After being a coach at CrossFit South Brooklyn in NYC for 6 years I moved halfway across the country to open my own affiliate, CrossFit Lumos, in Austin, TX. This series will chronicle my experience opening the gym and what I am learning along the way. This article is Part 4 of the adventure. Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website.
After all these sober posts about the slow and painstaking process of opening CrossFit Lumos, I’m super excited to write this one. It’s about one of my favorite subjects- GEAR! Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a gear nut, with a special weakness for sneakers. So, despite the existential anguish of spending tens of thousands of dollars, planning and then buying the equipment for Lumos has been one of the more fun parts of the build so far. (Although PRO TIP- make sure you factor in tax on your projections, I initially didn’t and made all the sad emojis when I realized I had undershot total cost by ~10%.)
Most gyms seem to go in one of two directions- either buy the absolute minimum and then look for deals on Craigslist, sales, and generous members to fill it out OR place a massive order from one big equipment company, checking the boxes on just about everything needed. Well, I’m a beautiful and unique snowflake, so I did things a little differently, ordering from a mix of companies. I prioritized equipment that solved specific known problems or had unique useful qualities, with price as a secondary (but REAL AF) concern. Here’s how it went:
First and foremost when building a gym and all the shiny equipment that goes inside it one must consider the space of the gym itself. Lumos happens to be fairly long and narrow, and I wanted to preserve as much empty floor space as possible. My old gym (CrossFit South Brooklyn) had wall mounted racks down the long edges of the walls, and I thought they worked well. Still, with 32 feet of horizontal space to play with I didn’t want 4 foot racks (the standard), which would take up a quarter of the floor. After lots of looking, I went with Slim Gym racks from Pure Strength, which can be mounted as close as one foot away from the wall, and have angled pullup bars so you can still kip to your hearts content. I opted for 18″ spacing from the wall, so my racks now take up a total of 3 feet, saving me about 15% of my floor space. Yup, I did the math.
After that decision, I bought most of my remaining stuff from Rogue Fitness (aka The Big Dogs aka The People’s Champs aka If You Don’t Know Who Rogue Is Go Back To Your Pure Barre Class) and Fringe Sport, a local company based in Austin.
During my long drive down to Austin with myrealtighthomeboy Moe, I was fortunate enough to get to stop at Rogue and rub my greasy hands on all their nice equipment. It was great, because although I’ve seen a lot of Rogue’s gear, which is all top top quality and American made, I haven’t seen all of it. I had earmarked a few items that upon handling I realized didn’t work for my space or weren’t significantly different, and found some I had overlooked. If you have the opportunity to “test drive” equipment before you buy, take it!
I was super lucky that my gym happened to be right up the street from Fringe Sport in Austin. Fringe is a cool company that takes care of its local affiliates (many around here have almost exclusively Fringe equipment) and has some really well thought out and innovative items. For instance, I bought my 10 and 15 pound bumper plates from Fringe, because they are made slightly thicker and stronger than the average bump, and resist the dreaded plate-taco that happens when athletes get all bail crazy in their “I’m Rich Froning” fever-dream. (Just kidding, Rich Froning doesn’t bail, he just releases his bar and wills the earth to rise and meet it.)
Sometimes its useful to go straight to the manufacturer, since most companies simply resell their gear anyway. For instance, I got all my medicine balls direct from Dynamax (ALSO Austin based!) I feel a special debt of gratitude to Dynamax, since the “10 General Physical Skills” that CrossFitters aspire to were laid out by their founders Jim Cawley and Bruce Evans. Further, when I was nosing around on their page I found they offered a bulk discount AND custom logo inscribed balls at no extra cost. I’m a sucker for anything custom, so, like Renee Zellweger is fond of saying, they had me at hello.
Speaking of custom joints and logos and such, I actually did spend time thinking about branding and color scheme when picking my equipment. CrossFit gear tends to trend towards black with some splashes of red. My gym’s colors are yellow and grey (with some white/black) so if I could find stuff that stuck to that scheme and didn’t break my bank, I went for it. It sounds silly, but if you look at other successful businesses across the fitness scape, you see that they tend to have a really tight and unified brand identity (think Soulcycle, Orange Theory, etc.) While in NO WAY as important as offering good coaching, intelligent programming, and real gainz, I’m happy that I’ve been able to stick to some semblance of a unified aesthetic.
