TIPS FOR STARTING YOUR OWN GYM

LVALIFETIMEVALUE OF AN ATHLETE

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Grow Your Box WithA Mobile

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GRIP STRENGTHTHE WEAK LINK

SOCIAL MEDIA

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Owners &Coaches1st Qtr2015ISSUE 1

Coaching

Community

Marketing

Operations

Finance

Health & Nutrition

Who are You TrainingHow can you program classes for both males and females?

The Honor of Being a CoachTeaching health and fitness is an art, treat it as such

GripStrengthUnderstand the elements to helping improve your athletes grip

Jumper’sKneeLearn the signs of chronic tendonitis of the patellar/quadriceps tendon

Don’t Forget The Average AthleteRemember that your average member is your bread and butter

Proper WOD Nutrition HabitsHelp your athletes develop healthy eating habits

Advice and OpinionsOwners and coaches from around the word share insight

Tips for Starting Your Own GymA new gym owner shares five tips to help you start your own gym

The Collapse of CrossFit GymsHas the functional fitness market reached a critical mass?

PowerHourA program to help local special-needs children as become so much more

Reasons to Invest in BrandingUnderstand why branding your business really pays out in the lot run

RelationshipMarketingLearn how to grow your gym through relationship marketing

Social MediaDrive-ByUsing social media to reach current and potential clients

Is You Website Mobile FriendlyMore than likely 50% of the people visiting your site are on their phone

The “F-word” in CrossFitWhy affiliate owners should be thinking about this word everyday

Increase Revenue with Boot CampsHave you thought about adding boot camps to your class list?

BULL

RAGING BULL

STEER

CROSSFITTER

COMPETITOR

ELITE

FIREBREATHER

Athlete Level ChartsKeep members motivated by providing them a path for growth

Understanding the LVACreating a marketing budget is easier if you understand a clients value

TaxSeasonAvoid the stress of pay-ing taxes by starting to prepare early

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PUBLISHERChristina Elmore

christinae@wodtalk.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & EDITORChris Elmore

celmore@metconmedia.com

COPY EDITORHeather Villeneuve

Cathleen Yates

ADVERTISINGGeoff Smith

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Community

Making Each OtherStronger Through Sharing

Christina SpencerJunction City CrossFit“A possible way to grow your gym. I recently approached the dean of our local community college about offer-ing CrossFit as their PE credit hour. She accepted, and I now have 30 ad-ditional members starting next week. They may not all stay but it was a great way to reach out to our com-munity. 80+% of our members are Military and we have had a hard time getting locals to come. Excited to see what will happen and keep anyone posted who is interested. I got the idea from Kansas State CrossFit”

Question?What type of surface should I use for training with Atlas Stones? We have been using stack of mats, but the get torn up and it is very time consum-ing to set them up.

AnswerUse old forklift tires (no rims) to

catch the stones. Then the athlete can roll the stone onto a flat surface. This saves mats, stones and the floor.

David TrippLand Warrior CrossFit

HOT TIPNeed to knock the chill off for the early AM class? This only of these bad boys. Just roll of your back door about a foot and place the propane/kerosene heater outside blowing in.

Placing it outside will keep the fumes away and have your place warmed up in no time.

Avaliable at Home Depot and Lowes.

Want to Open a Gym?Sell 5-10 lifetime memberships for $2,000-3,000. Have it workout to what a 2-year membership cost would be. They have a lien on the equipment for the first two years but once two years has passed they then only have their life-time membership.

The get no equity or profit shar-ing in the business and you have $20,000-30,000 to finance your new gym.

Matt PlappCrossFit The Tracks

Tips

TIPS FOR OPENING YOUR OWN GYM

By Genelle Vinci

Getting Started!

5We are a few weeks shy of the grand opening of our box, CrossFit Azusa, a journey that started a year ago. That’s right, one year ago! Looking back now, realizing what it actually takes to start a box, it blows my mind when I hear the cliché statement, “boxes are popping up left and right.” Maybe it is a fairly easy process to just open a box, order equipment, and start having classes. But we value expressing our passion in the details. I think this is all part of the beauty of CrossFit: Each box differs significantly by displaying the uniqueness of each owner, yet keeping true to the CrossFit values.

If someone were to approach me today and ask “what it takes to start a box,” I would tell them to keep in mind five things.

Location, location, location

Just like in real estate, the location of your box is very important. Each city has various zoning requirements, which are important to understand before trying to lease out a building. In Azusa, there are strict regulations as to where we could put a “health and fitness facility”. They wanted us close to restaurants and shops to encourage members to eat locally after their workout; yet, they didn’t want us too close to housing and retail districts.

After scouring the MLS list and driving around aimlessly on Saturdays in search of “For Lease” signs, we found what we believed to be a great starter box: heart of downtown, street front building, and ample parking. However, we were unable to get that building because the landlords wanted a longer leasing term than we were comfortable committing to. We then found another dream spot, but the building was deemed historical, and had so many renovations/improvements to be made, we had to pass. After feeling discouraged and frustrated, a little golden nugget of an opportunity turned up for us. We found a street-facing building in the newly renovated downtown district, which is in front of the Citrus stop of the new Metrolink! The beauty of this building is that we have the opportunity to double the building size if we outgrow our current box, as the landlord owns the vacant building next door as well!

Don’t get discouraged if you are struggling in your search for your perfect spot, it will come. You may have to compromise on some amenities that you hoped to have, but don’t compromise on the location.

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1

Secure Financing

Oh boy, where to start? If you happen to have an extra $20,000 in your savings account, you can skip ahead to No. 3; however, if you are like us, ensuring that we found a bank to assist in subsidizing funds was something not to be taken lightly. The beauty of getting a loan for CrossFit Azusa was that it was established under our business tax ID number, and only impacted our credit report as a soft inquiry. After several calls to banks, I quickly learned that they are more hesitant to lend to a new business, especially one just starting up. However, there are financial options out there, some that are specifically designed for CrossFit boxes! I highly recommend reaching out to them versus a bank, as they cater to new box owners and understand the needs and equipment necessary! Any amount of funding you can get will be to your benefit, even if you don’t need it. It’s good to start establishing credit under your business too, so you can build that business credit up!

Learn to “Wheel and Deal”

The benefits of the Internet, Amazon, Google and eBay are limitless, especially when it comes to finding good pricing on items that you are looking to purchase for your box. We happen to be centrally located in between two major vendors who specialize in CrossFit equipment. So we have the best of both worlds: Friendly competition between local businesses along with finding the best price online for smaller commodities.

This “CrossFit thing” as some call it, has become a very popular trend, and most companies who provide that type of equipment are dying to get into that market. This is the best opportunity for you as a box owner. You are on a budget,

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2

3

looking for the right seller at just the right price, and they are willing to enter the “CrossFit thing” market with little to no profit, just to start establishing their name. So take advantage of this situation!

Hiccups Happen … keep on truckin’

I remember when all of we owners got together and started to envision our box. Everything from the building to the colors, logo, flooring, it was all so exciting to discuss and plan. Then it got real. We got a building, needed to choose our box colors, had to come up with a logo, and manage all the little details in between.

A mentor of mine from our previous box had told me that when they first started, they all got into a fight over a color they wanted to paint on their box wall. I laughed because I thought that was such a silly and trivial detail to disagree over; until we all went to the Home Depot to pick our box colors. Yes, hiccups will happen, and thing won’t always go as planned. Kind of like a relationship, you learn to pick your battles, otherwise you end up in an argument that has evolved so much you don’t even know what you are arguing over anymore!

It is important to learn how to agree to disagree with one another, it will bind you and keep you strong. Along with major decisions such as paint (insert sarcasm here), there will be things outside of your control that will definitely come up, and will seem like a show-stopper. Learn to move through it and beyond it. Just like CrossFit! There are days I look at the WOD and think to myself, “There is no way”, but a phrase I hear among boxes comes to mind, “You’ve got what it takes, but it will take everything you’ve got.” Don’t give up – that light is at the end of the tunnel, just keep going!

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4

Become a Social Media fiend

Luckily, one of our owners enjoys the social media frenzy more than the rest of us, so she happily took on the job of blasting CrossFit Azusa all over every fathomable social media site out there. To be honest, I don’t even know, let alone keep up with half the outlets she has put us on. However, she has done a fine job marketing CrossFit Azusa, our brand, and announcing our opening date! If you are technologically and social media challenged, delegate that job to someone who lives for that stuff, and just now, I know all of you reading this had someone’s name just pop into your mind. We all know that person who is obsessed with social media!

It is important to broadcast along all channels available to you. There are even companies that will build you a website and then throw in free advertising on social media websites for you. GoDaddy offers an amazing promotion where you can create a website, then its staff will generate pop-up banners on Facebook and search engines to help draw customers to you.

The build-up process from a year ago to now has been eventful and filled with experiences I never anticipated. However, with the strong partners, strong wills and determination, the box of your dreams can develop before your eyes. You just need a little bit of patience, understanding, passion and some moolah!

For those of you who are local, check us out on Facebook (I can’t believe I am doing a social media blast now), and swing by our Grand Opening later this month!

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About the AuthorGenelle Vinci has been CrossFitting for 3 years. Her passion for CrossFit and the opportunity it provides to a community is what inspired her, her husband and another couple to start CrossFit Azusa. By day, she works at the California Institute of Technology as a Contracting Officer, by night she is a Box owner and L1 Trainer! Keep an eye out for her, as my goal for 2015 is to come out with her own Paleo cookbook!

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opinionAFFILIATES

THE UPCOMING COLLAPSE OF CROSSFIT GYMSBy Dan Uyemura

Let me start off by saying this: This is just my opinion. This isn’t fact, nor is it scientific. Just my opinion.

Also let me say, while I think there’s going to be a shrinkage of the number of gyms, I do not think Functional Fitness (nor CrossFit) are going anywhere anytime soon. So this isn’t “The Upcoming Collapse of CrossFit”.

We are in interesting/exciting times in the CrossFit space. We’re seeing near exponential growth in all aspects¬ including the number of gyms open, the number of CrossFitters, the number of things CrossFitters can buy, the number of services supporting CrossFitters, etc.

But if there’s one law of nature that bats 1.000, it’s that growth cannot be sustained forever. And the larger the growth curve, the more likely the stoppage.

The Anatomy of This Contraction

Here’s what I think will happen in the near future.

1. Gym owners will feel a pinch. Many of you are already there. You’ve been working for years at this and you manage to make some money, but not enough to really justify the hours and blood you spill. We know we’re all in this because we truly want to help people… but all the success stories and PR’s in the world won’t pay your rent.

2. Smart owners will grow up / adapt. There are already owners out there who have grown up. They realize that this is a business and pay attention to it as such. They might be forced to make hard decisions. “Should I raise rates and risk pissing my friends’ clients off?” “Do I need to change my programming and classes to encourage retention?” Those who are able to recognize the important decisions they have to make and act upon them will put themselves in a better position to succeed.

3. Gyms will close. I’ve already seen this happen. People with every good intention in the world forced to close up shop because their business was not ready to succeed when a critical point came up. This critical point could be anything:

a. A pregnancy (expected or otherwise).

b. A lawsuit you weren’t prepared for.

c. A stress at or loss of your “other” job. (you know, the one that actually pays the bills).

d. The passing of a family member.

e. A change in the expectation or desires of a spouse.

4. Those who survive will prosper. With the closing of gyms comes a reduction in supply. More gyms will pop up to fill the void, but those that survive will gain goodwill and credibility in the communities they serve, giving them a distinct competitive advantage.

Stop and ReflectHow ready are you to “survive”? Think of your business like one of your clients. We’re training them to live a life that is more likely able to survive stress. Is your business ready to survive stress of all shapes and sizes?

If not, what are you doing to make your business more prepared for tomorrow?

We ask our clients every day to put themselves in discomfort today to be better tomorrow do you do the same for your business?

Show me the Answers!To be perfectly blunt, there’s no easy answer to any of this. The point of this article isn’t to give you that elusive magic answer (which we all know does not exist). Rather, the point is to make you stop and think for a second. Reflect on your business and consider how hearty or fragile it might be.

