Changes at CrossFit Edmonton
As some of you may have already noticed, there are a few changes going on at CrossFit Edmonton. Auty and I have had many discussions about these changes and feel strongly about the positive effect they will have. ALL decisions are being made to enhance our service to our clients. With out you we don’t have a service to provide.
The biggest issue thus far has obviously been our website posting. We appreciate every single comment that has been made and have discussed in length every individual suggestion. We agree that it is the thread that holds our community together in our common bond of CrossFit workouts. We obviously don’t moderate any comments and allow for open discussion and disagreement. (if your comment is moderated by the system, we approve it as soon as we can). This service is NOT going away and we feel that it is only getting better. We now have the opportunity to discuss and open up MORE topics that can help strengthen the bond between us all with your continued feedback.
That being said, we would also like the opportunity to state our position on the changes being made. All of our changes are geared towards affecting the ‘big picture’ and improving our service and program. We understand that not all of our decisions will be meet with immediate acceptance, but let’s face it, CrossFit Edmonton wouldn’t exist today if we didn’t go against the grain once in a while. Over the next fews days, or even weeks, we plan to clear all concerns about all decisions being made. Anything we are removing is being replaced by things we feel are more valuable. One of which is posting the WOD (Workout Of the Day). We will still have a daily post but it will not include the WOD.
The main reason we are doing this is to better affect our programming. When we program a work0ut, there is a specific purpose or stimulus in mind. Without knowing the workout, we get to prepare you for the workout the way it is designed, not the just the way it is written. If we write out exactly how we want the workout performed on our website, then we ARE giving our program away for free and YOU, as a paying client, deserve more than that. By just posting what the workout consists of, as we’ve been doing, many clients come in with a pre-conceived plan of how they will do the workout. By not knowing the workout ahead of time, you will come in, ready to workout and ready to improve your fitness. It’s like having a personal trainer (without the pin setting). You show up, we kick your butt. Plain and simple.
There are MANY more reasons behind this decision that I will try and explain in further posts. At this point I just wanted to make clear that we hear your suggestions, we thank you for them, and we thank you for your understanding of our knowledge as coaches and that we will NEVER do anything that will result in REDUCING your fitness.
If you still have specific concerns about this, please continue to post them and we will answer them as best we can.
OK, the cranky old guy will bite. Given yesterdays postings there is no doubt that the coaches are “ going against the grain” regarding the WOD posting. Would the coaches consider a trial period? If the new method improves the community then great. If it doesn’t can we take a step back to posting? ( I am feeling a sense of loss already. )
David,
Believe it or not, this is a trial period. However, I’m of the contention that it’s the act of posting itself that creates the community, not that the WOD is included in that post. Am I wrong? Are we solely dependent on whether or not we know what the workout will be tomorrow?
I believe that the posts allow the exhibitionist in all of us to expose our strengths, weaknesses and highs and lows to a community that shares in our trials and successes. The posting of tomorrows workout is not as interesting to me as the post mortem posts.
I rarely post on the website b/c I keep a LOG BOOK (and have done so for nearly 3 1/2 months).
It is certainly a more valuable training tool than the website–in my opinion. At a glance I can refer back and see what, how, and when I did a WOD or lift–in addition to the steady improvements or struggles over that time. The log book allows me to look back and “dial in” on the factors (nutrition, sleep, hang-over?, fatigue, etc) that may have played a factor on that day or week or month for that matter. Trends become glaringly clear!
Moreover, if I chose to I could post my wins and challenges on the site–I can do so.
As to the “competitive edge”? The only person I compete with is myself. I certainly never considered that I was less a part of the Crossfit community simply b/c I don’t post on this site.
Trust the coaches. Check out the other big affiliates (catalyst, norcal, socal) they don’t post their WOD’s but have a great BLOG and sense of community.
I have been coming to crossfit for 8 months and have never looked at the WOD online beforehand. I like showing up in the morning not knowing what the workout is and giving 100% into something that isn’t my favorite exercise because I know that it is going to make me better. At the end of the day, we don’t all go to crossfit because we got to see the workout first, we go because it pushes us to a whole other level.I also go because Bruce encourages me, Paul makes me laugh, Sandra, Lisa and Karen motivate me to want to be better, and Chad, well Chad pushes me everyday to do stuff I didn’t think I could do. I am sure everyone else has similar thoughts, none of which will change because they don’t see the WOD online and need to flip back through a logbook.
6 su short of 9 rnds
7 rounds
1 ab mat+10 lb plate+5 lb plate for HSPU – lower than 2 ab mats good height for low number – challenging after a few rounds.
Step ups – even these hurt back – can feel it now.
For anyone who is interested, feel free to call me any time after 6:10 a.m. at 1-900-GET-AWOD. Only $1.99!! Long distance charges may apply.
