Lots of space to move!

CrossFit is a fitness and conditioning system developed by Coach Greg Glassman through many years of watching, working with, and coaching all types of people – from those considered “normal and average”, to top athletes. Coach Glassman's idea - take what worked best from the sports and movements that create the most versitile athletes (gymnastics and weightlifting), and throw the rest out. Actually, the system really created itself - if a workout or an exercise proved functional and got great results, it stayed in the system. If not, well, you got the picture. CrossFit is what remains - bar none, the most effective fitness and conditioning system in the world!

One of the things that makes CrossFit unique is that it addresses the fact that the fitness needs of an "Average Joe" are identical to that of a top athlete – the only difference being intensity (speed & weight) and volume. In all cases, the best results come when training functional movements (which replicate real life movement) at high intensity and with constant variety. Any exercise program that meets these three criteria can be considered “CrossFit,” from shoveling dirt, hauling rocks and cutting down trees to weightlifting, pull ups and sprinting.

CrossFit has been called "The Sport of Fitness" because it re-introduces personal athletic achievement and performance to training. The mindset at the start of each workout is to be stronger, move faster, more efficiently, with better form than ever. This is why even after years of training CrossFit style, scores and times in workouts continue to drop and athletes continue to improve. Its hard, fun, exciting, challenging, and will push you to be your absolute best!

CrossFit is by design broad, general and inclusive. Its specialty is in not specializing, and its workouts elicit a maximal neuro-endocrine response from your body by taxing your body to its core with variety, intensity, and multiple joint, full body, functional movements.

Why Crossfit? Results. Period. Compound or functional movements and high intensity or anaerobic cardio is radically more effective at eliciting nearly any desired fitness result. Startlingly, this is not a matter of opinion but solid irrefutable scientific fact and yet the marginally effective old ways persist and are nearly universal. Our approach is consistent with what is practiced in elite training programs associated with major university athletic teams and professional sports. CrossFit endeavors to bring state-of-the-art coaching techniques to the general public and athlete who haven’t access to current technologies, research, and coaching methods.

To gain a greater understanding of CrossFit, [click here] to download the free trial issue of the CrossFit Journal. Once you’ve read this, you’ll understand that most other training programs either take way too much time to get the results or are incomplete, leaving a well rounded athlete with a chink in his/her armor.

Coaching vs. Personal Training

Most personal trainers rely on their clients to not think. They are happy when their clients leave the gym and have no idea what they did. They also count on their clients not quite achieving their goals. It’s called job security. If your client never achieves his/her goal, and never really knows what to do in or out of the gym for a workout, he/she will always need you!

At Cape CrossFit, when you hire us, you are hiring a coach. Our job is to help facilitate your listening, thinking, learning, being aware and being responsible. We guide and steer you on a course and are there to help you maintain your heading when a “storm” throws you in the wrong direction. However, it is clear from the start of our relationship that YOU are ultimately responsible for your health, fitness and vitality. Our instruction focuses on movement techniques and skills, physical conditioning, and the development of healthy workout, eating habits, and self-discipline, so that after a period of time, you have got all the essential elements, experience and confidence to make it through your life with health, fitness and vitality.

 

Exercise Selection

Why is it that gymnasts never have to do a bicep curl to get big and strong biceps? How about weightlifters... you may not know it, but they NEVER do leg extensions, leg curls, leg press, or adduction/abduction exercises. Weight machines were designed by engineers to simulate the isolated movement of one muscle in your body. In real life, your body rarely uses one muscle at a time independently of all others. So while you may be getting bigger biceps, you are functionally less strong.

At Cape CrossFit, you'll NEVER do a bicep curl or a leg extension. We choose exercises that make large demands on your nervous and muscular systems and require many muscle groups to work together synergistically. Body weight exercises challenge you to be strong and agile enough to be in control of your body (pull ups, dips, handstand push ups, push ups, etc). Weightlifting exercises require technique and skill, and call upon a large number of muscles in your body to work together at the same time (squat, deadlift, clean, jerk, snatch, kettle bell, etc).

 

Equipment

Most gyms emphasize training on benches or with weight machines. They also have trainers teaching exercises originating from bodybuilding. They do this because it is "safe", easy, and requires little thought or effort outside the specific movement for which the machine or exercise was designed. Next time you're in your gym sitting in a weight machine, ask yourself, "How closely does this resemble a movement in real life?" How would it look to kick a ball from just your knee down or to take a drink out of a glass by moving just your forearm? Single joint movements (like those done with typical weight machines and and traditional bodybuilding exercises) will isolate a specific muscle, however, rarely in life does our body activate isolated muscles without the support from others. As soon as you sit or lay down on a bench or machine, all of the balance, stabilization, proprioception, and accuracy functions that your body must use in normal activities of real life and sport completely shut down.

