faqs

I’m overweight/old/unfit/injured/broken; do I need to be fit to start CrossFit?

Not at all! We will get you fitter and stronger! Every class can be adapted to each individual’s ability, disability, age, experience and confidence. The coach is with you every step of the way, every session, to help you with movements and weights and scaling options. We will also carefully and appropriately adapt and modify movements for any injuries you may have.

I already do CrossFt at another gym and am visiting the area, can I train at your gym?

Of course! Please contact us first to let us know you are coming and we will show you how to fill out the paperwork and pay for your class. A drop-in class costs £15 but if you are around for a while, let us know and we can arrange a short-term membership for you.

I have specific needs, do you cater for me?

Totally! We are an inclusive gym and have not yet found anyone we cannot train. We have trained a very wide variety of folks here at CrossFit Uckfield: amputees, members who are registered blind, those with diabetes, post heart attack, people suffering from anxiety, depression or bi-polar disorder, people with autism and/or ADHD, people with agoraphobia, pregnant and postpartum women, those with special educational needs, people with high blood pressure, those with Ehlers Danlos syndrome, people suffering with Alzheimers, ex-professional athletes, people who have never exercised in their life, the overweight, the underweight, the scared and the bold.

I’m pretty fit and strong already, do I need to do an intro?

If you have been coached in CrossFit at another CrossFit gym for some time before and you are confident to jump straight into classes with us, then you don’t have to do an intro but of course, if you’d like a refresher, you can. Even if you are really familiar with weights and fitness, we ask you to complete an intro so you can see how we coach and get a feel for what our CrossFit classes will be like and so we can assess your movement and where you are at.

How will I know what to do when I come in?

All classes are fully led by our coaches. They will welcome you to the class, make sure you are introduced to everyone and ensure you understand exactly what is going on at all times. They will lead you through the warmup and any skill elements and get you ready for the workout with appropriate weights and movements for your level.

I play a specific sport; how can CrossFit help with that?

CrossFit is a great strength and conditioning protocol to follow that will support any sport. Increased strength, power, speed and agility, balance, coordination, flexibility and accuracy, endurance and stamina will benefit you in any sport.

I’m quite shy/nervous/anxious; is your gym intimidating?

We pride ourselves at CrossFit Uckfield on making our gym welcoming to all. We work really hard to integrate new members into our friendly and supportive community and we are really lucky to have a wonderful group of kind and funny people training here. New members who come to intros have regularly told us they have been welcomed by current members many times before they even got through the doors! If you really struggle with anxiety or loud noises or busy classes, we have 3 special quiet classes a week with smaller numbers, quieter music and a calmer atmosphere.

What happens in a CrossFit class?

A class is an hour long and consists of a general warm up to raise your heart rate a little, warm up your joints and muscles and drill some of the movements that are coming up. This is followed by a more specific warm up where we look more closely at the movements that are coming up in the workout and get you ready for the workout itself and then the actual workout, which can be anything from 3 minutes to 45 minutes long. The very short and the very long workouts are less common; they tend to be from around 10 to 20 minutes long. Then there is a cool down or finisher. All elements of the workout are fully coached and you are never left to get on alone.

Do you have Open Gym?

We don’t have Open Gym sessions at our gym as you are paying for the programming, the coaching and our amazing, supportive community. Open Gym is at odds with that and we have found it can create division in the gym. We are very, very proud of the atmosphere and community at our gym and protect it fiercely.

What actually is CrossFit?

It is an ever-changing combination of movements done at high intensity. High intensity is relative to the person and the day. We vary the workouts by length, equipment used, body parts and muscle group focus, type of workout (do you need to do as many rounds and reps as possible in a given time? Do you need to complete a set amount of work as fast as you can? Do you do a set amount of work in set chunks of time? etc). CrossFit aims to avoid us becoming specialists in one area as it trains everything: your ability to work for long periods of time with heavy loads, your ability to work in short sharp bursts, it works on your strength, power, speed and agility, balance, coordination, flexibility and accuracy, endurance and stamina making you a great all-rounder. The point is to make real life better.

I have children and struggle with childcare but I really want to train regularly and consistently.

We try to help you overcome all barriers to training - so children are welcome at the gym. If the classes are busy and involve lots of equipment, we ask that children stay safely out of the way in the sofa area. If the classes are quieter, we can let your kids train with you, during half term, for example, with PVC pipes instead of bars and tiny weights appropriate to their age. In the summer holidays, we have a train-with-your-teens membership that enables you to train with your older kids for the summer.

My children are interested in CrossFit, do you have kids’ classes?

We have Junior Hero Academy for primary school children and Teens CrossFit classes for secondary school kids. contact Maggie for more info. We also have HomeSchool Heroes for kids not in a mainstream school setting.

If we haven’t answered your questions here or you have a specific request or needs, please get in touch and we will do our best to help you.