In the last 14 or so months, Sam has been my best friend and my worst enemy. He has torn me down (in the most necessary ways) and lifted me up. I've called him names and he's called me out. We've fought like siblings. We kinda are like siblings...except he's much more annoying than my actual brother. I don't know what it's like at your CrossFit box or with your coach, but I go to the gym each and every day and know that Sam cares. He pays attention. He knows my limits but also knows when I can surpass them. He acts like a bit of a hard ass but deep down, we all know how personally invested he is in our success. I honestly can't imagine training with or for anyone else but Sam and I say that knowing that once he reads this, he'll probably use this knowledge to his greatest advantage (and likely, my discomfort). You can check out Sam's own blog here - he posts a great training program that I just started in addition to our regular WODs and gets off on the fact that he's already had like 800 views. And with that, I present Sam!
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I Don’t Like You Already- “You Never Mow Another Man’s Lawn.”
So here's the do’s
and don’ts of dropping into a Crossfit Gym. I should start by explaining something before
some people get really butt hurt over some of my next comments. First thing you
need to understand is that you're a guest when “dropping in” on another CrossFit gym.
Would you go to a party at some person's house you've never met before and act like a
dick? Probably not, right? I’m also guessing you wouldn’t walk into a stranger's
house with dirty shoes and tell them to re-arrange their furniture because in
your house you do it differently and it’s so much better. Do you get where I'm going with this?
That
being said, the CrossFit community is the most welcoming and warm group of
exercise enthusiasts in the world. Dropping into a CrossFit gym shouldn’t be
nerve-racking. 95% percent of the people who drop into our gym are awesome and we
have quite a few regular “drop ins” that we keep in touch with on a regular
basis. That leaves only 5% that are total dick bags. The other reason I’m writing
this is to establish a baseline etiquette for “my” members that want to “drop in”
to another gym.
DO: Call or email a week or so in advance before you plan on attending a
class. Dropping in without notice is alright but I don’t recommend it. If you're dropping in with a friend from that box have your friend give a coach a heads
up that you’ll be coming. Always arrive at least 10 minutes early to fill out the
waiver and to find out how the class is structured.
DON’T: Show up late or right at the time the class starts. You’ve
already started out on the wrong foot by showing up late and now the coach has
to take class time away from the others to catch you up to speed.
DO: Ask what the drop in fee is and pay before
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| Karma's a bitch |
class starts. This will avoid any awkward stares the coach gives you
after the class is over wondering if you're going to take off without paying.
DON’T: Take off without paying. You just received a service
(coaching, space and equipment). Would you not pay the waitress at a
restaurant after a meal? I’m guessing the people who leave without paying
their drop in fee are the same who dine and dash. For those low life pussies I hope this happens the next time
they lift.
DO: Ask questions since the gym that you are dropping in at might do
things differently than your home gym. There’s nothing worse than not knowing
what’s going on, so be polite and ask questions.
DON'T: Do an exercise or amount of weight that you are not
comfortable with. If you haven’t done the exercise or that amount of weight at your home gym then this is no place for it. Last thing I want
to do is catch a piece of your spine in the face as it shoots out of your back
and sprays the gym with chunks of your vertebrae just because you wanted to impress
the college girl in spandex with a 600lb deadlift.
DO: Check your ego at the door. In fact, this is important for
everyone - not just the drop ins. No matter what you do, you’re not going to impress me. It will
probably take me 10 seconds flat to find a fault somewhere in your movements.
There's no exceptions, even for me. I face the fact daily that there is always
someone bigger, faster, stronger, smarter and better looking than me in the
world. Ok, maybe not the last one. The sooner everyone thinks like that, the
world will be a better place.
DON’T: Tell the coach that the prescribed weights in the WOD aren’t
“CrossFit regulation”. First of all, what the fuck does “CrossFit regulation”
mean? There’s no such thing as CrossFit regulation weights, fuck face. Secondly, I can program whatever I want. If I want the WOD to be 30
cock push ups for time, so be it. Guess what? I heard the 2013 CrossFit Open is
going to have a WOD with snatches and cock push ups in it...better get
practicing. (I’m not sure what the female equivalent for a cock push up is.)
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| His socks make me want to vomit |
DO: Introduce yourself to as many people you can in the class. It
always helps to know somebody's name if you have any questions. Oh...and if
you come to my gym and everyone in class doesn’t introduce themselves to you, please let me know after class so that I can be sure to program a 35 minute AMRAP of
wall balls and burpees for the next day.
DON’T: Violate the honor code. Honor code violations consist of
cheating on reps, quitting the WOD, whining out loud and dudes wearing knee
high socks.
In closing it’s pretty simple: treat people the way you would like to
be treated and don’t wear knee high socks. Also, if you drop in my gym and wear a
singlet for the whole class there’s no fee and I’ll give you a free t-shirt. Think about it.
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