More Than a Training Program
With more and more Europeans practising Crossfit and the number of Crossfit gyms increasing exponentially, Dutch CF Lifestyle is crossing the border.
Early 2016 CF Lifestyle will launch its own new clothing line, aiming to provide a niche in a growing market. The Dutch brand was founded in 2014 when a group of Crossfitters discovered how difficult and expensive it was to order the right clothing and gear. After a recent takeover the company aims for further expansion. «Crossfit is becoming more popular in all of Europe but in countries like Italy,Spain, France and Germany no such thing as CF Lifestyle exists. That’s why we want to serve in those markets too,» explains CEOKim Kooren of CF Lifestyle.
Crossfit is a training program that combines weightlifting, athletics and gymnastics in one workout, but also borrows skills from other sports like rowing, cycling, swimming or even yoga. The training program originates from the USA. The purpose is to optimize fitness and health by natural movements like pushing, pulling, throwing, lifting, jumping, climbing and running, regardless of age, profession or physical condition. And doing so in an objectively measurable way.
In 2005 there were 18 Crossfit gyms, or Boxes, as they are called officially. Nowadays there are 11.000 affiliated Boxes worldwide. In the Netherlands there are 30.000 Crossfitters and 120 Crossfit gyms. In Europe there are almost 2.200 Boxes. «CrossFit is more than a training program. Because people stay to linger and socialize, encourage each other during workouts and attend games together, they have formed a community,» Kooren says. «We want to support them and help them live a healthier lifestyle.»
Hence the name CF Lifestyle. The e-commerce not only provides all the necessary clothing and accessories, but also healthy vitamins and supplements, foam rollers and handcare products. CF Lifestyle wants to establish a European-based brand. That’s why it will launch its first own clothing line in 2016.