In the gym, you have to first identify your weaknesses before you can train them. The process of identification means analyzing yourself for the good and the bad. I’m hoping each of you do so with your business as well. Find your weaknesses, and then start training!

About the AuthorDan Uyemura is a fellow box owner (Torrance CrossFit) and a founding partner of PushPress, Inc.www.pushpress.com

communityEmpower

POWER HOURBy Jamie Cormier

Bradley

Once we got the hang of it, we began to add more children to the Power Hour. Every two weeks, a member of our box becomes a coach to a new child for Power Hour. We work hard towards their goals using CrossFit movements modified to their current abilities. Many of these children would love to walk one day, but could not stand, even with heavy support on their first night. Kylie, who is very close to standing with no support, could not support her weight our first time together. With the help of some University of Alabama wheelchair basketball players who understand her needs, she’s on the cusp of walking, holding the back of a basketball wheelchair as she goes. Her goal is in sight.

Bradley, Cooper, Hank, and Hayden are the current boys of our group. While they differ in ages and current abilities,

A few months ago, we implemented a weekly “Power Hour” to help local special-needs children. One of our members, Vera, has a daughter named Kylie who has cerebral palsy. We were inspired by others in the CrossFit Community who are thriving despite physical restrictions. So, in hopes of improving Kylie’s quality of life, among other things, we started doing CrossFit with her once a week. Because we all felt so empowered after those 60 minutes, we started calling this time “Power Hour”.

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Hayden

each brings his own strengths to Power Hour. Seven year-old Bradley has amazing core strength and his feet, though they are the size of an NBA superstar’s and ready to run, are walking in a walker. Four year-old Cooper is the life of the party. His spirit and laughter are contagious, and with Power Hour, he is now standing from a seated position and walking for the first time! Fifteen-year-old Hank walked the length of our 40+ foot rig, his longest unassisted walk ever. He does burpees for reps that will blow your mind with their intensity, and he works harder than

any athlete in our box. Hayden has this natural strength that you can feel and see the first time you meet him. His body is ready to walk, and his compliant, hard-working spirit is bringing him there.

We are so inspired by these Power Hour Athletes. Whatever small amount of help we are giving them, we are paid in joy and inspiration. We have the CrossFit Candor Community to thank. This service is provided at no cost to the families, and no coach receives payment for their services. Yet, every week you’ll find University of Alabama students, parents with children, singles, and couples choosing to spend their evenings at Power Hour. With the help of med balls, barbells, rings, and Rogue Bars for support, we are paving the way together towards independence and strength. Isn’t this what CrossFit is truly about?

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Hank

Cooper

Stronger, faster, more able to live a functional life, and loving on each other as we work? We have no prior experience and are simply learning as we go. I believe that any CrossFit Box

could implement its own Power Hour with amazing success. Please feel free to contact us for any help if you’d like to set up a Power Hour of your own!

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About the AuthorJamie Cormier and her husband, Lance, own CrossFit Candor in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. After Lance retired from pitching in the MLB, they sought to reach lives through fitness by opening CrossFit Candor. Just five minutes from the University of Alabama, they plan to watch lots of football with their two sons and look forward to seeing how God continues to make Candor a blessing to those in the area.www.crossfitcandor.com

Kylie

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Don’t Forget The Average AthleteBy Jacqueline Murphy

It ’s the time of day, even as a box owner, I look forward to most – the WOD. But it ’s more than just another workout. For me it ’s the time of day I focus, f ind clarity, and don’t have to think. It ’s my social hour. It ’s my chance to blow off steam and de-stress. It ’s a chance to goof around and be silly. Why would I be any dif-ferent to anyone else?

This is my message to other boxes out there. The members are the heart and soul of this growing community. As CrossFit grows and boxes mature, there is a danger that the “competi-tors” of that box will get the lion’s share of the attention and the “aver-age” will fall to the wayside. Cross-Fit, at the end of the day, has the same general meaning for everyone. No matter the skill, age, or gender, everyone wants to get better in some way. I know this because my goals board at the box tells me so. So who is to say a f irst Double Under is not as important as a 325 Clean and Jerk PR?

This Beast we call CrossFit teaches us a lot about who we are. There are highs and lows, and as much as it is uplifting, it ’s equally just as hum-bling. So as box owners we need to do just that – stay humble. I have an easy time putting myself in someone else shoes, remembering my f irst rope climb, my f irst 100lbs clean, etc. The pictures and video we post of these achievements generate posi-tive feedback from social media that makes us feel like a king that day. Go back to those moments, and relive them. Your so called “average” ath-letes are just as hungry for a PR as the competitor in the room, so feed that.

Our athletes walk in for their hour of sanity and freedom each day. Their constant renewal of membership says so. It ’s our duty as box own-ers to make each experience just as good as the last, because you never know what extraordinary thing they may do that day. The box becomes a second home for people. It ’s a place where people see each other at their worst, yet it ’s probably the most comfortable they have felt all day. I am proud of the box we have built and the community that has grown to be family. This is aff irmed when everyone enters hugging and high f iving as they walk through the ga-rage door.

As a coach and owner I encourage you to stay humble and have fun. There is a reason there are no mir-rors in CrossFit. Your athlete is the best reflection of you as a coach. Be the mirror – cue, correct, and stay consistent.

Author: Jacqueline Murphy Jacqueline has been involved in athletics and f itness since she was 5 years old. After working in the f itness industry for some time while CrossFitting, she knew it was time to be her own boss. Her clients were getting better results from CrossFit style workouts anyway.

CrossFit changed her life mentally and physically. She became part of a community of incredible people from all different f itness levels, ages, and body types. She wanted to be able to change others’ lives in the safest and most effective way. She knew she could do that through CrossFit.

Certif ications and Education

• B.S. in Exercise Science

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• CrossFit Level 1

• Perform Better-Learn By Doing Seminar

• Diane Fu, Olympic Weightlifting: Leveling Up

• Andrea Ager, AgerBomb Seminar

• Critical Athlete/ Flexible Dieting Seminar

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coachingTraining

Falling off the bar doing pull-ups? Can’t pick up that heavy weight? Struggling to hold onto that heavy snatch while pulling? A lack of grip strength may very well be to blame.

There are three elements that encompass grip strength: pinching, crushing, and endurance.

1. Pinching refers to combined finger and thumb strength

2. Crushing is the strength of your fingers as a unit - for example, when shaking hands

3. Endurance is how long your grip lasts.

For most athletes, grip strength is a limiting factor. We have methods to override our limited grip strength such as using straps to deadlift or using the hook grip on Olympic lifts. Those methods will help support heavier loads, but they are not increasing your grip strength.

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1. Never use straps or mixed grips on lifts.

2. Never use two hands to carry a plate. Instead, pinch grip it and carry it to your station.

3. Never drop the bar. Too many people are comfortable with dropping the bar. Unless it’s a safety issue or your maximal weight, the bar should always be lowered under control. If you are a man dropping 95 pounds or a woman dropping 65 pounds after every rep, then it is too heavy for you. Lowering the bar correctly will definitely help you learn to control the weights better and improve your grip at the same time.

Most people do not need dedicated grip training if they follow a few simple pointers for their daily gym routine.

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1. Use a gripper. These are great at developing crushing strength and endurance.

2. Use Fat Gripz. You can use them while doing pull-ups or lifting weights. They enhance the muscles used in your hands as you grip the bar.

3. Farmer carry. Load up some weights and go for a walk.

4. Towel/rope pull-ups.

5. Plate pinches. Grab two plates, put them together, then pick them up with one hand.

6. Bar hang. Jump onto a bar and see how long you can stay up there.

There are also methods you can use to improve your grip strength besides the basics listed above.

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About the author“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” are the wise words that Everett has held close to him. Growing up, he was an active individual wielding his father’s concrete-filled Weider weights. Once he hit college, he demonstrated a keen interest in bodybuilding, then moved on to compete in local power lifting and strongman competitions

In 2005, Everett was involved in a severe motorcycle accident and told he would not be able to walk again. Refusing to quit, he started moving around in his wheelchair in the hos-pital corridors for exercise. He defied the odds and was soon back in the gym.

One of the major challenges that Everett faced was body movement limitation . While ,finding ways to adapt, he discovered CrossFit. He went from incorporating some of the methodologies in his workout to turning his garage into a gym for he and his friends. Everett finally bit the bullet in 2012 and joined a box, and it was there that he had the opportunity to compete in the CrossFit Canada East Regionals. From the moment he discovered CrossFit, it has evolved into a passion, one that he has decided to share with his members.

Remember that your body is only as strong as its weakest link.

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coaching

The Honor of Being a

COACHBy Alex Watson

Training

A young Japanese man by the name of Hiro walks into his favorite sushi shop in Tokyo. He asks to see the head chef and says, “I want to be a sushi chef! Hire me.” The chef pauses, looks Hiro up and down, turns back to look at his staff, at which point they all start laughing hysterically. “WHAT’S SO FUNNY?!”, Hiro says. The chef replies, “Do you really wish to be a sushi chef?”

Hiro says “More than anything! I’ve read all the books, watched all the videos, and eat it almost every day.” The chef then said, “Okay, be here tomorrow at noon and I will teach you how to be a chef ”. The following morn-ing, Hiro woke up with a huge smile on his face because today he would become a sushi chef. The clock struck 12 and Hiro found himself back at the restaurant ready to slice, dice, and roll. He threw on an apron and waited by the cutting board. The chef walked in to find Hiro promptly awaiting his arrival.

“Are you ready to be a chef?!” said the chef. “I was born ready!” said Hiro. “Good, then let’s start with the basics. See those bags over there? I need you to take them out-side. Once that’s done, I’ll need you to wash those dishes and every other dish that comes your way tonight. Cli-ents need to eat in a clean restaurant.”

“YES CHEF!” screamed Hiro. This was the only task Hiro had for the next two years. The day then came when the

Chef said “HIRO! You’ve done a great job keeping this place clean. Allow me to teach you how to prepare the rice.” Hiro agreed and was now on rice duty.

Three years have past and some of Hiro’s friends have opened sushi restaurants around town. They mock and

taunt him, nicknaming him “Rice Boy”. Feeling angry and played, Hiro confronts the chef and says “I’m done! I’ve spent five years here and I’ve not once made sushi! We had an agreement.” “Has it been 5 years?” said the chef. “You are right, Hiro. It is time for you to put the rice aside and learn the art of cutting. Come with me and I will teach you how to cut and prepare vegetables.”

Another year had gone by and Hiro had now had his fill of cutting vegetables to the chef ’s delight. “HIRO! you have really taken well to the art of cutting. Put that cucumber aside and come learn how to clean and cut the meats and fish.” Although difficult, Hiro learned the importance of accuracy, patience, and focus, and deli-cacy. He found himself lost in his work and was pushed beyond his limits by the chef. What he thought was perfect was never perfect enough. What he felt was fresh was never fresh enough. What he believed to be true was not. He was starting to realize how little he really knew and how much he had to learn.

Two years later, Hiro was now ready to take his place alongside the chef, not quite ready to serve clients but it was now time for Hiro to make sushi. His friends’ res-taurants have been shut down due to poor reviews and failing inspections. Clients refused to eat in their res-taurants because of undercooked rice, spoiled meats and fish, and poorly prepared sushi. Hiro, on the other hand, had hit his stride. He was finally making sushi but more importantly, he was that much closer to being a chef.

