I was anxious about having a new team at CrossFit Vauxhall, in large part because I am not in the typical demographic and I worry about not being strong enough, fit enough or even just “looking right”. I needn’t have worried as I have found nothing but support, encouragement and practical coaching from the coaches at CrossFit. I also enjoy the intrinsic aspects of CrossFit, ie the constantly changing programme, the scaling options and the range of activities and goals. As to the underlying goal of improving my fitness, tone and mobility, I certainly notice the difference between attending and not attending the classes. There’s a wide range of members, but what they all have in common is enthusiasm for fitness and a friendly and supportive attitude.
~ Joanna
I was active in sport at school and university, but when I started working it got harder to keep it up. I find it really boring to go to a regular gym and run on a treadmill, do weights and blah. I then heard of CrossFit through a friend and tried it out. I loved it from the start. The best part being the variety and the functional training aspect. You show up everyday to do a different set of exercises, there is a coach making sure you aren’t injuring yourself with bad form, a group of enthusiastic and supportive people around you, and the time just flies by. I love that most moments are functional and fun. And a week, a month, a year later, I still discover new exercises, which keeps it exciting and keeps me going back to the CrossFit gym. An added bonus is that I see a clear improvement in my fitness and that too, keeps me motivated.
What makes a good box? The coaches, the programming, the community (and good coffee is a bonus).
The coaches are fantastic, with a good mixture of coaching styles and strengths. I love that all the coaches keep track of the individual athletes and really help each of them achieve their goals – it’s like you have multiple personal trainers following your progress. The effort they put into the programming is clear, and there is something in there for everyone. I particularly like the additional speciality classes where you can focus on specific skills, conditioning or mobility.
CFV has a friendly and welcoming community, and has a good mix of social events alongside the training (you might have survive some CrossFit jabber). And the coffee… CFV claims to have the best coffee in CrossFit in London – no one has challenged that claim.
~ Aman
I do CrossFit because it gives me the opportunity, more than any other sport I’ve tried before, to get rewarded physically and mentally every single time I leave a class, without fail! I keep coming back because I love being coached by people who inspire me and know exactly what they’re doing and because the coffee is unbelievable of course! My favourite thing about CFV is the energy and Saturday treats.
~ Virginia
CrossFit Vauxhall is my home away from home. When the box closed down because of COVID the thing I missed most wasn’t the WOD but the people. Even during lockdown I have become closed to other members via the online classes and coffee mornings. Aside from the other members what I love most is being able to switch off in the classes, it’s a protected hour (or two) where I can just be in the zone not worrying about work or other commitments. I have been Crossfitting for over 4 years and never got bored. Everyone starts with the PVC pipe and has to learn the language and techniques so every CrossFitter no matter how experienced has an appreciation of what it’s like to be new and therefore there is no elitism, especially at CFV. The coaches at CFV are all really experienced and motivate me to push harder. seeing progress, getting faster, stronger or my gymnasticy is the reason I keep coming back.
~ Abby
After dropping out of any sort of fitness for quite some time, I’d taken up a martial art as a midlife crisis and found myself frequently injured. I tried Crossfit to improve my strength and prevent injury. Three months later and I’ve stopped collecting new injuries, found myself fitter than I’d been for many years and dropped the martial art completely to concentrate on CrossFit.
At CFV, the quality of coaching is excellent. The coaches are experienced, approachable, patient and adapt their approach to all levels. It’s also a really friendly community, where the coaches are fully engaged with the members and everyone is supportive. Add to that that the gym has been recently refurbished with the latest kit and you pretty much have the perfect box.
~ Andy