At Cape CrossFit, most of what you will see when you come to the gym is open space. Our "machines" are free weights - to simply pick them up requires skill, balance, stabilization, proprioception, and accuracy. The skills and movements we teach are all functional and multi-joint (require movement across 2 or more joints in your body). These neuromuscular activities are commonplace in both life and in sport, and since our objective in training is to mimic both, we find that free weights, with proper instruction and coaching, do this best.

 

Training vs. Exercising

Exercising is something many people do to make themselves feel fit. You have seen examples of this: people on the treadmill reading the newspaper; a person moving through the machines, taking lots of breaks, talking to their trainer, looking hardly like they’re “working.” These people get to feel good about themselves because they’ve “checked the box” on their to do list labeled “workout.” These are also the people you see whose physiques never seem to change.

You will never see our clients doing "cardio" while sitting on a bike, reading a magazine. Nor will you see them "exercising" using a weight machine. Our workouts are intense - challenging you and your body to do things you never dreamt possible. They require you to be mentally alert, present and focused and will call upon your coordination, agility, strength, speed, endurance, stamina and flexibility. This is what we call "training" - and its purpose is to make improvements regularly in all areas of fitness.

 

Space

When you step into most gyms, the first thing you usually see is a multitude of weight and cardio machines configured as closely as possible together to fit as many as possible into the space. Moving around without bumping into something is next to impossible. After you’ve found the little space that is available, you must squeeze between people, weight machines, off in the corner, or in the middle of a walkway. And forget about leaving your spot or bench or piece of equipment for more than 30 seconds – it will be taken by someone else. In this environment, athletic training is not only impractical, it is impossible.

At Cape CrossFit, our emphasis is on space - space to move, to jump, to lift to balance, to climb, tumble, or in other words, train as an athlete, unencumbered by equipment, people and/or other “stuff” in the way.

 

Why do athletes train as they do? Because it works! Our program is based on functional movements (like squatting, lifting, pushing, pulling) that have been around for thousands of years. In spite of all the modern technology and machines you see at most gyms today, these movements have survived the test of time for one reason only - they get results. When we combine this with variation, movements that require coordination, accuracy, agility, balance and power, you have got our program. Our CrossFit classes draw from gymnastics, weightlifting and cardiovascular training – they will present a workout that challenges you to your core, at whatever your level of experience. Click here for more info.

We offer CrossFit group classes 6 days a week. They are limited to 12 students per class and have a different focus/workout every day. Our instructors will make sure that the intensity and difficulty of the workouts will be scaled to your abilities. The learning environment and camaraderie in these classes is amazing. In addition to our 60 minute long classes, we currently offer Sunrise classes that are 30 minutes long that contain a condensed version of the workout, offer a great way to learn the most basic movements and get started with CrossFit.

Additionally, we offer private coaching and programs for kids and athletes: One-on-one private coaching it is a great solution if you want extra attention and accountabilty, if you are new to exercise, if you have specific health limitations, specific sports and performance oriented goals or simply if you have a very busy schedule. Our programs for kids (group classes, school and club programs) and athletes (sports clubs and individual athletes) are geared towards the special needs of kids and the sport specific demands of athletes. Contact us for further information.

Due to the functionality of the exercises and the personal attention, our program does not only produce unparalleled conditioning results but goes a long way in preventing and rehabilitating (sports) injuries.

Goal / Vision

Our goal is to provide our students with the world's most efficient, effective and safe health and fitness training. We envision a community that is healthy, strong and vital, whose participants have the courage to live outside the generally accepted belief that health, fitness and vitality must decline with age.

 

Philiosophy

To us, fitness is a state of mind, way of being. It shows up in the way you talk, walk, sleep, eat, work, play, dress and relax. It is the physical embodiment of the character traits of honor, courage, confidence, discipline, integrity, responsibility, dedication, and joy. It is also instrumental in reducing the immediate and cumulative effects of stress and anxiety. We have found that the fitter a person is, the more he/she is physically able to do the things that bring joy and fun to life – everything from feeling strong, confident and energetic through your normal work day, running around with your kids, being physically active and playing sports, to traveling to remote corners of the earth. Being physically fit is inspiring, feels good, enriches your life, gives you more choices and adds both years to your life, and life to your years. People that are fit seem to have a clearer, more optimistic view of life. For us, the bottom line is this: Fitness allows you to live your best.

Our Difference

The primary difference between us and most other gyms and trainers is in our comprehensive approach to health, fitness, longevity, vitality and life. Have you ever noticed when you go to the gym that most people rely on their trainers to walk with them, leading them around from one exercise machine to another? Can you imagine this in real life? You go to the grocery store and are met at the door by your personal shopper who walks you around from item to item and tells you what to buy and how much? Then meets you again two days later to tell you almost exactly the same thing? To some that may sound nice, but for most, it is not real life. At Cape CrossFit, we require you to think, to use your brain as well as your muscles, to learn, to challenge yourself, to try new things you never thought you could, to practice new skills that require you to be focused and present. We teach you how to move your body with proper mechanics, stability, balance, and agility. We do this so that when you’re NOT with us, you can truly have fun, suck life dry, Live Your Best!

