Box Rules & Etiquette

Here are a few Box rules we adhere to at CrossFit 817 that best reflect our Box’s culture and allows us to foster a fun, safe, clean, and respectful training environment for everyone in our community. This list is hardly all-inclusive, but it pretty much comes down to safety, common courtesy, and respect for others and our equipment.

Community First

Give us your feedback. We love to hear from our members and guests. If you have something you want to share, please reach out to Nikki@crossfit817.com or Erik@crossfit817.com or catch us when you have the chance to talk. Please let us know your gripes as well as your likes!

Welcome New Members. You were once the new kid in the Box. Remember when you didn’t know what an AMRAP stood for or where the Abmats were located? Our community is what sets us apart from any other Box. Please introduce yourself to newer members and help them get acquainted with our community.

No One Left Behind. Your WOD isn’t finished until the last member in your class is finished. If you complete your workout before someone else, find someone who hasn’t finished and cheer them on. We guarantee there will be a grueling WOD in your future where you will be the last one standing and you may just welcome that extra push or cheer to get you through it.

Safety

Ask First. Additional training prior to or after class must always be cleared with the coach on floor and should not distract or interfere with the ongoing class. It is to be limited to drill/skill work…no bar, no clock. The coach always has final say.

Respect Our Coaches. Please pay attention when the Coach is explaining the WOD and the movements. We ask that you refrain from loading barbells, grabbing equipment, practicing movements or discussing your day when the coach is talking. While you may have heard the instruction for a movement a hundred times, it may be the first time for the person standing next to you. Besides you may just learn something new and it could be what separates you from your next PR!

Don’t Load Up Early. Please do not load or place weight on your barbell until you are told to do so by the coach. Trust us, you will be asked to remove the weight from your barbell.

Stay Unplugged. No Headphones on the gym floor at any time. If you don’t like our music, please make a request. Be aware of your surroundings. We often get de-sensitized to what actually goes on at the Box, but there are really heavy objects being lifted, dropped, swung and thrown. Watch where you are going and listen to what is going on around you.

Keep Floor Clear. No bags on the floor. At best, it creates clutter others have to work around and worst case scenario is a safety problem. Please store your bag in the appropriate area.

Scaling is Not for Sissys. Please do not argue with the coach if they ask you to scale your weight or movement. They are trying to keep you safe and moving effectively and efficiently through the workout. A coach will stop any workout or activity if it is deemed unsafe at any time.

Kids and Barbells Don’t Mix. We love all of your kids, but we want them to be safe. We encourage you to bring your kids with you, but all children need to be able to sit unattended in the kid’s room. If your child is screaming, running around or otherwise a distraction, please attend to them (yes, even in the middle of your WOD). Children are not allowed on the black mats at any time during the WOD (except if in a stroller) and must at all times be supervised if they are anywhere else in the building (bathroom, lobby, etc). The area outside of the kid’s room is not part of the kid’s room. This is where other members are either starting the best hour of their day or recovering from it. Please help ensure this area does not turn in to a play area.

Don’t Suffer in Silence. If you are injured please let us know before the workout. Remember we can scale and modify any movement! But only you know how your body feels. Train Smart!

Attendance

Sign in to Class. If the ipad kiosk isn’t working, please notify the coach.

Come Early. In fact, we prefer that you are early. Use the time to sign in, use the restroom, or meet a new member! Please be ready for class when it starts.

Be On Time. Being consistently late for anything is not cool. And warming up properly is extremely important. We understand you have a life outside the Box and we all know that traffic sucks. We won’t judge you if you show up a few minutes late once in a while, but please be respectful and ask the coach if it is ok to join late or be ready to wait until the next class if possible. Don’t assume you can just jump in.

Hygiene

Don’t be a Smelly Nelly. Please wear Deodorant.

Clean up your DNA. Please clean up your sweat, blood and tears. Wipe down your equipment before putting it away and pick up your used tape, Band-Aids, towels, Kleenex, and sweaty clothes.

Equipment and Facility

Speak Up. Please bring things to our attention. If you notice that equipment is broken, lights are out, or there’s no toilet paper in the bathroom, bring it to our attention so we can do something about it.

Clean Up After Yourself. Pick up your tape, markers, clickers, notebooks, water bottles, clothing and gear. These items are your responsibility and we will donate the lost and found on a very regular basis so check to ensure you have your personal items on a daily basis! Put away all the equipment you used back where it belongs. Stack the boxes neatly, put the bars in the racks, stack the plates in order, and hang up your jump ropes. If your kids make a mess, please clean up after them, especially any snacks they may have enjoyed as this draws insects (we have a sweeper outside room for your convenience). We pride ourselves on having one of the nicest and cleanest CF Boxes in the area. Please help us keep it that way. Set the example and others will follow.

Keep the Bathrooms Clean. We don’t expect you to be janitors. Just do the simple things like making sure your paper towels and tape end up in the garbage can. If you splash water all over the floor, wipe it up. If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be neat and wipe the seat.

Respect our Equipment and Facility. Please take care of the equipment. Don’t tie knots in the jump ropes, don’t drag the boxes across the floors and don’t’ drop the kettlebells or dumbbells or any weight for that matter unnecessarily. Be respectful of space. Areas behind closed doors are usually closed for a reason. Please leave area behind Coaches desk for coaches.

Don’t Drop Empty Barbells. Please do not drop a barbell without weight or when stripping weight off the barbell. This causes serious damage to our very expensive barbells. Plus every time an empty barbell is dropped a kitten dies.

Chalk Stays in the Bucket. I repeat…Chalk stays in the bucket. I assure you it is not magical fairy dust, so please use it appropriately. And whatever you do, do not use it to mark off your rounds on the floor (or the rig). If you cannot follow this rule, you will be instructed on the use of the Bulldog scrubber 😉

Attitude

Be Positive. Eliminate Can’t or Never from your vocabulary! Don’t drag others down with a bad attitude. We believe anything is possible with a little hard work and determination. Be optimistic, have fun and push yourself and others to do better.

Quitting is Never an Option. We promise you the workouts will challenge you and push you to your perceived limits. We only ask that you use proper form and always try hard. Effort always earns respect. Nobody cares about your time on the board or how much weight you move, they only care that you tried.

Training

Be coachable. Everyone needs a coach! If you need help, ask for it. The coach is there to help make you better.

Your ego is not your Amigo.. And it is not welcome at our gym. Don’t be afraid to be uncomfortable! Challenge yourself and continue to progress through scaling options until you can execute full range of motion (ROM)! This stuff takes time so be patient, have fun and push yourself and others to become better. And please don’t take yourself so seriously…Its only CrossFit.

Learn to Count. Please do not Cheat. It’s awkward when you do and evident to everyone around you. Try to complete every rep with good form and full range of motion no matter the time it takes you. Train with Integrity and the Gainz will come! If you lose count, the next number should always be 1.

Train Smart. Warm Up. Cool Down. Take Rest Days. We love Gainz…but make them smart Gainz! Rest, nutrition, and sleep are critical components to achieving results. Training and volume alone won’t get you to your goal. Why do three WODs in one day when you aren’t very good at one? This is why we have the program “Outside the Box” and have made a commitment with dedicated ROMWOD space. Be a smart athlete.

Have Standards. Always use full range of motion and train to the standard we teach. Just because you can do Rx weights doesn’t mean you always should. Lighter and lower is always better than heavier and higher.

Be accountable to yourself. Track your goals, your workout times, and PRs. This is why you all have access to Beyond the Whiteboard. Use it! Celebrate your accomplishments! “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone!”