YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Videos of CrossFit training tend to go viral, especially when an athlete or professional is taking on an enormous feat. The good news, all of these moves can be scaled down to any level.
Darren Kemp, Crossfit CDI owner and coach, prides himself on creating a CrossFit environment where all levels are comfortable.
He says building confidence in a movement is key to progressing long-term. He also makes sure that each participant is working with a weight that is challenging yet doable, and is also focusing on a safe form while using the chosen weight.
"Everyone wants to get into good shape, so what that is to them, whether they want to lose weight, [or] body composition gets stronger, we focus on all of those goals," said Kemp.
Client, Linda Leavesley, was inspired to try it out in May of 2013 and she's been coming to class ever since.
"In the beginning, I fought the urge to come because I thought I had to be in shape. One day I realized that it was getting more and more difficult to get out of the sofa and I was like this has got to change. And I just decided to come," said Leavesley.
She noticed a major change in her fitness level just 4 weeks after starting up class.
"I did a workout at the beginning, which was just like body weight and it took me like 13 minutes to do. In 4 weeks time, I did the same workout, and I cut my time down to seven minutes and 43 seconds. That sealed it for me, I knew I had to keep doing this and I've been doing it ever since. I love it," said Leavesley.
Kemp's Workout of the Day (WOD) classes focus on different movements on a daily basis. Some of the moves that may be incorporated include ring dips, pushups, pull-ups, squats, or sit-ups.
"We are not just focusing on leg day, back day, we are not just doing cardio. There is a variety of different styles of workouts that we will do, some are on a time basis, and some are on a task basis. We will combine Olympic lifting with gymnastics, with conditioning, so you get a variety of different things," said Kemp.
Newer CrossFit participants do not need to bring any equipment, and your first class will be a free assessment of your skill.
Kemp says each participant works their way up to more challenging weights, and during that first session, you'll find a starting baseline zone.
As you gain more experience, feel free to bring in hand wraps, jump ropes or whatever you need to succeed in class.
"The great thing about CrossFit is that it is universally scalable. We can take a dynamic movement, with a lot of components to it, and break it down into its simplest form. A lot of people see the videos of these professional athletes doing these things and they are like ‘I could never do that’. We can always break stuff down and so that way people can provide their own intensity," said Kemp.
On top of a full-body workout, Crossfit CDI creates a feeling of community, which you can lean on when building healthy habits and body strength.
"It is a building of self-esteem. You feel great when you come in and challenge yourself to do something and then you do it, it's awesome," said Leavesley.
Classes run for about 60 minutes and are complete with an intro instructional walk-through of the class, and warm-up ahead of the actual workout.
To book a class click here.