What exactly is CrossFit?
Straight up: CrossFit is the most effective strength and conditioning program in the world IF your goal is improved overall fitness across ALL types of physical activity (strength, endurance, flexibility, coordination). If you just want to be super flexible, we suggest you do yoga. If you want to be huge and strong, then go to Golds and lift heavy weights every day. If you want to be able to run marathons, well then, you should hit the road. If you want to be (well) above average in all things athletic, at the same time, then you've found a home here. And, as you turn yourself into the athlete who can handle "anything and everything," your body will respond. You will notice yourself walking with better posture. Your fat will slowly but surely be exchanged for muscle. And, your confidence will radiate from the inside out.
How exactly do you do that?
"Constantly varied, functional movement, performed at high intensity." Mouthful right? Simply put, the workouts aren't easy and we are always changing them up on you. Three to six months will go by before we repeat a workout in our programming. Your body is forced to adapt to anything and everything, so it's always learning and developing. It took decades for scientists to prove the following: shorter duration/higher intensity workouts yield higher benefits over the long run. Fact is, the longer the effort, the lower the intensity. If you run 10 miles, your intensity (power output) will be lower than if you run multiple 400 meter sprints. Don't worry, we explain it all to you when you get here.
What's a CrossFit class like?
Workouts are typically short – 20 minutes or less – and intense, demanding all-out physical exertion. They combine movements such as running, rowing, jumping rope, weightlifting, gymnastics, as well as numerous body weight exercises. Each day you show up to a new carefully chosen "WOD" or "Workout of the Day." We get you warmed up, we spend some time working on coordination skills or strength, and then we jump into the workout as a group! Afterwards, we'll typically cool down with some stretching. We keep track of your performance on each WOD so that you can see your progress over time.
I have heard that CrossFit is really tough. Is it only for hard-core athletes?
No way! The fundamental structure of CrossFit lends itself to the development of all ages and ranges of athletic capability. CrossFit is as hard as you make it. We will encourage you to push to the limits of what you can handle and at the end of the day it's up to you to make the most out of your workouts.
Do I have to get in shape first before I start?
This comes up a lot! Short answer: No. The most elite athlete can come into Crossfit Horsepower and make any workout extremely challenging. Someone who has been lounging on the couch watching game show re-runs for the last six months will find it equally challenging. It all works because our workouts are scaled for each individual. Fitness is a lifelong journey. We're here to get you from where you are to where you want to be as efficiently as possible.
I can't do CrossFit because I don't want to aggravate previous injuries.
Numerous clients have come through the doors with previous injuries or tweaks and found relief from the pain by improving their mobility (flexibility) and strengthening the muscles around the problem area. Example: A lot of people neglect exercising their lower back for fear of injury. Because of this, they wind up even more susceptible to injury from minor mishaps which can happen in every day life. Getting to know your body through CrossFit will actually provide you with a buffer of sorts that will mitigate the risk of everyday injuries.
What are your goals when programming your workouts for the gym?
At Crossfit Horsepower, we choose to offer workouts that can be scaled in group settings and address the needs/desires of our community. You are guaranteed to have at least one day/week of heavy load to help address strength demands. We also like to provide people with a longer workout each week so they can get their "endurance" needs fed. Our general philosophy is the same as Crossfit HQ: constantly varied, functional movement at high intensity. We just try to listen carefully to our community and meet their unique and specific needs as much as possible.
Will I get too big and bulky?
In order for people to get bigger, especially women, there are two things that must happen. One: Pick up very heavy weight on a frequent basis. This is not something we do. Yes, we are very much concerned about your strength and we do lift heavy on some days, but this is not our main focus. Two: Eat an extremely high calorie diet. This is also something that we do not focus on. From a nutritional standpoint, our focus is simply on the quality of the foods we eat, not the amount. While most of our clients do experience fluctuation in weight, the change itself is mostly due to the inevitable transformation of a body being used as a storage vehicle to that of an athlete.
I have heard you can get hurt doing CrossFit. Is this true?
You can injure yourself doing just about anything, but CrossFit is more safe than many activities people perform every day. We like to work with people in 3 stages. First: Mechanics (learning how to do the movements with correct technique). Second: Consistency (the ability to do the movements over and over again with safe and relatively efficient technique). Third: Intensity (the speed at which you do the movements). One does not come before the other. We always start with Mechanics.
Do you have showers in your facility?
Yes. Crossfit Horsepower takes pride in providing Studio City and the surrounding community with the finest amenities. Towel service, toiletries, and of course, two private luxurious shower/changing rooms comparable to the finest spas.
I am coming to Studio City and would love to drop-in. Can I and how much does it cost?
We love drop-in guests! Our beautiful facility is fortunate to enjoy numerous guests from all over the country who visit LA and all it has to offer. The cost to drop-in is $20 per class. We look forward to seeing you!
If you have any questions and would like to know more about what we do, please do not hesitate to email us at
contact@crossfithorsepower.com or call us at
(818) 748-6051. You can also check out
www.crossfithorsepower.com.