Lastly, I have spent a lot of time thinking about organization. This is my best chance to put stuff where I want it and make sure that as the gym fills with members and more equipment that the layout is a net positive from a class-flow perspective. I learned many of these lessons at the knee of the uber-organized David Osorio from CrossFit South Brooklyn. David runs the blog Inside the Affiliate, which is a fantastic resource for gym owners, and many of these thoughts and practices are discussed at greater length there. For instance, numbering the holes on your racks, color coding bumpers and barbells consistently, and writing dumbbell weights in hi-vis paint on the horizontal face of the DB all make things easier and smoother for your members. I’ve taken these lessons to heart and will incorporate all of them, but added a few wrinkles of my own- each rack at Lumos has a 20KG (“men’s”), 15KG (“ladies’”) and 15# (“training”) bar racked on its side, so that my athletes can go to their rack and quickly get their bar on the rack and lifting, without traipsing back and forth across the gym or queuing up around a barbell “tree” like its rush hour on the R train (Brooklyn holla!) I know, it sounds crazy- the first time I saw David labelling EVERY SINGLE RACK HOLE in the gym by hand I thought so too- but it makes the experience that much better for your members. Also, you may have noticed in the pictures that if I could I opted for yellow, black, or grey gear- seems silly, but cohesiveness and a consistent brand matter in .
Stay tuned for a full gym walkthrough when the space is completed, in which I will go into even more painstaking detail about shit you never really wanted to learn about anyway!
CrossFit is an excellent way for beginners to get strong, build muscle, and get in incredible shape. This complete guide will walk you through everything you need to know to start CrossFit and see great results.
In this article, you’ll learn the basics of CrossFit, how to find the right CrossFit gym, essential gear to get started, foundational CrossFit exercises and workouts, and tips to stay motivated as a CrossFit beginner. Whether you’re new to working out or an experienced athlete, CrossFit can help you reach your fitness goals.
What is CrossFit and Is It Right for Beginners?
CrossFit is a strength and conditioning fitness program that combines functional movements performed at high intensity. The workouts constantly vary to shock the body and are designed to improve overall fitness.
CrossFit isn’t for fitness fanatics only. With scalable workouts and an encouraging community, CrossFit gyms welcome beginners. Nearly every CrossFit gym offers beginner classes, personal training, and modifications to help new members learn proper form on foundational CrossFit movements.
While challenging, CrossFit’s community focus and measurable progress help beginners stay motivated. If you want to get strong, gain muscle, increase endurance, and get in the best shape of your life, CrossFit is great for beginners.
Zechen Fitness supply professional and honest service.
Explore more:Yulu Fragrant Pear Tree, Asian Pear, bare root, 山西隰县玉露香梨
How to Choose the Right CrossFit Gym
Serial Smart Battery Automation - [Oxygen Not Included]The Best Places to Buy vibration table for casting Online and In-StoreWhen getting started in CrossFit, choosing the right gym is crucial. Here are some tips for picking a beginner-friendly CrossFit gym:
- Research CrossFit boxes in your city
- Search online directories like CrossFit.com
- Search Google Maps and Yelp for “CrossFit [Your City]”
- Ask friends for personal recommendations
- Visit the CrossFit gyms for trial classes
- Most boxes offer 1 free intro class or a free week trial
- Attend classes at multiple locations
- Get a feel for the coaching, community, and workouts
- Visit the gym during class. Get a sense of the workouts, coaching, and community. Make sure beginners are welcomed.
- Ask about beginner options. Good CrossFit gyms will have an on-ramp or elements course to teach you movements safely.
- Look for experienced coaches. Coaches should have years of CrossFit experience and carry certifications.
- Check the cleanliness. The gym should be cleaned regularly and equipment should be sanitized.
- Talk to members. Ask members if they enjoy the workouts and feel welcomed as a community.
- Evaluate cost. CrossFit usually ranges from $150-200 monthly. Make sure the price fits your budget.
Essential Gear for Getting Started
As a beginner, you don’t need much gear to start CrossFit besides comfortable workout clothes and good shoes. Here are a few essentials:
- CrossFit shoes. Shoes made for CrossFit have a stiff sole for lifting and lateral support for side-to-side movements.
- Workout clothes. Opt for breathable shirts, shorts, and pants that allow free movement.
- Hand grips. Grips help protect your hands during pull-ups, muscle-ups, and gymnastics movements.
- Knee sleeves. Knee sleeves compress and support knees during squats and lunges.
- Wrist wraps. Wrist wraps stabilize wrists during pressing and lifting movements overhead.
Foundational CrossFit Movements and Exercises
CrossFit workouts use functional movements performed at high intensity. As a beginner, you’ll want to master these foundational CrossFit exercises and movements:
- Squats: Goblet squats, front squats, back squats. Builds lower body and core strength.
