Frequently Asked Questions:
- For whom is CrossFit appropriate?
- For whom does CrossFit work best?
- CrossFit sounds intense for regular folks. Is that really necessary?
- Is Personal Training really worth the cost?
- What kind of diet does Gateway CrossFit endorse?
1. For whom is CrossFit appropriate? One of the beauties of CrossFit is that our program is scalable. This means it’s appropriate for nearly everyone. We scale our program by altering rest, load, intensity, range of motion, etc. while utilizing the same exercises for everyone whenever possible. Grandparents and the unconditioned can train along side top-tier athletes using the same programming.
2. For whom does CrossFit work best? CrossFit is most commonly described as General Physical Preparedness. Unlike most other fitness programs that specialize or lean toward one aspect of fitness we attempt to build the broadest possible base of cardio-respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, speed, power, coordination, accuracy, balance, and agility. Our trainees become exceedingly well-balanced athletes who perform well across a wide variety of tasks, times, and loads. Gateway CrossFit training is particularly well-suited for:
- The Unconditioned. As a Personal-Training-only CrossFit facility, Gateway CrossFit is particularly well-suited for new trainees. Our programming model and our expertise give us the time and ability to develop the skill sets and physical capacity of the unconditioned. Since CrossFit is completely scalable, it is ideally suited for developing trainees. And because CrossFit falls in the category of general physical preparedness it develops all aspects of our trainees’ fitness.
- Weight Loss/Improved Body Composition. These goals can most effectively and quickly be achieved using a program that addresses appropriate levels of calorie consumption, promotes the addition of lean muscle to burn fat at rest, stimulates large-scale production of lean tissue developing hormones, and includes sound dietary advice. No other fitness program does a better job of meeting these criteria than CrossFit.
- Fitness Enthusiasts. For those trainees already involved in the fitness lifestyle, CrossFit represents the pinnacle of the fitness experience. Serious fitness devotees will find in CrossFit a program that will develop their fitness to new levels, provide superior motivation and mindset, and allow them to compare their efforts and abilities against other fitness enthusiasts across the globe through the CrossFit benchmark workouts. CrossFit develops and challenges the elite armed forces units of the United States and Canada; operators whose lives depend on well-rounded and completely developed fitness. If it can provide those levels of development for them, imagine what it can do for you.
- Endurance Athletes. The popularity of endurance athletics is exploding. It seems everyone these days is running a race or entering a triathlon. Unfortunately, except for at elite levels, endurance sports make for weak and slow athletes. To improve their performance, beginning and intermediate endurance athletes need to increase their strength and power while not decreasing their aerobic fitness. CrossFit is ideal for this. Also, endurance sports often lead to strength imbalances and flexibility issues. A well-designed conditioning program like CrossFit will help to address and correct these issues.
- Students and Young Athletes. Young people today face a dizzying onslaught of influences; few of them healthy. Gateway CrossFit provides a safe, motivating environment in which they can develop their fitness and confidence while learning the fitness and lifestyle skills that will serve them for a lifetime. Young athletes are in need of a fitness program that develops a well-rounded performer who is strong, flexible, and optimally conditioned. Gateway CrossFit provides all of these while teaching young athletes the correct form on complex movements. Our student-athletes will progress faster than their peers, perform better in their sport, and experience fewer injuries on the field and in the weight room.
- Police, Firefighters, Military Personnel, and Mixed Martial Artists. If you are a U.S. Navy SEAL, U.S. Marine, U.S. Army Ranger, Los Angeles SWAT team member, or UFC fighter chances are good you already know about CrossFit. You also know two things about your job: 1. Your ability to perform (and maybe live through the mission) depends on optimum fitness. 2. Every day will bring new challenges that are completely unknowable ahead of time. Because of these two truths, these groups of people need a fitness program that will develop them to be as effective as possible at any and all physical tasks. CrossFit is that program.
3. CrossFit sounds intense for regular folks. Is that really necessary? We believe that it is. To explain it’s helpful to look at our history as a species. Our gene sequence evolved during the Paleolithic Era, which ended 10-12,000 years ago with the advent of agriculture, and hasn’t changed appreciably since then. Our Paleolithic ancestors fought and foraged for their survival every day and their genes reflected that. We are no different. To optimize our genetic expression we need regular hard work or exercise. By providing intense physical stimuli across a wide range of variables, Gateway CrossFit workouts not only develop superior fitness, they maximize healthy gene expression. The result is the healthiest, most vibrant you possible.
4. Is Personal Training really worth the cost? Absolutely! Efficacy and Priorities are the key concepts here.
a) Efficacy. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of people who exercise truly achieve the results they desire. And many of those barely get results at all. But that’s not surprising. They join a gym and the staff says, “Okay, here’s the equipment. Have fun.” That’s like pulling into the garage for auto repair and just getting use of the tools. What would you do with them?! Personal training at Gateway CrossFit is like hiring a mechanic, a plumber, or even an attorney. For the best results, see a professional.
b) Priorities. If you take a moment to really examine some of the ways you spend your money, you may notice your priorities changing dramatically. Nothing is more important than our bodies and our health. Everyone from friends, to employers, to potential mates will judge us on our looks. And without our health, all other blessings in our lives are impossible to fully enjoy. How do your financial priorities stack up to these truths? As yourself how much of your budget you devote to your fitness and wellness. How does that compare to your car payment? Your house payment? What you spend on entertainment and impulse purchases? In that context, it’s easy to see that effective and motivating training at Gateway CrossFit isn’t an extra cost, it’s a vital investment.
5. What kind of diet does Gateway CrossFit endorse? Two specific diets have shown themselves to be very effective for both enhanced performance and effective weight loss. The first is the Zone Diet by Dr. Barry Sears. The Zone Diet calls for a 40-30-30 split of carbs, protein, and healthy fats to control hormonal balance in response to meals. The Zone Diet has a couple of great things going for it. First, it doesn’t require you to give up most of the foods you like. It simply requires you to put them together in appropriate ratios. Second, through the use of ‘blocks’ the Zone Diet is easy to implement in your daily life, even when eating out. The other diet that has shown remarkable results in both performance and fat loss, as well as improving nearly all health markers, is the Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain. As mentioned earlier on this page our gene sequence evolved during the Paleolithic Era, which ended with the advent of agriculture. Consequently, as a species we simply haven’t completely adapted to grains, starches, and dairy products. Yes, we are omnivores and can handle these foods to a large extent. However, being able to handle a food is not the same as being optimized to consume it. These foods are a primary source of inflamtion with ever-increasing links to cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and a host of other ailments. The closer one can stick to a Paleo-friendly diet, the better their fitness results and health will be.
