Introducing the diPulse X Gripen Crossfit Collaboration

diPulse is a name synonymous with constant evolution and innovation. We believe great things come from those that unite forces together to seek a common vision and we are always happy to find new partners that share this philosophy. In that sense, we are proud to announce our recent partnership with Gripen CrossFit, one of the largest CrossFit gyms in Sweden. One of its owners, a true coach, CrossFit lover, and successful entrepreneur sat down with us to talk through fitness, business, and why diPulse x Gripen have joined forces.

Τell us about your personal relationship with fitness

I've been doing CrossFit since 2009. Before that, I was a handball player with the all-around fitness knowledge that comes with the sport. I have been constantly developing my skills not only in CrossFit but in sports and fitness in general. Right now I feel I have learned and gathered a lot of knowledge.

When did you turn fitness into a professional career?

If you count my athletic career, then fitness has always been my profession. Being a coach and a box owner came a bit later. Around 2010 I felt I somehow was a bit old for school sports, we had to try something new and CrossFit was interesting. We tried normal gym training but it felt quite boring. Then I discovered CrossFit on the Internet and saw a big guy doing impressive muscle-ups, kettlebell cleans, handstand push-ups, and some double unders. I looked at him and thought he looked extremely fit, so I needed to try this myself. I did my first workout through crossfit.com which resulted in two weeks of muscle soreness and every kind of issue you can imagine. But then I just thought this was something for me. This is fun in a weird way.

You're also a fireman which means you have always had to be in pretty good shape…

When I stopped being humble, I had to find something new and challenging. Back in those days, there were lots of firefighters, army guys, and police officers actually doing CrossFit training. So I thought I want to be like them.

What inspired you and your business partners to start Gripen CrossFit?

We made research for CrossFit in Sweden, and we only found a few boxes available. We had just started doing CrossFIit and it was so special for us that we wanted to introduce it to others as well. This is cool, let's do it, we said. And we did.

So what makes CrossFit so exciting to you?

Well from our point of view, CrossFit, when coached correctly, is probably the best choice for everybody to get fit, especially for people that don't set specific goals in their training such as say, running fast and furious for five kilometers. CrossFit is perfect for the everyday person who just wants to work out, have fun, and never get tired from the routine.

What is the vision behind Gripen Crossfit?

Our vision is to always welcome new members and make everybody feel safe and at home. You may not be the fittest man or woman alive but you will feel welcomed in our box. We equally appreciate everybody's success and we help everybody no matter which level of fitness they are or whatever issues they face. We're not a competition box, we just want everybody to pop in to train on a regular basis. Most of all, we want people to like the experience and come back!

How do you measure success both as a coach and as a business owner? For example, in your athletes…

You can measure their fitness level using benchmark weeks, twice a year. This way they can see if they're getting stronger or faster or whatever their goal might be. But as a coach, I want people to feel good about themselves when they finish one of our classes. When they feel happy with everything, we're also happy because we know they will come back. For a business owner, it's all in the numbers. The more people like our services, the more people will come back or tell their friends to come and try it.

What is your coaching philosophy?

Our number one priority is for everybody to feel safe and comfortable inside the classes. Be safe, have fun, and challenge yourself. This way, they can get better and better. We don't rush them into doing weights or into difficult movements. A good coach has to be extremely good at scaling the exercises. In our gym we have a variety of members. From the ones that have been training here for 10 years to those that are really new, so we have to know how to scale things and make them feel safe and happy.

Gripen recently became a diPulse partner. What was the reason for bringing diPulse into your company?

We have known about diPulse for many years but felt reluctant to try the technology as we are rather old school in our approach. Still, when someone you trust tells you something is good, you listen. And we trust the people behind the brand.

How have you been using the diPulse products so far?

Right now we're in the phase of getting to know the products better. Me and Dennis (one of my business partners) have had several injuries due to our previous careers in sports. We use diPulse products in our rehabilitation and show them to our gym members who we feel could benefit from them. Take the SMARTSKIN for example, I think that many people should actually use it but they're, as we were, a bit skeptical against all new technology. Now. when they see us use it every day they are interested to find out what it is and how they can use it too.

What feedback do you get from your coaches regarding diPulse?

They like it, but they know that you need to try it a couple of times before you really start feeling its effects. They feel sore after the sessions and know it works. We are gradually becoming more familiar with diPulse technology and we will soon start to introduce the wearables to our members according to their individual needs.

How do you foresee the diPulse x Gripen partnership will evolve in the future?

This is a two-way relationship. We are trying the products and then we give you feedback on what we think works or should change, There are a lot of different kinds of cooperations we can expand into, including making use of our social media to promote the products. Or creating training programs, especially for us and our members. Hopefully, we can start using diPulse during our actual fitness sessions. That would be extra special.