“Our highly trained, super-human coaches motivate and inspire me to finish workouts and master movements and lifts I never thought I could accomplish. The humble and encouraging members rally together to support everyone through the workouts. CrossFit has put me in the best shape of my life.“
- Amy Chapman, Public Defender
“CrossFit has humbled what I thought being “fit” was and introduced me to another level of athleticism. Aided by the nutritional counseling at CrossFit Petaluma, I successfully lost 50 lbs. I am stronger now than I have ever been, and it’s comforting knowing that I will keep getting better!“
- Eleanor McCall, Yoga Instructor
“Getting fit and training a body is complicated. You would not renovate a building nor rebuild a software system without an expert architect. Why would you rehabilitate your body without a Crossfit coach? The coaches here are the perfect mix of motivating and challenging. They combine a strong, energetic intelligence with a keen, analytical eye for detail. They will not let you fail yourself.“ - Joe Libson, Business Owner
“CrossFit has definitely benefited me in every way, especially as a track and field athlete/soccer player. My cousin, my dad and I sign up for the Thin Air Festival Race in Tahoe every year, a 4-day segmented marathon – I was faster this year by 20 minutes!“
- Sammy Acevedo, Student Athlete
“Every movement we perform in class is directly related to daily life activities. Being a fireman I never know what the next call may be and I have to be ready no matter what it is, every time! You will not find better coaching and members who push you to achieve your goals than at CrossFit Petaluma / Sonoma County.“
CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program focused on combining exercises used by the best athletes in the world, such as Gymnasts, Weightlifters, and Track and Field athletes. Workouts are a mix of bodyweight, lifting, throwing, running, rowing, jump roping and other movements.
Common Questions
“What is all this stuff? Do I have to lift weights?”
CrossFit is: “Constantly varied functional movement performed at high intensity. Those words from CrossFit founder Coach Greg Glassman illustrate one of many technical definitions of the movements we perform in our workouts. The words to note are “functional” and “intense.”
“So what is “functional”?
Functional strength is something that has been misinterpreted over the past two decades; visions of balance-balls, elastic bands and strange, slow movement come to mind. Many go through these so-called functional routines at big-box gyms (24 hr Fitness, Gold’s, Curves…) without ever questioning their validity.
That is not what we do!
Functional movement is useful. Movements that help us effectively proceed through everyday life, professional work, or competitive sport. Civilians and athletes alike, firefighters and grandparents, can all find the same intensity and benefit from the CrossFit methodology, using different weights and progressions to learn how to move effectively. Calisthenics, basic gymnastics, weightlifting, running, rowing, squats, medicine ball throws, deadlifts, push-ups, sit-ups, jumps, pull-ups, sprints, climbs, and lunges are just a few of the exercises taught, learned, mastered and then used in the CrossFit world.
“That seems intense! Aren’t I too old/weak?”
Anyone can do CrossFit!
These exercises are movements that your body was designed to perform on an everyday basis. Your knees were designed to squat properly: it is how you sit and stand. Your arms should be able to push you off the ground or pull you over a ledge. The balance and coordination required for manipulating your own bodyweight is a necessity in life, and the strength and technique required in handling external objects (a barbell, a ball, a box, a couch along with any other object you may have to move or lift) is necessary in many professions and sports worldwide. If we cannot lift a box, a piece of furniture, an injured person’s body, or ourselves, we are effectively disabled.
Click the videos below about intensity and function
CrossFit is a unique blend of technical exercise and intensity. Many can lift some weights well, do push-ups well, or run a mile well. Very few, however, can do all 3 within the same workout, switching between them as fast as their form will allow. Intensity is one key to CrossFit’s efficacy, encouraging participants to push the limits of their physical and mental capacity.
Functional exercises are based on natural movements that your skeletal system was designed for. Sit, stand, run, jump, grab, push, pull, catch and so on. Locking ourselves into artificial ranges of motion on machines or working only one body part at a time is not the answer to fitness.
Focusing on functional movements, rather than isolation exercises, machines, and fitness gimmicks, will prepare CrossFitters for a high quality of life even into old age. Being strong, self-sufficient and mobile is what keeps us working and playing, instead of occupying a hospital bed or retirement home.