Another year had passed and Hiro was now serving and interacting with clients. His friends now refer to him as “Chef ” and find themselves washing dishes and making rice in his restaurant. One day, Hiro found a letter in his jacket pocket, and it read:

Hiro,

Close to 10 years ago you walked into my restaurant requesting to be a sushi chef and I made you a promise to teach you how to be one. Today, I am happy to say you now have what it takes to be one. I have been a chef for 35 years, and that excludes the first 10 years of cleaning, preparing the rice, chopping vegetables, preparing meat/fish, and shadowing my head chef. Hiro, a chef is not made overnight. I wanted you to understand that sushi is more than just food, that be-ing a chef is more than just a title. A chef must know every aspect of his restaurant. He must be as knowl-edgeable with a mop as he is with a knife. A chef must assure the highest quality of his food because it is not just food, it is an extension of himself. Sushi is art, Hiro, and should be treated as much and nothing less. Be proud to hold this title because you’ve earned it. You have dedicated years of your life to learning, and are now ready to dedicate the rest of your life master-ing this art. Then, one day a young man will walk into your restaurant and say “I want to be a sushi chef, hire me” and you too will have a good laugh because you will have understood that it takes a lifetime of prac-tice, patience, trial and error, but more importantly; respect, before one could open a restaurant and call himself, chef.

Congratulations, Chef Hiro.

-Chef-

I hope this story can express how I feel about being a coach. These days it seems like anyone can call them-selves a coach and open a gym. On the other hand, I just now feel that I have cleaned enough gyms, prepared enough client folders, registered enough clients, repaired enough equipment, shadowed enough mentors, and trained enough people to open my own center. On that day, I will know every aspect of my center. I will be as skilled with a mop as I am with preparing trainings. I sincerely feel that I have just now earned my title as a coach and must dedicate the rest of my life to learning and maintaining the highest standards possible in order to honor the position.

Health/Fitness is art and nothing less. For this reason, I urge everyone to treat it as such.

About the authorAlex Watson is not stranger to the fitness industry. With over a decade of his life dedicated to the field, he continues to shape and mold the coaches and athletes of tomorrow. Throughout his career, Alex, has worked with the best of them; Professional Stuntman Daniel Stevens (Wolverine, The Dark Knight, Green Lantern, Iron Man, Star Trek), World Kyokushin Karate Champion Julie Lamarre, The Canadian National Diving Team and a few of their Olympic hopefuls, Canadian National wrestler Nariman Irankhah, numerous elite martial artists, the Canadian Armed Forces, Montreal SPVM (Police) , and Fire Fighters, and Elite CrossFitters. This list continues to grow with every passing year. Go Beyond Fitness (GBF GYM) was started to broaden this coaches clients base, “I wanted to take this effective style of training to the general public. I’ve seen what other “fitness professionals” had to offer and my call to action was that simple.” With his unique approach towards exercise, nutri-tion, and lifestyle changes, clients are challenged to think outside the room the box is in. “we are all athletes. Competi-tive or not, in order to achieve your goals you must be willing to go beyond your mind’s limitations”. As he continues to further his knowledge of effective training and nutrition, Alex ,enjoys sharing his findings by offering seminars to small groups “I believe knowledge is power. My goal is to empower my athletes (competitive or not) by giving them as much information I have to offer.”

www.gbfgym.com

WHO ARE YOU TRAINING?

By Jenn Null

There is a lot of discussion that goes around the functional fitness training world on how to train the growing population

of females walking through the doors of your gyms. Having these conversations is great, especially since there is a shift in the percentage of females participating in our beloved training methodology. So the question is: How can you make your classes and programming meet the wants and needs of both genders. But wait! Is it fair, safe, or even ‘right’ to classify all females into one category?

coachingWomen

Think about some of the clients you currently coach, and remember what they were like when they first walked into your gym. There is a high probability that you have encountered multiple types of females in terms of experience and comfort level with your equipment. We could create endless ‘types’ of females that come through your doors, which for some coaches – both male and female – can be a challenge.

In the world of group fitness training, how can you provide every type of athlete the right training, the right attitude and the right amount of attention to get what they are looking for?

To make it easy, let’s break down the two most extreme types of females for this article. In the future, we will talk about more of these ‘types’ in the middle. You will be able to take bits and pieces from these types to think about the females who fall in the middle of the two.

The first type of females are those who are familiar with a weight room, due to collegiate or high school sports or potentially some training in a gym prior; some have had good training, some have not. We will call those females ‘mature’ athletes. Then there are females who come into the gym with no athletic history or physical background and what may seem like no athletic bones in their body. We will call them ‘immature’ athletes. I am sure you are able to picture both types of women, and are probably even thinking about some that may fall in between.

Let’s first dive into our ‘mature athletes,’ who are really just females who come into the gym and is comfortable around weights, barbells, kettle bells, etc. These women come in, and are refreshingly great during whatever your gym’s movement preparation classes. They learn the moves quickly, seem to

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have this unique intuitive sense of movement and are easily coachable. They may have some initial movement issues that are potentially dangerous, but as soon as you make them aware of what they need to do, they fix it, or are OK backing out of the movement, they may be unsafe in until they are capable of how to move safely.

These females have an athlete’s mentality, which means they will sacrifice themselves, or proper form, to win or progress faster.

‘Pros’ of mature female athletes:

� Athlete is comfortable around weights

� Athlete picks up on new moves or fixes quickly

� Athlete moves fairly well

� Athlete comes into the gym strong

� Athlete has the mindset to improve

� Athlete will be able to handle higher volumes quickly

‘Cons’ of mature female athletes:

� Athlete will do anything to win or improve – include sacrifice form

� Athlete moves too fast for their initial capacity

� Athlete can be difficult to coach out of a bad movement pattern

� Athlete has been pre-conditioned to work through pain, and doesn’t know the difference between pain and discomfort.

When this kind of female athlete comes into your gym, how do you work with them? Easy; no differently than you work

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with anyone else. These athletes have been working their entire lives to be physically and mentally strong. They have the same athletic mindset that the college football player has. They want to be spoken to like athletes and shown how to move like an athlete. When you need to have these females back off the load, or the movement due to poor form, you give them all of the steps they will need to do in order to reach full load or range of motion. This gives them specific goals and targets to hit in order to improve, which is what they will thrive on. Trust me, they will be the first ones to tell you when they achieve the next step.

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Now let’s look at ‘immature’ female athletes who come into your gym. This can range from a +40 mother who has not done anything fitness in 15 years, to a female who does not have a fitness or sport background who has decided to try out this fitness regime she keeps seeing on TV, or even better yet, a friend of her has referred her. This female has never used a kettle bell, ring, medicine ball, or even … a barbell (gasp!). She is timid around the weights, and gym – including introducing herself to others in the gym.

‘Pros’ of immature female athletes:

� Athlete has no preconceived poor motor patterns engraved in their movements

� Athlete is extremely coachable and will listen to anything you tell them

� Athlete will not work past the threshold of pain, or to the point that her from breaks down (unless encouraged to do so)

� Athlete will improve rapidly, and be excited to do so

‘Cons’ of immature female athletes:

� Athlete is hesitant or scared around the weights

� Athlete has little confidence with movements

� Athlete may have trouble working hard enough to push into their threshold to improve

� Athlete can be emotionally fragile

� Athlete will need to be introduced to intensity slower than a majority of your clients

When an immature athlete comes into your gym, how do you work with them? This answer is not so easy. These athletes require a different approach to achieve the same end-goal as

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the ‘mature athlete,’ which is hopefully something along the lines of getting them stronger, faster, and healthier safely. These females want a lot of feedback and direction, however it is your job as their coach to instill a sense of confidence in them prior to them joining class. You cannot possibly coach an athlete like this in a class if they solely require your approval before each movement. Doing this can be an ongoing process, and require patience and a bit of empathy.

Once you identify an athlete who seems to be an ‘immature athlete’ during your movement preparation/on-ramp/fundamentals, you can approach them differently. Think about the end-game; safe movement, confidence, an intuitive sense of movement and body awareness. Without going through multiple examples, the primary tool used to do these things is awarding positives and not punishing negatives. That means, asking the athlete how they felt when they did something well and reiterating that you agree – or celebrate their success. Let them know that how they felt in the good movement is how they want to always feel. Ask the athlete how the movement felt when they did it poorly, and ask additional questions to guide them to the answer and the fix. Once you let them know that they’re ready to join classes, they then have the ability to problem solve. At first, they will double check with you to make sure they are correct, which is exactly what you want. Eventually, they will be the ‘mature athlete’ who figures out what they need to do with just your oversight. They will trust that you believe in them when they want to go faster, lower, or heavier.

As a coach, seeing the ‘immature athletes’ turn into ‘mature’ athletes is the most rewarding for you. These are the females who have never thought they would train with the implements you are teaching them, or lift the weights they are with you.

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As a coach, seeing the ‘immature

athletes’ turn into ‘mature’

athletes is the most rewarding

for you.

Just make sure to continue to check in with these athletes. Having a sense of confirmation is very important to them, as it is for all performance and fitness athletes.

How to speak to your female athletes:

One mistake that happens in the gyms often is the different treatment and speech patterns towards the female clients. If you speak to your females and males differently, they will treat themselves differently, and act accordingly. Treat them with the same amount of respect and speak to them in the same voice. You will see a shift in confidence and self-awareness in the gym from your female clients. Educate all of your clients in a uniform way, and hold them all to the same expectation. For example, female clients are given more leeway when they don’t remember an exercise from week to week. During the introduction into your classes, that is acceptable, however by the time they are ready for classes, they should know what you

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About the AuthorJenn Null has worked with athletes of all varying levels for over 6 years. Her background as a competitive rugby player, dabbling in the sport of strongman, along with being a CrossFit Level 1 coach, ONNIT Academy Level 1 coach as well as having previously being Starting Strength and USA T&F trained has allowed her to focus on helping CrossFitters and athletes gain strength, speed and balance along with overcoming injury. Jenn currently runs a ‘Strongman’ class at Knuckle Down Athletics in San Diego and is also ‘the Commish’ at HYLETE.

Twitter/Instagram@JennNull@trainHYLETEGym website: knuckledownathletics.comHYLETE.com

want when you say ‘front squat’ or ‘push-press.’ Also, do not be scared of using tactile cues with your females. The only way it is awkward or unwarranted is if you approach it that way. Oftentimes the most effective way of coaching a female is to physically guide her in the position you want. If you are scared of touching your client for fear that it will be misconstrued, then it will be when you do try it. Approach your client in a matter-of-fact manner, being comfortable with your approach and intent, and your client will not think anything of it.

Overall, the main point is to treat your female clients as you would your male clients. These types mentioned above are not solely tied to female clients, as you probably have several male clients who fall into the same categories. Be comfortable with your ability to coach, and empathetic to the experiences and preconceptions your clients walk in with. You will be amazed at the progress you see from your female clients when you approach them respectfully and with high expectations.

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As coaches, constantly finding new and effective approaches to everything that impacts each athlete’s progress should be a top priority. From programming the WODs to preventing injuries and making appropriate modifications to making sound nutrition recommendations, we know that there is no cookie-cutter prescription. What works for one athlete may not be the best approach for another. What you will find as a coach is that often your members’ goals will change over time. Your members want to continue to improve and be the best they can be. In order to have continual improvement, no matter the goal, effective nutrition recommendations have to be a priority. Eating habits either positively or negatively impact an athlete’s progress. There have been many nutrition trends in the CrossFit community such as the Zone Diet and the Paleo Diet. These plans may be effective for some, but there are many who find that these plans do not work well for them. As an athlete, the goal is to be able to continuously perform at an optimal level. With this being said, if a diet does not provide an athlete with sufficient fuel to facilitate his or her performance, then adjustments should be made. Instead of following diet trends, as coaches, we need to investigate our athletes’ needs. Overall, an eating plan should have the following key components: variety, nutrient density, portion control, appeal, and supplementation when necessary.

While many of us are creatures of habit and are fine with eating similar foods day in and day out, many do not like the idea of being limited to a small list of foods they are told they can eat. There are health conditions that require strict monitoring of foods, and there are individuals who prefer not to eat certain foods due to religious beliefs or preferences. In any of these cases, it is important to know that variety of any degree is beneficial to our health. Every food has its own unique nutrient profile. By including a variety of foods in your eating plan, you can ensure that your diet will be more balanced overall. For example, a serving of grilled fish is going to have a different amino acid profile than the same portion of a sirloin steak. They also will contain different amounts of fat, vitamins, and minerals. Variety is especially important for the vegetarian or vegan athlete because having enough complete proteins in their diets (protein sources that contain all nine essential amino acids) is more of a challenge. In these cases, having a variety of protein sources throughout the day will ensure protein balance with an adequate amount of all the essential amino acids. For all CrossFit athletes and especially for those who are on the competitive level, suggesting specific food restrictions can be disadvantageous, especially if their energy intake is not meeting their training demands. Some athletes may need a high amount of carbohydrates in their diets to help fuel their performance and to help with recovery, and fruits and vegetables may not be enough to meet those needs. A diet that includes variety also encourages your athletes to explore more creative ways to obtain a diet that is more nutritionally balanced. Our box does a lot of recipe sharing and nutrition challenges that ultimately help out with this overall goal.

