MOVING. The cumbersome process of packing your life into a box and starting fresh. I’ve looked forward to many moves over the years, but I have never enjoyed the process. Its tedious, time consuming, annoying, and if you have family it takes it’s toll on everyone.
After the dust settles inevitably, you will need to get into a routine and find a new place to work out. Whether you are a seasoned CrossFitter or someone who is curious to try something new in fitness (since everything else is new with your move), you will want to consider a few things to weigh your options. We’ve put together our top three tips when considering a new CrossFit box.
1. COMMUNITY. A good box, whether big or small, has a strong community. But what exactly does that mean? Are you looking for 100 new best friends? Or maybe just a collective group of people who like to lift heavy weights? Or something in between? If you are brand new to CrossFit, chances are you don’t know what you are looking for, and that’s ok too. The point is, a strong community is an indicator of a solid box. You will want to look for some indicators of a healthy community.
Does the community host any gatherings or events? Maybe there’s a group that gets together after work on Friday’s? Or does the box host an event every couple months? Is there an intramural team? A healthy community gets together outside of lifting and sweating, so ask the coaches what sort of things people do together.
Check their Facebook page: do people interact with posts, pictures, and comments? If only 1 person “likes” the picture of a new athlete setting a PR, that might not be good sign. You want to see likes, comments, and some cheerful banter on the box’s page.
How are you treated before, during, and after your trial workout? You should meet a couple people, and it’s ok to be outgoing and introduce yourself. It’s important to remember you are not going to be part of the “community” on day one. Remember, you are a visitor and members may not know that you want to be their new best friend. Sometimes people just want to put their head down and work out, so don’t take it personal if they aren’t chatting you up during burpees. But a few people should at least introduce themselves and ask your name. Hopefully the coach engages you and tries to get to know you a little bit before or after class. Remember they are busy as well, so sometimes short and meaningful conversations are better than a lingering 20 minute dialogue about your cats.
2. PROGRAMMING. Who programs the workouts, and what are those designed to do? CrossFit isn’t as random as many people believe and workouts can be programmed to serve different goals. Competition CrossFitters will want different workouts than someone newer to the game. Where are you? And what are your goals? Talk about that with the owners/coaches.
3. VALUES. We believe integrity and trust to be non-negotiable qualities of coaches and owners. You need to trust they are honest people, and trust them to coach you effectively. Ask them what their values are, and find out their outlook on fitness and health.
By no means will these 3 points net you the greatest box on the planet. There are many other things to think about when considering a box: price, location, kids programs, Olympic lifting; the list goes on. However, we believe these 3 will get you started off on the right foot. Actually, we will cover each of these 3 topics and some more in upcoming articles. Looking for a box can be intimidating, regardless of your fitness level. If you have any questions about moving, the topics we listed, or anything else please send us an email! kcicrossfitters@gmail.com
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