So now you heard of CrossFit and would like to try it OR maybe you’ve heard plenty of people talking about it so much and you said “Fine, I’ll give it a shot”. Either way, there are a few things to look for when joining an Affiliate, but first some background information. What do we (CrossFit Affiliates) do? We provide a safe, generalized strength and conditioning program for the general population. Some days we train to be strong, more efficient humans and some days we train to be well-conditioned or “cardiovascular-fit” humans. And some days we do both. We achieve this by means of 3 components: Weightlifting: Moving objects from point A to point B Gymnastics: Moving one’s own bodyweight Mono-structural Movements: Running, Biking, Rowing, Swimming, etc. Different combinations create different results but overall it promotes a lean, athletic development of the body. There are over 10,000 CrossFit Affiliates around the world and not a single one is the exact same. Every team of coaches gets to create the culture of their own affiliate. There are great coaches, okay coaches, new coaches, bad coaches and awful coaches but the vast majority are truly caring people who take their craft very seriously. This is your first tidbit in finding an Affiliate. The Coaches. Can you actually tell they care? Are they dedicated to improving every member’s fitness level? Use your gut instinct on this one. Next is the environment and there are a few things to look for. When it’s social time: Are people smiling and laughing? Are they caught up in conversation and enjoying being there? When it’s workout time: Are people focused and working hard? Are people supportive and encouraging? Cleanliness: Is the bathroom presentable? Would you do push ups and sit ups on the gym floor? The final things to look for are more technical that vary box to box and may be of personal preference for some. Workout tracking software; How else can we make sure you are getting fitter if we don’t track your progress. Fitness is measurable. If your data is showing increased levels of fitness then lean body mass and lower body fat will be the highly sought-after side effects. Focus on collecting data not looking at the scale. Space; Sometimes its close-quarters. There are great gyms that have to ball on a budget but they make it work. Sometimes gyms can be to big and it make it seem like you are training alone. A Competitive Atmosphere; Some gyms do and some gyms don’t. Both can be good. If it does have a competitive environment, it should feel healthy, supportive and fuel more progress toward your goal. Going to the gym should be fun and entertaining, not full of drama and non-sense. Make sure you enjoy the coaching, and that it's a fun, clean and supportive environment. The results will come if you have that recipe, don’t get caught in the fixed mindset of “I’m not good enough to do that” or "I need to get in shape before I can do CrossFit". None of that is true. CrossFit is what gets you better so just come ready to learn, put in some work and we will handle the rest :)