In addition to variety, a diet that contains a high amount of nutrient-dense foods (high amount of nutrients without high calories) is beneficial for optimal health, performance, and recovery. A diet can have variety, but be lacking in nutrient density and be too energy dense with little nutrients. For example, a meal that contains breaded chicken fingers, fries, and a sweet tea would be considered energy dense compared to a meal that consists of grilled chicken, asparagus spears, and a sweet potato with grass-fed butter. For continued progress in WODs, the amount and type of macronutrients

(carbohydrates, protein and fat) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) has to be balanced. Examples of nutrient dense foods are: fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, and many more. Ultimately the more whole a food is, the more nutrients it will contain. Encouraging your athletes to make their meals more colorful will indirectly help them with aiming for a more nutrient dense diet.

Too much of any food, even if it is considered to be healthy, is not beneficial. Balance in all things related to our diet should be the main goal. Portion control plays a big role in achieving this. It is not uncommon for athletes to either undereat or overeat. What we have seen at our box is that a simple evaluation of one’s intake over the course of a few days can easily identify this (i.e. an athlete may frequently consume more fat post-workout than would be considered desirable with little protein and carbohydrates and this leads to poor recovery) Most people are not aware of whether the amount of food that they eat at meals and snack times is adequate because they are not knowledgeable on what a portion size is. This is where coaches need to be knowledgeable and be able to educate them so that adjustments can be made to their diet. This is extremely important for per-workout meals/snacks. Athletes need to have the right amount of food, in proper ratios, to allow for a productive workout that provides enough energy without feeling two things:

1) like they are either too full or 2) like they have hit a wall and feel drained.

What you will notice is that some athletes may need a source of fuel during the workouts in addition to before and after. Again, every individual is different. So do your research and encourage your athletes to note their diet and performance trends.

While nutrition supplementation is not mandatory, it can be a very beneficial addition to your athlete’s diet. Many have the misconception that supplementation consists of only pre-workout and post-workout products, but supplementation can as simple as filling in the

nutritional gaps in a diet. For example, someone that does not like consuming fatty fish will benefit

greatly from taking an omega-3 supplement. Another example would be having a protein shake to help meet protein needs. Nutrient supplementation is also beneficial for athletes

that you have that may be picky eaters. Some individuals are open to trying new foods and may be lacking in several nutrients because of this. Taking a daily multi-vitamin is helpful in these cases where deficiencies could potentially occur.

Lastly, the more appealing a meal regimen is, the more likely your athlete’s will adhere to it. When their daily regimen consists of foods and/or supplements they do not find appealing, they will likely find an unequivalent substitute, only consume part of the meal, or skip the meal altogether. The goal is for your athletes to look forward to their mealtimes rather than dreading them. Sharing recipes and meal prepping ideas are two great ways to encourage your athletes to explore creativity in their individual and collective eating regimens.

In conclusion, nutrition is a universal topic that all boxes have conversations about, but often no set plan or direction. As coaches, we need to constantly stay current with research related to this topic and be knowledgeable in multiple diet approaches to meet the needs of our athletes. There is no cookie-cutter approach to this. We must be willing to address each individual need as unique. Encouraging a diet that is varied, appealing, supplemented when necessary, nutrient dense, with balanced portions will lead you and your athletes toward the path of optimal performance and recovery.

About the authorUmo Callins was born and raised in Oklahoma City, OK. Umo is an IFPA Professional athlete and has competed in natural bodybuilding and physique sports since 2010. Umo has her Master’s degree in Nutritional Sciences and practices as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Umo is the owner of 180Physique Nutrition and Fitness in OKC and is very passionate about helping people with their nutrition and fitness goals. Umo is a Crossfit coach at Crossfit Complete in Midwest City, OK. She first started CrossFit in 2013. She passionate and excited to help others achieve their goals and be the best athlete and person they can be.

www.180Physique.com crossfitcomplete.com

Making the Most of Your WODs with Proper Nutrition HabitsBy Umo Callins

nutritionDiet

CrossFit has grown in popularity over the past several years. With the increase in number of boxes, coaches, and CrossFitters, the need for a comprehensive staff that is knowledgeable in training and nutrition is crucial. One of the many amazing aspects of CrossFit is that ANYONE can do it; no matter what your fitness level or background is. Whether you have worked out before or never worked out before, you can rest assured that you will find a fun, addictive exercise regimen as part of your lifestyle in CrossFit. Every box has such a varied community of people. You can easily find a mixture of stay-at-home moms, individuals wanting to lose weight, elite athletes, and more at a CrossFit gym who all share the same passion of “the sport of fitness”.

ANY ISSUES WITH PERFORMANCE, RECOVERY, OVERTRAINING, LACK OF PROGRESS, ETC., OFTEN CAN BE LINKED TO POOR NUTRITION HABITS.

AMINO ACIDS ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF ALL PROTEINS.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF FISH OIL INCLUDE ITS ABILITY TO AID IN THE TREATMENT OF VARIOUS HEART DISEASES, HIGH CHOLESTEROL, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AHDH, WEAKENED IMMUNE SYSTEM, CANCER, DIABETES, INFLAMMATION, ARTHRITIS, MACULAR DEGENERATION AND IT ALSO HELPS AID WEIGHT LOSS, HEALTHY PREGNANCY, FERTILITY AND SKIN CARE.

healthInjuries

Jumper’s KneeBy Dr. Joseph Fair

I recently received a patient who complains of knee pain on the lower part of the front side of his kneecap. He states that he feels pain mostly when performing box jumps and explosive movements. After evaluating his knee and movement patterns, we found that he has a knee condition called “Jumper’s Knee”. This is prevalent with explosive athletes (track and field, CrossFit, basketball players, volleyball players) because the quadriceps tend to dominate the movement and a chronic tendonitis of the patellar/quadriceps tendon occurs. We helped him out and gave him some exercises, but his progress was limited due to the repetitive stress of explosive motions. I paid a visit to one of his workouts to watch him move more closely and quickly realized the issue. As he would receive the bar in the snatch or clean, his knee would slightly (by maybe half an inch) glide forward (during the eccentric load of the catching phase of a box jump or Olympic lift). This was our answer! We had him perform some Olympic lifts with two things in mind: Keeping the weight positioned more on his heels (to properly load the hamstrings and glutes), and during the Olympic lifts and box jumps when he would land, he was not to let his knee glide forward. He was to stomp the landing and control the eccentric load.

Now, some of these changes are immediate, but others are long term. Loading the hamstring correctly and having proper strength in the glutes and hamstrings was imperative for this athlete to stop knee pain for the long run. We also gave him some take-home work for glute and hamstring strength, adjusted his hips and feet to allow proper dorsiflexion (to take the extra flexion away from the knee), and retrained his intro-abdominal pressure for proper hip mobility and stability.

About the AuthorDr. Joseph Fair is are passionate about helping athletes and active lifestyle individuals get out of pain, improve their function and reach their potential.www.drjfair.com

Let’s face it, CrossFit memberships can be pricey. Grant-ed, those of us who are committed to the sport under-stand its value and won’t balk at paying a higher price rather than going to a globo gym. But, newbies who have never tried CrossFit need to be educated and sometimes convinced of this value. If you have a cheap, poorly developed logo and a disorganized, messy website, they are going to have a hard time seeing past the mess and disorganization to the quality programming and individual attention you offer your members. They are going to assume that your weak image is a direct repre-sentation of your coaches and programming, and that you don’t put careful consideration into the services you offer.

With competition ever increasing, a strong first impres-sion that communicates the high quality of your coach-es, programming, and customer service is critical to your

success. The more well thought out your logo, website, messag-ing and marketing materials are, the more perceived value your gym will have, and the easier it will be to sell those memberships!

It does take an investment of time and finances to develop your presence and create a solid brand, which can be daunting. However, if you consider the money you could lose (or may already be losing) as a result of

not presenting your affiliate in the best possible light to your target market, you’ll quickly realize how worthwhile of an investment it is!

A Real-Life Example of the Benefits of Solid BrandingOne of my clients, CrossFit Orlando, has created a solid, consistent brand that communicates the values of its gym - fun and community with a bit of an edge. Through all of its marketing materials, from its website, to its business cards, to its Facebook page, to promotional ban-ners, it has created a consistent professional image that gives an excellent idea of what the affiliate is all about. CrossFit Orlando backs up that branding by delivering on the results and experience that it promises. The result? It was voted the Best CrossFit Gym in Orlando in 2014, beating 10 other nominees for that title!

About the authorDiane Kukish is the owner and Creative Director of BoxJump Marketing, a graphic design studio providing branding and graphic design services specifi-cally for affiliates. Besides being a passionate CrossFit ath-lete, she is a creative entrepreneur and graphic designer who combines superior design expertise and marketing knowledge with more than 15 years of related experience. Her goal for BoxJump Marketing is to help affiliates develop their own unique and elite brands, so that they may more effectively market their businesses and reach their full potential.www.boxjump-marketing.com

3Better Branding Results in Higher Perceived Value

By Diane Kukish

marketingBranding

3Reasons to Invest in Your Box’s Branding

It’s no secret,CrossFit’s popularity has exploded across the globe over the past few years. Watching more and more people de-velop confidence, strength, and skills that they never thought possible is exciting and inspiring, especially for affiliate owners. This increased popularity brings about many opportunities for boxes to expand their membership, but also brings about more competition. There are more people trying out the sport, and more and more boxes opening up. The idea of “if we build it, they will come,” no longer applies. Image is everything, and if you haven’t invested in your gym’s image, chances are you are missing out on some great opportunities to reach more mem-bers. Read on to learn three reasons why you should invest in your affiliate’s brand this year.

The increasing popularity of CrossFit is a bit of a double-edged sword. More people are getting into the sport, but the market is getting saturated with new CrossFit affili-ates. Differentiating your gym from the one three blocks away that is selling essentially the same product can be challenging.

So what can you do to stand out from the rest of the af-filiate crowd? Focus less on the product you are selling, and more on what makes your gym unique. Let’s take a look at Reebok, CrossFit’s biggest corporate sponsor.

We’re all familiar with Reebok’s branding, especially its CrossFit line of apparel, accessories and footwear. I bet you’d be surprised to learn that Reebok isn’t actually as focused on selling its products as it is on selling the idea of being an elite athlete. Reebok has used CrossFit Games competitors to help build its brand around this idea. When we purchase a piece of clothing with that little red triangle on it, we too believe we can become one of the elite. If Reebok were to simply market itself as an apparel and footwear manufacturer, it would most likely blend in with the other major manufacturers of athletic wear.

You can apply these exact same principles to your box. You may have more educated and experienced coaches, or a more thoroughly planned and executed program than the other affiliates in town, but if you don’t have a well-developed brand that communicates this in a unique way, chances are nobody will know how special you really are and you will lose the opportunity to rise above your competition. If you’ve got the credentials, let your brand help you show them off!

1Get Noticed and Stand Out from the Competition

In such an intense, competitive sport as CrossFit, ex-perience and education are critical to ensuring your members are getting the best and safest programming possible. No doubt you’ve spent countless hours devel-oping your own skills and expanding your own knowl-edge about the sport and all of its facets. By investing in your brand, you can communicate the extent of your education and expertise, and show that you take your programming, your training, and the safety of your members seriously. Taking the time to create a strong brand will communicate to your potential members that you are an expert CrossFit coach and will develop trust in your skills, programming, and staff. Obviously, you’ll have to walk the walk, but it all starts with a solid first impression.

