Trouble understanding my box programming and loss of fitness

[fishmansf]

I've been doing CrossFit since summer 2018 it all went perfect, I hit a lot of PRs, got a lot fitter, and learned new skills until my old box closed permanently in September 2020, just before the second nationwide gym closure that ended in the last days of May 2021. When gyms reopened I found a new box and I was excited to start again after months of calisthenics and running, but I soon realized that something was unusual:
1. in the old box classes were longer than the standard hour but now are significantly shorter (45minutes )

1. In the previous gym we had a strength/weightlifting/skill part and then a wod every day. This is my current gym weekly structure:

Strenght+ super easy wod | Strenght is planned with strange methods (eg:10 minutes to complete 50 reps of back squat with 5 strict being dips every break, we had to pick the weight on our own, we had no 1rm percentage but the suggested rep range was 15)

Core + wod day | eg: 3 rounds for quality of 60-second plank, 30sec rest, 30sec alternating ups, 30sec rest, 30sec hollow hold 60-sec rest

Bodyweight + wod day | eg:15 minutes to complete a 10/1 ladder of strict ring dips with 7 to 10 v-ups after every dip set

Weightlifting + wod day | Usually a complex

Wod only day | eg: 30 minutes from: a)200/180m row b)hang power snatch 35/25kg c)8 c2b pullups d)4 wall walk d) rest e) rest

1. There is no skill work at all
2. Wods are shorter but my warmups are extremely long (10minutes of kipping pull-ups warmup).
3. you sometimes find the same movement in the strength/weightlifting part and the Wod.
4. there is a bias for single dumbell/kettlebell exercises(dumbell snatch).

Now I'm less strong and my endurance/stamina has decreased a lot, I don't know what to do.
Sorry for the long post.

 

[dawn16]

@fishmansf Do they have open gym? I only liked CrossFit gyms until I got my own garage gym. Too expensive and the random “programs” didn’t make sense.

 

[fishmansf]

@dawn16 They have it but only in the afternoon when I'm at the University

 

[celticghirl]

@fishmansf This sucks sometimes, but…

The owner has a demographic that they are trying to appeal to. You may not be that demographic.

It sounds to me like the owner is trying to appeal to the people who just want to get fit and move around. This leaves you with a few options. 1) do the workouts and accept the results 2) do the workouts Rx+ (add weight, add reps, decrease rest time, etc), 3) do extra work before or after the class 4) find another gym that has programming more in line with your goals or create your own program.

 

[christhasrisen2000]

@celticghirl This is good advice.

I'd add that you should talk to the owners about it though--you may be surprised and find that they understand where you are coming from and will work with you, maybe even design some programming for you.

 

[fishmansf]

@christhasrisen2000 They offer one to one lessons but they're expensive

 

[ckmervin]

@fishmansf Find an new gym. That’s obviously how they program so find what your looking for. Or ask them about the program and how out works and why they choose that. Either they will sounds dumb and fumble through it or give you an educated answer to make you stop second guessing the program and just follow it.

 

[fishmansf]

@ckmervin Unfortunately, there are no other boxes in my area just bodybuilding gyms

 

[grace000]

@fishmansf Does your current gym outsource the programming to one of the large corporations such as NC Fit? It really sounds like corporate programming ‘for the masses’ to me.

My old gym had AMAZING programming but switched owners that use NC Fit and I hated it. I’m in the process of trying new boxes but I’m super bummed about having to switch.

 

[fishmansf]

@grace000 I don't think they're using NC-fit but I think they're trying to get more people to attend classes by making them easier

 

[rejected]

@fishmansf

in the old box classes were longer than the standard hour but now are significantly shorter (45minutes )

So I've noticed that some gyms, depending on local restrictions, have reduced class time in an effort to not have class members overlap with other blocks due to COVID.

At the gym I used to coach at, we slightly condensed our classes to 45-50 mins to allow for cleaning and a window of time so that the class could leave the gym before the next class block came in.

Your case may be different at your gym but I think it's always best practice to just ask the gym owner or programmer about the concerns you have and ask why to establish some clarity.

 

[fishmansf]

@rejected Thanks for the advice, but we have some time between classes for cleaning .