FORGING ELITE FITNESS WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO
WHO WE ARE: We are a training business - not a gym business. We train to train and consider ourselves students to human movement. We teach people how to move their bodies, not machines. We are not a franchise. ‘Franchise’ may imply to some that we have more ‘money-making’ intentions. Life reward is this kind of fitness. Our desire to train others is genuine. We are committed to the basics of human movement. Without that, we are handicapped. “We perform the common uncommonly well,” (founder of CrossFit, Greg Glassman). We are universal/scalable to all fitness levels. The needs for our seniors, Olympic athletes and children are the same. We scale load and intensity and offer modifications. We don’t change programs. We have real results that are measurable/observable/repeatable. We know we will attract a certain ‘breed’ for this kind of regime. Its not about how many participants we can recruit. Its about the commitment. Our trainees are addicted to the results.
WHAT WE DO: We provide certified CrossFit personal training in a class setting where we go over stretching/warm up, technique, and explanation of the WOD (workout of the day). The instructional part of our class is intimate. As good trainers we are “hands on” with our clients to ensure proper alignment and encouragement. Once this is accomplished, participants complete the WOD which is “constantly varied, functional movement executed at high velocity,” (G.Glassman). We do Olympic lifts and other functional exercises that improve strength, agility, coordination, balance, cardiovascular endurance, accuracy, you name it, etc. We offer nutritional information, advice, and ZONE programming for those who are interested. We don’t insist that you use this program but highly recommend it. You will not survive this regime if your diet is high-carb, low fat.
WHAT WE DON’T DO: We don’t do fitness testing. Why? We believe that this is not an accurate evaluation of fitness. Training for a specific test doesn’t give a complete picture of one’s progress. There is tendency (we think) to work with standards that are universally accepted in the fitness arena. We can measure improvements/progress by doing the unfamiliar as suspect. We train for the unknowns in life. This is what makes a person fit - the ability to adapt to an unfamiliar stressor. And you will. We do not lower standards for any of our trainees. Our standards are high but attainable for anyone. We don’t count sloppy reps or partial effort. We insist on 100% participation and effort which is not a problem for committed CrossFitters. We are not impressed by high numbers, heavy weight, or fast times. If one can do 2 complete and correct push ups (including modified ones) we applaud them. Two perfectly formed reps are much more effective than 10 terrible ones. We don’t do body composition analysis. This information is highly sought after, very costly and frankly, a waste of time and money. The tests are not 100% accurate (maybe close) but is only a ‘snapshot’ of your body’s progress. Exercise and diet will result in healthy body composition. What more proof do you need? We don’t do bicep curls, hamstring curls or any other exercise with the word ‘curl’ associated with it. Curls are for your hair. These movements are not considered natural/common or functional movements for our bodies. Yes, they increase muscle mass but in regards to functional movement, they do very little in the grand scheme of fitness. Those who train with us are training for survival and day to day living. Those who depend on machines and ‘beach muscles’ are more concerned with how they look in the mirror. If this type of training is difficult for you to grasp, we understand. We’ve been there. Our regimen is different. But if having to choose who will save my life, Mr. Bodybuilder or a CrossFitter, I think you know who I would choose.
FAQ’S: Q. Why do Olympic Lifts and are they unsafe? Answer: According to G. Glassman(founder of CF), if safety is your primary concern, your fitness potential is hindered. If fitness is primary, then safety is an appropriate priority. We’re not dumb. The truth is there are many other things that pose more risk than doing O Lifts (keep in mind we use nothing but a PVC pipe at first) such as running, pull-ups, jumping jacks, sit ups, push ups, “lather rinse repeat PT.” Why do them? You are combining aerobic and strength elements together. Only by pushing to exhaustion will we advance the point where our form is affected, therefore, increasing the safety of more high output max efforts and increase work capacity. O Lifts are extremely valuable. Q. What does CrossFit have against machine training? Answer: We are not against complete usage of machines or treadmills. Doing something is definitely better than nothing; however, this is an issue of transferable energy. Doing bicep curls or the hip/thigh a(b)dductor is not a common movement in terms of human movements. When in life do we do those movements? Hardly ever. Machines will build muscle mass but it will not transfer into productive work such as putting a heavy item on an overhead shelf or getting up out of bed. Its useless. Most body builders have a difficult time with these workouts because of they way they train. They train for “looks”, we train to survive. Q. What is it that makes CrossFit better than other programs? Answer: Short answer - proof is in the people that do it. Its results, addicting results. Its not about how much weight you can lose. This is a life-time venture. You may not lose much at first but your body changes. CrossFit combines aerobic and strength activity into one workout. They are not done separately which goes against the standard in training. Usually this is done by doing aerobic activity certain days and strength training on the others. This training method will not produce max results. Science will argue it but with you have to be careful. Truth is, exercise science has few facts, most are in theory, and human testing isn’t allowed. Exercise science is still a mystery. Conventional wisdom, politics and media has most people trusting in it when most information still isn’t absolute truth. CrossFit works, its been proven by the output of the people who use it, but its hard to explain why. The research continues. In essence, Crossfitters are much more adaptable to a wide spectrum of unknown stressors that demand effort. That is the evidence. Q. Since I can look up the WOD online, why would I pay for workouts? Answer: Firstly, no one can motivate you like working out with others around you. You have accountability to complete the WOD with your best effort to maximize results. We know personally how hard it is to train alone. Even though we work hard, we work harder when we’re being watched. There’s an element of healthy competition and when you’re tired there’s someone there encouraging you to finish. Secondly, the videos/demos online demonstrating exercises are extremely helpful for “remembering” technique. When starting CrossFit, having a certified trainer is crucial for success and safety. Even if you have had a personal trainer in the past, our regimen is unique and fundamental. If you are not an expert on the basics, you will not succeed.
CROSSFIT IOWA