2A Solid Brand Builds Trust and Credibility

marketingRelationships

RELATIONSHIP MARKETING

HOW TO GROW YOUR GYM USING

Having a great relationship with your members can mean the difference between them referring 10 people or referring none. It can mean the difference between your clients staying with you long term or leaving after 8 weeks.

Relationship marketing is about implementing a strong connection to the client once they set foot inside your radar. That might mean visiting your website, visiting your Facebook page, picking up your marketing material or visiting your gym.

Here’s how you can use relationship marketing:

• You might only see your member for 3 sessions a week. What are they reading and who are they listening to in all the other hours when you aren’t with them?

Build your relationship by sending out 1 email a week to your tribe, whether it be tips for recovery, stretching ideas, nutrition tips or recipes. Members love hearing from you more often. Every time we implement this

The most important part of any business customer relationship is the personal aspect of the actual client relationship itself, this is especially important to gyms.

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for a Box owner their members are always telling them how much they love the emails.

• Text your members the night before a special WOD to remind them of their goals, e.g. Hey can’t wait to see you smash your 1RM tomorrow. Or text them the day after they train and say how well they did. Again building that relationship. You can buy a monthly bulk text messaging service, pretty cheap for that extra value you deliver.

• Find out when members’ birthdays are when they first sign up. Get them a card and a small treat if they come to training that day. Finding out more about people really does link them to you and make them want to talk more and do more for you.

• Having a Referral Program where you reward your members for referring others to you by giving out things they actually want, like extra training gear, movie vouchers or even a thank you card with a scratchy. Show them you really do appreciate their referral.

• Put on extra events that are free for paying clients, so you are giving more value for their investment in you. Do a joint venture with someone that can help your clients get more out of their training like a nutritionist or a gymnastics coach.

• Lastly, a monthly newsletter printed out and given out to your clients. In there you can have member of the month, referral of the month, recipe tips, upcoming events and a promotion for your next challenge etc.

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About the AuthorTamra Forde has a Human Movement Science degree and became a secondary PE teacher for 5 years before moving into her own business. Fitness has always been an important part of her life and is now a CrossFit addict, training 5 days a week. She now coaches CrossFit and other health and fitness businesses to create more wealth in their businesses whilst working smarter not harder with results driven marketing, through websites, emailing, Facebook & sales systems. www.fitterbusinessprofits.com

Sound pretty simple? Now most of that stuff is free to do or low cost to your business.

Once you have these systems in place, keep them in place, keep doing them and you’re less likely to see drop offs and cancellations.

Fitness and CrossFit is all about the relationships you build in your Box. You can be a great coach but if you can’t build relationships, you’re not gonna be able to pay the bills.

The top 5% of Fitness businesses are a success because of their relationship marketing. They don’t just do one marketing campaign and expect that to bring them in all the clients they want.

It’s a step by step process of building relationships with clients and prospects that will make you the money you want and build the lifestyle you dream of.

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SOCIALMEDIADRIVE-BYBy Greg Deitz

As affiliate owners, we want to get our message out to the masses, taking advantage of every possible method to reach success. We firmly believe, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that we offer the best value for our services. So, it’s important that both current and potential customers have no doubt that we are the best fit for them.

However, we know the budget has limits that might not leave much room to market and advertise. Luckily, the Internet has made it possible for us to get information out there quickly and at a wonderful price...free.

At least, it started out that way. Now, the trend on the biggest social network, Facebook, is all about ad revenue. Ask just about anyone who follows social media – your business website will soon only send out updates that you pay for or to active visitors. Business pages won’t be showing up in the feeds very often.

What is a gym owner to do - pay for everything? Maybe change to a different social media platform or just throw up your hands and go crush “Fran.” Instead, think about shifting the intent of your social media page. The ultimate goal for social media interactions should be driving viewers to your main website. While it’s nice to have 5,000 people “like” your page, ensuring a steady stream of visitors proves much more valuable. The primary website allows you to actively collect information on potential and current clients so you can maintain contact.

Think of your website as the biggest party in town. Your social media interactions act as the limo service that delivers people to the party. This is vitally important because you want clicks on your primary website in order to improve your search engine rank. You want lots of people clicking through to see what you’re all about and hopefully gain interest in what you have to offer.

Your social media strategy must line up with your website development strategy. That is to say, you must constantly add new and quality content to your website and then use social media options to drive traffic to your site. Also use social media pages to find out the specific interests of each member so they will likely share your posts with others. After all, this is the ultimate goal - inspire your members to advertise organically.

With that being said, here are a few simple but practical steps to help your website and social media pages begin a wonderfulsymbiotic relationship.

1. Use Facebook and Twitter to ask your followers questions. Ask them what they want to know more about. Do they want more recipes or maybe they want to see a showcased athlete every month.

2. Deliver that information on your website through a blog. Write up quality content that meets the requests of your followers. On the blog post make sure you also provide an easy way for readers to share the content through their own Facebook and Twitter accounts.

3. Place a link to your newest blog post into your social media channels. Include a request along the lines of “If you liked this recipe, please share with your friends and family.” There is absolutely nothing wrong with this and people generally want to share good advice.

4. Repeat step 3, placing the blog link, later in the day or later in the week. Give people more than one chance to see something.

5. Repeat all of these steps often.

Remember that the ultimate goal is to improve your community, sharing your skills and knowledge. You also want to do everything you can to gain access to potential clients. This happens on your website, not on Facebook or Twitter. Once you find success in these avenues, you could explore how to use Instagram (great for a quick video of your athletes in action), YouTube or a podcast to create further engagement with your community.

About the AuthorGreg Deitz, first and foremost a husband and father of two amazing girls, has the pleasure of being manager of The BodyLab CrossFit in Bryan, TX (http://thebodylab.net). His passions are varied but they include writing, business development and introducing people to a healthier lifestyle. He has been involved with the CrossFit community for almost seven years and hopes to help change the face of fitness. He strives to help small business owners find how to stand out in the market and be successful through implementing effective processes and hiring the right people. He can be reached at coachgregdeitz@gmail.com.

www.barbellpoet.com

By Ryan Stollmeyer

marketingWebsite

Grow Your Box witha Mobile Mindset

With such a variety of web and mobile management technologies at your disposal, it’s easier than ever to

market your brand and grow your box. If you research and employ the best resources available, and capitalize on the mobile revolution from all angles, your box will

achieve new levels of success in 2015 and beyond.

Business Management Software

Resources

Mobile ManagementExplore ways to manage your business away from your box – it will provide you with more freedom and flexibility.

Encourage your trainers and staff to download a management app that removes the need for a desk area, and thus improves the atmosphere of the gym. This creates better staff-client interaction because it allows you to manage client profiles, class sign-ins, waiver signatures, schedules, sales and receipts, all face-to-face in what’s called the “client comfort zone.”

A mobile management app can also provide en-hanced accessibility. When Internet connectivity fails, you’ll still be able to view your class and client data and continue to run business as usual.

Client Growth and RetentionAssume your clients live on their mobile devices. It’s often the initial point of engagement between a client and a new brand or service. So, how can you use this knowledge to your advantage?

Build a strong online presence with a mobile-friendly website, where clients can schedule right on the site. These days, everyone expects to find you online, in relevant listings and review sites as well as in social media. Along with that, clients expect the flexibility to book a session at your box from anywhere, at any time.

Use a business management software that provides a way to manage client functionality. This allows you to track client history, payments and mem-berships. It also serves as aa way to communicate through email marketing as well as text reminders and confirmations.

Lastly, retaining clients is key for long-term growth. Take advantage of client retention tools which track attendance, monitor “no shows”, and identify lapsed memberships so you can send automated “We Miss You” emails that offer special incentives for a return visit.

Mobile Marketing StrategyRemember - mobile users are also social users. Fo-cus on building your brand through social networks that have strong mobile platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Your website is equivalent to your front door. Develop a mobile-friendly site that offers “opt-in” client communications like remind-ers and confirmations via text messaging. Also try to optimize your site for mobile search.

Use review sites such as Yelp to build your reputa-tion and establish credibility. Make sure to read and monitor comments/questions so you know what clients are saying and therefore know how to improve your business. These days a majority of online searches are location-based, so you’ll want to establish a presence on mobile maps. For example, Apple’s map function on iPhone includes Yelp re-views for local searches. So, claim your business on Yelp if you haven’t already.

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About the authorRyan Stollmeyer, Premium Services Manager at MINDBODY has worked with the fitness industry for the last 9 years and helped multiple boxes implement software and mobile into their businesses. He is an avid workout enthusiast, visiting his local box 4-5 times a week in San Luis Obispo, CA. To learn more about MINDBODY Business Management Software check out MINDBODY’s Resources page for business advice.www.mindbody.com

THE REAL

“F-WORD”IN CROSSFIT& why affiliate owners should be using it dailyBy Josh Elmore

operationsGrowth

us around the Charlotte area. Now if you pull up Charlotte in the affiliate finder map, you’ll come up with more than 45 …whether that is a good thing or a bad thing depends on who you talk to. But what does this have to do with the work “Franchise?”

In essence, a franchise is a business model that’s designed to be consistently replicated over and over again. And if you don’t see value in building something that can be replicated and scaled, then you are missing a huge part of what it means to own a business, and you’ll never be as successful as you could be. You should be waking up every day and thinking, “How can I build my business so it can run without me?”

Franchise!There I just came out and said it.

Franchise.

The ultimate “F-Word” in CrossFit. CrossFit has its roots deep into an anti-franchise mindset; we know this because there’s no business model to follow and there is no consistency across the affiliates. This is not a judgment, simply an observation of present reality.

If you know the story of how Greg Glassman started CrossFit, you will understand this attitude and why it’s at the core of how the affiliate agreement is written. In fact, Greg’s story personally resonated with me deeply back in 2008 when I first encountered CrossFit. I had been working in both small and very large franchise models for years and all his frustrations were my frustrations. So when I had a chance to pull the trigger on opening my own fitness business without any real rules or guidelines, I jumped at the chance! This was in 2010, when I think there were five of

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You should be thinking this even if you don’t want it to run without you and you’re quite comfortable with the lifestyle business of an affiliate owner. The reason for this is it will make you better and give you more time at what you’re really passionate about. If you love coaching but view taking care of the books as as a necessary evil, then build your business so you don’t have to do the books!

If you see the CrossFit brand and the affiliate license as a blank canvas to build a thriving multi-site, multi-million dollar opportunity, then build your business so you can focus on growth and not coaching. This is the mindset of a franchise owner. You’re always thinking, “How can I make this better?” and this mindset comes naturally to many CrossFitters. But trying to grow your business without a model is like trying to get fitter without a program. You’ll make progress, but you’re never going to be as fit as you could be.

You’ll notice the word “consistently” above because it is key to your business being successful and it is pivotal to any franchise being successful. No brand has ever found long-term success with

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being inconsistent and it’s no different for your business. The positive piece of the affiliate puzzle is no matter where you are in the life cycle of your business, the runway is probably pretty long for you to make changes to build a consistent client experience. You typically have low overhead with an average client value that allows you to make some mistakes and still be profitable. But excellence does not exist without consistency. Your 6.am. Monday athletes should get the same experience as your 7.pm. Thursday athletes every day.

If any of these strikes a chord with you, then order “The E-Myth Revised” today; set aside a whole weekend and read and work through it. It was a game-changer for me and my affiliates. Learn how to build your model so that it can be replicated over and over again. And that’s the cool thing about CrossFit, it’s your model. Remember that opportunity is a double-edged sword; you’re free to fly or fail on your own. And a rising tide will only raise the ships modeled to weather the storm.

