Participants can expect to experience the following when attending a Group Training Class:
Group Warm-Up and Mobility: Beginning promptly on the hour or half hour, the entire class will engage in an instructor-led series of warm-up exercises. Designed to both elevate the heart rate, increase blood flow the the areas of the body which will be taxed by the upcoming workout, and to promote flexibility and mobility in a certain area of the body, the Warm-Up / Mobility Component is critical for a safe, effective workout.
Technique and Development: following the warm-up, the instructor will lead attendees through requisite skills for the workout. Athletes will be shown, prompted, and coached on how to perform each movement used that day. Faults will be corrected publicly, as to allow individuals to learn from one another, and to be able to identify common flaws in one another’s movements.
WOD: The ‘Workout of the Day’ – or ‘WOD’ is a carefully programmed exercise routine designed to elicit a specific physiological response. Some days, the response might be to acclimate one’s legs to being accustomed to running when they’re feeling really heavy. Others, it may call for a 100% max effort run, row, airdyne, or jumprope effort. Others still may involve dlifting weights at a low weight, but with a fixed tempo and perfect form. It’s important to note that the program is deliberate, and designed to compliment both the palance of the programming performed that week, and the needs of the athlete. Upon completing their workouts, participants will record their times on one of the several white boards available on the gym floor. Time will be recorded and logged as to help athletes keep an accurate record of their performances. All athletes will start the workout at the same time. Although everyone is to proceed at their own pace, many participants find the energy afforded by the group intoxicating, and will produce a better result when pacing themselves off of a classmate.
On occasion, the WOD will be a test-session or benchmark. Used to help evaluate an athletes performance over time, benchmarks are good barometers for the progress an athlete has made, and often reveal opportunities for further development. Benchmarks may be a pre-existing workout established by CrossFit as a staple of it’s curriculum (many of these workouts are referred to as ‘The Girls,’ as they’re all issued a female name. ‘Cindy,’ ‘Fran,’ ‘Diane,’ ‘Helen,’ ‘Kelly,’ ‘Grace,’ and ‘Annie’ are among some of the more popular CrossFit benchmarks), may be a metabolic conditioning test (a 400, 800, or 1 mile run for time), or a strength test (1-rep max test for the back-squat).
Cool Downs: Typically done in a group, cool-downs are designed to help athletes proactively reduce inflammation, muscle soreness, and further eliminate restrictions placed on movement due to on-going mobility issues.
Frequency: Group training WOD’s are designed to be attended 3-5 times per week. We encourage members interested in more regular participation to consult their coach, as inadequate recovery between workouts can lead to injury or illness.