CrossFit Works Visit

Bright and early Monday (1/18) morning Lance, Lindsey and I drove out to CrossFit Works in Tucson.  Lance suggested we check it out as he has been going there since he moved to Arizona.  When I contacted them, I got a great response and got pretty excited about my visit there.  Dave (the guy who was my contact there) and Lance had set up a little special time for us between classes and Dave was hoping I could be the guinea pig for a workout they would be using for a competition this coming weekend.  That sounded great to me!

The entrance to CrossFit Works was priceless, a huge banner over the front door stating "CrossFit Gym" welcomed everyone.  We walked in to a large room that was pretty empty.  This room was almost as big as most affiliates spaces, and they had it perfectly set up for practice work or personal work; when we left, one of the owners was working one-on-one with someone in that space, it was a perfect spot for mobility and movement work. The large room lead past the bathrooms and into the CrossFit space.  Pull up bars lined one wall, racks and platforms the other.  Bumper plates, med balls, climbing ropes and everything else needed were placed perfectly throughout the facility.  We hung by a desk and office area while a class finished up and then began to get warm.

I was told the workout:

8 rounds for time of:
4 deadlifts 1.2xBW (310#)
10 burpee box jumps
12 wall ball

Well.  This one just straight up hurt.  Lindsey and Lance opted out and took the normal WOD, so, I loaded up the bar and got started.  The first couple rounds went pretty smoothly, but it was the third round when I just crashed.  The deadlifts were fine, the wall balls were even fine (I only broke them up a few times in total the entire workout).  It was the burpee box jumps that just destroyed me all around.  Muscular fatigue AND cardiovascular fatigue set in quick, and left me feeling almost worried I would not make the jump.  I just kept on trucking through as hard and fast as I could, and was able to pick it up just the smallest amount for the 8th round.  Time: 17:39.  My neck was already sore from the strain.  What an awesome workout.

Had a great conversation with the guys after I caught my breath and we all agreed that maybe cutting the burpee box jumps to 8 would be a good call.  All I can say is that I really liked this place.  They marketed to such a large demographic, but still kept that special CrossFit edge that people tend to be a little turned off by sometimes.  But they found the balance, and clearly is proved successful.  All the people I met were warm and welcoming, they new their fitness inside and out, and they had, from what I saw in the hour and a half I spent there, the most versatile group of members of any CrossFit box I have seen.  And that is exactly what I appreciate about what CrossFit can really be.  I know that with the proper perspective, CrossFit can bring in any person at all, from the complete beginner to the top, most elite athletes in the world.  They can all join in the fun.  CrossFit Works clearly believes this same perspective and it makes me want to return to their spot and feed off that energy.



Thanks so much guys for the hospitality!  Looking forward to seeing you guys down the road!

Never Stop, GET FIT.

Josh Courage