About the AuthorJosh Elmore has been in the Fitness industry since 2007 with most of that time spent as an entrepreneur. He founded the multi-site affiliate CrossFit Eternal and helped grow the Iron Tribe Fitness franchise in Charlotte N.C. His professional passion started as fitness, and over time it’s changed to business. Along side a consulting business, geared towards small to medium sized fitness businesses, he is also manages business development for a technology company in Charlotte N.C. called SeedSpark. He is married to the most amazing woman in the world and they are enjoying raising their 1 year old son Noah.

joshuaelmore.wordpress.com Instagram: theironcoach

Facebook: fb.com/jnelmore Twitter: theironcoach

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operationsBoot Camps

So You Need To Increase Revenue

for Your Box?BOOT CAMPS = $$$

By Diane Zuri Photos by Amy Bader

CrossFit Mt. Lebanon is one of the boxes taking advantage of this program. Learn how owners Kevin Beamon, Anna Tunnicliffe and Brad Tobias have implemented this program and see if it can work in YOUR box!

I asked Kevin some questions to give you the basic understanding of what exactly a Boot Camp entails and how it leads to increased profits.

Diane Zuri: “Please describe what a Boot Camp is.”

Kevin Beamon: “Lebo Boot Camp uses the CrossFit methodology of constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity to quickly build strength and endurance while promoting fat loss. Additionally we use mobility and stretching to ensure proper body movement. This class focuses on bodyweight exercises, high

Every owner is looking for ways to increase profits. A CrossFit box is a business, and owners are in business to make money, so why not maximize your earning potential? In my salon, an empty chair means lost revenue. It mocks us with its lack of clients occupying it. That scenario is no different for a box. Empty space equals lost income. So what do you do? How do you fill the dead time and dead space? Boot Camps.

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repetition weightlifting movements, and metabolic conditioning without the complex barbell lifts used in regular CrossFit classes. There are no prerequisite fitness levels or abilities.”

DZ: “How does it differ from CrossFit?”

KB: “It differs in that there is no barbell work and there are specific times and classes that members need to show up for. “

DZ: “So it’s NOT a CrossFit “Lite” per se?”

KB: “I see it as different for everyone. Some people are using this as a bridge to the CrossFit Classes and might consider it “CrossFit Lite”. Others see this as a super challenging cardio/strength program that they never thought they would be able to do... so call what you like as long as you show up!”

DZ: “What’s the format?”

KB: “Lebo Boot Camp is typically 60 minutes and starts with a dynamic warm up with various mobility exercises designed to get your body ready to work safely and effectively. The main body of the Lebo Boot Camp workout session is

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comprised of combinations of strength and metabolic conditioning exercises, which can utilize any of the following, and more: box jumps, rowing, kettle bells, dumbbell presses, burpees, wall-balls and body weight fun! We are looking to really change it up when the weather breaks and we can head outside.”

DZ: “Cost?”

KB: “$225 for 6 weeks - 3x per week.”

DZ: “What was the inception of this?”

KB: “We have two separate rooms and wanted to take more advantage of the down time we have. We know that CrossFit can be scary to some people at first and if we could just get them into our building; they would see there are all types of people that can do CrossFit. This Boot Camp is the start of building up their self esteem and it also shows them how much the coaches and the community care about one another.”

DZ: “How did you choose your coaches?”

KB: “Internal members that expressed an interest in coaching and have their Level 1, although it is not necessary to coach Boot Camp.”

DZ: “How does it benefit a box by offering a Boot Camp?”

KB: “It really opens up the demographics and gets people in the box. We are seeing the same type of camaraderie in the boot camp as in the regular CrossFit classes.”

Now let’s turn to the coaches of the Boot Camp and hear what they have to say about this new program. They are Joanna Tunnicliffe; the mother of Games athlete Anna Tunnicliffe, and Carrie Lehman.

DZ: “Joanna, what do you like about the Boot Camp and why should someone try it?”

Joanna Tunnicliffe: “Boot camp gives people the opportunity to try movements and use equipment in a

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non threatening environment. Having said that, once a certain comfort level has been reached, Boot Campers are encouraged to challenge themselves to push beyond their comfort zone; move faster, use heavier weights, etc. Correct form and movement techniques are taught. Strength and cardio improvements are seen over a relatively short period of time. I also think that if someone completes the 6 week Boot Camp; they should definitely have a go at CrossFit. Just like CrossFit, every movement can be scaled and modified to fit any physical limitations…so no excuses!”

DZ: “What is the age range for Boot Camp?”

JT: “For my 6:15am’ers, it is mid 20’s to mid/late 40’s. Now this does not mean that there are not Boot Campers who are younger or older in the other classes, as there are!”

DZ: “What have you learned from your first session?”

JT: “People should not underestimate their own abilities to reach their potential; as an athlete or as a coach. Seriously, I take great satisfaction in

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helping people to challenge themselves and to try new things while encouraging them. I would never ask my athletes to do something at which they would fail. I will always push them to reach beyond what they think are their limits.”

DZ: “Carrie, would Boot Camp be something for a CrossFitter who just wants a short break from WODs?”

Carrie Lehman: “For someone who is currently tired of WODing, it’s ideal because the Boot Camp sessions are run in the same format. We don’t call them a “WOD” but that’s exactly what they are. If a current CrossFitter were injured or needing a break from the barbell; this would be ideal.”

DZ: “Describe the average class.”

CL: “The average class is run exactly the way a CrossFit class is run. We do a group warm up and stretch, then meet as a group to go over a core workout or skill. The movements are discussed and the class works at their own pace. Once finished, we meet again and go over the main workout or what I call the “meat and potatoes” of the class. The movements and modifications are discussed and the members grab the appropriate equipment to set up. As

the coach, I assess what they have chosen for themselves and at times change what they have established as the correct weight or movement for them. Then they work out and I monitor their form and standards.”

DZ: “Now that the first session is wrapping up; what have you learned from it?”

CL: “I have learned what it is like to be on the other side of the class. I see that a little motivation and push goes a long way. I see that people put limits on themselves, but when presented with a challenge; rise to it each and every time. It reinforces the importance of community and coaching. It puts people in a position to do more than what they might have chosen for themselves and then, of course, the pride that goes

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along with that!”

DZ: “Kevin, is there anything else you want to tell us about Boot Camp?”

KB: “We have had an almost 100% returning member rate into our 2nd session of Boot Camp with about 10 of the 46 people deciding to move into regular CrossFit. We call that a success!”

Uh, yes, I would call that a success!!! An almost 100% retention rate is most definitely a success in ANY business. If YOU would like to see this success in YOUR box; why not give Boot Camp a try? You already know when the dead

time is, so put it to good use and go after the people that are not current clients. Remember; the goal is to have a full house at all times. If you see this as an avenue to accomplish that, then you owe it to yourself to try it. Keep growing the community and help people realize that CrossFit isn’t such a big, scary monster! In fact, after a Boot Camp session, the new members are excited to up their game by transitioning into CrossFit and this leads to more members, more revenue and a bigger family! So in conclusion, Boot Camps = growth. This equation should please any box owner, don’t you think?!

About the AuthorDiane Zuri practices CrossFit in Pittsburgh, Penn., and is a regular contributor to WOD Talk.

http://www.legendarycompetitor.com/

BULL

RAGING BULL

STEER

CROSSFITTER

COMPETITOR

ELITE

FIREBREATHER

operations

AHTLETE LEVEL CHARTSKeep Your Members Motivated

with a Ranking SystemBy Jennifer Correia

I was first introduced to CrossFit in 2006 at one of the original CrossFit gyms. I was practicing Hawaiian Kempo at the time and we immediately began to incorporate some of the CrossFit methodologies into our training. What made CrossFit so different than my martial arts training was how quantifiable it was. In martial arts, we often get caught up worrying about knowledge and execution of skills that we lack an objective measure of performance. Once CrossFit began being implemented into the belt ranking system, we had the objective measure of performance we needed. What became evident is how much better the fighter at each rank needed to be in order to move on to the next rank. The mo-bility needed to perform exercises like thrusters made sure that fighters put in the extra work to increase their range of motion, and thus be able to strike and use their skills in more situations than they could before. Having strength standards for power movements like squats ensured that athletes were able to use their skills with enough force to be effective. Best of all were the conditioning requirements that made sure the athletes wouldn’t get gassed after a few seconds. Our belt ranking system after introducing Cross-Fit better represented how effective our athletes could use their martial art skills.

After graduating from college, I moved to Las Vegas and stopped practicing Hawaiian Kempo in order to improve my development as a CrossFit competitor. I was lucky enough to find a gym that shared my same attitude with regards to training. The classes were very intense and I saw progress immediately with the higher intensity workouts. The entire time I was in Vegas, I saw a need for a rank-ing system exclusively for CrossFitters. Many of us fall into the trap of doing too much of what we like to do and not enough of what we should do. I fell into this trap and my concerns about my development being balanced were con-

firmed when I went to re-gionals in 2011. I couldn’t believe how strong the other athletes were. All of the extra conditioning I had been doing was of no benefit to me as I struggled with how heavy the work-outs were. It was at this time that I started getting serious about developing a ranking system based off the capabilities of the best athletes in CrossFit.

I ended up leaving Vegas not long after the 2011 region-als to move back to my hometown and open a gym. The ranking system was something I started working on im-mediately. I wanted my athletes to have goals in mind and understand what being a balanced athlete entails. It’s easy to look online and see what the best athletes are capable of, but there’s not a lot of info on how they progressed to that point. There were a few ranking systems I found, but all of them had drawbacks. Most of them started out with too high of standards and excluded most beginners from being able to obtain the first rank. Others were unbalanced and didn’t place equal weight on gymnastics, weightlift-ing, and conditioning. Also, many lacked enough ranks to be able to have a long-term ranking system with reoccur-ring promotion ceremonies. Eventually, I made a decision to develop my own system to address all these concerns. I started by deciding on my top rank, which is what I ex-pected out of the top 10% of the athletes who walk into my gym and worked back from there. The top 10% represents four years of consistent training along with good genetics and no injury history. The second rank represents what the next 10% of athletes should be able to achieve. In all, there are seven ranks which progress down to simply knowing all the movements to pass the top rank. Everybody else will find a spot on the chart to aspire to depending on age, con-sistency, and injury history.

The first draft of my ranking system was finished before my first day open. Most of the people were shocked about what the top ranks consisted of but as they pro-gressed in CrossFit they started to believe that they could achieve it. After three months of being open, we held our first

promotion night. These typically consist of athletes doing demos and a ceremony for everybody who is moving on to the next rank. Each rank has a differ-ent color shirt to acknowledge the athlete’s achieve-

ments. Each rank takes about the same amount of time to progress to but the increase in performance becomes less over time. This has helped our athletes stay motivated and understand they will not continue to progress at the same rate as when they did during their first few months of training.

After nearly three years of being open, our ranking system is ingrained into our culture here. Athletes look forward to the next testing date and use their scores to see what areas they need to work on. Our athletes who have been around since the beginning have the very few top rank shirts giv-en out and are proud to wear them in their workouts. Our newer athletes keep the ranking chart in their WODbook so they can mark off each accomplishment and be proud when testing week comes around. Hopefully, our ranking system can make an impact for other gyms in the same way it has for us.

LEVELS

About the authorJennifer Correia is the head coach and founder of CrossFit ValleyView. She grew up in Los Banos playing numerous sports in school. After high school, Jennifer attended Cali-fornia Polytechnic State University. Searching for a new sport, she began martial arts, running, and CrossFit. A brown belt in Hawaiian Kempo and three half marathons later, she started CrossFitting fulltime. Jennifer has more than six years CrossFit expe-rience and has participated in the CrossFit Sectionals, Regionals, and Nation Games. She has since returned to her hometown of Los Banos to start a CrossFit Community.

www.crossfitvalleyview.com

Our belt ranking system after introducing

CrossFit better represented how

effective our athletes could

use their Martial Art skills.

