Heather Hodges

I’m home from my CrossFit Kids Certification in Ramona, California.  What an incredible weekend!  We will begin offering CrossFit Kids classes at Next Generation CrossFit next week.  Let me know if you are interested in signing your child up for a class, or just stopping by to observe.

I’ve had a lot of people ask me about CrossFit (What’s so special about CrossFit?  Is it hard?)  In a nutshell it is simply the most effective fitness program in the history of the industry.  Wade and I are both in better shape now at 36 years old than we were playing college sports.  CrossFit aims to prepare you for anything life throws at you, whether that is in combat, on the court, or in your own home.  It is a broad, general, and inclusive program; the fitness needs of a teenager and your grandmother are the same, they just vary in intensity and scale.

The CrossFit prescription is “constantly varied, functional movements, performed at high intensity.” Every time we enter the gym our trainers put us through a different workout of the day or WOD – you are NEVER bored at CrossFit. The workouts involve FUNCTIONAL movements, these are the movements of life. There is nothing more functional than moving large loads, over long distances, quickly.  So yes, it is hard – but it is also very fun!  CrossFit simply works, and the best part about it is the community. Crossfit is such a good example of how ordinary people can overcome enormous obstacles and achieve great things together.  But the only way it is possible is in community.

CrossFit Kids is not just a scaled down version of CrossFit, it is absolutely and entirely CrossFit geared and designed for a special population.  Kids and teens have specific neurological, coginitive, and motor developmental needs and CrossFit helps meet those needs. It can shape lives, reverse prevalent health issues, build strength, improve agility, give real self-confidence, improve balance and coordination, and improve cognitive functioning by building neurological pathways in the brain.  But above all we want our kids to associate excercise and fitness with – BIG FUN !!!!!

Our first CrossFit Kids class at Next Generation CrossFit with Caleb, Elijah, Sophia, and Sebastian.

Learning the air squat, it’s much harder than it looks.

Jumping pull ups on a weighted bar.

And finally, the kids did bear crawls (their speed and agility were improving every moment.)