- Presses: Strict press, push press, shoulder press. Develops shoulder strength.
- Deadlifts: Traditional and sumo deadlifts. Major back and hip strengthener.
- Pull-ups: Strict pull-ups, kipping pull-ups. Develops back and grip strength.
- Rowing: Rowing machine. Full-body cardio and endurance.
- Box jumps: Jumping onto a box. Increases power and explosiveness.
- Burpees: Full body exercise combining a squat, plank, and jump.
- Wall balls: Squatting and throwing a medicine ball against a wall. Builds coordination.
What to Expect in a Beginner CrossFit Workout
CrossFit workouts, often called WODs (workout of the day), constantly vary but follow a similar structure. Here’s what you can expect as a beginner:
- Dynamic warm-up: Gets your heart rate up and preps muscles for the workout.
- Skill/strength work: Focuses on safely perfecting key skills like pull-ups, squats, or Olympic lifts.
- Metabolic conditioning (metcon): High-intensity workout like AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) combining full body exercises like rowing, wall balls, and burpees.
- Cooldown/mobility: Ends the workout and stretches sore muscles.
Coaches will scale workouts by reducing weight and reps to match your fitness level as a beginner. Don’t worry about keeping up with advanced athletes – focus on learning proper form.
Top Tips for Beginner CrossFit Success
Here are some top tips to help you see great results as a beginner CrossFitter:
- Master movements first. Practice basic squats, shoulder presses, and pull-ups until you have proper form.
- Scale workouts appropriately. Better to go lighter and work on form than get injured using too much weight.
- Listen to your body. Know the difference between soreness and pain. Speak up if an injury occurs.
- Recovery is key. Get plenty of sleep, eat protein, and drink water to help your body recover.
- Be patient. It takes time to develop strength and endurance. Trust the process.
FAQs
Q: What is CrossFit?
A: CrossFit is a high-intensity fitness training program that combines elements of weightlifting, cardio, and bodyweight exercises. It is designed to improve overall strength, endurance, and flexibility.
Q: Is CrossFit suitable for beginners?
A: Yes, CrossFit can be a great fitness program for beginners. It is scalable, meaning that workouts can be modified to fit the individual’s ability and fitness level. CrossFit coaches are trained to help beginners safely progress and learn proper form.
Q: Can I do CrossFit at home?
A: Yes, you can do CrossFit at home. While many CrossFit workouts require equipment like barbells and pull-up bars, there are plenty of bodyweight exercises that can be done at home. Additionally, there are CrossFit workout programs specifically designed for those who prefer to work out at home.
Q: Is CrossFit good for weight loss?
A: Yes, CrossFit can be an effective tool for weight loss. The combination of high-intensity workouts and functional movements helps to increase calorie burn and build lean muscle. However, diet and nutrition also play a crucial role in weight loss.
Q: What is a squat in CrossFit?
A: In CrossFit, a squat is a functional movement where you lower your hips from a standing position until your hips are below your knees, and then stand back up. It is a fundamental movement used in many CrossFit workouts to build lower body strength.
Q: What is a barbell in CrossFit?
A: In CrossFit, a barbell is a long metal bar with weights attached to both ends. It is used for various weightlifting exercises, such as deadlifts, squats, and bench presses. Barbell exercises are an integral part of CrossFit training.
Q: What is a CrossFit class like?
A: A CrossFit class typically starts with a warm-up, followed by a skill or strength session, and ends with a high-intensity workout of the day (WOD). The workouts are constantly varied, meaning each class is different to keep the body challenged and prevent boredom.
Q: How can I do a pull-up in CrossFit?
A: To do a pull-up in CrossFit, grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, keep your body straight, engage your core, and pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar. It is a challenging bodyweight exercise that targets the muscles of the upper body and back.
Q: Can CrossFit help me build muscle?
A: Yes, CrossFit is an effective training program for building muscle. The combination of heavy compound lifts, bodyweight movements, and high-intensity workouts stimulates muscle growth and development. Consistency and proper nutrition are key for muscle building.
Q: How do I get started in CrossFit?
A: To get started in CrossFit, find a local CrossFit box (the term used for a CrossFit gym) and sign up for an introductory class or beginner’s program. You’ll want to make sure you have proper instruction to learn the movements and techniques correctly.
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Crossfit accessories factory. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Ready to Get Started with Your CrossFit Fitness Journey?
Comments
Please Join Us to post.
0