Here at CFH we incorporate aspects of weightlifting, gymnastics, and metabolic conditioning into workouts that blur the distinction between traditional “strength” and “cardio” training. They will identify and eliminate any weaknesses you may have and make you more capable to meet the demands of your day to day life, whether that life is as an office worker, a firefighter, a Navy SEAL, or a housewife.
CrossFit can be adapted to anyone’s fitness and skill levels. We will teach you the fundamentals of CrossFit and ensure that you do the movements correctly and safely, so you reap the maximum benefits from the time you spend here.
We want to see you get stronger and we know that aches and pains are going to happen to everyone at one time or another, assuming you’ve got some time under your belt and are able to push your limits. However we believe that one should NOT train through the pain. Training through the pain, for the general population, makes absolutely zero sense.You should avoid anything that causes you pain.
Even the most well-thought-out and balanced workout will not be completely devoid of injuries or aches and pains. It’s simply impossible. However, we strive to make sure that we are putting you in the best possible position to train safely.
Doing a movement that you know your body doesn’t respond well to just for the sake of doing a movement is also nonsense. (Parts from Jason Brown)
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Our "Rules"
2. Accidents and injuries happen and usually come as a result of impatience. Don’t be greedy. Slow down. Ask questions. Ask for help. Upward progression in strength, speed and ability WILL COME.
3. Treat equipment with respect, but don’t baby it. Respect the equipment by using it heavy and hard, but don’t abuse it.
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4. Chalk is useful, even necessary. It is also messy. Use as much as you need, but keep the excess inside the chalk bucket! You don’t want to have to vacuum with Fran cough!
5. Clean up and put away all equipment after each workout. I’m not your mom and you are all adults. Clean up sweat, spit, blood, chalk, dirt, vomit, handprints, and whatever else you’ve left behind.
6. Grunting, screaming, and otherwise making noise are all welcome and encouraged during a workout. There is such a thing as gentle, quiet strength, although most of us haven’t mastered that yet. Also remember that there can be such a thing as too loud, crass, gross, or rude – common sense rule applies, please be respectful.
7. Don’t make us ask you for money! Monthly dues are due on the first. Enough said.
8. We are respectful but we are not politically correct. We joke, yell, grunt, scream, sweat, bleed, etc. You will too.
9. Have Fun, Laugh & Smile a lot. Yes, you’re going to work harder than you thought possible. Yes, it’ll hurt. So what? Have fun with it. CrossFit Harrisburg is a playground and while we’re constantly increasing work capacity, we’re having a blast at the same time. Agony and laughter, who knew they were so compatible?
10. Work hard. Form follows function and intensity drives adaptation. What does that mean? The harder you work, the better you’ll get. Effort is more important than any other attribute. DON’T BE EMBARASSED OR ASHAMED if you have a 50 lb deadlift and the person next to you has a 500lb deadlift; if your Fran time is 30 minutes and someone else finished in 3; if you can’t go Rx’d and scale every workout - AS LONG AS YOU ARE TRYING YOUR HARDEST. What you do doesn’t matter so long as you push the envelope each and every workout. Believe this – the juice is worth the squeeze.
11. Check “it” at the door. If you have ego, leave it at the door! Don’t bring that stuff into the box. Sometimes it’s hard to let this go, especially for the male species. CrossFit is magical in its ability to wreck egos. You have been warned.
12. Introduce yourself. CrossFit Harrisburg is more than a gym. It’s a community. If you see a CrossFitter you haven’t met yet, please introduce yourself, as they may need to revive your unconscious body later and “Dude, wake up…” is just so impersonal.
13. Do not cheat. Do every rep, with solid technique, no matter the time it takes. You only cheat yourself of the opportunity to become a better athlete and person. There is no honor in cheating, what joy is there in a victory you didn't earn?
14. Dress code. We don’t need no stinkin’ dress code. Dresses are totally optional. So are shirts and shoes for that matter.
15. You’re allowed to cry before, during and after the workout just don’t act like a baby.
16. Brag to your family and friends. You’re getting in the best shape of your life. You’re having fun. You’re doing things you never thought possible. Be proud of this. Shout your bad-assery from the mountain tops.
17. Get your Butt in the door! A workout may suck before and during, but no one ever feels bad after they workout!!!!! The hardest part is coming in and getting started, so just do it
Thanks Matt from Crossfit Timoro for his rules!! www.crossfittimoro.com
5. Clean up and put away all equipment after each workout. I’m not your mom and you are all adults. Clean up sweat, spit, blood, chalk, dirt, vomit, handprints, and whatever else you’ve left behind.
6. Grunting, screaming, and otherwise making noise are all welcome and encouraged during a workout. There is such a thing as gentle, quiet strength, although most of us haven’t mastered that yet. Also remember that there can be such a thing as too loud, crass, gross, or rude – common sense rule applies, please be respectful.
