In our 6000 sq ft warehouse, we can accommodate up to 20 people or so per class. There will always be at least one trainer present, of course, and sometimes more.

We currently have six certified CrossFit trainers. Most of our Classes are led by either Drew or Kim.

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Each session lasts 60 minutes. Members may enter a class anytime during a 15-minute window, which will begin 10 minutes before class and extend to include the first 5 minutes of class, i.e., when attending a class, you should plan to arrive on time.

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Classes start with a warmup, after which time members may work on skills/drills. Trainers then preview the WOD, review the movements and discuss any scaling that may be appropriate for each members’ individual strength/fitness levels.

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Due to the intensity of CrossFit workouts, we recommend no more than three workouts in a row, to allow for maximum recovery and growth. Ideally, every rest day should be followed by at least one workout day. A minimum of three workouts per week is recommended for optimal progress. More than five CrossFit workouts a week usually results in overtraining, for most people.

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We would absolutely love for you to visit CrossFit Bloomington and see why our Members love training here! However, we only meet with visitors by appointment. We are not set up to accept drop-in visitors while classes are in session. In fairness to our members, the Trainer leading the class would be unable to divert his/her attention to meet with a walk-in visitor. We urge all interested parties to call or email us to schedule a personal appointment, which is free and includes an introduction to CrossFit methodology, a strength/skills assessment, and your first workout. After your first visit, if you decide, and we decide, that our club is right for you, you may either sign up for our 4-Session, “Foundations Course” or, based on your strength/skills assessment, occasionally you may be permitted to begin immediately with the group classes.

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Call 812-345-8373, or email gpitluck@yahoo.com to schedule an appointment for your free introductory session.

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Classes are held seven days a week. Click here for class times.

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Our gym is, in essence, a personal training studio. Our members do not exercise while sitting in Nautilus-type machines, with seat-belts fastened to avoid injury. Since our members use functional, real-world movements (think “farm work” or “yard work”, for example) they must rely on the consistent use of correct form to avoid injury. A trainer watching your movements and helping you practice technique, can be an invaluable aid in learning the skills of safe biomechanics. If your training preference is to workout without feedback or guidance, you would not be comfortable in our program. Our goal is to make you more athletic. In a sense, CrossFit is practiced like a sport, and we teach it as such. Ours is the sport of performing functional movements as efficiently and safely as possible at maximal performance levels. We believe the best, and safest way to learn our “sport” is with a trainer.

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The term, “Functional Movement” is used to describe any movement that is similar to the many multi-joint movements we use throughout our daily lives, e.g., running, squatting, jumping, climbing, lifting, throwing, swinging, rowing, heaving, shoveling, etc. This means you won’t be using machines that isolate the muscles governing one joint, e.g., leg curl or triceps extension. Nor will you use machines that force bar/weight movement through a pre-determined line or arc, without regard to your own personal body structure. The main advantage offered by these types of machines, although they produce dramatically inferior results for the user, is for the gym owner. They provide a “safety net” by eliminating the need for support and balancing work from the postural muscles. A member not trained to properly use those postural muscles while performing a real-life movement is more likely to become injured at a gym. Gyms that do not have trained staff to coach their members in proper technique may purchase machines that do all that supportive and balancing work for the member. This reduces the frequency of gym injuries and, of course, insurance claims against the gym owner. However, the problem doesn’t go away. It merely means that injuries are less likely to occur while in the gym. They are, however, more likely to occur while the member is performing real-life movements away from the gym. Shoveling snow, raking leaves, picking boxes up off the floor, swinging your kid in the air, chopping firewood, running with your dog, or performing physically demanding, job-related tasks while at work are all common ways people incur musculo-skeletal injuries. Some are easily healed, while the residual effects of others can persist for a lifetime. The wiser approach is to learn safe biomechanics for functional movements, strengthening and educating the postural muscles, and improving balance and proprioception, so that moving one’s body in and out of different positions, with or without load, quickly and safely, anywhere during one’s daily life, becomes automatic, thus greatly reducing the likelihood of injury. That is why, at our gym, when members move themselves, or a weight, through space, it is done freely, the way we work and play in real life. (Hence the term “functional.”) And, of course, training our members to use correct form and avoid injury is rigorously emphasized, making them less likely to get hurt, anywhere, while enjoying an active, athletic life. People who train with functional movements don’t just get stronger; they develop balance, agility, and increased athleticism. At our gym, you will learn to move, lift and carry heavy weights safely, even at high levels of exertion. In time, it becomes an instinctive reflex.

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By facing unforeseen physical challenges in their daily workouts, our members become better able to respond to the unknown and unknowable, i.e., whatever Life happens to throw at them. So the feelings of confidence and physical readiness are the result of a “real-world” readiness.

