About CFCA
Community is King at CFCA!
First, we are NOT a normal gym. Our workouts change everyday which not only keeps it fresh and exciting, but gives our athletes a broad based level of fitness that allows them to perform well at any task life presents. ROUTINE IS THE ENEMY! Come down, check us out for free and see if it’s for you. We train everyone from any fitness level and background. Our members are like family. All are welcome.
What to expect?
Our group classes run roughly an hour from start to finish. We start with a 10 minute warm up. Generally we have a 15 min skill or strength session where the trainers will take you through the mechanics of a particular movement or lift. From there we transition into the workout of the day (WOD), which usually lasts anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. After the workout we generally do a cool down with some stretching or foam rolling to aid in recovery. You will see a group ranging from 4 to 12 athletes of all abilities working out together. You won’t see any machines in the gym; YOU ARE THE MACHINE. We utilize functional (natural, multi-joint, full body) movements because they apply to how your body moves in the real world. Isolation movements found at most gyms build one body part at a time… how does that apply to your coordination, agility, accuracy and life? At CrossFit, barbells, rowers, kettlebells, medicine balls, pull-up bars, and other basic/old-school fitness equipment are cherished.
Intimidated?
Many of our current members were nervous to try CrossFit initially. They put off coming for weeks and months only later to regret they hadn’t come sooner. If you are intimidated by the workouts you see on the website, keep in mind we make daily modifications for 90% of our clients. We also are mindful of any injuries or apprehension our clients have and can easily find substitute movements so they can still participate without doing further damage. We do not expect, nor should you expect, to be an Olympian the first day you walk through the door! The techniques you will learn at CrossFit take years to perfect, so don’t try to be a hero and rush through the process.
We start our new members with roughly 1-3 months of “Foundation” workouts regardless of their fitness history and allow them to progress at their own pace from there. Emphasis for new clients is put on mechanics, consistency and volume rather than intensity. The Foundation workouts are meant to correct any imbalances, practice technique of the fundamental movements and improve overall working capacity. This allows our new members to progress their training at a casual and safe pace. Here are some tips for newbies.
If you feel that your workout is too easy and you didn’t get the experience you were looking for, let us know and we will make sure to step up the intensity the next time you come in. This also goes for those that feel that their workout was too intense. Since intensity is relative to your emotional, mental and physical capacity it is sometimes hard to gauge where your fitness level is. As we get to know you better we will be able to streamline your workouts to fit within your abilities while at the same time give you goals to work towards.
We recommend our new members come to classes 4 times per week to get the benefits that we advocate. Three times would be minimum since after 3 days you will start to lose ground and lose your fitness. If you don’t have that level of commitment, it may be best to wait to join CFCA until you do.
Coaching
Coaches at CFCA are responsible for ensuring that your workout is not easy nor impossible; that your form and range of motion is correct; that your speed/intensity is sufficient; and that the exercise and load is adjusted to your fitness level. On top of all that, we will teach you basic gymnastics and Olympic weightlifting. You’ll learn how to move your body faster; how to generate more power; and how to build strength. We’ll also teach you about performance, nutrition, mechanics…etc. Our coaches run every class as a teacher, a resource for questions, a motivator, a support system, and a safety supervisor. We encourage you to utilize our knowledge and skill.
The Difference
At CFCA there is a genuine sense of community, encouragement, and maybe a just a touch of friendly competition. With that community comes accountability, if you fall off the wagon and don’t show for a week… we will contact you to make arrangements to get you back on track. You may find that the supportive community and class structure at CFCA might be the greatest asset to keeping your workouts fun and you accountable. Also, all of our members are required to set measurable goals (“to get in shape” is not measurable) and given a journal to track their fitness progress. Setting measurable goals is key to keeping motivation high and you getting results.
Beyond Our Walls
As residents of Cape Ann, we are blessed to have both an incredibly beautiful and diverse landscape to explore. We like to think of it as an amazing basecamp because on any given day you can surf, kayak, paddle, dive, trail run, climb, hike, bike… the list goes on and on. At CFCA, we want to encourage this exploration and help you create unique objectives (like finishing the Blackburn Challenge!) and help you prepare for and achieve your personal goals outside of the gym. We are pretty thorough resources of Cape Ann’s nooks and crannies so if you are interested in a particular activity don’t hesitate to ask.