7. Don’t make us ask you for money! Monthly dues are due on the first. Enough said.
8. We are respectful but we are not politically correct. We joke, yell, grunt, scream, sweat, bleed, etc. You will too.
9. Have Fun, Laugh & Smile a lot. Yes, you’re going to work harder than you thought possible. Yes, it’ll hurt. So what? Have fun with it. CrossFit Harrisburg is a playground and while we’re constantly increasing work capacity, we’re having a blast at the same time. Agony and laughter, who knew they were so compatible?
10. Work hard. Form follows function and intensity drives adaptation. What does that mean? The harder you work, the better you’ll get. Effort is more important than any other attribute. DON’T BE EMBARASSED OR ASHAMED if you have a 50 lb deadlift and the person next to you has a 500lb deadlift; if your Fran time is 30 minutes and someone else finished in 3; if you can’t go Rx’d and scale every workout - AS LONG AS YOU ARE TRYING YOUR HARDEST. What you do doesn’t matter so long as you push the envelope each and every workout. Believe this – the juice is worth the squeeze.
11. Check “it” at the door. If you have ego, leave it at the door! Don’t bring that stuff into the box. Sometimes it’s hard to let this go, especially for the male species. CrossFit is magical in its ability to wreck egos. You have been warned.
12. Introduce yourself. CrossFit Harrisburg is more than a gym. It’s a community. If you see a CrossFitter you haven’t met yet, please introduce yourself, as they may need to revive your unconscious body later and “Dude, wake up…” is just so impersonal.
13. Do not cheat. Do every rep, with solid technique, no matter the time it takes. You only cheat yourself of the opportunity to become a better athlete and person. There is no honor in cheating, what joy is there in a victory you didn't earn?
14. Dress code. We don’t need no stinkin’ dress code. Dresses are totally optional. So are shirts and shoes for that matter.
15. You’re allowed to cry before, during and after the workout just don’t act like a baby.
16. Brag to your family and friends. You’re getting in the best shape of your life. You’re having fun. You’re doing things you never thought possible. Be proud of this. Shout your bad-assery from the mountain tops.
17. Get your Butt in the door! A workout may suck before and during, but no one ever feels bad after they workout!!!!! The hardest part is coming in and getting started, so just do it
Thanks Matt from Crossfit Timoro for his rules!! www.crossfittimoro.com
Here’s what you need to know if you’re an athlete at a CrossFit box:
2. Performing higher skill movements when fatigued will increase your risk of injury. This one is pretty straightforward. I’m not saying that you should never program these types of pieces, but keep in mind that athletes with lower training ages would benefit from alternative options until they develop proper motor patterns.
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3. Volume does not equal results. Similar to intensity, and contrary to what you may see on Instagram, the human body is not designed to incur 100s of chest-to-bar pull-ups and 100s of reps of global movements on a day-to-day basis. On the other hand, performing single-joint movements at higher volumes is much less dangerous and quite beneficial. If your goals are to look better, improve your fitness all-around, and maybe beat your buddy in a few workouts, then all high-volume, all of the time is a recipe for injury. Just because Games athletes do it doesn’t mean it’s going to get you closer to your goals. Subscribing to training that gets you closer to your goals and keeps you healthy is the best training in my book.
4. General Physical Preparedness (GPP) work goes a long way. Loaded carries and sled pushes have a long list of benefits. Overall, EVERYONE needs more GPP – even Games athletes. The most noteworthy benefits are allowing us to train the body systemically with low external loading and almost zero risks of injury. These movements are low-skill so everyone, regardless of your experience, can get a great training session. Most of this work can double as high-resistance aerobic work as well. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather push a sled and carry some weight than run on the treadmill.
5. Benchmarks, hero workouts, and testers. These pieces are exactly that; testers and should be tested on a 12-16 weeks basis. That’s not saying we can’t have testers on a monthly basis, as we certainly can, but their nature should vary. I also firmly believe that some of our testers should not be dependent on one’s skill level. If we are truly testing to see if our conditioning has improved with higher skill workout, then we could receive a false negative, meaning did we improve because our conditioning is actually better, or are we just better at cycling the barbell? Of course, as movement patterns improve, you’ll see a bump in your lifts and conditioning pieces, but if you’re a seasoned athlete and you’re still hitting PRs, then something must be working for you. Your testers should vary, just like your programming.
6. Non-sexy work will make you sexier. It’s true single joint work might not be on the top of your list and you may not be thrilled to see when it’s posted in your gym’s programming, but improving muscular imbalance not to mention improving your body composition is done with these movements. You won’t see any bodybuilders or physique athletes not using single-joint work because it gets them closer to their goals. I can’t imagine anyone that wouldn’t want to have better arms or legs! =) In addition, single-joint work will train your body to handle higher-skill movements when fatigued and decrease your risk of injury by improving muscular imbalance.
