Dear Members,
We have seen some truly wonderful things occur in our small community. Countless goals have been achieved as members step outside their comfort zones to build healthier lives and many new meaningful relationships have been formed. That is the true beauty of what we do at Albany CrossFit. It is not about the barbells loaded with heavy weight, wall balls sitting patiently under their targets or even all those damn burpees we have done over the years. It is about the cheering as the last person finishes their workout, the support given when someone we know is in need and the high fives after the chalk dust has settled. As we have grown and learned together our community has undergone many changes. Together we have knocked down walls, welcomed new members to our family and said goodbye to those who have moved on to other adventures in their lives.
Recently, as many of you are probably aware of we have said goodbye to Albany CrossFit founder Jason Ackerman. Jason started our beloved gym in just one racket ball court filled with very little equipment, but has now moved on to other endeavors. A few weeks ago he sold Albany CrossFit to Court Club owner Shye Evan. Shye plans to build upon the standard of excellence set by our coaching staff in order to not only continue to nurture our great community, but to help it continue to live long and prosper as well… Before we delve into the exciting changes that will be occurring at Albany CrossFit lets learn a little bit about Shye Evan first. Shye has been managing the Court Club since 2001. He regularly teaches classes such as Pilates, Body Pump and In-Door Cycling which allow him to showcase his passion for fitness. He also coaches squash and racquet ball in addition to being quite a skilled athlete in those sports. Shye loves to teach and offers introductory lessons to people who have an interest in learning these sports. You can find Shye at the Court Club everyday with his Basset Hound Louie (Coach Louie) either greeting you as you walk in or helping someone pursue their fitness goals. Shye’s office door is always open and he encourages members to seek him out any time with questions or concerns.
Shye has a vision to make the Court Club and Albany CrossFit the premier fitness facility in the Capital District. He has been working diligently with the coaching staff at our gym to help him make this vision a reality. Some changes that will be occurring over the next few weeks to enhance our community are outlined below.
Upgraded Memberships:
This is truly an exciting time to be a member at Albany CrossFit. Now that Albany CrossFit and the Court Club are under the ownership of Shye Evan you will now have access to the following at no additional charge:
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- The Courts: So you can play Racquet Ball, Squash, Badminton, Volley Ball or Handball anytime you want!
- The Free Weight Room: Crowded in the CrossFit spaces? Then head upstairs where you can use a Squat Rack for strength movements, Nautilis machines for accessory work or even just to stretch out.
- Rock Climbing…Need I say more!
- Attend Any of the Following Fitness Classes:
- Body Pump
- Cardio Boxing
- High / Low (Interval Training)
- In Door Cycling
- Pilates
- Yoga
- Zumba
- Silver Sneakers (Coached by our very own Dona Wildove!)
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CrossFit Programming:
The coaching staff at Albany CrossFit; feel that the programming offered by CompetitorsTraining.com is great for improving general fitness and for those who want to participate in the Sport aspect of CrossFit alike. We do however plan to make some modifications to help us offer you a better experience in class with this programming.
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- Effective Monday, September 8th we will begin following Competitors WOD a week behind. This will allow our coaches to review entire week’s worth of programming so they can better prepare for classes. During the week of Monday 9/1 to Saturday 9/6 we will be running WODs hand picked by the Coaching Staff.
- Function & Sport: In addition to following Competitors WOD a week behind we plan to offer two variations of the programming to better suit the needs of our varied gym population.
- Function: This section of the programming will be geared towards individuals who are trying to be fit for life. It will mimic both the intensity and desired stimulus of the Sports programming, but the movements and other aspects of the WOD might be slightly different. These will not be scaled or watered down workouts. They will be challenging and still require scaling like any other WOD would.
- Sport: This section of the programming will follow Competitors WOD as closely as possible, but at times may be altered to fit our gym in regards to equipment, space and time in the hour. It is intended for individuals who are active in the sports aspect of CrossFit and have built a solid foundation of technical proficiency in various movements such as the Snatch, Clean & Jerk, or Muscle Ups for example.
- Example of Sports & Function Programming:
Sport WOD |
Function WOD |
“Tequila Montoya” 3 Rounds For Time of: 400m Run 21 Pull Ups 12 Hang Squat Snatch (95/65) * 20 Minute Time Cap |
“Helen” 3 Rounds For Time of: 400m Run 21 Kettlebell Swings (53/35) 12 Pull Ups * 20 Minute Time Cap |
Here is an example of a Sport WOD vs. a Function WOD. Both will be visible on the WODify page every day. Athletes in each class will be hitting one or the other. Both WODs are difficult, will require scaling, but still provide the intended stimulus of the given day.
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Schedule Changes:
The following changes are being made to the schedule due to low attendance. We want to be as fair as possible with how we utilize the space in our gym during busy times of the day. These changes will allow those who wish to work on aspects of their fitness outside of class more time to do so.
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- Sundays: Going forward the 10:00am class will no longer be featured on the schedule. Instead Sunday will be used in its entirety as an Open Gym day where members can come in and work on whatever they wish. Please keep in mind however Strongman Class at Noon is still on the schedule and have priority in the Triple if they need it. Coach Cat is very strong…so be weary of crossing her.
- 5 PM Fitness: With the new improvements made to the programming the Fitness class at 5:00pm will no longer be held. This will also allow more open gym time during the day.
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All of us on the coaching staff are working very hard to offer every member the best experience possible. Please be patient with us as we undergo this revitalization period in the gym. We are committed to helping every one of you (Be)tter and make these changes to improve the community. In the future we have many exciting plans to implement that we know you will all love and enjoy. If you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to email us at [email protected] and we will respond as quickly as possible.
Thank You,
The Coaching Staff