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Squat Back Squat bar Back Squat 3RM 1/2 bw Back Squat 3/4 bw Back Squat m-1 1/4 bw, w-bw Back Squatm-1 1/2 bw, w-1 1/4

bw Back Squatm-1 3/4 bw, w-1 1/2

bw Back Squat m-2 bw, w-1 3/4 bw

Front Squat bar Front Squat 3RM 1/4 bw Front Squat 1/2 bw Front Squat m-2/3 bw, w-3/4 bw Front Squat m-3/4 bw, w-bw Front Squat 3RM 1 1/4 bw Front Squatm-1 1/2 bw, w-1 1/4

bwOverhead Squat bar Overhead Squat 3RM 1/4 bw Overhead Squat 1/3 bw Overhead Squat 1/2 bw Overhead Squat 3/4 bw Overhead Squat bw Overhead Squat 3 RM bw

Pull Deadlift bar Deadlift 3RM 3/4 bw Deadlift bw Deadliftm-1 2/3 bw, w-1 1/2

bw Deadlift m-2 bw, w-1 2/3 bw Deadlift m-2 bw, w-1 3/4 bw Deadlift m 2 1/2, w-2 1/4 bw

Push Overhead Presses bar Shoulder Press 3RM 1/4 bw Shoulder Press 1/2 bw Shoulder Press3 RM m-2/3bw, w-

1/2 bw Shoulder Press m-3/4 bw, w-2/3 bw Shoulder Press3RM m-3/4 bw, w-

2/3 bw Shoulder Press m-bw, w-3/4 bw

Bench Press bar Bench Press 3RM 1/2 bw Bench Press 2/3 bw Bench Press3RM m-bw, w-2/3

bw Bench Pressm-1 1/4 bw, w-3/4

bw Bench Press m-1 1/3 bw, w-bw Bench Pressm-1 1/2 bw, w-1 1/8

bw

Dynamic Clean bar Clean 1/2 bw Clean 2/3 bw Clean m-7/8 bw, w-3/4 bw Clean m-bw, w-7/8 bw Clean m-1 1/8 bw, w-bw Cleanm-1 1/4 bw, w-1 1/8

bwSnatch bar Snatch 1/4 bw Snatch 1/2 bw Snatch 3RM m-2/3 bw, w- Snatch m 3/4 bw, w-2/3 bw Snatch m-7/8 bw, w-3/4 bw Snatch m- bw, w- 7/8 bw

Jerk 1/2 bw Jerk 2/3 bw Jerk 3/4 bw Jerk bw Jerk 1 1/8 bw Jerkm-1 1/4 bw, w-1 1/8

bw

Thrusters 1/2 bw Thrusters 2/3 bw Thrusters m-7/8 bw, w-3/4 bw Thrusters m-bw, w-7/8 bw Thrusters m-1 1/8 bw, w-bw

Wall Ball 20x m-14lb, w-10lb Wall Ball 20x m-20lb, w-14lb Wall Ball 30x m-20lb, w-14lb Wall Ball 40x m-20lb, w-14lb Wall Ball 50x m-20lb, w-14lb

KB Swings10 unbroken (2pd/1.5 pd) KB Swings

20 unbroken (2pd/1.5 pd) KB Swings

35 unbroken (2pd/1.5 pd) KB Swings

45 unbroken (2pd/1.5 pd)

Squat Squat tabata 10 Squat tabata 15 Pistol 1 each leg Pistol 5 each leg Pistol 10 each leg Pistol 15 each leg Pistol 20 each legPush Push Up m-10, w-1 Push Up m-15, w-5 Push Up m-25, w-15 Push Up m-30, w-20 Ring Push Up m-35, w-20 Ring Push Up m-40, w-25 Ring HSPU m-5, w-1

Handstand Hold :10 Handstand Hold :30Handstand Push Up 1

Handstand Push Up 5

Handstand Push Up 10 Handstand Walk 5 ft Handstand Walk 15 ft

Pull Pull up (strict) m-3 Pull up (strict) m-6, w-1 Pull Up (strict) m-10, w-5 Pull Up (strict) m-12, w-8 Pull Up (strict) m-15, w-10Dynamic Pull Up (Green) 5 Pull Up 1 Pull Up m-10, w-7 Pull Up m-15, w-10 Pull Up m-30, w-20 Pull Up m-40, w-30 Pull Up m-50, w-35

Knees to Chest 5 Knees to Chest 10 Knees to Elbow 1 Knees to Elbow 5 Knees to elbow m-10, w-7 Knees to elbow m-15, w-10 Knees to Elbow m-20, w-15Bar Dip 1 Bar Dip 3 Ring Dip m-5, w-1 Ring Dip m-10, w-5 Ring Dip m-15, w-10 Ring Dip m-20, w-15

Muscle Up m-1 Muscle Up m-3, w-1 Muscle Up m-5, w-3 Muscle Up m-10, w-5Static Static Hang :30 Static Hang :45 Static Hang 1:00 Rope Climb 1 trip Rope Climb 2 trip Rope Climb 1 trip, no feet Rope Climb m-2 trips, no feet

Tuck Hold :10 Tuck Hold :20 L sit :10 L sit :20 L sit :30 L sit :45 L sit 1:00

Run 400 m m-2:20, w-2:30 400 m m-2:00, w-2:10 400 m m-1:40, w-1:50 400 m m-1:30, w-1:40 400 m m-1:20, w-1:30 400 m m-1:15, w-1:25 400 m m-1:10, w-1:20800 m m-4:50, w-5:10 800 m m-4:15, w-4:35 800 m m-3:45, w-3:55 800 m m-3:25, w-4:35 800 m m-2:55, w-3:15 800 m m-2:45, w-3:05 800 m m-2:35, w-2:551 mile m-10:00, w-10:40 1 mile m-9:00, w-9:40 1 mile m-8:00, w-8:25 1 mile m-7:20, w-7:40 1 mile m-6:20, w-7:00 1 mile m-6:10, w-6:40 1 mile m-5:50, w-6:20

5k m-28:30, w-30:30 5k m-25:45, w-27:30 5k m-24:20, w-26:00 5k m-22:30, w-25:00 5k m-21:30, w-24:00 5k m-21:00, w-23:0010k m-56:00, w-1:00:00 10k m-52:00, w-55:00 10k m-47:00, w-52:00 10k m-45:00, w-50:00 10k m-43:30, w-47:00

1/2 marathon m-1.40:00, w-1.50:00Row 500 m m-2:10, w-2:30 500 m m-2:00, w-2:20 500 m m-1:50, w-2:05 500 m m-1:45, w-2:00 500 m m-1:40, w-1:55 500 m m-1:38, w-1:50 500 m m-1:35, w-1:45

1000 m m-4:30, w-5:10 1000 m m-3:55, w-4:30 1000 m m-3:45, w-4:15 1000 m m-3:35, w-4:05 1000 m m-3:30, w-3:55 1000 m m-3:20, w-3:502000 m m-7:30, w-8:30 2000 m m-7:20, w-8:10 2000 m m-7:10, w-8:00

Jump Rope jumps 50 no misses jumps 75 no misses double under 5 no misses double under 15 no misses double under 50 no misses double under 75 no misses double under 100 no missesCindy w/ assisted - 14 Cindy m-12, w-10 Jackie m-12:00, w-15:00 Jackie m-10:00, w-12:00 Grace m-5:00, w-6:00 Cindy m-22, w-20 Cindy m-24, w-22

Randym-55lb - 6:00, w-35lb

- 6:00 Randy m-6:00, w-7:00 Fran m-8:00, w-10:00 Fran m-7:00, w-8:00 Nancy complete-rxd Nancy m-13:00, w-14;00 Fight Gone Bad m-375, w-350Helen m=12:00, w-14:00 Helen m-12:00, w-14:00 Grace complete-rxd Fight Gone Bad m-325, w-300 Fight Gone Bad m-350, w-325 Amanda completed-rxd

Isabel completed-rxd

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Total Available Total Available Total Available Total Available Total Available Total Available Total Available

Percentage Percentage Percentage Percentage Percentage Percentage Percentage

CrossFit ValleyView Athletic LevelsFIREBREATHERRAGING BULLBULLCROSSFITTER STEER

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Athlete must be in good standings, trained for minimum term, and complete 80% of the movement requirements to promote. If Athlete does not pass movement requirements, 3 months later athlete may test again. If an improvement of 5% is made athlete will then promote.

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COMPETITOR ELITE

Attend class at another Box Complete a competition

3 Months 9 Months 15 Months 21 Months 30 Months 39 Months 48 Months

Squat Back Squat bar Back Squat 3RM 1/2 bw Back Squat 3/4 bw Back Squat m-1 1/4 bw, w-bw Back Squatm-1 1/2 bw, w-1 1/4

bw Back Squatm-1 3/4 bw, w-1 1/2

bw Back Squat m-2 bw, w-1 3/4 bw

Front Squat bar Front Squat 3RM 1/4 bw Front Squat 1/2 bw Front Squat m-2/3 bw, w-3/4 bw Front Squat m-3/4 bw, w-bw Front Squat 3RM 1 1/4 bw Front Squatm-1 1/2 bw, w-1 1/4

bwOverhead Squat bar Overhead Squat 3RM 1/4 bw Overhead Squat 1/3 bw Overhead Squat 1/2 bw Overhead Squat 3/4 bw Overhead Squat bw Overhead Squat 3 RM bw

Pull Deadlift bar Deadlift 3RM 3/4 bw Deadlift bw Deadliftm-1 2/3 bw, w-1 1/2

bw Deadlift m-2 bw, w-1 2/3 bw Deadlift m-2 bw, w-1 3/4 bw Deadlift m 2 1/2, w-2 1/4 bw

Push Overhead Presses bar Shoulder Press 3RM 1/4 bw Shoulder Press 1/2 bw Shoulder Press3 RM m-2/3bw, w-

1/2 bw Shoulder Press m-3/4 bw, w-2/3 bw Shoulder Press3RM m-3/4 bw, w-

2/3 bw Shoulder Press m-bw, w-3/4 bw

Bench Press bar Bench Press 3RM 1/2 bw Bench Press 2/3 bw Bench Press3RM m-bw, w-2/3

bw Bench Pressm-1 1/4 bw, w-3/4

bw Bench Press m-1 1/3 bw, w-bw Bench Pressm-1 1/2 bw, w-1 1/8

bw

Dynamic Clean bar Clean 1/2 bw Clean 2/3 bw Clean m-7/8 bw, w-3/4 bw Clean m-bw, w-7/8 bw Clean m-1 1/8 bw, w-bw Cleanm-1 1/4 bw, w-1 1/8

bwSnatch bar Snatch 1/4 bw Snatch 1/2 bw Snatch 3RM m-2/3 bw, w- Snatch m 3/4 bw, w-2/3 bw Snatch m-7/8 bw, w-3/4 bw Snatch m- bw, w- 7/8 bw

Jerk 1/2 bw Jerk 2/3 bw Jerk 3/4 bw Jerk bw Jerk 1 1/8 bw Jerkm-1 1/4 bw, w-1 1/8

bw

Thrusters 1/2 bw Thrusters 2/3 bw Thrusters m-7/8 bw, w-3/4 bw Thrusters m-bw, w-7/8 bw Thrusters m-1 1/8 bw, w-bw

Wall Ball 20x m-14lb, w-10lb Wall Ball 20x m-20lb, w-14lb Wall Ball 30x m-20lb, w-14lb Wall Ball 40x m-20lb, w-14lb Wall Ball 50x m-20lb, w-14lb

KB Swings10 unbroken (2pd/1.5 pd) KB Swings

20 unbroken (2pd/1.5 pd) KB Swings

35 unbroken (2pd/1.5 pd) KB Swings

45 unbroken (2pd/1.5 pd)

Squat Squat tabata 10 Squat tabata 15 Pistol 1 each leg Pistol 5 each leg Pistol 10 each leg Pistol 15 each leg Pistol 20 each legPush Push Up m-10, w-1 Push Up m-15, w-5 Push Up m-25, w-15 Push Up m-30, w-20 Ring Push Up m-35, w-20 Ring Push Up m-40, w-25 Ring HSPU m-5, w-1

Handstand Hold :10 Handstand Hold :30Handstand Push Up 1

Handstand Push Up 5

Handstand Push Up 10 Handstand Walk 5 ft Handstand Walk 15 ft

Pull Pull up (strict) m-3 Pull up (strict) m-6, w-1 Pull Up (strict) m-10, w-5 Pull Up (strict) m-12, w-8 Pull Up (strict) m-15, w-10Dynamic Pull Up (Green) 5 Pull Up 1 Pull Up m-10, w-7 Pull Up m-15, w-10 Pull Up m-30, w-20 Pull Up m-40, w-30 Pull Up m-50, w-35

