CrossFit Quality of Life = Quality of Life

CrossFit is for everyone. We fully believe this. However, complications can surface when it comes to dealing with a large variety of needs and levels. When a trainer puts a workout on the board, athletes either do it Rx'd or they modify. The task of modifying is quite challenging-meeting the right needs through the right modification for a specific person. Invariably, "Rx'd" becomes this holy grail, and people begin to do anything to have it by their name: lie, cheat, throw their backs out, and/or find their heads in the trashcan. Well, CrossFit is supposed to enhance your life, not make it nearly impossible to pick up your child, do laundry, or get out of bed. Doing the right workout for YOU can make all the difference when it comes to CrossFit quality of life!

At NoCoast, we start with LiftOne, the foundation program that will take you up the mountain. You learn the basics, have some fun, and build some confidence for moving on. After graduation, we will place you in one of 3 tracks on Beyond the Whiteboard, just like trails on a ski mountain: 1. Green, 2. Blue, 3. Black. Dan, the master programmer, will provide 3 versions of the same workout each day. Athletes will follow their specific track until it's evident they are ready to move on to the next one. We will be developing this concept as we play with it over the next few months. For now, here is a short rundown:

Green:  For folks who have just graduated from LiftOne. This will will also serve as our rehabilitative track, for people recovering from injury or anyone with severe range of motion problems.

Blue: The mainstream use for CrossFit-improving general fitness. This is where 95% of CrossFit athletes play-the user's intention is to get fitter overall, not master CrossFit for CrossFit's sake.

Black: The athletes who can complete all workouts "Rx'd," who have a mastery of every CrossFit skill (muscle ups, handstand push ups, Rx'd weight, etc.), and who CrossFit primarily to get better at CrossFit. I would add that this group is taking on a greater level of risk. Higher volume can often lead to trashed bodies. Some may say that is part of the game in a very competitive atmosphere. But we'd like to save that risk for individuals who have actually chosen to be IN the game. They have a good awareness of what they are getting into, have weighed the pros and cons, and still want to go for it.


Not everyone will fit into each of these so perfectly, so we imagine some will scale or upscale depending on where they are at and that's totally okay!

As the CrossFit community grows, our challenge becomes meeting the needs of different learners, athletic backgrounds, and goals of our athletes. Conceptualizing workouts this way, we hope, will lead to greater satisfaction out of the program. Greater satisfaction out of the program will mean greater satisfaction out of life.

Cover Songs and the Garage Gym Model

4 out of 5 of us NoCoast owners grew up on the Godfather of CrossFit: The legendary "mainsite" programming. We didn't even start in the very beginning. By the time we caught on to CrossFit, there were hundreds of videos to catch up on. You know the ones where your eyebrows raised and your jaw drops because you didn't know human beings could do that stuff. Or maybe you watched those videos, said, "that doesn't look so bad," and proceeded to puke at your local YMCA attempting to get through "Kelly" for the first time. Well, these times were always fun to look back on. Those old videos are almost like looking at Olympic Games footage from 1932 compared to the media we see surrounding the CrossFit Games these days. CrossFit has actually increased human capacity of an entire generation of CrossFitters. People become more and more fit every year that passes.

As the first NoCoastians, we set out to follow our dreams and open a gym. We desired to grow a community of CrossFitters who became not only fitter, but happier. We wanted to create a place called home. As the CEO of Starbucks, Howard Schultz, had once set out to do: create the "third place." Home first, work second, gym third. And hopefully the third would make the first two richer and more enjoyable.

What surprised us was that we were led back to where we started: garage gym workouts, little to no equipment, staying flexible with programming, and having fun-being amazed that a dumbbell and baseball field could still make you want to barf. What was even more interesting, was that we laughed when we realized "Big Blue" very much resembles the old CrossFit Santa Cruz gym. Small, minimal, functional. I had to wonder how much repeatedly learning from these vids had ultimately led us to this little space. I also was reminded how no matter what the environment, the program works. The community will thrive. You will become a healthier human being. We are, in a way, back to the source. Like a fresh cover on a classic song.

Let's do this.

a fresh start takes work, that's for sure

New Beginnings
It's always exciting to start a new endeavor  albeit it scary or joyful.  In this case, we are very excited to bring you NoCoast CrossFit! Lookout for more info, but expect a grand opening on March 2nd, 2013!