CrossFit is absolutely for everyone.  People from the age 3 to age 99 can all benefit from doing CrossFit.  The CrossFit workouts can be extremely modified to accommodate the fitness level of each person.  Our coaches have been trained in the modification of movements, or the substitution of movements that cater to each individual.  Additionally, even if people have limited movement, mobility, or pre-existing injuries that can hinder them from completing the traditional movement, our coaches will work with you to find a movement that can performed safely and effectively.

For people that are unfamiliar with CrossFit, the membership cost can come with a little sticker shock.  Most people are used to going to a big box gym, or as we like to call them in CrossFit, a “Globo-gym.”  While memberships at big box gyms, at first glance, seem very affordable, any extra service a member wants to receive is an extra charge.  One thing these gyms constantly push is personal training.  Personal trainers charge anywhere from $20-$100 per hour depending on their certifications and experience.  Typically, personal training is done as a package or in half-hour or hour increments, and are sold in packages of a specific number of sessions.  So a person trying to work with a personal trainer not only pays their membership dues, but also an additional cost for personal training.  A member might spend up to $300 or $400 per month for all that personal training.  Well, we think there’s a better solution.  CrossFit memberships cost much less than personal training.  The best part is that every class provides semi-personal training and is included with every membership.  Such a deal!  CrossFit classes range in size from 2-20 people, (although a 20 person class isn’t usual in most CrossFit gyms.) In a CrossFit class, each member receives instruction and guidance during every class at no additional cost.  CrossFit trainers observe each person as they workout to make sure members are performing the movements correctly and safely.

Any type of physical workout comes with its own set of inherent risks.  CrossFit gets a bad rap from people that perform “traditional” types of workouts.  Our coaches have been through courses and are certified to properly train and coach movements to minimize and limit injuries.  Do injuries still happen?  They can, and do.  Most of the time, though, injuries occur through “user error.”  Athletes’ form can break down with fatigue which can cause them to stop paying attention to their form and thus, injure themselves.  Sometimes the athlete will try to move a heavier weight than they are ready for.  Other times, the athlete will get distracted during a movement.  There are many reasons that injuries occur, and the reasons aren’t always cut and dry.  But, unlike a big box gym, each athlete in each class is under the watchful eye of coaches who are trained to spot improper movements, correct the movements, proper loads, and keep people safely moving and lifting heavy things.

No.  Well, kind of.  Women ask this question more than men do.  The short answer is yes, you will put on muscle and get more fit.  However, women don’t produce testosterone naturally by lifting heavy things like men do.  So, while you will put on muscle and get toned and fit, your muscles won’t get too big and bulky.  Putting on pounds of muscle takes quite a bit of time, but it won’t be excessive or happen overnight.  People look at the professional CrossFit athletes and figure that they’re going to end up looking like them (I wish!)  The folks that are lucky enough to be professional CrossFit athletes are just that: PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES.  Do people that play flag football or beer league softball worry about looking like JJ Watt or Aaron Judge?  Probably not.  The professional CrossFit athletes put in a ton of hard work, have perfect nutrition, and train like it’s their job, because it is.  The novice CrossFitter, with consistency and decent nutrition, can reasonably expect their bodies to change to a more toned and healthy physique…which segues nicely into the next point…

Each class is one-hour long. We start with a dynamic group warm-up that is designed to get our athletes warmed up and get the blood flowing.  We practice dynamic warm-ups that are designed to prepare the athlete for the movements they’ll be accomplishing during the WOD.  After the warm-up, there is typically 5 minutes of static/active stretching.  Following that, the coach will go over the movements, then run the class through each movement in order to make sure every athlete is comfortable.  Depending on the WOD, people will break off and continue working up to the weights they’ll use in the workout.  After that, it’s time for “3…2…1…GO!”  The coach will start the timer and off we go!  The coach will walk around the class as they perform the movements and offer corrections, advice, and encouragement throughout the workout.  Once the WOD is done, the coach will record each athlete’s scores and then run the class through a cool-down and post WOD stretch.

