The same monotonous gym routine became insufficient, and like the rest of many young professionals in DC, I joined in on the premium fitness craze. Before joining Crossfit DC, my fiancé and I had a bad experience at a Crossfit in South Florida that turned us off from the whole program for about a year (just thrown into a regular class without any instruction, and expected to know). As most people, we had friends/co-workers who were constantly raving about Crossfit and the results. I finally decided that it may be different in DC, and that I could always stop if I wanted to. My fiancé resisted until I checked the scene out first (she's a member now!) I researched other Crossfits in the area and went to a few others before finally deciding on Crossfit DC. I have not regretted it for a second!
1) Coaches...coaches...coaches...Since starting Crossfit I've been to 8 different boxes, with visits ranging anywhere from 1 workout to a week to 3 months, and have been able to get a good sense of Crossfit culture. Sure, each Crossfit workout will be challenging in it's own way, and the programming intensity/style is different from box to box, but I'm convinced that the coaches completely define the experience/culture. The spectrum of coaches falls somewhere between very hands-on (think personal trainer) to somewhat attentive (think chaperone during recess in middle school). Which point on the spectrum is the best? It depends. This is where Crossfit DC has the edge in my book. The coaches here will be as attentive as they need to be to make sure you're doing each movement properly and safely (while NOT acting like drill sergeants). It's clear that every coach at Crossfit DC has extensive experience in health and fitness. They aren't just friends of an owner who decided to start a gym. Tom and Chris, the co-head coaches, have done a phenomenal job setting a culture, not just for their coaches, but also for the members. It's clear that from the second you go to the intro class to your 100th class, you're in a positive and encouraging environment. If new to Crossfit, you go through a set of 6 intro classes where they teach you fundamental Crossfit movements and start easing you into real workouts (this is an element I think is missing from most boxes). This has obviously worked out well for them because I don't notice many people leaving Crossfit DC to go elsewhere, and if they do, it's mostly due to moving away. This gradual introduction into Crossfit takes away the intimidation factor.
2) Programming: I'll echo one of the other posts on here that Crossfit DC is more strength first and then Met-Con. Don't get me wrong, there are days when it's a fully conditioning based day, but overall, I'd say there's a 60/40 mix of strength/conditioning workouts. If I think that the week's workouts were too light on conditioning or strength, I'll come into Open Gym and work on my own, and this has worked out well so far. Overall, it's a very balanced full-body workout throughout the month. In my experience, and one of the main knocks against Crossfit, is that Crossfit workouts tend to mix heavy weightlifting with fast paced frantic workouts, which often lead to injury. I've certainly had this experience at some other boxes I've been to for an extended period of time, but at Crossfit DC, the workouts are structured so that if there is weightlifting mixed into a conditioning workout, you're given a wide-range of weight options, and the subsequent days' workouts won't add additional stress to the same areas.
3) Gym Culture: Like many, I was turned off by the macho/holier-than-thou-because-i-workout-12-times-a-week culture that is the norm at some other boxes. I'm happy to say that this culture does not exist, and if it does, not noticeably, at Crossfit DC. There is a wide range of abilities at Crossfit DC. The range spans people who are getting back into the gym after a hiatus to elite athletes competing at the Crossfit Regionals. Due to this wide range, the intimidation/judging factor gets significantly mitigated because you'll find someone of your ability in every class.
Yes, the monthly membership is on the higher end of gyms in the city, but if you're considering premium fitness classes/programs, this won't be news to you. If you're a visitor in the city, Crossfit DC doesn't charge a drop-in fee, which is pretty rare from most Crossfit boxes (especially in a major city) and speaks to how much Tom and Chris view Crossfit as a community. Whether you're new to Crossfit or new to DC looking for a new box to join or a visitor from another box, give Crossfit DC a shot! It's your safest bet. read more