The Formula for a Successful CrossFit Gym
There are now more than 10,000 CrossFit fitness studios worldwide – and the number is rising. While most follow the same general template, the nuances vary widely from affiliate to affiliate. Most gym goers will vehemently defend their own box as the best. But some elite boxes have seeped to the top of the pack, created a movement, and continue to thrive despite the fact that the market is overcrowded with competitors.
That's because they figured out the formula. The formula looks like this in my opinion:
Community x leadership (coaching + programming) = n
Where "n" is, "I would sell my house and move there to join this gym if I could."
While the math is winking, the formula is solid. Whether you're looking for the best gym in the area or want to build a great CrossFit gym, these components are key. Great leadership, coaching, and programming, without community, is flat. A fantastic community with subpar coaching and programming that may be fun will take you far from achieving your goals. A box must excel in all aspects of the formula to be effective.
This is a look at some of the boxes in North America who got it right.
CrossFit Milford – Milford, CT
CrossFit Milford offers a variety of different programs for people on every part of their fitness journey.
overview
CrossFit Milford is an eight year old boxing company based in the northeast with a long history of successful athletes like Kaleena Ladeairous and Elizabeth Warren. The team was second in the world in 2015. The box is led by master programmer and games-level coach Jason Leydon and offers a variety of different programs for people at every stage of their fitness journey. CrossFit Milford places great emphasis on community.
Community
This community focus is very evident at CFM and is not just limited to the walls of the box. From a mentoring program that matches new members with a more experienced member, to scholarship offers for high school athletes, to fundraising for charities, It's clear Jason and his wife, Jocelyn, set out to start a community when they opened CFM.
"Find the CrossFit gym that really understands it and you will enjoy a long and healthy relationship with that gym and with fitness."
The latest innovation from Leydon is a business directory where people in the community can leverage the skills of other gym members – such as plumbers, lawyers, and web developers. This only serves to strengthen the connecting links.
Coaching and leadership
Leydon is one of the most competitive programmers in the businessafter bringing a number of athletes to the 2015 Games, including the CrossFit Milford Team, Dan "Boomsauce" Tyminski, and Masters athletes Amanda Allen, Liz Warren and Robbie Davis. Everyone was on the podium, as was the Milford team. He trained a number of other athletes on successful Regionals moorings and was the head coach of the 2014 Philadelphia Founders' GRID team. He is widely respected in the larger CrossFit community as a coach with in-depth knowledge of the game.
In addition to almost twenty other trainers, CFM also employs a physiotherapist, an ART practitioner, a nutritionist, a masseur and a yoga teacher.
Programs and programming
CFM offers several program levels including general fitness. They have CrossFit group classes, skill classes for those who want to compete on-site and master higher skills, and competition levels for aspiring games participants.
An overview of the daily program for all levels shows a thoughtful, logical job that includes dynamic warm-up, pre-workout warm-up, strength, dexterity and conditioning (in that order), cool-down, and some optional finishing work if you just want some extra sweat .
For more information on CrossFit Milford, visit their website.
CrossFit Jääkarhu – Austin, Texas
CrossFit Jääkarhu is based on strength in the community.
overview
There is a lot to like about CrossFit Jääkarhu, but their dedication to continuing education stands out the most. Jääkarhu is tenacious in her determination to share vital tips and coaching knowledge in order to improve her community. One only has to visit the blog section of their website to see a litany of current and ongoing educational opportunities.
Community
Jääkarhu is based on strength in the community. The concept of unity permeates almost everything they do, from top-down leadership where coaches and owners really like each other and enjoy spending time, to a consistent terminology that comes from their name Jääkarhu, which is in Finnish Polar bear means. They refer to the box as a detective (a community of bears). This concept also flows into their classes – CrossFit Kids are cubs and each programming level has a different name referring to the bear concept, e.g. B. Pit, cave, cave, etc.
"A box must excel in all aspects of the formula to be effective."
