice or HFCS in it. Ever heard of soy? It is a beef product right? No it is not? Well in the hamburger(beef) at Mcdonalds it is…What I am getting at is understanding or asking the question personally why you got into the 'business', regardless if its burgers or barbells. Once in it, do you welcome 'competition' or do you do things to put other people down. It is simple to see who truly cares about the 'hamburger' or the clients 'well-being'. If one dumb downs the product isn't that grounds for lowering the standard of the community therefor ruining the product all at an expense to save a dime? There is a community of craft brewers out there (Stone, Avery, Anchor Steam, AleSmith, Ballast Point, Green Flash, Great Lakes, Lagunitas, Magic Hat, Russian River, Upslope, Oskar Blues..etc) that put in whole ingredients, no adjuncts, for the purity and quality of the product. Brewers get into business for one thing, one love, and one passion; the beer. The taste, the subtlety, and beauty of the product. Pilsners, pale ales, ipa's, stouts, porters, saison's, heffe's, and many more are the make of beer. Inside of those beers I have tasted cilantro, chipotle, cocounut, chocolate, and cinnamon to name a few c's :) Training people SHOULD be the same way. No fillers, no gimmicks and no bull shit. You can of course put your own twist on it but the end goal SHOULD be the same. Get people to reach their goals (show them their goal) and improve their life OUTSIDE of the gym. With beer, to deliver a product with character. A product that leaves a lasting impression wanting more and yearning for the positive development of other beers, and other athletes.

No one gets into a business to loose money, but not everyone gets into business to make an extra penny at someone else's expense. That is the difference between great brewers and bud, miller, and coors. That is the difference between gyms that get people to reach their goals, change their life, and change their conduct on a 24/7 basis. 

My favorite brewery is Stone Brewery as I have stated. I am partial because I am from SoCal but I also appreciate the beauty in a west coast IPA that is so hoppy that it leaves you going 'holy fuck that was awesome'. Isn't that the same way many of you feel about your 'crossfit wod'? In that interview owner Greg Koch talks much about competitors vs compadres. He defines a competitor as someone who makes 'beer' that does not elevate the product and advertise against their beer. In crossfit very similar, you see people trash talk other gyms, say their gym is the 'best', and leave friends in dust in chase for that extra penny. A compadre to Koch is one that helps elevate the game, helps promote the product that is beer in the finest quality way. The mass population is used to frosted flakes, low fat cheese, pasta, and wine which is the same population that has led to obesity, budweiser, and a society that is aesthetics driven. Maybe that isn't the way? Maybe the way is to eat real food, to drink real beer, and to 'do' real fitness. Fitness isn't fucking machines, it isn't 'pulsing' on some stupid piece of wood with chords. It is running, jumping, putting HEAVY weight over your head and testing the limits. Not all beers by craft breweries turn out well, but the community appreciates the effort. It is not a negative effort because the next time they go to brew, a better product follows. "Be amazing" Koch says. If everything you do is based upon putting out the best product possible, the money and praise will follow. No brewery that produces a phenomenal beer ever goes unnoticed, know why? People want good tasting beer. I hope the fitness (crossfit) movement follows.

Cheers.