 

Chris and David from CrossFit Nordic (Sweden) are in Town and have challenged Roland and Jobst to a workout from a CrossFit competition last year in Sweden. The workout will take place on Tuesday, March 2nd at 4.30pm (preparation, start of the workout probably around 4.50pm). You are very welcome to bring friends along and watch both teams battle it out. Then, join the fun in our following 5.30 and 6.30pm classes where you will have the chance to try out the same work out (5 Rounds of: 5 Clean&jerks 70kg, 10Pull ups (chest-to-bar), 20 Squats).

Workout of the Day

Sprint 3x50m, 3 minutes rest

then

For 5 rounds, switching every 30seconds, perform as many repetitions as possible of:

• Star drill (1 cone = 1 point)
  
• Burpees (1 burpees = 2 points)
  
• Lateral jumps (1 jump = 1 point)
  
• 10m resistance sprints (1 sprint = 4 point)
  
• (1 minute rest between rounds)

Post times and points to comments.

Get ready for beach flags: This might be coming up in one of our future beach workouts...

Workout of the Day

Snatch grip deadlift 3-3-3

then

In 15 minutes, perform as many rounds as possible of:

• 5 Knees-to-elbows
• 10 Box jumps 60/40cm
• 1 Deadlift with 1.5 times bodyweight

Post weight and rounds to comments.

 

Mix it up

So what grip should you use when pulling a heavy weight off the floor (deadlifting)? In general, we use the parallel overhand grip: Both palms are facing our shins in the set up position in a full grip (thumbs are around the bar). We want to practice this as much as we can in order to improve grip strength. As the weight gets heavier, this grip will make it relatively hard on us: Due to the weight, the bar will tend to "roll" out of our hands and it will become harder and harder to hold onto the bar while lifting it from the floor. This is why it will help to move to a "mixed" grip when approaching maximal weights: One palm facing towards, on palm facing away from our shins. Now the bar will tend to roll towards us in one hand and away from us in the other. Theses countermovements will cancel each other out for the most part and will make it easier to hold on to the bar. Even with this "cheat", make sure to mix it up: let each palm face towards and away from the shins for variation. And yes: you can also use the mixed grip on relatively light weights, but you don't want to pass up on the excellent opportunity of improving your grip strength, do you? Todays workout mixes it up in a different way, though: You will use the hook grip with your hand further apart than usual. Both palms facing your shins :)

Workout of the Day

Clean drops 3-3-3

then

"Jackie": As quickly as you can, perform:

• Row 1000m
• 50 Thrusters with 20/15kg
• 30 Pull ups

Post weight and time to comments.

On the knees

As you are most likely aware, in most of our classes, you get the option to perform your push ups "on the knees". Or, in another instance, pull ups may be performed with the assistance of a rubber band or with the aid of jumping off a box. There is no weakness in this. It is just a matter of scaling the movement so that it is accessible to anyone. Nobody ever defined how many push ups or pull ups you should be able to do. In our classes, we are not concerned with ego, but only with getting you more. If you want more push ups, you need to practice them. If you cannot do one, start on the knees - or start by pushing off a wall in the standing position to start with. Then, as you improve, make it progressively harder for you. If you can do 15 push ups on the floor in a row, put a weight plate on your back and start over. If you can 15 of those, do a handstand and learn a push up while doing a handstand against the wall. If that becomes easy, move away from the wall, and do a free standing handstand push up. If that is no challenge, perform the handstand on your fingertips. Granted, it will take some time, but no matter how proficient you are right now, the only way of getting there is getting started right now - on your knees if you have to...

Workout of the Day

Push Jerk 5-5-3-3-3

then

In 10 minutes, perform as many rounds as you can of:

• 5 Hanging leg raises
• 10 Push ups
  
• 10m Bear crawl

Post weight and rounds to comments.

PR = Personal Record

If you hang around our training center a bit, you will quite frequently hear the term "PR". It is an acronym for "personal record" and signifies that have gotten somewhat stronger or quicker. At Cape CrossFit, we help our students to get results. This is why we let them keep track of their performances - and personal records: How fast can you run 100m or row 5km? How much weight can you squat or deadlift? How many pull ups or push ups can you perform in a row? All these are markers of performance and therefore of your fitness. Achieving a PR means achieving more then ever before, running faster, lifting heavier, moving more load over longer distances more quickly than ever before. Being the fittest you can be. So congratulations to everyone on their great performance on the back squat yesterday: Nearly everyone had a PR :)