Long read, take the time to read it or I may end up offending you when I ask you to leave my gym. I love this gym, it gives me somewhere to go, to blow off steam, to relax (sure thats a stretch on its definition, but.) and literally exercise my demons. I need that. I know others do too. I know that when you start coming to my gym, your probably a little put off by how social we are, or that the people there may seem rather extroverted in that we say hello, we welcome you in. Its because most people whove stuck around, love the place and feel the same was as me. Its the sense of community that makes me enjoy this gym so much, its inspiring each other to do amazing things we never thought we could previously do. Which brings me to the reason for this post. GP and I adopted, amended and wrote a set of 22 rules/guidelines for our gym for our members to abide by so that everyone can truly enjoy their time without it being impacted on by some spanner who needs to make them selves feel important. Ill attach those 22 points to be perused again. They can also be found posted permanently on CrossFitPalmerston CrossFit 101: How to be a valuable member 1. Bumper plates vs bumper bars Don’t dump an empty barbell. Simply put, this damages the equipment so don’t do it. In the same way that CrossFit is a community affair, think of the equipment as community goods. If you damage them, you damage them for everyone. 2. Rest! Don’t WOD seven days on, zero days off. (You know who you are!) Also, take rest days that are actually rest days. I am pretty sure the CrossFitter invented the concept of the “active rest day.” We are all about staying active on days off from the gym. But lets get serious people, running a 5k or doing 500-meter row sprints, is not exactly resting. 3. Don’t let life get in the way. On the flip side, don’t take too many rest days. We don’t want to get into the habit of making the gym an intermittent occurrence. One or two days on followed by five or six days off will interrupt the workout routine you’ve worked hard to establish. 4. Scale appropriately and scale often. Contrary to popular belief, your goal in CrossFit is not to perform every WOD as prescribed. Your coach programs your workouts for you to feel a particular stimulus, at a particular capacity, for a particular amount of time. Scale to meet this intention, not your ego’s. 5. Don’t Cheat OR Cheat somewhere else, you dont belong here. Don’t be that person fudging their reps, times, and weights when it comes time to record scores on the whiteboard or on the web. It diminishes everyone else’s hard work and makes it impossible to track your own progress. Plus, it’s just really annoying. 6. Ask questions of the coaches - its why you pay them! Unsure what weight to use? Having some difficulty with the turnover in your power cleans? That’s what your coach is there for! And not only are they open to your questions, they typically are addicted to talking about CrossFit and you might not be able to get them to stop talking once they start. 7. Make friends. CrossFit isn’t a come in, put your head-phones on, workout, and go home kind of affair. CrossFit is about community, and that community is what is going to keep you accountable. So, say hi to the new comers and stick around to shoot the breeze for a few minutes after class. 8. Don’t talk while your coach is talking OR leave.... Do I have to even explain, or did your first-grade teacher take care of describing the common courtesy behind this rule? If they didnt, then call your mum or dad and ask them about this, if you interrupt them then your still doing it wrong. 9. Be coachable - everyone needs coaching even you. Your CrossFit coach became a coach to help people become better, stronger, faster, and healthier. Listen to them. Even if the skill they are going over is a strength of yours, listen anyway. You just might learn something new, and the day we stop learning is the day we stop excelling. 10. Never say “I can’t”, instead say “show me how”. Learning new skills and getting good at them takes time. Saying “I can’t” isn’t going to help you get that first double under or unassisted pull-up. Have patience and try not to get frustrated. P.S. on a personal note, if you want me to spend seriously annoying amounts of time watching you and critiquing you, tell me you cant. 11. Don’t gossip. We’re all here to lift one another up. Gossip will never accomplish this. Oh and dont gossip, refer back to top - demons and exercising thing. 12. Put form before all else. INTEGRITY INTEGRITY INTEGRITY!!! Rather than throwing form out the window to win those big numbers now, put your time and energy into perfecting your form and your overall potential to put up big weight will increase in the long run. Plus this will help you avoid injury that could keep you out of the game and further from your goals. 13. Check your ego at the door. CrossFit is a humbling experience. No matter how strong, how fast, or how tough you are, at the end of the workout everybody looks the same laying on the floor in a pool of sweat. Don’t cover up your vulnerability. Own it. This is what makes you human. And hiding your weaknesses with arrogant pride is what destroys integrity and respect. 13.2 NB. I do not want to come into the gym and hear about how awesome you are, were or will be. Either show me or it doesnt count and your wasting my ME time. Refer top, me time is very important to me. This is a category A way to be asked to leave the gym. This goes for bragging to other people or interfering in their ME time as well. 14. Look to improve daily. Practice equal progress. Pick a skill and make it your prerogative to get good at it. Dedicate a few minutes before and after class to develop this skill and before you know it, you will have another strength in your pocket. 15. No chalk parties - contrary to belief, chalk is actually not magical. The barbell doesn’t get lighter by wearing a sheen coat of chalk over your entire body. I swear. Also, if you spill the chalk bucket, please clean it up. Basically, try to leave the gym in a better condition than you found it in. We may workout in a warehouse, but that doesn’t mean we can treat it like a barn. 16. Try to be on time. If you are late instead of interuppting the class, find a spot down the back and do your warmup, then check out the WOD board and join in with the class. I love people coming to train, I also understand how demanding life is and that set class schedules dont work for everyone. Please still come, even if its just for a swing up and the end of the WoD!!! 17. Always finish your workout. The only thing between you and finishing the WOD is the little voice in your head telling you, you can’t. CrossFit may be all about community, but at the end of the day, your time in the box is about showing that dirt-bag voice in your mind whose boss. 18. Cheer for Others. We’ve all be there: the lone soldier fighting through the last of something long and heavy. Don’t be the one who starts putting away their equipment while leaving your fellow comrades to fend for themselves with no encouragement. Give them that extra push they need, the same push that you would appreciate if you were in the same position. 19. Eat clean. You can’t exercise yourself out of a bad diet. Reinforce the hard work you are putting in at the gym with some hard work and discipline in the kitchen. If you aren’t sure where to start or need to get some food frustration off your chest, your coach will be able to give you the guidance and support you need to pull off this lifestyle shift successfully. 20. While on Vacation… Get your mind into holiday mode. Consider it to be an extended rest period in which both your mind and body are under orders to destress. Use it as a way to get out and explore the local culture. Maybe even drop into the local box and make some new friends. 21. This rule can be temporarily disregarded :) First thing, sign in using the tablet! Every CrossFit gym is different, but for the most part this is a standard part of the process. Our gym uses software that links attendance with progress tracking, it’s to your benefit to remember this. 22. Stay involved! Follow our Facebook page and other local boxes to keep up to date on up and coming events. Go to as many events and competitions as you can to increase you exposure to all things CrossFit. Regards, Ben-Ben If I upset anyone, thats not the intention. Harmony is maintained by understanding each other. Communication is essential. Ive communicated.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 10:40:43 +0000
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