“Crossfit is designed for universal scalability, making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.” -via Crossfit.com
Something we hear all too often as coaches is “Oh! I want to try that but...” in regards to Crossfit. Following the “but” is a whole variety of reasons. I can’t afford it. The time doesn’t work for me. I need to get in shape first. I don’t want to be sore. I don’t want to get too bulky. And so on. I am not going to type out the solutions to all of those things but believe me, I could, and a coaches we have many times. Quite simply, your health needs to be a priority and doing so will make the rest of your life far more productive and enjoyable.
I am going to expand on one the above points though. The “I need to get in shape first” or some variation of that. Not true. End of blog...
Fact is, we have all kinds of people who are members at 306 that were once far from fit. Their needle was over on the “sick” end of the sickness-wellness continuum (check way back in the blog post for that one if you aren’t sure what I’m referring to). Now these people are kicking butt and taking names! There are members of our Fit Over Fifty program who have told me they were looking into getting a walker in the very near future. That was nine months ago. Want to know how many meters ran, boxes jumped on, deadlifts lifted or burpees performed ago that was? A whole heck of a lot. Show up and let us show exactly how we can help.
There are no “prerequisites” for Crossfit. We don’t need you to be able to do a pull up or move a heavy barbell loaded with weight. You don’t need to be able to do a muscle up or even know what one of those is. All you need to do is show up and put in effort! Simple. As. That. If standing up and sitting down with a few steps walking in between is your honest effort, fantastic! Just watch were you are in a few weeks and then a few months. Our coaches at 306 will make sure you have a workout each and every day that is right for you and is going to push you just far enough. Simply go.
Unfortunately, there are some gyms out there that will throw a blanket over adjusting a workout and making it something everyone can do. “You do this” if you can do the movements. “You do that” if you can’t do the movements. This, quite frankly, is poor coaching. Your coaches at 306 pride themselves on being able to offer a scaled down version of the daily workout for every person who walks through the door and how they are feeling that day. Slept funny and have a kink in the ol’ back? All good. We’ll adjust you for that day and try and get some movement in there to work it out. Feeling kind of frisky and want to try for a set of chest to bar? Great! We’ll allow you to put in the effort and be their mindfully watching to make sure things are happening safely and adjust as needed if not.
When Jay does our programming for 306, it is no secret to any member that he programs to the highest level. Our program is designed that no matter who walks in to the gym, they will not need to “scale up”. This has potential to be intimidating. I get it. Take a look at the whiteboard at the end of any given day and note how many “Rx” you see besides names. This means they did the workout as it was wrote and programmed for our highest level athletes. Of course that number will change depending on the workout, but it is not uncommon to count less than all the fingers on one hand. This means that every other name wrote up there was scaled by their coach to something that made sense for them on that day. That’s 306 quality!
Crossfit is for everyone! Your gym should make it so. Your gym should provide you with a unique workout each day. They should provide you with coaching so you can move safely. They should adjust the workout so it’s something that creates the desired effect for you. They should create an atmosphere that encourages and supports you. You need to do two simple things. Show up. Put in effort. That’s all.
If you know someone who has been thinking about trying Crossfit and you have heard them say something to the affect of “oh, once I get in shape...”, I encourage you to pass this blog along to them. Include with it an invitation from me to come and try a couple classes free of charge and obligation. If they have never touched a barbell or pull up bar before in their life, fantastic! Chances are they aren’t going to that day either. They will be challenged to put in effort that is going to make them healthier and more fit.
That’s Crossfit at Reebok Crossfit 306.