CrossFit Squamish Policy Related FAQs:

1. I DON’T SEE ANY FOUNDATIONS ON THE SCHEDULE, WHEN WILL THE NEXT FOUNDATIONS #1 BE HELD?

We offer Foundations when space opens up in regular classes. This is dependent on people leaving. Please read the Getting Started page for detailed information.

2. WHAT HAPPENS IF I CAN’T DO A MOVEMENT OR EXERCISE (LIKE PULL-UPS)?

There is ALWAYS a way to modify a movement inside a workout if you can’t perform the full movement. CrossFit workouts are great because everyone in a class, regardless of experience or ability, can complete the same workout. Modifications are made as required.

3. WHAT IS THE IDEAL TRAINING SCHEDULE?

We program classes on a schedule of: 3 on, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off, for a total of 5 classes a week. The programmed days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Most people do 4 or 5 days a week unless their life permits only 3. We do not recommend doing less than 3 days a week as you will have a difficult time getting the results you want, getting over the hump of being sore all the time, and will have a slower progression with the technical movements.

4. DO I HAVE TO SIGN UP FOR CLASSES?

Yes. We currently have a training capacity of 1 instructor to 10-12 athletes. If you show up to a class that is full and you haven’t signed up, you will be assigned a “special task”.

5. CAN I COME TO DIFFERENT CLASS TIMES ON DIFFERENT DAYS?

Yes. We specifically designed our system to have maximum flexibility in training times. We don’t want you to have to commit to specific times each day. It’s good for you to try out different class times as this is part of the variability in training.

6. WHAT DO I DO IF A CLASS IS FULL AND THERE IS A WAITLIST?

Sometimes there are days on which a particular class is more popular than others and a waitlist forms. We encourage you to use the waitlist feature in the registration system as it moves frequently. Please check your email frequently, when a spot opens up you will receive notification and are now assumed to be coming to that class. Please remove yourself from all other waitlists or classes that you may be registered for that day to keep the system moving quickly.

7. WHAT IS THE CANCELLATION POLICY FOR CLASSES?

If you know you can’t make a class that you are signed up for we ask you to cancel out of that class with as much notice as possible so that people on the waitlist may be notified. In all fairness, the more notice the better! All cancellations for 6am, 7am and 8am classes must be done by 10pm the night before as people who are on the waitlist may be in bed not long after 10 (we can see when you cancel out). Please be considerate. Always barring true emergencies.

8. IF I ENTER MY EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR MINDBODY SYSTEM WILL YOU SEND ME SPAM/ADVERTISING EMAILS?

Absolutely not. We appreciate that people receive way too many emails so we will never send you anything that doesn't pertain to you directly (e.g. confirmation of Massage Therapy appointments, notification that you are in a class from the waitlist etc.), so please use an email address that you check regularly. That said, because we never send group emails, we expect that you will stay up to date with what is going on in our community by checking our blog, facebook and/or twitter feeds which are updated almost daily. Any important notifications, events and general information will be posted there and it is your responsibility to check.

9. WHERE SHOULD I PARK AND WHAT DO I DO IF IT LOOKS FULL?

Until further notice (or change of neighbours), please only park on the side wall of the building, against the back wall by the Sea to Sky trucks, or along the front border with the dirt where Sea to Sky staff park. Please do not park against the outer side perimeter near the nursery as the mechanics use this space for their trucks. All bikes can park on the bike rack at the back and you are responsible for bringing a lock.

10. IS IT OK TO COMPETE WITH PEOPLE IN THE GYM IN WORKOUTS? WHAT HAPPENS IF I ONLY WANT TO COMPETE WITH MYSELF?

The nature of measuring and recording our results is often a means for competition, either with oneself or with others. We encourage this, but keep in mind that different things motivate different people and not everyone wants to compete with anyone other than themselves. If you are going to compete with some of your training partners please make sure they are comfortable with this (otherwise keep the competition to yourself). If you don’t consider yourself a competitive person, don’t worry. We just ask that you record your own results so that you can compare them to your future attempts. This is how we note change. Competitive or not, you still have to work as hard as you can on that given day.

11. WHAT IS THE STORY WITH THE LEADERBOARD?

Our leaderboard is a display of most of the CrossFit named benchmark workouts (e.g Fran) as well as the common lifts (e.g. max Deadlift), gymnastic movements (e.g. max Pull-ups), and running and rowing times. It is meant to display the top 5 men and women in the gym for each category. We respect a strong work ethic and quality of movement above all other things. The leaderboard reflects hard work. Please use it as motivation for the potential results for each workout, and as guidance for what to aim for. It is not meant to be a source of negative competition. We will not tolerate any dishonesty. Anyone caught cheating during a workout will be removed from all spaces that they hold on the leaderboard. We understand that everyone honestly loses count every now and again. Please use the guideline that if you are counting to 100 reps of a movement and suddenly aren’t sure if you are at 55 or 65...you are at 55. Please respect your training partners, those who have made the leaderboard worked very hard to be there. We expect you to do the same.

