CoP - CrossFit

CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program that incorporates high intensity workouts.  I was unfamiliar with this form of workout until a colleague of mine responded to my inquiry email regarding CoPs.  As soon as she started giving me more information about her CrossFit group, I was intrigued and thought it would fit this project perfectly.

CrossFit Hydro is a CrossFit group in Omaha that has been in existence for about 2.5 years.  Justin, the owner of the gym, started this group on the campus of University of Nebraska-Omaha.  He was intrigued by this type of personal workout and thought that it was a comprehensive approach in a short amount of time.  Word of mouth spread about the CrossFit Hydro group on campus, and soon student athletes, students, moms, and community residents joined the group.  The group outgrew the facility that they were using on UNO's campus, so they found a simple rental property nearby that is really industrialized.

CrossFit Hydro currently has about 85 members that participate in daily group workouts.  Justin and his partner Brandon run the administrative side of providing this workout program.  They also discuss the daily workouts and confer with several key group members.  The workouts range from 50-58 minutes in length, with time to warm-up, develop a certain skill, perform the Workout of the Day (WoD), and then a group stretch time.

Each member works at their own ability level, but is pushed by Justin and the other group leaders during the workout to maximize their output.  The activity is non-stop for the full workout.  Once the stretching is over, members are asked to write their heaviest weight used during the WoD and the amount of repetitions of a certain activity.  Each member is responsible for maintaining their records should they choose to keep track of their performance.  They can input their information in the CrossFit Hydro blog for easy access.

The camaraderie of the group was very apparent as I observed the workout.  Each member was willing to help another and push them to maximize their output.  The men seemed to compete against one another, yet encourage each another at the same time.  The women gave each other encouraging words during the workout to help push through.

Personally, I would be interested in trying to do some of these workouts, but I know it's completely different than the workout I am used to.  I was encouraged to come for open gym some Tuesday night to give it a try.  We'll have to see...