Good Crossfit Box?

[Vian]

I was dabbling in crossfit about this time last year before I came down with a nasty virus that knocked me on my ass for 5 weeks and has left me with lasting anxiety and heart palpitations. I haven't really done any exercise since because I've been afraid to stress my heart. I'm still planning to see a doctor soon to get my heart checked to make sure it's healthy, but I'd really like to get back on track with my goals of getting fit and losing fat!

 

The other day I noticed a new crossfit box opened literally 3 blocks from my house. This is awesome because I could go early in the morning, then go home, shower, eat, and go to work! I was hoping some people who are more knowledgeable than me could look around their website and see if it looks to be a solid gym or not. I'll probably take them up on the free beginner classes soon too.

 

Thanks!

 

http://crossfitrewired.com/

[Barfly]

Many people advise against going to a box with only level 1 trainers. Adam Ludlow does have a BA in exercise science. The other two are business majors; not sure if I would train with them...

Free is free, though.

[Vian]

Thanks! That was the kind of thing I was hoping someone would point out, I never would have noticed that or thought anything of it.

[Barfly]

My son in law is a coach and was part owner of a box. I just picked his brain

[Knightwatch]

There are people here on the boards I would take coaching from who have no certs at all. CrossFit is all over the map. Someone with a Level 1 could be an absolute amazing trainer, and some Level 2's are a joke. There's no cut and dry rules. If you find a connection, feel safe and secure and have fun and get a good workout, go for it. Always use common sense. If a workout seems shady, don't do it. Simple as that.

There seems to be this idea, though, that level one CF trainers are gonna make you do high rep snatches while they throw marbles out on the floor, or make you lift flaming kettlebells or something. But then nobody blinks an eye when someone decides to I get training advise from, say, a strongman guru.

Again, some suck, some are great, just like any other trainer in any other gym. Just gotta see how YOU like it, and always go at your own pace. Work to improve YOUR sound work capacity, and not race the other people in the gym. How much the coaches stress that at the box will tell you about 80% of what you need to know.

Good luck!

[Guest]

There are people here on the boards I would take coaching from who have no certs at all. CrossFit is all over the map. Someone with a Level 1 could be an absolute amazing trainer, and some Level 2's are a joke. There's no cut and dry rules. If you find a connection, feel safe and secure and have fun and get a good workout, go for it. Always use common sense. If a workout seems shady, don't do it. Simple as that.

 

I agree with Knightwatch. Here are some tools I use to evaluate coaches and boxes:

• Does the coach know how to scale properly? A good coach will tell you exactly how to customize the WOD to your current skill-level and ability.
• Is the coach able to teach you new skills? Just because the coach can do 30 consecutive muscle-ups doesn't mean that he knows how to teach you to do one. At the end of the day, your coach's ability to teach you is more important than her personal fitness level.
• Does the coach lean heavily on "the girls" rather than coming up with custom programming? Does the coach take WODs from other boxes or the main CF site? Both are signs of an amateur.
• Does the coach know how to adapt the WOD for your injuries or mobility issues?
• Are the other athletes in the facility training properly and safely with good form? If someone is doing something improperly, does the coach intervene? While this isn't so important for push-ups, it is critical for olympic lifts and dynamic movements like ring dips or kipping pull-ups where improper form can lead to injuries.
• Can the coach explain to you why the daily program contains each element? It should be planned and well-crafted, not just a random set of movements that "we haven't done in a while."

I have received plenty of coaching from non-certified but experienced athletes and seen very poor coaching from certificate-holders. CrossFit coaches are like any other professional -- you have to question and evaluate to make sure you are getting what you need.

[Vian]

Thanks, those are very good points. I'm not quite ready to get back into crossfit yet. I feel like my fitness is not where it needs to be for that yet. Yes, I know, CF can be scaled down, but I'm REALLY out of shape (I felt like I was going to die after the 5 minute warmup on my Turbofire video last time I tried to do it) I want to at least be able to make it through 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity before trying CF again. I will definitely keep these things in mind when I do give it a try though.

[Barfly]

You could crossfit-ize your workouts at home, too, to ramp it up.

[Why not?]

Some good points here already.  As stated, a CFL1 certificate does not make you a good coach.  It basically gives you just enough knowledge to be dangerous.  I mention this because the two most important factors in a workout program are safety and improvement.  The two must be balanced and there are quite a few overzealous L1s who emphasize the latter at the expense of the former.

That being said, credentials, while they can be an indicator of knowledge and quality, are not everything.  Make sure you ask questions and do research outside of what you learn from your box.