Wednesday, December 16, 2009

CrossFit Community Week - CrossFit DC

Same day, but evening now, at Balance Gym Kalorama (the gym I work out of!) to get a workout in with Tom Brose and the first CrossFit affiliate in DC, CrossFit DC.


These guys are just a load of fun.  They only have a few classes a week given that they use the space at Balance and it gets pretty busy there.  But they have a such a tight group of followers and it is so lear that they all stick together and support each other very, very well.  This shines through with their workouts.  They joke around, goof with one another, pick on Tom, and just enjoy their time in the gym.  I am usually on the other side of this picture, either working out on my own at the gym, or training a client, and I am always curious about what they are all about.  And during this hour, I really got to enjoy their company.

Because of the fact that they don't have tons of regualar classes, Tom has to improvise quite a bit.  New athletes are always showing up so his pattern is to always get a good, basic warm up, work on some form of technical move that has some involvement with the days workout, then scale like crazy for everyone.  They all help out, pitching in when class is a bit large for Tom to be able to keep an eye on everyone.  This is really the type of community workout that I really appreciate.  When people take it upon themselves to help and support each other, and nobody feels disrespected for that.  Everyone seems to embrace the help, and understand the situation at the gym and with this particualr affiliate.

For the equipment they have, the space limitations, and the small amount of classes they are able to have, they do amazingly well.  They mix in Oly lifting days on a pretty regular basis and they seem to get very involved with some in-house events, and out of town ones as well.  In fact, after our workout, I was talking with everyone, and it seemed like a good collection of the DC crew would be headed down to the Charllotesville SuperFit Compitition on Jan 30.  I got so amped up about their excitement, I had to rush home and sign up myslef.  I am very much looking forward to joining the group down there. 

The workout:
We all got a basic warm up in with dive bombers and air squats, then hit the racks for overhead presses.  The whiteboard said 3x3 OH press.  But the group did four sets.  I got 135, 145, 150x2 and 155x1.  Felt a little weak with this and I only assume it was because of the snatches, from before (along with the overhead pressing I did on Friday last week, got 160 for 1 then).  The metcon was a blast!  We got 3 rounds (the video says 4, I know) of 350 meters row, and 12 x clapburpees.  A CrossFit DC specialty, the clapburpee basically is a clapping push up to a burpee; a dynamic, double push up burpee.  Exhausting.  The best part about this workout was not the workout though, it was the fact that the whole group was completely into it and pushing everyone.  And when more CrossFitters started to shuffle in, they all gathered around and rooted us on as well.  I ended in 6:52, and felt real strong with that time.  Later I would find a great athete who joined (and tore it up I might add) in a Trans-Continental Workout tied that time.

What a great group these guys are.  Oh, and Tom passed out some Paleo Treats after class.  Sweet.














CrossFit DC
crossfitdc.com

Coach Tom Brose
tombrose@crossfitdc.com

Next stop, Primal Fitness.  This one could get interesting...

Never Stop, GET FIT.

Josh Courage

1 comment:

Steph said...

Thanks for joining us again Josh! And we look forward to hanging out with you at the Charlottesville challenge!