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Every coach at my gym has taken and passed their CrossFit Level 1 certification. A fair number have moved on to their Level 2 certification and a few of us are Level 3. These certifications ensure your coach is well-versed in proper movement mechanics, the essentials of nutrition, workout programming, and modifying/scaling workouts to a members current fitness/ability level. These coaches are experts at taking a diverse group of individuals through an hour-long class and ensuring everyone goes through a proper warmup, that the workout is tailored to their ability level, and that each member moves with proper technique while also getting a really good workout in. Each class is basically a semi-private personal training session in a highly motivating group workout environment. CrossFit is defined as “Constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity.” When we break that down into its core parts, we get a more in-depth explanation. “Constantly varied” means you can expect a completely different workout each time you step into a gym. While we do have some benchmark workouts we use to measure your fitness progress, most of the time you will not complete the same workout twice. Moving on to functional movements, these are your squats, deadlifts, presses, pull-ups, and other movements we do inside a gym that mimics real-world applications outside the gym. The squat for example allows us to move heavy weight on a barbell, or to get up out of a chair. And finally, “performed at high intensity”. We do these workouts with time or task priority. The faster we can get done or the more work we can do in a given time increases the workout intensity. Intensity drives adaptation. If you want to run a 5k faster, you don’t train by doing leisurely strolls in the park, you go to the track and do interval sprints to improve your conditioning. We do this every day in CrossFit class, and we get fitter as a result. But be mindful of the CrossFit coach who is watching your movement mechanics and ensuring you are using proper technique. We will not allow you to sacrifice good technique the gain more intensity.  So how do you get started? First, you must find the right gym. Obviously, I am a little biased, but I truly believe CrossFit Cygnus has the most knowledgeable and caring coaches in Richmond. You can visit our website and sign up for a free trial class and one of our coaches will meet you at the door and guide you through your first class start to finish. It is important to start slow. Technique ➡ Consistency ➡ Intensity. We will teach you proper techniques, refine them, and when you are consistently able to perform the movements correctly, we will dial up the intensity. After a week or two, you’ve learned how the class flows, know your way around a barbell, and met some cool, like-minded people that will motivate you and hold you accountable. Consistency is key to any workout regimen and community is key to that. More on that next time…