Kelly-love your comments, and thanks for the kudos. But you know what? You and everyone else at xfit inspire me in some way, whether it’s a full out effort on a wod, a pr, something challenging you overcame…..this community is a community with interactions with each other in classes. Period. The website is just icing on the cake so to speak, but the real meat (paleo pun intended) is in the classes, sweating it out, feeling the pain, pushing and encouraging each other to do and be better.
I personally like not knowing the wod now, as I didn’t think I felt stressed before wod’s, however I feel more relaxed now going into a class. I really like the idea of a log book, so I can record more information like food, sleep, energy, etc. etc. It encouraged me to stay on track when I did the Zone/Paleo challenge in the summer, and will continue to keep me on track for the future.
Chad-when will they be in? Might just start a log on my own until they arrive.l
Magic words, “Believe it or not, this is a trial period.”
Re: “Are we solely dependent on whether or not we know what the workout will be tomorrow?”. No problem as far as I am concerned but I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the results/ comments/ trials and tribulations at the end of the day.
Personally, as a tech dinosaur, I loved getting away from a logbook.
Last thoughts…..put me in coach, for the trial period and we will re-evaluate after.
Second last thoughts……… Sandra..1-900… where did u get that idea?? LOL
Without the website and posting of WOD’s how could other people inspire you unless you were there working out with them that day? How will you know anyones progress unless you happen to workout with them way down the road? Do you really think that people are going to start logging their sleep, food, energy, etc. if they don’t already or if they don’t even post on here? Maybe for the first little while but then I think it will fade. Don’t get me wrong I do think it’s prevelant and something people should do but I don’t think most will start the habit. How are posting the WOD’s in the log books going to be beneficial for non hero, non benchmark, and non strength workouts? How will you refer back? And really once a couple months go by and maybe a workout comes up that you remember doing, how are you really going to find that in your “log book”? Maybe I just don’t know how to use one.
rx’d – 9 rnds + 3 HSPU + 6 SDHP + 9 BJs.
Also, I measured 20 inches… tell your friends.
David,
I had a feeling the only thing you might have heard in all this was ‘trial period’. Believe it or not, but so far it’s looking pretty good for the NO WOD idea.
Brieanne,
You’re pretty opinionated against something you’ve never seen or used.
Sandra,
I like the idea of charging people for our program and information. Maybe like making it members only or something…
Chad,
I did use a log book for a year and it was used for measuring food, sleep, and exercise but ya I guess I have never used “this” log book. So can you tell me how you will be able to keep talk of those other WOD’s?
Posting on this website, like any other, is not at all private. That’s why I haven’t written about the changes before and why my WOD posts are very brief. However, I think the temperature of the debate is starting to rise and so I felt I should write to see if I could get everyone to step back and really think about these changes a little more.
It makes no sense to give away your work product. Furthermore, other Crossfit boxes (Lineage for example) probably don’t do the business they might do when what they are selling is offered online for nothing. As a customer, I want the business to survive and prosper so I can continue to buy the service. Why would I want to pay a monthly fee so someone who isn’t can benefit. Remember the old days when we went to the rented box and did whatever. We all raved about what we were doing, had fun doing it and benefited from new friends. We sweated together, occasionally hung out together, and we all thought we were better for it.We didn’t have a website, we had a whiteboard and that’s it. I still feel that way.
I confess that I’ll check the site to see how others did in a WOD I’ve done. The comments are usually interesting. However, I don’t think that is a particularly accurate way to gauge my performance or yours. Really, I want to be able to say I went my hardest every time out. My past results, weights and times are really only a snapshot of who I was then and won’t have much impact on what my hardest will be today. Isn’t that really the case with everyone who doesn’t track hours of sleep, diet, alcohol consumption, coffee consumption, general health, stress, and a myriad of other contributing factors? Isn’t better to approach the process on the basis that you know you are stronger and more fit than you were and that growth will continue as long as you continue to expend the effort. Sure you’ll have off days but you’ll also have days when you are Brian-like
As a last thought, You can still post your trials, tribulations, how you did, and all the stuff you have been posting. I don’t think that the new policies change that. That means we all get to celebrate or commisserate with you either in person, at the WOD, or vicariously, electronically.
Having given this a lot of thought, I think the changes are sensible, good business and workable.
Is this idea something that came out of a Crossfit gathering? We will expect to see the .com workout disappear as well?
I don’t mind not having the WOD posted, I enjoy being surprised when I show up. Remember folks, there is always facebook for staying in touch and checking in on people who update their status’.
Brieanne,
I think that is an excellent question. Those ‘other’ wods play a very significant role in our program. So much so that I believe I’ve already answered your question in tomorrows post. If you still have questions after reading the post, please comment.
FUN WOD Today, good company, and locked out of my van!!
