Inside The Box: CrossFit Victus

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Inside The Box: CrossFit Victus

Basics

Box Motto: “Manner of Life”
Location: Unit 3, 17-25 Lake Albert Road Wagga Wagga NSW 2650
Website: www.crossfitvictus.com

Q&A’s

– How did CrossFit Victus get it’s start?

At the time I was running a personal training business out of a local gym. My methods were of a functional fitness nature and in 2009 a mate got me to start doing crossfit workouts with him. CrossFit was still quite raw and it was a cool and exciting time. I knew it was time to get in my own space and a CrossFit affiliate was a natural progression. The business model and general image of a CrossFit Affiliate at that time suited my style perfectly.

– How has CF Victus evolved since then?

There has been a huge change in CrossFit since our inception. Crossfit was relatively unheard of back then and hadn’t really made its own name within the fitness ranks. It was very much just a version of functional fitness. Now days, CrossFit is everywhere and owning an affiliate can be big business with state of the art equipment and facilities, and big money for sponsored/ professional athletes.

– Why “Victus?”

I wanted a name that was unique, and grabbed attention. “Victus”, by latin definition means livelihood, living, manner of life, subsistence, way of life. All these words sum us up perfectly.

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– From what you hear, what is the biggest misconception about CrossFit?

That it’s too hard!

– What do you love about coaching?

Seeing people achieve goals, whether it be fitness, weight loss or something more specific, its definitely the most rewarding feeling. Knowing you’re contributing to someone achieving genuine happiness is pretty awesome. Also simple things like seeing a members face light up when the get their first muscle-up or pull up, or get a PB. There’s a lot to love about Coaching.

– What is your community like at CF Victus?

Amazing! Although we train hard, its all about having fun. We dont take it too seriously and are very social. Theres always something happening around the box, whether its an inhouse comp or social event. We spend a fair amount of time together and are all great mates. Its an awesome group of people.

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– How do you program for your CrossFit classes?

We work on a 5 week cycle and also use a levels based programming structure. We program for GPP and find our members to be very well rounded athletes, with an even skill base across all the disciplines.

– Describe your typical CrossFit class structure.

We begin with an explanation of the WOD as discuss what we’d hope to be achieved during the session. Then onto a general group warmup, followed by some more specific drills. We are quite particular about technique so we then have a skills session to ensure everyone is on top of the movements, then onto the workout. We finish with a group stretch.

– What makes a great CrossFit member?

Someone who is patient, and not caught up with comparing themselves to others. Healthy competition is great but not at the sacrifice of technique or the risk of injury. Being Coachable is also important. Those who listen to their coaches and use the advise they receive always progress the fastest.

-What makes a great CF coach?

Enthusiasm, knowledge, patience and someone that leads by example. And to quote Tye Arnett, remembering that being a coach is a position of responsibility and service, not of privilege and power. A good coach must also be empathetic and relate with a members physical, mental, and emotional state and adjust the training accordingly. He/she can see when someone needs pushing and when they need support or encouragement.

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– What’s your favorite piece of equipment at CF Victus?

Definitely the bars and plates. I enjoy picking things up!

– Not all CrossFit boxes are created equal. In your opinion what are the most important qualities of a CrossFit box?

An awesome environment. People should be busting to get in to your affiliate to train, either when they first wake up or after a big day at work. You want your affiliate to be a place your members can come and be coached by great staff, in a great facility, surrounded by friendly/motivating people.

From a Business perspective its all about professionalism. From your social media presence, the cleanliness of your affiliate, the way you and your staff conduct themselves and attention you give to your members. Many small things will set you apart from the others.

– What is CF Victus’ special sauce?

I truly believe the community environment we have developed since our inception has made us unique. Our members are the reason CFV is such a special place. I just laid the foundation, and my staff and I steer the ship. Building a successful affiliate isn’t rocket science; I Just think about a place i’d love to be a member of, then i tried to replicate that place on a daily basis.

– What would you say to motivate someone who lives a sedentary lifestyle?

Don’t be afraid of failure. Fear of not succeeding is the biggest reason people wont start in the first place. Its a cliche but its only failure if you give up. Their will be ups and downs but thats ok. Be honest and take a good look at yourself. Find out what you truly want, whether its worth making changes to get it, and do what needs to be done.

– What are the steps to get started at CF Victus?

We run a ‘Free intro to CrossFit’ session each week. A forty five minute session in which we have a chat about what CrossFit is and how and why it works, teach a few simple movements then give the participants the opportunity to experience a short WOD. From there, if they wish to continue, its on to our elements program, then into the daily classes.

– For those who want to check you out, how can they find you?

At our website – www.crossfitvictus.com, our FaceBook page – www.facebook.com/CrossFitVictus or by following us on Instagram – @crossfitvictus.

