FROM CROSSFIT TO KRAFTLETICS
Founder Tina Nguyen and her team have experienced an exciting journey over the past 8 years. You can find out exactly how CrossFit became Kraftletics here in our review.
2013
Together with her business partners, Tina Nguyen opened her first gym in Cologne, originally named Mein CrossFit. Around this time, she met Lars Lienhard, a pioneer in applied functional neurology in Germany, who introduced her to the concept of neuroathletics. Inspired by his teachings, Tina trained with Lars for a year, deepening her understanding as an athlete, before deciding with full conviction to delve further into the principles of neurology.
2015
As one of the first in Europe, she successfully completed the comprehensive Z-Health Performance training under Dr. Eric Cobb. This achievement enabled her not only to work with elite athletes but also to enhance the rehabilitation of patients recovering from brain tumors, strokes, and concussions. She has since developed a deep understanding of the critical aspects of the central nervous system that are essential for optimizing movement patterns and promoting healthy movement.
2016
Armed with this new knowledge, her perspective on functional training began to shift. As a result, she decided to move away from CrossFit and develop her own training concept. Drawing from her extensive experience as both an athlete (with two appearances at the CrossFit Games Regionals) and a trainer, Tina identified several shortcomings in CrossFit:
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The high intensity and training culture often led to injuries, both for her and her clients.
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Participants without athletic backgrounds struggled significantly to improve in exercises requiring coordination.
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CrossFit's core objective of performing functional movements with real-life applications lacked the diversity it needed.
Additionally, she recognized a gap in the approach to agility, mobility, and cognition within athletic training. As Tina deepened her understanding of movement neurology, she realized that these elements were crucial for developing overall fitness and enhancing exercise motivation.
2017
Tina identified a strong need for a training approach that seamlessly blends functional training, strength training, athletic training, and applied neurology in an intelligent, small-group setting. This insight led her to create KRAFTLETICS, a unique training method that now serves as the foundation for all Black Box Athletics courses. Her innovative concept has been gaining traction across Europe, drawing attention from fitness professionals and enthusiasts alike. Tina has been invited to speak at prestigious events like the Strength Matters Summit, Functional Training Summit, and the Neuroathletic Conference in Munich, where she shares her vision for holistic group training. In addition, she conducts workshops to educate other trainers on how to integrate the principles of applied neurology into their courses and personal training sessions.
2018
Our approach of creating integrative training that engages multiple physical systems—through exercises focused on reaction, flexibility, strength, and coordination—has become our signature style. We believe that truly effective training must always be paired with enjoyment and a positive training culture. This philosophy is what makes Black Box Athletics a truly unique and special place to train.
2020
Since 2020, the Signature Bx has enabled you to recognize all offers that correspond to our following principles:
NEUROATHLETIC
Movement is created in the brain - that is the core of our philosophy, which drives us and enables a real holistic, functional training.
SMART COACHING
Our trainers are bright minds who always reflect and design a new type of training program in order to coach impartially and efficiently.
TRAINING CULTURE
Good vibes only, multicultural, laughing together, sweating together and supporting each other. This is what our training is all about.