Another benefit from Constant Variety is that members are less likely to experience the “plateau” that results from the body’s becoming adapted to a particular routine. There is a kind of “shock value” that is the result of surprising one’s body. This is desirable, because the body’s exercise-induced, growth response tends to be more dramatic when the exercise stimulus is unfamiliar.

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The dramatic body changes that occur for members of CrossFit Bloomington are partly due to the significant increases in hormone production that results from doing the workouts with full intensity. However, new members are cautioned to avoid training with full intensity until they have had a chance to refine their technique on the basic CrossFit movements and become accustomed to the rapid-fire transitioning used in CrossFit workouts. New Members typically start with our four-session, “Foundations Course.” After Foundations, they progress to Group workouts but, for the first 3-12 weeks or so, they are encouraged to take frequent rests to hydrate, loosen up and catch their breath, etc., and do not need to time their workouts. Eventually, their workout intensity will gradually increase from low to medium, and they will begin timing their workouts. There is no pre-determined length of time taken before a member is required to begin timing her/his workouts; it will vary from member to member. It may even begin on the member’s first Group workout. Eventually, at a point that is easily identifiable by the member and the training staff as being appropriate, after the member has been timing their workouts for a while, he/she will begin “going for broke” while doing the WOD i.e., training at full intensity. Again, some members will enter this final phase sooner than others.

An elite athlete, training at full intensity, will be more intensely challenged by CrossFit workouts than any exercise program they have previously experienced. However, this is not to say CrossFit is only appropriate for elite athletes. CrossFit can be a tremendously beneficial program for anyone and everyone, regardless of their level of strength and/or fitness. We modify the intensity of the workouts to meet the needs and capacity of each member, by tailoring the loads, rep scheme, duration, etc. to each member. For the most part, we do not change the movements themselves. Of course, you should make us aware of any past or current physical condition(s) or biomechanical issue(s) that may affect your ability to perform certain movements, or vigorous exercise in general.

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One good thing about having someone else program your workouts, in a constantly varying fashion, is that it tends to delay the “plateau” effect that eventually results while following a predetermined routine. We see this phenomenon with many people who have been working out for years, following the same weekly pattern, e.g., Monday is always leg day, etc., even though their training outcomes have “flat-lined” long ago. Our goal is to maximize our members’ growth response for as long as possible, by constantly varying the exercise stimuli.

There is also a very tangible “group-energy” that results from everyone simultaneously bringing their best effort to the same workout. This aspect needs to be experienced to be fully understood, but the ultimate impact on the individual member is a marked increase in intensity. This synergistic effect is less noticeable when each member is doing a different workout.

If a Member wants to do a WOD that they happened to miss, because it was scheduled on one of their “rest days,” or for some other reason, they can come to an Open Gym, offered on Saturdays and Sundays.

We discourage Members from “cherry-picking” the posted WOD’s as a way to decide which days to work out . For example, if you are a “runner” and you love the running WOD’s, then you should not avoid days with lifting; or if you are a “heavy lifter” and love the powerlifting WOD’s, then you should not avoid days with running or rowing, etc. Our goal, and hopefully yours, is to develop your total fitness.

Also, our workouts are supervised. When the Members attending a class are all doing different workouts, it becomes much more difficult to provide effective supervision. Our Workout of the Day (WOD) may often be vastly different from the day before, but, on any given day, members are all facing the same challenges, except for occasional subbing, as discussed above.

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No worries. New members begin with the Foundations Course and, when ready to train in a group, the main focus is on gaining familiarity with the movements and refining technique. Over time, and at their own pace, new members ramp up their intensity gradually. One member can perform clapping pushups next to another member who is doing pushups on his knees, where both are performing at their appropriate intensity level. And each member is stimulating their optimal growth response. Whatever your level of fitness and/or strength, today is the best time for you to start getting stronger, faster, and fitter!

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You will never be required to do something you, or we, don’t think you can safely do. Our primary concern is your safety. The reason we constantly train members to use correct form is because our primary goal is always for you to stay injury-free. If you ever feel that a movement is beyond your capability to do safely, we strongly advise against attempting it. As far as coming to the gym when you are short on sleep, or fighting a cold, or under more stress than usual, etc, etc, your best training decision is usually to stay home and rest. (As in lay down, rather than work on your laptop…) But for other times, when you are just not feeling your usual enthusiam, it can be very helpful to just come anyway, and remember to leave the Gym with “some gas left in the tank.” Going full-bore, when feeling down, can either induce overtraining (which takes a while to reverse) or it can pull you right out of a funk and put you immediately back in the saddle…Going 75% can help you stay on track and gradually, in a few days, you should come out of it. Which is better? It’s your call. (The latter approach involves the least risk.) Keep in mind that the most important muscle at CrossFit Bloomington is the “Show Up Muscle.” Creating and maintaining a consistent exercise schedule is essential for progress, and is the hardest aspect of training for a beginner to master.

