So, a lot of people wonder, what exactly is CrossFit ? Is it like P90x ? Is it circuit training ? Is it just random stuff thrown together ? I heard that it’s really super intense.
I will tell you what we do at Top Gun CrossFit and our philosophy.
1. We know that strength work is very important. Many people come in and are weak in a sense that they’ve never lifted weights before. Our goal is to make you stronger so that the workouts are easier and you can do them Rx’d. We want you to set your own lifting records. To that end, we have a dedicated progressive weight lifting program. We also focus on strength more in the winter – it’s a great time to get stronger (and bigger, if that is your goal).
2. Olympic lifts will help you in every other aspect of fitness – power, skill, agility, balance, strength. We do these lifts at least once a week and really focus on the mechanics of the movement. We know that if the mechanics are right, the lift will be successful and the weight will follow. Do it wrong, and you’ll struggle with getting better. We also have an Olympic Lifting class to focus on these skills.
3. CrossFit is a metabolic conditioning program, to be sure. However, doing long metcons day after day will lead to burnout. We don’t want you to burn out. We program long, medium, short and interval workouts in our training. Remember, intense workouts lead to greater gains in fitness – so the short, less than 10 minute and the interval training will get you fit faster than a long 30 minute slugfest. We don’t do metabolic conditioning every day – we train the 3 different energy pathways during the week, so sometimes you’ll get just heavy lifting days. That’s a good thing 
4. Contrary to popular belief, we, as most CrossFit boxes, take mechanics very seriously. This mysterious “slop” does not exist at our gym. Mechanics, consistency, intensity. Poor mechanics are not only inefficient but also lead to injury in the long run. We will “no rep” you when needed. Yes, when you get tired, it’s easy to throw form out the window – in fact, that is when you dig down and focus on your form, for the proper mechanics will actually make it easier than sloppy execution.
5. We have a “GOALS” board, not a leader board. Not everyone is the best of the best. But everyone deserves to be recognized for their achievements. We want you to look at the board, say to yourself ” I’m going to reach the benchmark on that workout so I can put my name up there “. I’ve noticed the pride and sense of accomplishment when someone has been able to put their name up there – they love it. Plus, it makes them push just a little harder, which is a good thing.
6. We know everyone comes from a different starting point. We don’t expect you to crush the workouts with the prescribed sets, reps, weights. We scale so that you still get a good workout, but within your abilities. We expect you to make progress, so that the scaling becomes less and less and you get better and better. Staying on the pull up bands forever won’t make you better. But at first, if that’s what you need, then that’s what you do.
7. We don’t think you need to go balls to the walls in every training session. Our program gives you designated training days to allow for recovery from those brutal metcons. Sometimes it’s good to give 90% if you’ve come for 3 days in a row. Do athletes go 100% in practice ? No. They save it for when it’s needed. For us, our benchmark workouts are where you push yourself. On the very short, intense wods, that’s the time to push yourself. During the Open, Spring Fling, and the Top Gun CrossFit Games, that’s where you push yourself. We want you to listen to your body, focus on form, doing what you can do on that particular day.
8. Nutrition is the cornerstone of any training program. Eating healthy pays dividends in the gym and in your personal life. We do not push any one eating habit (Zone, Paleo, Primal) but we introduce them, and allow you to try them out, see which ones work the best for your life. We are all different and respond in different ways to nutrition. Eating healthy should be a lifestyle, not a temporary challenge.
9. CrossFit is a community. It is the global CrossFit community, the local community, and the community within our box. We strive to make our box a very tight knit community. We want you to feel comfortable coming in, we want you to have fun, we want you to make great friends. It’s fun to struggle together, learn new skills and meeting new, very cool people. We want you to judge our competition. Your involvement in our training is what makes this a great place. We have several events through out the year that are as much about the social aspect as they are about doing the workout.
10. Training should have a purpose. Some people just enjoy coming in, getting their sweat on, getting better everyday, and leaving knowing they accomplished something. However, in the long run, your training should be focused on goals. Your training takes on a new dimension when you train for a specific event. Our training reflects that. For the most part, it is VARIED, not random. When we have an event coming up, we start to focus on that event a month ahead of time. You will notice more specific workouts to allow you to perform better. We want you to do your best and succeed, and our programming reflects that.
11. Competition can be serious and fun at the same time !!! Competition is a whole different animal than simply training. You will push yourself farther, harder, and faster than you would in training. There is a part of you that exists that comes out only in competition. But we know not everyone wants to be a “Games” competitor. Sometimes it’s just nice to kick your own ass.
12. We do the programming, training, and teaching. But really, it is up to you. Your success ultimately depends on you, your effort, your training. If you show up once or twice a week, and do what is asked, without any real objectives, then your results will reflect that. If you come in 4 days a week, with a purpose, work on skills and weaknesses before and after the workout, then your training will reflect that as well. Look where you started and look at where you are – and take note. If you’re not succeeding, then you look back and try to determine why.