The usual day for me
I appreciate Chad’s comments above, it helped put a new perspective for me on things!
My Crossfit Christmas wish: a spell check…can’t spell for BEANS!
Kelly, thanks for mentioning me in your post – I completely agree with Karen when she says that every person at CrossFit is inspiring. We all start from different places and I love seeing everyone’s progress, whether it’s getting the first muscle up or air squat below parallel – it speaks to everyone’s hard work and determination.
I really don’t mind the WOD not being posted. As Terry said, that was how it was in the ‘old days’ and it was fine. This past week and the week in the summer (spring?) when Chad did this, it was almost a relief to not be worrying about it & endlessly analyzing how it would go, etc., etc. The thing that I do miss, however, is being able to quickly go back to find our previous results from the same WOD’s. I just can’t picture an easy way to do this with the log books when we don’t know the WOD ahead of time. Trying to flip through months’ worth of WOD’s to find a particular one during warm-up time doesn’t seem very productive. I find being able to reference back useful esp. in those WOD’s where we pick weights (grinders or something like Gwen come to mind) – sometimes the comments and results from the previous WOD’s can save a lot of time, energy, and frustration. Maybe your post tomorrow will address this Chad?
Chad, I am wondering about posting results. For some of the WOD’s, based on people’s times, weights used, comments, etc., it can be pretty obvious exactly what the WOD is. Other times, not so much, although someone may get the gist of whether it’s AMRAP, metcon, long, etc. Would you rather we not post until after everyone has worked out to avoid ‘giving away’ the WOD, or are you not too worried about it?
10+5 rounds
subbed OHP for HSPU
all unbroken rested in b/w stations
WOW, I have really mixed feelings about this…since I am no longer paying at an Edmonton affiliate, I am not too sure what to say, or if it matters. Both CF Edmonton and CF Lineage have stopped posting WOD’s…well I hope that works for you and your clients who can afford to “pay to play”.
Some of us choose or have money constrictions that cause us to be silent members of the community. Some choose to follow the local community, and not the “.com”. What about those who work out in their garage, or “issued” gyms?
What is this all about? Money? Max Control? What?
Is crossfit.com doing this too? If so, it will be a sad day for what is still a reasonably small unheard of community.
Well what ever happens…I hope it works out for CFE and CFL! Good Luck!!
Don’t get me wrong, I still recommend both places to those who need enlightenment, and intend to support the CF community in Edmonton.
To maintain a sense of connection with other crossfitters and the WOD, we will be putting up a WOD score board in house for daily score records. This way hopefully we’ll get more than just the regular posters participating and you can still keep in touch with the folks doing the work out at other times.
Sandra,
Thanks for the constructive post. I do believe that your questions about searching back through ‘those other’ WOD’s will be answered in tomorrow’s post. It will also be answered and eased once you see the organization of these WOD books. Trust me when I say they are designed for Crossfitters.
About the fact that people are still posting WOD scores, I’m not too concerned. I feel people are still doing it for two reasons. 1) It’s what we’ve always done and 2) we don’t have that void filled yet with the WOD log books. They’re being shipped tomorrow so I’m hoping they’ll be here within a week or so. Once we have the books, there will no longer be a need to post on the website.
Ryan,
Thanks for your comments as an ‘outsider’ so to speak. We are well aware that we have many followers of our program around Edmonton that don’t actually come into our facility. They will obviously be loosing out in this scenario. However, our decision is not based on keeping things from the outsiders or max control, but it is based on providing a professional service to our paying members. Our service to those members is our facility and our coaching, not our website.
CrossFit.com is a website who’s service is to provide a workout of the day. It’s not for a facility and it’s not even for affiliates to follow. It’s simply just a workout of the day. They will continue to do this because this is entirely a local decision, not a CrossFit-wide decision.
Seriously, is nobody going to mention that Chad gave me a 20″ measurement today! I think THAT’S a PR!
10 rnds in 15:15 with 3 situp mats for HSPU’S
Ok Paul. I’ll bite, no way. You must have something on him!
8 rnds + 3 HSPU, 6 SDHP, 9 BJ
Used 1 situp mat + a 10lb weight for HSPU. I think it was from the third or fourth round I had to start shooting my legs in the air to allow me to complete the HSPU.
I liked this workout.
Mr. 20″ …I can’t believe it!
Isn’t there an ‘app’ for this logbook stuff? If not, then someone better get started on one!
Change is good. Life wouldn’t be exciting if there were no changes!
Chelsie-app for iphone is called as rx’d-has all benchmarks, and can also post other non-girl non-hero wods
Terry-love your comments, and I completely agree with everything you’ve said. Thank you for putting it all together so well.
9 rounds
3 HSPU
6 SDHP
9 Box Jumps Completed