Far different than your typical aerobics, step, or spinning class, this is your chance to "go hard, or go home!" Our CrossFit classes are about 60 minutes and consist of several components: Warm up, skill practice, movement prep & stretching, followed by the workout . We place a heavy emphasis on mechanics and form to ensure your confidence, safety, and results. You'll be challenged with athletic, functional exercises, bodyweight calisthenics, weightlifting, and cardiovascular conditioning. Don't worry, if you're just getting yourself back into shape and think that it could be too hard, remember that all our workouts are "scalable" based on your level. We regularly make adjustments in the number of repetitions, the amount of weight, and the distance so that everyone can participate! Please don't feel intimidated by just looking at the website!
If you're looking to try Olympic weightlifting, Russian Kettlebells, gymnastic rings, medicine balls, parallel bars, plyometrics, power lifting or any other training technique normally reserved for collegiate, Olympic, or professional athletes, this is the place. We incorporate all of this and more into our classes and workouts.
If you'd like to try a workout on your own before you come in, we suggest you read our getting started guide (below) and/or, or visit our main page for examples.
Getting started (for newcomers)…
Getting started with us is simple – give us a call to set up times for 5 initial introduction sessions. This is a prerequisite for taking a class and helps us serve you by getting to know your experience and ability, fitness level, goals and expectations, as well as introducing you to the foundational movements and structure of our workouts. After your first 5 private sessions, we will evaluate together whether to have you come in for group classes or further one-on-one coaching sessions to build skills prior to joining the groups.
If you want to try our workouts on for yourself, you can start immediately. Go to CrossFit.com and check out the Workout of the Day (WOD). These will give you a good example of the style of our classes. However, be forewarned, these workouts were designed for elite athletes and are very difficult – we have a few suggestions for getting started.
1. Learn the movements – many of the exercises that CrossFit includes in their workouts will be different from any you have done in the past. When you are learning a new movement, go light, reduce the repetitions and emphasize good form. Overdoing it in a new exercise is an easy way to get hurt.
2. Start easy! Get through the workout. Modify it any way you need to - split up a high repetition set into many low rep sets, reduce the weights, reduce the volume or distances. A great resource for how to scale and modify the WOD is by performing Brand-X's Scaled WODs.
3. Make the WOD a habit. Three days on, one day off. Consistency is the key, not so much intensity at first. Be consistant.
4. After the first month, start increasing the intensity of your workout. Many people ask the question, “Is the Workout of the Day really all I need to do?” The answer is emphatically “YES” – that is, when you are able to complete it going as hard and fast as possible. Your goal is to attack every workout and tear it to shreds. It should CRUSH you!
This high intensity is part of the design of CrossFit and is required to get the full benefits. At these high intensities, your body will respond / recover with a very high neurological and endocrine (hormonal) adaptation (neuroendocrine response). This is the “secret” behind the ability of the Workout of the Day, in very often 20 minutes or less, to enable you to develop world-class fitness!
If you run in to difficulties on your own, want to get personal or group instruction, or want to simply learn more, we we suggest the following resources:
- Come in to see us - start with an assessment of your skills, abilities, fitness, and/or mechanics. After your first private sessions you can come in for group classes.
- Read "How to Start" on the CrossFit.com website.
- Download a free copy of the CrossFit Journal entitled What Is Fitness?
- Download a free copy of CrossFit's Foundations
- Browse the CrossFit.com web site for gobs of information, especially on the message board.
(text courtesy Petranek Fitness )
Testimonials are often reassuring, knowing someone else has "been there" and lived to tell about it with a positive voice. Read this witty, entertaining article written by a gal who has "been there", loves CrossFit, and wanted to share her experience about her beginning.
