Strauss
 
LOS ANGELES – CrossFit Inc. and Strauss Brands signed a partnership recently to offer CrossFit Approved quality meat through a multi-year deal brokered by IMG.

A CrossFit Approved box will feature Strauss free-range chicken, grass-fed burgers, beef sticks and various cuts of steak. The box will be available on the Strauss Brands website. The company will also be stocking CrossFit meat in select grocery retailers across the US later in 2018.

"Our community believes athletes must take a 360-degree approach to a healthy lifestyle," said Bruce Edwards, CrossFit Inc. chief operating officer. "Due to the physical intensity of our workouts, a critical component of a complementary diet is protein – it provides energy and fuels performance. We're proud to welcome a partner that can educate and propel our workouts forward."

The CrossFit fitness program combines high-intensity functional movements, education and collaborative competition. The workouts develop strength and fitness at the more than 14,000 affiliated CrossFit gyms around the world. In addition, CrossFit hosts the annual CrossFit Games. In 2018, 416,000 people registered to compete.

"While CrossFit is an unparalleled force in the world of fitness, it is so much more than that – it inspires healthy lifestyles around the world, with nutrition being a core focus," Edwards said. "Expansion into food and beverage is a natural step for the brand, and Strauss Brands is the perfect partner to create products that will resonate with the CrossFit community and anyone who's interested in their health and well-being."

Strauss Brands realizes the benefits of appealing to consumers’ health and wellness concerns.

"When selecting clean protein, athletes need to go beyond labels and inform themselves on the health of the animal it is sourced from," said Randy Strauss, CEO and third-generation co-owner of Strauss Brands. "Much like CrossFit, Strauss recognizes diet as the foundational key to optimal health, which is why we start and finish our cattle on pasture grass.

"Our cattle are raised as nature intended – free of antibiotics and growth-promoting hormones on open pastures for the duration of their lives. The result is a protein that's better for the animal's health and the health of the people who consume it,” Strauss said.