This article discusses the postfeminist framing of women who participate in CrossFit (CF) and whether that framing provides a counter to traditional narratives regarding the masculinity and manliness of women in competitive sports and activities focused on the body. Our analysis called for us to abandon the ideal that there exists an authentic and true version of femininity that CF was tapping into. Instead we examined how CF’s rhetoric articulated their ideal woman to the participants. The narrative of CF relied on some of the flawed notions that undergird postfeminist ideologies, such as empowerment through choice, liberalism, and meritocracy. We concluded that CF expanded possibilities for the female body while continuing to mirror the hegemonic archetype of attractive and heteronormative femininity.