Knees to Chest 5 Knees to Chest 10 Knees to Elbow 1 Knees to Elbow 5 Knees to elbow m-10, w-7 Knees to elbow m-15, w-10 Knees to Elbow m-20, w-15Bar Dip 1 Bar Dip 3 Ring Dip m-5, w-1 Ring Dip m-10, w-5 Ring Dip m-15, w-10 Ring Dip m-20, w-15

Muscle Up m-1 Muscle Up m-3, w-1 Muscle Up m-5, w-3 Muscle Up m-10, w-5Static Static Hang :30 Static Hang :45 Static Hang 1:00 Rope Climb 1 trip Rope Climb 2 trip Rope Climb 1 trip, no feet Rope Climb m-2 trips, no feet

Tuck Hold :10 Tuck Hold :20 L sit :10 L sit :20 L sit :30 L sit :45 L sit 1:00

Run 400 m m-2:20, w-2:30 400 m m-2:00, w-2:10 400 m m-1:40, w-1:50 400 m m-1:30, w-1:40 400 m m-1:20, w-1:30 400 m m-1:15, w-1:25 400 m m-1:10, w-1:20800 m m-4:50, w-5:10 800 m m-4:15, w-4:35 800 m m-3:45, w-3:55 800 m m-3:25, w-4:35 800 m m-2:55, w-3:15 800 m m-2:45, w-3:05 800 m m-2:35, w-2:551 mile m-10:00, w-10:40 1 mile m-9:00, w-9:40 1 mile m-8:00, w-8:25 1 mile m-7:20, w-7:40 1 mile m-6:20, w-7:00 1 mile m-6:10, w-6:40 1 mile m-5:50, w-6:20

5k m-28:30, w-30:30 5k m-25:45, w-27:30 5k m-24:20, w-26:00 5k m-22:30, w-25:00 5k m-21:30, w-24:00 5k m-21:00, w-23:0010k m-56:00, w-1:00:00 10k m-52:00, w-55:00 10k m-47:00, w-52:00 10k m-45:00, w-50:00 10k m-43:30, w-47:00

1/2 marathon m-1.40:00, w-1.50:00Row 500 m m-2:10, w-2:30 500 m m-2:00, w-2:20 500 m m-1:50, w-2:05 500 m m-1:45, w-2:00 500 m m-1:40, w-1:55 500 m m-1:38, w-1:50 500 m m-1:35, w-1:45

1000 m m-4:30, w-5:10 1000 m m-3:55, w-4:30 1000 m m-3:45, w-4:15 1000 m m-3:35, w-4:05 1000 m m-3:30, w-3:55 1000 m m-3:20, w-3:502000 m m-7:30, w-8:30 2000 m m-7:20, w-8:10 2000 m m-7:10, w-8:00

Jump Rope jumps 50 no misses jumps 75 no misses double under 5 no misses double under 15 no misses double under 50 no misses double under 75 no misses double under 100 no missesCindy w/ assisted - 14 Cindy m-12, w-10 Jackie m-12:00, w-15:00 Jackie m-10:00, w-12:00 Grace m-5:00, w-6:00 Cindy m-22, w-20 Cindy m-24, w-22

Randym-55lb - 6:00, w-35lb

- 6:00 Randy m-6:00, w-7:00 Fran m-8:00, w-10:00 Fran m-7:00, w-8:00 Nancy complete-rxd Nancy m-13:00, w-14;00 Fight Gone Bad m-375, w-350Helen m=12:00, w-14:00 Helen m-12:00, w-14:00 Grace complete-rxd Fight Gone Bad m-325, w-300 Fight Gone Bad m-350, w-325 Amanda completed-rxd

Isabel completed-rxd

Total Total Total Total Total Total Total

Total Available Total Available Total Available Total Available Total Available Total Available Total Available

Percentage Percentage Percentage Percentage Percentage Percentage Percentage

CrossFit ValleyView Athletic LevelsFIREBREATHERRAGING BULLBULLCROSSFITTER STEER

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Training Term

LEVEL

Athlete must be in good standings, trained for minimum term, and complete 80% of the movement requirements to promote. If Athlete does not pass movement requirements, 3 months later athlete may test again. If an improvement of 5% is made athlete will then promote.

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COMPETITOR ELITE

Attend class at another Box Complete a competition

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Download Kids Level Chart

finance

UNDERSTANDINGLIFETIME VALUE OF

AN ATHLETEBy Michael Wuest

Lifetime Value of an AthleteLifetime Value of an Athlete (LVA) can be simply de-scribed as the total value of an athlete’s business over the lifetime of their relationship with your gym. By understanding what the average LVA is, you can place a tangible value on each new athlete. You’ll see in Under-standing the CrossFit Athlete Lifecycle how every deci-sion effects the LVA. The more value you add throughout the Athlete Lifecycle, the greater the LVA. Take a look at the simple example below.

MonthsRevenue Pre

MonthRevenue Per

AthleteDoug 9 $100 $990Cindy 12 $125 $1,500Seth 6 $150 $900Total 27 $3,390

Average Months

Average Revenue Per

Month

Lifetime Value of Athlete

# of months divided by

# of athletes

total athlete revenue divided by total

months

average revenue per month times average months

27 / 3 = 9 3390 / 27 = 125.56 9 x 125.56 = 1130

9 $125.56 $1,130

In this example, we see the average athlete is there for approximately nine months, generates $125.56 per month in revenue, and their LVA is $1130.00 (we’re not considering any additional revenue per that athlete, just strictly off the membership). That’s a really important number to consider when determining how much you’re willing to spend to acquire that new athlete. Introducing the…

Allowable Acquisition CostAllowable Acquisition Cost (AAC) is the marketing com-ponent of LVA. The higher the LVA, the more you can spend to attract new athletes. Recently, I read a Face-book post that discussed how much to spend on referral programs. One comment that struck me said something along the lines of “Why would you pay your current member $100 to get another athlete in the door?” The justification for that statement was that your revenue would take a hit the month you pay out the $100. In effect, the respondent was saying you were going to lose $100 of revenue.

The reason is simple if you understand LVA.

Using our example above, if our referral program awards $100 to the current member to bring one of their friends in and sign up, the AAC is $100/$1,130 or 8%. I would trade $100 every day to get $1,130 over the next 9 months. So that’s the simple part.

How to determine AACThere are a bunch of models out there, but here’s a simple one.

Take your overhead expenses (rent, insurance, utilities, salaries, etc.) during the LVA divided by the number of athletes to find your Fixed Cost (FC) per athlete.

Here’s the quick math.

Nine months of overhead costs you $50,000 and you have 100 athletes, your Fixed Cost per athlete is $500. As you grow, this number should decrease.

LVA – FC = Revenue before marketing expenses. In our example, $1,130 – $500 = $630. Now you need to de-termine what type of profit margin you want on that leftover $630, for this example let’s shoot for 60%, which leaves you 40% for marketing expenses or $252. This $252 is the maximum you can spend to acquire a new customer. Having this number allows you to experiment with a variety of marketing options.

So putting those two pieces together, spending $100 per athlete on a referral program is a good investment. Plus there’s a potential snowball effect with your new athlete attracting their friends and family because of that bonus. In my opinion, it’s a win/win situation. It just provides a little bit of extra motivation for a current athlete to bring in a new athlete. Now they’re working out with all their friends … which boosts your retention.

As you increase your LVA, you’ll have more money to spend on AAC.

There are definitely other ways to spend your marketing dollars, so understanding your AAC is a great first step. Once they are in the door, keep them there!

How do I increase Lifetime Value of an Athlete?It starts with this quote from Ben Bergeron, Owner of CrossFit New England.

“Be a leader. Be a coach. It’s not that she doesn’t want to be healthier or fitter, it’s that she doesn’t believe in her-self or the program she is involved in. Don’t try to ‘tell’ her, ‘listen’ to her. Be patient. Educate, Entertain, and Inspire her. Make her experience at your gym the best part of her day ,and she will come more often. Give her hope, by celebrating small successes along the way and she will start to believe. She has done the hard part – she joined your gym. Now it’s your turn to do the hard part.”

Besides increasing how much the average athlete spends per month via supplements, gear, beverages, seminars, etc; TIME is the other way to increase your LVA. Ben’s quote above is a mindset shift that we all as affiliate owners need to have. Train them so that they could go anywhere, but make it impossible for them to leave.

About the authorMike originally discovered CrossFit back in 2007 while at-tending The University of Missouri-Rolla. He was working with a personal training at his local community center and she introduced him to his first WOD. He started following CrossFit.com, but bowed out after a few short weeks, going back to his traditional ‘bodybuilding’ routine. Three long years later, he moved back to his hometown of Columbia, MO, and opened CrossFit COMO, Columbia’s Premier Cross-Fit Gym and began working as the marketing manager for the University of Missouri. Many of the practices that he in-corporates in his daily career have transitioned to his owning and operating CrossFit COMO. TheBoxBusiness is where he shares his journey with you.www.theboxbusiness.com

LVAThe total value of an athlete’s business over the lifetime of their relationship with your gym.

$

Membership

We all know the feeling of death after doing one of the workouts, so we will just concentrate on the Open and taxes. Besides the fact that both occur early in the year, they also come down to preparation well in advance. In order to succeed in the Open, an athlete must prepare himself/herself months or even years before. They must come up with an effective game plan and execute it. The same thing applies to how you run your business.

For a lot of gym owners, Uncle Sam can be one of the biggest vendors around. Some of the taxes paid to vari-ous agencies can include ordinary income, self-employ-ment income, state income, sales and use, and personal property taxes. Most gym owners aren’t even aware that they may owe taxes right after they purchase their first shipment of equipment. The more an owner prepares, the better they can budget and possibly minimize their tax liabilities. This preparation shouldn’t come when they are ready to file, but many months earlier so that an effective game plan can be put into place and executed.

At Affiliate Solutions, if we had to pick a few of the most important pieces to consider as you prepare your game plan for 2015, here is what we would recommend:

• Ensure that you begin early. Don’t make the mis-take of waiting until the end of the year to begin your tax planning. Too many box owners put tax planning at the bottom of their priority list and they will end up paying for it, literally.

• Make Quarterly Tax Payments. There is nothing worse than not being prepared for the big check at the end of the year because you hadn’t been put-ting any money aside.

• Understand Sales and Use Tax. Make sure you fully understand what is required to pay and how that process works or the IRS has some hefty penalties that will surely ruin your weekend.

• Set up your management software from the begin-ning. Many box owners will create their own ex-pense tracking system by using an elaborate Excel document or something similar. This can work in the beginning when you have <50 members, but it will prove to be extremely inefficient as you con-tinue to grow your community. QuickBooks Online is a great tool to help keep you on track. You can set up your Chart of Accounts to make coding your expenses a painless process that will give you a great snapshot of how your business is doing.

These are just a few things that, if done correctly, will put you in the driver’s seat as 2015 gets underway. Make sure to work with an accountant who understands CrossFit. If you are their only CrossFit client, you may want to do a little more digging to ensure you are getting the most of their services.

In conclusion, both the Open and tax season are right around the corner. One might be enjoyable and the other not so much. In both cases the athlete/owner might not have prepared themselves properly. Let’s not wait until the next New Year. A better solution would be to connect now with a professional and come up with a plan that fits.

About the author At Affiliate Solutions, we are passionate about fitness, people, and building successful businesses. Our goal is to give box owners the ability to focus on their members and do what they love, COACH. We’ve created systemized, streamlined, and innovative solutions that can bring economies of scale to boxes across the globe, allowing owners to focus their efforts on what they excel at.www.affiliatesolutionsgroup.com

TAXSEASONBy Affiliate Solutions Group

Benjamin Franklin once said there were only two things certain in life; death and taxes. If the CrossFit Open was around in 1789, he would have certainly included it as well. So what do the Open, death, and taxes have in common?

financeTaxes