Glöd CrossFit
Glöd – the CrossFit gym with a 70-plus years age span
A stereotype of CrossFit – the high-intensity fitness programme mixing elements from different sports and types of exercise – is muscular men working out in a naked-concrete setting. The trio who started Glöd wanted the exercise, but also a place where everyone feels invited.
“To me, CrossFit is an awesome combination of good things. Firstly, of course, the health aspects of staying active. Then there is the collective strength of doing something in a group, almost like a team sport. And yet the level of involvement is completely up to you. You can challenge and compete against others, or just yourself.”
Hearing Rich Palmer, it’s evident that he’s found his calling. He’s the former London police officer who gradually shifted to gym instructor, moved to Sweden, and is now head coach and one of three people behind the Stockholm-based gym Glöd.
A welcoming mix of roughness and warmth
It was when Rich met Frida and Fredrik, his Glöd co-founders, that the pieces fell into place. It began with a simple question: How can we bring CrossFit and the passion for training to as many people as possible?
While they themselves liked the industrial elements of the typical CrossFit gym, they felt it may scare off many potential participants. “We realised that we wanted to create a place that still had some rough edges, but also a cosy, welcoming atmosphere,” Rich continues.
To merge these wishes, they turned to IKEA for help. “We thought that perhaps we were asking too much, but they completely understood what we were after. Seeing it now – the gym complemented with relaxed social areas, the great-looking kitchen, and all – it turned out even better than we had hoped for.”
“Our current age span is 11 to 84”
When visiting Glöd, it’s easy to understand Rich’s enthusiasm. Housed in a factory building from 1917, the warm-orange lighting (“glöd” is the Swedish word for glow) and the cosy social areas help form an entity where no one should feel out of place.
Judging from their day-to-day activities, they truly have made the magic of CrossFit accessible to all. “Our current age span is 11 to 84. We have classes with three generations from the same family. That’s a great illustration of the place we want to be.
“Once you get into it, CrossFit has this fantastic, inclusive group dynamic to it. Seeing someone go from a hesitant first try, to become a regular, make new friends, and grow with the experience – you get a kick from it every time.”
This factory from 1917 had the perfect roughness for a CrossFit gym – but we wanted to complement it with cosy, stylish, social areas. IKEA really helped us there.”