Stupid you say Far from it. I would defy any CrossFit box to do justice to the level of community and togetherness, like when the entire detective came together to produce this video for Mino Solomon. Mino was seriously injured in a weightlifting accident and the video was part of a general fundraiser to help cover his medical expenses.
This is family people. And it's just the tip of the iceberg.
Coaching and leadership
CrossFit Jääkarhu is home to some of the best coaches in the country, including game-level athletes Ingrid Kantola, Jessica Estrada, Ricky Redus and Orion Hones. Kantola and Redus are professional GRID athletes, and Redus is also a well-respected weightlifter who brings his knowledge of the Olympic weightlifting exercises to a series of on-site instructional videos. Estrada does the same for body weight movements. The prevalence of face-to-face teaching and training on the blog is further evidence of the quality of the coaching. Check out the videos. Would you like to be among these coaches at this box? My money says yes.
Programs and programming
Similar to Milford, Jääkarhu offers several program levels – fitness, sport and competition. Fitness encompasses the classes, exercise is designed to improve and make a good CrossFitter better, and competition is just that – If you're looking to compete on a regional or national level, this is the track for you.
You can connect to CrossFit Jääkarhu on their website.
12 CrossFit Labs – Glen Burnie, MD
From rowing workouts to seminars and competitions, 12 Labs CrossFit got the concept of community right to the point.
overview
12 Labs CrossFit is a three-location, membership gym based in Annapolis, Maryland. They were founded in 2007 as one of the first two hundred subsidiaries worldwide. The 12 lab team finished ninth in the world at the 2014 CrossFit Games and sixth in 2015.
Community
Community is very important at 12 Labs – so much so that they have an Events Director on the team whose job it is to organize events, competitions and parties to foster camaraderie within the gym and within the local CrossFit community. From rowing courses to holiday parties to seminars and competitions, 12 Laboratories got the concept of community to the point. From an experience report:
“This place and the people I met helped me overcome some mental struggles while gaining great physical strength and confidence. I am forever grateful to the coaches here, who have made a significant contribution to this positive change in my life. "
Coaching and leadership
Co-founded by a trio of senior athletes including game competitors Luke Espe and Brad Weiss, 12 Labs has some of the best trainers in the business. Several later played professionally in GRID, including Luke Espe and Christa Giordano. Many of the coaches are pursuing their OPT CCP certification, which is a testament to their commitment to looking beyond the standard CF certifications for further education.
Programs and programming
In addition to standard group courses, 12 Laboratories offers numerous specific types of programsincluding barbell, weight lifting, CrossFit Kids, personal training, remote and in-house custom programming, competitive programming, cardio-focused classes, and more.
"If your own gym is missing one of the critical elements of the formula, consider being a catalyst for change and taking your gym to a new level of excellence."
They are very conscious about their programming cycle. The one-year cycle is based on the CrossFit Games season and includes strength and skill, open prep, the games season, and a testing phase. All athletes, regardless of their ability, follow the cycle in some way so that the entire box is always moving towards a goal. There's no such thing as random kitchen sink WOD or meandering programming. Everything is goal-specific and intelligently designed for a whole year.
For more information on 12 Crossfit laboratories, visit their website.
Find a gym that gets it
Not all boxes are created equal. You owe it to yourself to find a box that fits your goals. If you live anywhere near any of the boxes highlighted here, consider yourself lucky because you know what an awesome CrossFit gym looks like. It's not always the biggest box in the area, by the way.
Find the CrossFit gym that really does it and you will enjoy a long and healthy relationship with that gym and fitness. If your own gym is missing one of the crucial parts of the formula, consider being a catalyst for change and taking your gym to a new level of excellence.
I plan to do a similar check every six months or so. So if your box matches the invoice, notify me in the comments section below the item and I'll check.
More like that:
Photo 1 courtesy CrossFit Milford.
Photo 2 courtesy of CrossFit Jääkarhu.
Photo 3 courtesy of 12 CrossFit Labs.
Cover picture courtesy of Jorge Huetra Photography.