12. SHOULD I COME INTO THE GYM IF I AM SICK OR INJURED?

It is your responsibility to communicate with us regarding sickness and/or injury. In regards to sickness, you will often have to be the judge. But keep in mind that the increased circulation from exercise often will help to kick the sickness in its end stages. You can always modify the workout or spend some time on the Erg. However, if you are feeling something big coming on, then taxing your system isn’t a great idea and spreading your illness to others is lame-o. Please be considerate and wipe down any equipment you use! If you get injured outside the gym, please contact us right away. We have a strong understanding of injuries and their relationship to CrossFit mechanics and can work around most injuries. We have had many athletes actively rehab with us, with great results. Talk to us. We will let you know if we think your case in not appropriate to train through/around.

13. IF I GET SICK OR INJURED CAN I PUT MY PASS ON HOLD?

Because of the effectiveness of active rehab, we do not put passes on hold for sickness or injury. We see people come back to train (often with modifications) much sooner this way (it’s to easy to stay away for an extra couple days near the end of sickness or injury).

14. IF I GO AWAY CAN I PUT MY PASS ON HOLD?

Passes will only be put on hold for planned time away from Squamish. You must be away for more than 7 day on a 1 month pass, more than 2 weeks on a 3 month pass, and more than a month on a 6 month pass. Please be honest with us regarding your departure and arrival dates. Please let us know BEFORE you go and email your dates away to heather@crossfitsquamish.ca 12 month passes will not be put on hold under any circumstances so please consider this before purchasing.

15. WHAT HAPPENS IF I DECIDE TO TAKE TIME OFF FROM THE GYM?

If you are taking time off from the gym because you are away on business or vacation please let us know (even if you don't qualify to put your pass on hold). Each athlete is given an "active membership" status which allows you to purchase passes online and sign up for classes. If your pass expires and you disappear for more than a month and we don't know where you are, your active membership status will run out. When you choose to return you may have to wait a period of time if we have run Foundations in the mean time and the classes are full. You will always be waitlisted ahead of any future Foundations athletes, and will be contacted when space opens up. If you have not trained with us for very long, and then take a significant amount of time off, you may be required to complete Foundations again upon returning. This will be determined on an individual basis. Like everything regarding your athlete/coach relationship, please communicate with us to avoid any confusion or disappointment!

16. DOES CLASS INCLUDE TIME FOR WARMUP AND STRETCHING?

Each class will have roughly 10 minutes at the beginning for warm-up, which is extremely important for avoiding injury and achieving high results. It is your responsibility to ensure that you use this time wisely. If you need more time, come a few minutes earlier. Sometimes there will be set time for stretching at the end of class, but generally it will be your responsibility to stay and stretch. Please ask if you need guidance. You are athletes that are training with coaches. Treat yourself as such. It is also your responsibility to utilize your coaches and health care professionals as much as needed. Ask lots of questions.

17. CAN I DO CROSSFIT IF I AM PREGNANT?

For people who are already CrossFitting and become pregnant, this should not be a problem. The exception is if there are specific complications with the pregnancy and your doctor has recommended NO exercise. Otherwise we have specific modifications that will be made to your movements and your intensity of output. If you have never CrossFitted and are pregnant, we recommend that you continue with your usual exercise routine and join us once your baby is born. We have lots of new moms that join us not long after giving birth (with specific modifications as well). A fantastic source of info is www.crossfitmom.com

18. DO YOU ADDRESS NUTRITION?

We don't push nutrition on anyone, however we do follow a Paleo way of eating ourselves and are happy to talk about this with anyone who is interested. We offer different options (individual or group) to people for making positive improvements to their nutrition. There are several links on our resources page that explain more about this in detail.

19. OVERALL, WHAT WILL BE EXPECTED OF ME AS AN ATHLETE?

As an athlete at CrossFit Squamish we expect you to work hard and play a positive role in our community. Results are a product of hard work and a dedication to the program. The more you dig in the more you’ll get back. When you work hard it sets an example and encourages the people around you to press on. Support and encourage each other; we train as a group to bring the overall results up. Negative attitudes and comments will not be tolerated. We also expect you uphold your half of the athlete/coach relationship. This means communicating needs and concerns. This also includes following the communicated rules of the gym and being receptive to coaching. The coach/athlete relationship is important to us as it is a critical component to continued improvements of the athlete as well as the overall atmosphere in the gym. If relationship issues amongst athletes, or athlete and coach, cannot be resolved, you may be asked discontinue training with us.

20. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT OF YOU AS COACHES?

Like you, we train hard. We test out movements and workouts on ourselves. We will never ask you to do something that we wouldn’t do, or believe to be beyond your means. The programming is calculated and we are constantly monitoring energy levels and progression. We know what it is like to be in the different stages of learning CrossFit and we will do our best to make sure that you see a successful progression as an athlete.

We will do anything possibly to get the most out of you everyday. It is our job to teach you to perform technical movements safely and efficiently. We will encourage you perform to your capacity but will never push you beyond what we believe you can accomplish. A large part of our job as coaches is assessing your physical and mental capacity inside a task as well as working with whatever motivates you. We will accommodate injuries inside classes and modify workouts as needed.

We will be receptive to questions and feedback and do our best to answer and questions or concerns that you have about your training, health, and nutrition. We attempt to run an efficient system that is user friendly. We will make changes to anything that we believe will make a better product for you.