Thanks to Mark Edis (Coach/Owner) from CF Victus for giving TWL a rundown on his great facility and community out there in Wagga Wagga!


Video Creds: CrossFit Victus

 

Inside The Strong Room – Home of CrossFit Chadstone

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As one of the elite facilities in Australia, there is no doubt The Strong Room, home of CrossFit Chadstone is the product of a significant amount of work and sweat. The WOD Life caught up with Murray Ballenden to learn more about this premier facility, it’s coaches, community, programing and goals for 2014.

Can you tell us more about the Strong Room and CrossFit Chadstone?

THE STRONG ROOM is a dream come true. It’s a space to call our own. It’s a vehicle through which we get to share our philosophies on training, nutrition, and health, and how to bring it all together to make to most from our programs. It’s a state of the art facility that allows us to emphasize our fondness for Olympic Lifting. Importantly, THE STRONG ROOM is home to CrossFit Chadstone, the lifeblood of our facility, our passion, and purpose for existing.

Where are you located?

We are located at 14 Dalgety St, Oakleigh. Amusingly, like all the other businesses around us, we’ve chosen to adopt the name from one of Australia’s shopping mecca’s, Chadstone Shopping Center. Being so close to such a sort after destination, so close to two major arterial routes, we can’t complain!

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As soon as you walk in, you get the feeling that this is an elite facility. How long was this in the works for?

THE STRONG ROOM has been in planning for a little over a year. Not that long when you think about it but it felt like an eternity! Sometimes we have to step back and let ourselves take it all in. When setting up a box, your gymnastics needs to be better than it does for a WOD. The amount of red tape and hoops we needed to clear has made it all the more rewarding. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Setting up THE STRONG ROOM has been a mission, but it’s worth every second when we see the look on peoples faces when they walk through the door. Jaws drop!

 How long have you been open?

We’ve been running CrossFit and Olympic Lifting classes now for eight weeks, and are in to our ninth. We have a fantastic bunch of foundation members, who from a culture perspective, we couldn’t be happier with. Eager to learn, a desire to do things right, taking it at their own pace, and making sure they put in the best effort they can each time they walk through the door. More like you guys please!

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You mentioned this has been a dream come true for you. Can you give us some light as to why you wanted to open this facility?

Our reason for opening is no different to anyone else who has started a business based on a passion. You want to share it with others and hope to affect them in a way that makes them feel more alive, like they have more to give, aspire to, and be. CrossFit is an inspirational paradigm that allows all of this and more.

How about your name ‘The Strong Room’?

In terms of our name, would it disappoint you to hear we just thought it sounded good? J Honestly though, all of us here love the strength arts, and wanted an emphasis on this within our CrossFit program and extra classes from the outset. We hope to make a point of difference with that. The name portrays that desire.

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How about a run down of the people behind The Strong Room and CrossFit Chadstone. Who are the owners, coaches and people involved? Can you give a quick run down of their background, skills and experience?

Pete and I (Murray) are the two owners, and Lester is our handsome Olympic Lifting Coach. Our skills and personalities are very complimentary and well suited here. We’re also lucky to have such similar thought processes and approaches to training, and are all comfortable with our roles. Pete is definitely the visionary behind the place and without his organizational skills and tireless research we’d be The Mediocre Room for sure. He also has a great eye for correct movement and is great at picking up flaws in technique. Always impressed with how he gives the young guys a run for their money in WOD’S!

My own background is Martial Arts based, mostly Brazilian Jiu Jitsu where I was heavily involved in coaching and competing for a decade. I’ve run my own PT business for a decade and spent the last few years as the S&C Coach at Dominance Mixed Martial Arts. I enjoy identifying the true cause behind people’s inability to move well, approaching things holistically, and giving lasting solutions. Close enough isn’t good enough, I want our members to nail it!

Lester is a ninja. His PhD is on the Snatch, it goes without saying he lives and breathes Weightlifting. But he’s not just a geek J he’s a geek who lifts, does it very well, and passes on instruction beautifully. We couldn’t be happier to have him on board. For a more detailed profile of our coaches, please visit our site.

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What classes and sessions do you offer? E.g. Fundamentals, Mobility, WOD, Olympic Lifting etc.

Right now we offer a relatively full timetable of CrossFit classes and Olympic Lifting classes. Whilst these will be our mainstay, as we expand we aim to include kid’s, Yoga, and strength classes where Powerlifting, Strongman lifts, and Gymnastics strength movements will be taught. We also plan to host regular specialist sessions where experts, from our already developed network, will be brought in to enlighten us on all things health and well-being related. Being a new box, it’s just a matter of time, but this’ll give you an idea of where we’re heading.

Can you give us a feel for the programming and focus?

