Efficiency : How much value do you get for the cost of your physical training? (In terms of time, money, and every other input required for physical training.)

Efficacy : How well does your physical training serve your goals?

Safety : How likely are you to get injured from your physical training?

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An objective measure of these variables can be found by observing the use of physical training methods by large institutional groups who keep records for years and decades. The military, and law enforcement academies and agencies are ideal examples.

The statistics from institutions that have adopted CrossFit are crystal clear. (We mean, adopted CrossFit officially ; not doing CrossFit secretly as is often the practice by field-smart operators held back by bureaucrats who don’t pay the true costs.)

Examples: In 14 of the last 15 Academy classes at Colorado State Patrol (since they adopted CrossFit), they haven’t had a single PT injury.

This record is attested to by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Academy, Canadian Infantry School, Dallas SWAT, Marine Corps School of Infantry… in total, there are about 100 State, Federal and Municipal agencies that have implemented CrossFit, and we have heard of nothing but improved efficacy, improved safety and improved efficiency.

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The statistics are so dramatic for each variable, that judged by just a single variable, the adoption of CrossFit makes sense. Judged by efficacy alone — increased performance on physical fitness tests and standards — the improvements are sufficient to justify the adoption of CrossFit.

Judged by efficiency alone , the improvements seen from adopting CrossFit justify its use.

Judged by safety alone, the improvements seen from adopting CrossFit justify its use.

But across the board, the institutional adoption of CrossFit has shown nothing but significant improvements in all three metrics: efficacy, efficiency and safety.

You can hear a discussion including the accounts of these findings and specific instances (eg. adoption of CrossFit by the Navy SEALs for BUD/S) in this episode of CrossFit Radio . (Download the mp3 directly here .)