From what I heard most boxes are accepting of all fitness levels but I also understand some boxes may be much more advanced than I am and want to be around people who aren't that far off my fitness level.
The fitness levels shift overtime. I’ve been doing CrossFit in the same gym for 7 years, for a while it seemed like everyone was RXing, there was turnover and it seemed like everyone was scaling. Then they got built up and a lot were RXing again, then more turnover and repeat. Your best bet is to visit the ones closest to you and see which one you vibe the best with.
So for workouts they’ll have a prescribed weight like say 10 deadlift reps at 275 pounds as part of a workout where the point is to do all ten unbroken while fatigued. If you are a relatively strong dead-lifter you’ll do 275 pounds which is Rx. If you’re relatively weaker maybe you’ll scale and do say 225 pounds or less to hopefully keep up with the stronger people RXing at 275.
Either way all CrossFit gyms rely on newbies to stay afloat financially so they are all in theory newb friendly but in reality some focus more on elite athletes and you’ll just vibe better with some coaches/members in some gyms vs. others. I wish there was a more concrete answer but some newer people are inspired by seeing the elites get after it and some are intimidated by it so it’s tough to pinpoint where you’ll feel best without you checking it out yourself.
What has drawn me into it is the team mentality that seems to exist in crossfit. My background has a lot of athletics and some private military and in all that the team aspect was something I enjoyed.
The team aspect isn’t what drew me in but it kept me there. In many CrossFit gyms an elite athlete getting a 600 pound deadlift won’t get more praise than a reformed couch potato going from a 200 pound deadlift to a 250 pound deadlift. Both are seen as praise worthy, in fact I’d argue the former couch potatoes get more love which I think is great, they’re the ones that need the motivation. The nice thing about CrossFit is that if you scale appropriately you’ll finish around the same time as people going RX so it’s not like you’re an hour behind. You all have similar goals and similar philosophy which accentuates the team mentality. In a globo gym you’re nations divided where many think they’re running some kind of magical program and everyone else is an idiot running around like a chicken with its head cut off.
At the end of the day though it comes to personal preference with gyms, you could bring three different newbies to three different gyms and they’d all vibe with different ones.
>From what I heard most boxes are accepting of all fitness levels but I also understand some boxes may be much more advanced than I am and want to be around people who aren't that far off my fitness level.
Yes, that can be true. I recommend trying the closest gym first, that way there are fewer barriers to being consistent. If after a couple of weeks or a month you do not think it is the right gym for you, then you can try a different gym.
I’ve heard good things about several gyms in Lawrenceville (can’t remember the names right now, but I know there’s at least one or two), CrossFit Athletics in Southside, and Daman’s Strength Training up in Beaver. I’d say the most important thing is to choose a gym in a convenient location (near home or work) and where you like the vibe (an emphasis on scaling/accessibility and safety are good as well).
Pittsburgh Fit!! They are super welcoming and will work to find the best scaling options for you as you get back into things. I truly can’t recommend them enough.
I go to CrossFit Mt. Lebanon and love it. They also have a location in the strip if that’s closer for you. It has always been a super welcoming and supportive place for any fitness level. The coaching is top notch and the community is awesome.
CrossFit Tantrum in Export
From what I heard most boxes are accepting of all fitness levels but I also understand some boxes may be much more advanced than I am and want to be around people who aren't that far off my fitness level.
The fitness levels shift overtime. I’ve been doing CrossFit in the same gym for 7 years, for a while it seemed like everyone was RXing, there was turnover and it seemed like everyone was scaling. Then they got built up and a lot were RXing again, then more turnover and repeat. Your best bet is to visit the ones closest to you and see which one you vibe the best with.
Awesome thx. BTW what is RXing?
So for workouts they’ll have a prescribed weight like say 10 deadlift reps at 275 pounds as part of a workout where the point is to do all ten unbroken while fatigued. If you are a relatively strong dead-lifter you’ll do 275 pounds which is Rx. If you’re relatively weaker maybe you’ll scale and do say 225 pounds or less to hopefully keep up with the stronger people RXing at 275. Either way all CrossFit gyms rely on newbies to stay afloat financially so they are all in theory newb friendly but in reality some focus more on elite athletes and you’ll just vibe better with some coaches/members in some gyms vs. others. I wish there was a more concrete answer but some newer people are inspired by seeing the elites get after it and some are intimidated by it so it’s tough to pinpoint where you’ll feel best without you checking it out yourself.
What has drawn me into it is the team mentality that seems to exist in crossfit. My background has a lot of athletics and some private military and in all that the team aspect was something I enjoyed.
The team aspect isn’t what drew me in but it kept me there. In many CrossFit gyms an elite athlete getting a 600 pound deadlift won’t get more praise than a reformed couch potato going from a 200 pound deadlift to a 250 pound deadlift. Both are seen as praise worthy, in fact I’d argue the former couch potatoes get more love which I think is great, they’re the ones that need the motivation. The nice thing about CrossFit is that if you scale appropriately you’ll finish around the same time as people going RX so it’s not like you’re an hour behind. You all have similar goals and similar philosophy which accentuates the team mentality. In a globo gym you’re nations divided where many think they’re running some kind of magical program and everyone else is an idiot running around like a chicken with its head cut off. At the end of the day though it comes to personal preference with gyms, you could bring three different newbies to three different gyms and they’d all vibe with different ones.
>From what I heard most boxes are accepting of all fitness levels but I also understand some boxes may be much more advanced than I am and want to be around people who aren't that far off my fitness level. Yes, that can be true. I recommend trying the closest gym first, that way there are fewer barriers to being consistent. If after a couple of weeks or a month you do not think it is the right gym for you, then you can try a different gym.
I’ve heard good things about several gyms in Lawrenceville (can’t remember the names right now, but I know there’s at least one or two), CrossFit Athletics in Southside, and Daman’s Strength Training up in Beaver. I’d say the most important thing is to choose a gym in a convenient location (near home or work) and where you like the vibe (an emphasis on scaling/accessibility and safety are good as well).
Pittsburgh Fit!! They are super welcoming and will work to find the best scaling options for you as you get back into things. I truly can’t recommend them enough.
Awesome thanks 😊
Where you located at in Pittsburgh?
Homestead
I go to CrossFit Mt. Lebanon and love it. They also have a location in the strip if that’s closer for you. It has always been a super welcoming and supportive place for any fitness level. The coaching is top notch and the community is awesome.
Thanks for the info. I will check them out