Our two main programs, CrossFit and Olympic lifting, are run independently, but in a complimentary fashion. Focus in both areas in on technique. Form is paramount.

Our Manifesto, which can be found on our site, will give you all a great idea of what we stand for and how we approach training. That being said, the core belief that drives all programs is that technical efficiency and perfect practice will get you results. So the belief that drives the CrossFit is a mirror of the Olympic Lifting philosophy and vice versa . People often talk about creating mobility, stability and then strength, but don’t deliver. We believe in strength as a foundation. To build proper strength in the movements required in CrossFit and Olympic Lifting, mobility, and stability are a must, yet we continue to come across experienced athletes moving to our box who’ve never had their issues addressed. With the number of PR’s that have been set here by various people already, it’s obviously working!

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How about an example of a WOD and an Olympic Weightlifting Session?

As an example, a recent WOD went like this:

  • Skill: Sot’s Press
  • Strength: Back Squat 1×5/5×5
  • Supplementary: BSQ 4×8/s otmem
  • WOD: HSP, T2B 10-1 for time.

Coaches Call: This section is often left intentionally blank, so that coaches can pick on issues that were highlighted during the WOD – Were there control (stability) issues? Were there force generation related issues? Once identified, if time permits, exercises will be picked based on findings. This ensures people’s weaknesses are regularly assessed and developed.

With shorter WODs like the above, we often involve a second, though this gives a good idea of general structure.

Today for Olympic Lifting we did the following:

  • Work up to a heavy Snatch (what ever you’re able to reach with good form)
  • Then drop set of 8 singles at 85%
  • The same for Clean and Jerk, but only 6 singles for the drop set.
  • Back Squat1x5/3×5

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The great thing about CrossFit is that every box and training facility is different. What sets The Strong Room and CrossFit Chadstone apart from other facilities?

None of the following may necessarily be differences, they are just points of focus that we have and that drive our actions.

A few people surprisingly haven’t actually taken kindly to us prefacing CrossFit Chadstone, with, THE STRONG ROOM. Possibly they see it as a distancing effort. They couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s merely an effort to express our core values and intention. If you leave us stronger in body, mind, and spirit, we succeeded! You reading this all know CrossFit is a superb way to achieve this! As we said at the beginning of the interview, CrossFit is an inspirational paradigm. It’s a vehicle for change, and development, and the one we’re passionate about utilizing to its full effect.

One of our main points of focus, is our skill in not just teaching you how to move based on your current abilities, but in identifying why you can’t move the way you should be able to. And more to the point, giving you valid and effective solutions to take care of it. Our members are visibly better off because of this approach.

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Culture is hugely important to us, and again is driven by Our Manifesto. At least 50% of our members have never tried CrossFit before, some have never exercised! This is nice in a way because we get to set the culture early on with very impressionable people. Helping us with this are the amazing attitudes of the experienced athletes who’ve joined our ranks. We’ve been very lucky, they’re helping mould our new members and setting the tone for other experienced athletes who join in too.

Importantly, the purpose of our trial sessions is not a one sided affair. It’s not solely so potential members can try out THE STRONG ROOM and decide if they like what they see, hear, and are offered. It is also gives us a chance to do the same with you. We need to be as sure as you do, that you’ll benefit from our coaching and what we offer as a package. We only want the best for you, if we don’t think we can help you with that, we’d rather suggest another team better suited.

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What are your plans for the future? Next 6 months, 12 months?

As a way to continue the type of recruitment we mentioned above, we plan on holding some Bootcamps for the locals, and any beginner who’d like to try CrossFit, and we aim to have a weekly trial session suitable for and aimed at beginners, but open to all levels. As we said before, this is important, because it gives athletes the chance to decide whether they will fit in at THE STRONG ROOM and whether they like what we offer, and it gives us a chance to make the same decision too.

Obviously we can’t wait for our grand opening, or likewise, to begin holding competitions where the greater community can come and christen our equipment and hopefully enjoy our space! J We, like most boxes plan on developing a competition team. This is one of the best ways in our eyes to further the sport of CrossFit and give back to the community as a whole.

At the end of the day, there is no rush. These early stages are allowing us to iron out many kinks, so we are thankful for that, and want to take it one step at a time.

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Where can people get in contact with you if they want to learn more about The Strong Room, CrossFit Chadstone come and check out the facilities, hit a drop in WOD or sign up for fundamentals?

The easiest way to contact us is through our site:

www.thestrongroom.com.au

All and any information you’d like is on there. Otherwise you can check out our FaceBook page: www.facebook.com/CrossfitChadstone

We advertise all our seminars and free trial session dates on FaceBook, so keep an eye out or drop us an email. We’d love to have you come and test drive THE STRONG ROOM!

…If you would like YOUR box featured, drop us a line at info@thewodlife.com.au