Most likely!  Many people lose quite a bit of weight by consistently attending CrossFit classes.  Let me say that again….consistently attending CrossFit classes!  Consistency is key!  Additionally, a quality diet of real foods will help with that as well.  The old adage of “you can’t outwork a bad diet” is certainly true.  What most people learn through their CrossFit journey is to quit paying attention to the numbers on the scale.  Easier said than done!  But, 5 lbs of fat is much larger than 5 lbs of muscle.  So while a person’s weight may only change slightly, their body composition changes drastically.  It’s not uncommon for people to actually weigh more than they did when they first started CrossFit but actually look much fitter than they did at their lighter weight. 

It can be daunting to be the ‘new kid’ in class. But, I promise, we’ve all been there.  The biggest difference between CrossFit and a big box gym is that everyone is open and friendly to new-comers.  Our athletes are always happy to help out the “new kids” until they feel comfortable.  Even being the new kid can be a bonding experience.  It reminds every of their first day and how far they’ve come since then.  CrossFit is about supporting each other as we sweat together.  While it can be intimidating walking in to a gym full of athletes, you just need to take that first step, walk in and see what it’s all about.  Just remember: don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone else’s chapter 20.

This one is easy.  NO!  While the ultimate goal of CrossFit is to become more fit and healthy, you don’t need to be fit to start CrossFit.  All you need to do is show up and give us your best try.  Our coaches will help athletes scale and/or modify their workouts until they are ready to move up to a more challenging weight or movement.  Even for the fittest of the fit, the workouts are still challenging.  Whether it’s your first CrossFit class or your 200^th class, take comfort in knowing that EVERYBODY struggles during a WOD.  If you don’t believe me, just tune into the CrossFit Games and see the fittest people in the world struggling to make it through a WOD.  The beauty of CrossFit is that the program is tailored to every single individual based on their abilities.

For those unfamiliar with the CrossFit terminology, it can sound like a foreign language.  While there are many phrases and acronyms, here are some of the more frequently used acronyms/terms (not in any particular order):

WOD = Workout of Day

AMRAP = As Many Rounds (or Reps) As Possible – meaning the number of rounds or reps an athlete can accomplish during the prescribed time limit

EMOM = Every Minute On the Minute – perform a movement once each minute for the prescribed amount of time

Scaled = This is why CrossFit is amazing.  Each WOD can be “scaled” or modified to meet the fitness level and physical abilities of each athlete.  The athlete can choose their own scaling option, or our coaches can help the athlete find their proper weight, etc.

PR = Personal Record.  PR’s can (and do!) happen on any given day.  These happen any time you reach a new benchmark for a lift or a new personal best time for a timed workout.  The fun thing about PR’s is that you get to ring the PR Bell, put your PR on the PR board, and we all clap and celebrate the accomplishment with you!

For Time = This means that you move through a workout as safely and effectively as possible to achieve the maximum number of reps or rounds you can complete in a given time.

The Girls = These are benchmark WODs that are named after women’s names (i.e., Fran, Cindy, etc.)  Trust me, these ladies aren’t nice…at all.

Hero WODs = CrossFit, as a community, loves and supports our military, police, firefighters, and first responders.  The Hero WODs are a tribute to these folks and we perform Hero WODs to honor these heroes.  Like the Girls, these WODs are very challenging, but we use them to remind us of the suffering and ultimate sacrifice that our heroes made.

Movements:  CrossFit focuses on variations 9 basic movements.  They are:

• • 1. The push jerk
    2. The air squat
    3. The clean
    4. The sumo deadlift high pull
    5. The deadlift
    6. The push press
    7. The shoulder press
    8. The overhead squat

Never heard of most, (if not all) of these?  Not to worry!  Take a quick trip over to YouTube and search the movement, or even better, just show up to a class and the coach will go over the movements with you.  While these 9 movements are the foundation of CrossFit, WODs are constructed of variations and progressions of these key movements.

There are many more, but these are the most commonly used terms and phrases.  After your first month of attending classes, the CrossFit language and jargon will make a lot more sense, I promise.