7. Routine will keep you healthy. Taxing the same movement patterns and energy systems at random will be fun at first. Over time, it will wear off, and other issues will arise. Overtraining is a serious phenomenon and this type of programming will take you there. The only way you can have a balanced and logical approach is by having a plan or template, so if your box does this already, then be thankful they aren’t throwing darts against the wall to choose your programming.
8. Rest days get you closer to your goals. Listening to your body is key. Having a plan on how to approach your training is also important, but there are always times when you may have to go off course. Personally, I encourage the two on/one-off, two on/two off approach for experienced athletes. For beginner to intermediate athletes, it may be training 3x a week, every other day. I also recommend that every 16 weeks, athletes take an entire week off from training. This is something you’ll have to experiment with to find out what works best for you. Don’t fall into the trap of worrying you’ll lose your gainz if you take a rest day or a rest week.
9. Trust your data. Developing trust takes time. Your coaches process may not work for you, but one thing we will always have is data. If your lifts, conditioning pieces, CF Open scores/place, and body composition have improved, and you feel better then what else is there to say?
10. Recovery, recovery, recovery: The real gains happen outside the box and without being able to manage the stress of training and life you won’t reap the benefits of any programming. Remember, that going harder or training more does NOT guarantee results, but proper nutrition, sleep, and balance of high-intensity work do!
As an athlete, you may not understand the logic of your box’s programming, and that is okay. Trusting your progress, how you feel, and whether or not it “feels” like your coaches have a plan are better markers of great programming.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking is more is better or that how dead you are after a workout determines the success of your training sessions.
Thanks to Jason Brown from Box Programming
4. General Physical Preparedness (GPP) work goes a long way. Loaded carries and sled pushes have a long list of benefits. Overall, EVERYONE needs more GPP – even Games athletes. The most noteworthy benefits are allowing us to train the body systemically with low external loading and almost zero risks of injury. These movements are low-skill so everyone, regardless of your experience, can get a great training session. Most of this work can double as high-resistance aerobic work as well. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather push a sled and carry some weight than run on the treadmill.
5. Benchmarks, hero workouts, and testers. These pieces are exactly that; testers and should be tested on a 12-16 weeks basis. That’s not saying we can’t have testers on a monthly basis, as we certainly can, but their nature should vary. I also firmly believe that some of our testers should not be dependent on one’s skill level. If we are truly testing to see if our conditioning has improved with higher skill workout, then we could receive a false negative, meaning did we improve because our conditioning is actually better, or are we just better at cycling the barbell? Of course, as movement patterns improve, you’ll see a bump in your lifts and conditioning pieces, but if you’re a seasoned athlete and you’re still hitting PRs, then something must be working for you. Your testers should vary, just like your programming.
6. Non-sexy work will make you sexier. It’s true single joint work might not be on the top of your list and you may not be thrilled to see when it’s posted in your gym’s programming, but improving muscular imbalance not to mention improving your body composition is done with these movements. You won’t see any bodybuilders or physique athletes not using single-joint work because it gets them closer to their goals. I can’t imagine anyone that wouldn’t want to have better arms or legs! =) In addition, single-joint work will train your body to handle higher-skill movements when fatigued and decrease your risk of injury by improving muscular imbalance.
7. Routine will keep you healthy. Taxing the same movement patterns and energy systems at random will be fun at first. Over time, it will wear off, and other issues will arise. Overtraining is a serious phenomenon and this type of programming will take you there. The only way you can have a balanced and logical approach is by having a plan or template, so if your box does this already, then be thankful they aren’t throwing darts against the wall to choose your programming.
8. Rest days get you closer to your goals. Listening to your body is key. Having a plan on how to approach your training is also important, but there are always times when you may have to go off course. Personally, I encourage the two on/one-off, two on/two off approach for experienced athletes. For beginner to intermediate athletes, it may be training 3x a week, every other day. I also recommend that every 16 weeks, athletes take an entire week off from training. This is something you’ll have to experiment with to find out what works best for you. Don’t fall into the trap of worrying you’ll lose your gainz if you take a rest day or a rest week.
9. Trust your data. Developing trust takes time. Your coaches process may not work for you, but one thing we will always have is data. If your lifts, conditioning pieces, CF Open scores/place, and body composition have improved, and you feel better then what else is there to say?
10. Recovery, recovery, recovery: The real gains happen outside the box and without being able to manage the stress of training and life you won’t reap the benefits of any programming. Remember, that going harder or training more does NOT guarantee results, but proper nutrition, sleep, and balance of high-intensity work do!
As an athlete, you may not understand the logic of your box’s programming, and that is okay. Trusting your progress, how you feel, and whether or not it “feels” like your coaches have a plan are better markers of great programming.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking is more is better or that how dead you are after a workout determines the success of your training sessions.
Thanks to Jason Brown from Box Programming