CrossFit Strode Station was founded on principle beliefs that everyone (man, woman, & child) should have a basic understanding of “fitness”. Now, fitness is a very broad term and if you talk to 10 people all of them will probably define it differently (mostly how it pertains to them). However, there are six components to that are universally accepted no matter where your perspective of fitness comes from (CrossFit, cycling, bodybuilding, running, powerlifting). Those six basic components should be the basis of any fitness program… and they are certainly the basis of thought for us when programming for our gym.
I think most people assume all CrossFit gyms are the same no matter where you go. This isn’t the case… CrossFit is a franchise that allows each individual gym to operate however the owners see fit. At CFSS we’ve been told we do things differently and that’s something we take pride in. For us it doesn’t make much sense to come in and “WOD” every single day for the sake of getting hot and sweaty. We tend to take a more “traditional strength & conditioning” approach to how we program. All members should squat, lift something off the ground, press, pull, drag and carry in some capacity or another. This doesn’t mean everyone will do the same exercise or even sets/reps… but everyone will get the same stimulus and that’s what is most important. So, whether you’re a former athlete or stay at home parent that’s never stepped foot in a gym there’s a proper starting point/modification for every exercise that we program. But, beyond sets/reps and exercises there’s something else that people don’t talk about… intensity. This is were we differ from MOST CrossFit gyms. Every workout doesn’t have to be 100 MPH to help people reach their goals… and honestly going 100 MPH every single day isn’t realistic. We try to mange our intensity/volume throughout the week to help our members function at the highest capacity possible without running them into the ground on a regular basis. Even when we turn down the intensity it doesn’t mean we decrease the effort/value in our program… it’s just focused differently. To give you an example- Monday might be a 7-13 minute warm-up geared towards priming our bodies and central nervous system for Max Effort squats followed by a 15AMRAP… but on Thursday we may walk a mile with a sled then come in and do 25 minutes of semi specific mobility. Now those two days are a far cry from one another in terms of intensity, but both play a specific role in overall development. Programming with these principles in mind allows us to get the most out of our members while keeping them safe as possible. I’m not saying I’m the smartest person to ever train people, but I can’t help but laugh when people still say stupid shit like “CrossFit will hurt you”…. no. Shitty trainers will hurt you and I would argue there’s more of those running around in your bargain gyms than CrossFit gyms. I have a general rule… I’ll never bad mouth or discredit a gym or trainers no matter what their views on CrossFit are, but if you’re ignorant enough to believe all CrossFit’s are the same or bad then I’ll just assume you’re too lazy to think for yourself. Josh and I believe everyone should be accountable for their fitness to some extent and that is why we try to provide the most well rounded program possible while taking the 6 fundamental components of fitness into consideration. We spend countless hours reading, researching and speaking with other professionals in related fields to help us better our product, because we always want to provide the BEST service possible to our members. I can only speak for myself when I say this. I don’t have many ways to contribute to my community, but the one thing I can confidently give people is my knowledge and willingness to help the people around me become a healthier version of themselves. I know we aren’t all born the same and there’s many things that are out of our control, BUT your health/fitness IS something you can get control of… if you CHOOSE to. With so many things in our life we cannot control… why wouldn’t you control one of the most important factors in your life… the quality of YOUR life. Socrates definitely said it best… “It is a disgrace to grow old through sheer carelessness before seeing what manner of man you may become by developing your bodily strength and beauty to their highest limit. But you cannot see that, if you are careless; for it will not come of its own accord.” I’m not selling you a membership to my gym or any other gyms. I’m trying to sell you on yourself. Take control your future today and make yourself a better healthier version of yourself. Our idea of a healthier you isn’t the 6-pack abs you see on the cover of Muscle & Fitness… it’s choosing a water over the soda, or taking a 30 minute walk in the evening instead of watching television. Small changes in our day to day habits can make a significant impact over an extended period of time. *This post started as an introduction for our new kids program that we will be launching in the fall that is geared towards TRUE Physical Education that kids aren’t getting in schools… then I realized it’s not just kids that don’t have the proper information, but us adults as well. I hope this post isn’t viewed as me standing at the alter preaching at people… this is simply me trying to relay good information and help anyone may see this
-Corey
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