What is CrossFit?

Many of you who are reading this page already do and love CrossFit at EDCF.  Most likely, many of your friends and family also know that you do and love CrossFit at EDCF! It has a way of transforming one’s life in a powerful way, and it’s natural to want to share your passion with those that you love.

This page will make sharing CrossFit even easier…send it to your friends and family who would make great CrossFitters, and (if you want to be a really good friend) be sure to tell them about the free intro classes every 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month at 11am.

Here are a few common questions we get about CrossFit.

1) What is CrossFit?

CrossFit is many things. Primarily, it’s a fitness regimen developed by Coach Greg Glassman over several decades. He was the first person in history to define fitness in a meaningful, measurable way (increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains). CrossFit itself is defined as that which optimizes fitness (constantly varied functional movements performed at relatively high intensity). CrossFit is also the community that spontaneously arises when people do these workouts together. In fact, the communal aspect of CrossFit is a key component of why it’s so effective.

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2) Who can do CrossFit?

The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.

The needs of Olympic athletes and our grandparents differ by degree not kind. Our lawyers, teachers, firefighters, doctors, and high school athletes have found their best fitness from the same regimen.

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3) Why are there so many gyms, and how do I choose one?

Every CrossFit box (gym) is different. Greg Glassman (creator of Crossfit) describes himself as a “rabid libertarian”, which means that every box is totally self-owned and self-regulated, so there is virtually no standardization among boxes. There are thousands of boxes with the name “CrossFit” in the title, but there is a lot of variance in terms of quality. This makes choosing a box very tricky! The barriers to entry in the fitness profession are very low–almost anyone with a few thousand dollars and a weekend certification course can open up a gym and be a coach! If the idea of leaving your safety to someone with only minimal experience and knowledge is scary, you are not alone!

4) I want to hear more about East Dallas CrossFit!

Choosing the right gym is of the utmost importance. East Dallas CrossFit has a lot of advantages over other boxes, but we’ll just name a few:

1) Qualified Coaches – The majority of classes are taught by Ryan Savard, who has a master’s degree in kinesiology with a specialization in biomechanics and neuromuscular physiology from the University of Texas in Austin. He is also CrossFit Level 1 certified, CrossFit Olympic Lifting certified, and is in the process of completing his Optimum Performance Training CCP Level 1 certification. Trevor, Chris, and Jacob also have extensive coaching experience and certifications.

2) Quality Programming – If you go to a typical globo-gym, you will see most girls head for the elliptical, while the guys head to do  bench press & bicep curls. It’s because they have a lot on their mind and they don’t want to think about what to do for their workouts. This is why Crossfit is so appealing to many–simply walk in the door, and you’ll be guided through your entire workout (warm up, stretches, strength, and conditioning). It’s an hour in your day that you don’t have to think about what you’re doing. You can trust that you are being led by a qualified expert in fitness, and all you have to do is work hard and you’ll get great results. The programming at East Dallas Crossfit is based on progressive periodization, which means that you will progressively get stronger, faster, and more fit with every workout. We follow pre-panned cycles to help build you up across all facets of fitness. Nothing we do is random… And it’s not like the stereotypes–you won’t puke or pass out each day, but you will feel accomplished and encouraged to continually improve.

3) A Quality Experience – For most people, the goal is to get fit so that they can live life to the fullest. People want to be able to play ball with their kids, look great when they’re swimming at the lake, and feel energized on a daily basis. If that describes you, CrossFit at EDCF will get you there, and so much further than you imagine. You’ll meet great people who will support you through workouts, you’ll become a more mentally and physically strong version of yourself, and you’ll finally understand why people who Crossfit love to talk about Crossfit.

A First Time CrossFitter’s Experience.

So, you’ve decided to try Crossfit. Excellent! As we’ve mentioned, every gym is different, and we’re glad that you’re considering ours. Here’s what you can expect when you attend our classes.

1. First things first. You’ll sign up online in advance and then check in at the iPad at the gym. Some gyms don’t plan for class size, but EDCF is dedicated to individual attention, so all classes are capped at 15 athletes.

2. Next, you’ll be led through some mobility exercises to prepare your body for the exercises that are planned today. This looks different every time, but you’ll always be coached through the specifics so that you can be sure you’re doing it correctly.

3. After this, you’ll move into some warm up drills. This is a great time to get your heart rate up, dynamically stretch, and get mentally ready for the workout. Again, this is all led by the coach so all you need to do is follow instructions!

4. Now, you’ll head to the whiteboard. The coach will go over the skill work and the WOD for the day. At EDCF, you’ll see prescribed sets, reps, and tempo.

5. First, you’ll work through the skill/strength portion of the workout. Some people like to do this solo, and others like to partner up. Either one is great! A few movements you might see: Back Squats, Deadlifts, Pull Ups, Bench Press, Snatch, Clean, Overhead Press, and many more.

6. Now, time for the WOD! “What is a WOD?”, you ask? A WOD is a “Workout of the Day”. This looks a little different every time, but the goal is always the same: condition the metabolic pathways. In layman terms: get more fit! There are a few different types of WODS, and the ones that you will see most frequently are the EMOM (Every Minute On the Minute), AMRAP (As Many Rounds/Reps as Possible), FT (For Time) and NFT (Not For Time) workouts.

Let’s break them down.

EMOM– Let’s say the workout is 5 front squats EMOM for 10 minutes. At 0.00, you would do 5 front squats. Let’s say it takes you 15 seconds to complete the task. You would have the remaining 45 seconds to simply rest and get ready for the next set, which would start at 1.00.

AMRAP– For example, you might have 20 minutes to complete as many rounds of a prescribed workout (say, 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 squats) as you can. Everyone starts at the same time and finishes at the same time, and your goal is to compete the maximum number of rounds possible in that time frame.

FT– For example, you may row 200 meters and do 20 lunges as quickly as possible, and then rest for 2 minutes before starting the next set. Your work set is timed.

NFT– For example, you may do 30 Turkish Get Ups, but the goal is not to go as quickly as possible. You simply want to complete the set.

7. Congrats! You made it through your first Crossfit class! Now it’s time to foam roll, stretch, and high five your other friends who you worked out with for the last hour!

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