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For most Members, once they have begun performing timed workouts for a while, they will eventually feel a natural desire to do the WOD’s as fast as possible, or with as much weight as possible, to maximize the intensity, and thereby produce the most dramatic gains.

While we feel that the best progress will come from competing with oneself and one’s previous best effort, rather than with the other members, we have found that competition among Members, along with the accompanying adrenaline boost, can sometimes help them perform closer to their maximum energy level, propelling them to greater intensity and more productive workouts, whether a WOD is timed or not. For this reason, it can be a very useful motivational tool. And the pervasive atmosphere in the gym is the feeling of being among friends, so the competitive spirit itself tends to feel friendly and fun. Again, your main goal for each WOD should be to compete with yourself, pushing your perceived limits and your established comfort zone. If it is a WOD you have done before, then your primary goal should be to beat your previous performance and, if you have done the WOD multiple times, what would really make your day is exceeding your best ever performance for that WOD, i.e., setting a personal record (PR). Even if you are the slowest person in the room, lifting the lightest weights, if you set a PR, then you had an Awesome Workout; one which will produce Awesome Results! Actually, when you are fully immersed in an intense WOD, you will not usually be focusing on how everyone else is doing. Your, and everyone else’s, awareness will be fully invested in your own workout while, at the same time, everyone’s collective energy, striving in concert, will contribute to the creation of a synergistic effect that palpably raises the “group energy.” This results in a more satisfying and productive workout for all particpants. At CrossFit Bloomington, members who are no longer “beginners” will often compete with each other while, at the same time, creating a mutually supportive atmosphere, cheering each other on loudly. It’s exhilarating. It’s also a bit addicting. Ok, maybe a lot addicting. Good Stuff!

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Doing CrossFit workouts on a regular basis will result in dramatic, visible changes in your body composition. If you are carrying too much weight, you will shed the extra pounds. You may gain muscle, if you need more muscle tissue. While performing CrossFit workouts you will burn large amounts of calories. You will also greatly increase your body’s natural production of the hormones that stimulate fat-burning. Those same hormones will stimulate muscle growth, so you will also add muscle. You will optimize your athletic ability, by developing your unique body structure in a way that is esthetically proportioned, and right for your body type. Because the movements you train with are athletic, or functional, movements, you will improve your athleticism. If you admire the look of athletes’ bodies, the kind who excel on a playing field or court, then you will like the way CrossFit will make your body look. If you prefer sprinters’ bodies over a marathoner’s body, then CrossFit is for you. If you would be happy inside the body of a competitive, college wrestler or swimmer, or a competitive rower’s body, then you will be happy with your CrossFit body. There are slim CrossFitters, as well as massive CrossFitters. Your individual body type will determine which of these you will more closely resemble. In all cases, you will look great and, most importantly, you will feel great!

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Our workouts are designed to increase members’ General Physical Preparedness (GPP). One of the main ways we do this is by increasing the capacity to perform demanding physical work in a given period of time. As the weeks/months go by, a member’s work capacity will increase. And not only does his/her body feel noticeably stronger and more energetic during workouts, but throughout the entire day. From the trainers’ perspective, we like being able to measure performance outcomes so that we can discuss any increases quantitatively.

Remembering from physics, “work” is the term used to describe force applied to an object, which moves the object through space, e.g. 500 lbs of wood moved 100 feet requires 50,000 ft-lbs of “work.” Also from physics, the average rate at which work is performed is called “power.” If someone can move that woodpile 100 feet in fifteen minutes, then she has four times greater “work capacity per minute” than someone who has to take an hour to do it. In other words, she is four times more “powerful.” If your car took 10 minutes to climb a steep hill, you might wish it’s motor had more “horsepower” and could move the car up the hill faster. If you can perform 100 pullups in a 45-minute workout session, you are not as powerful as you would be if you were able to perform those same 100 pullups in 15 minutes.

You may be thinking, “But I don’t ever have to move a woodpile or do 100 pullups.” Clearly, there is value in knowing you would be able to do those things, and quickly, if called upon. But it is more likely that, on a daily basis, you will simply enjoy the feeling of becoming more athletic. You may notice it while climbing a flight of stairs, or picking boxes up off the floor at work, or picking up your kids, or carrying your groceries to the car. Increasing one’s physical “power capacity,” or becoming able to perform more physical work in a given period of time, as described above, will significantly improve one’s athletic ability.

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It is essential to have a solid cardiovascular base. While most joggers/cyclists already have that, they often have developed their lower bodies and neglected their upper bodies. This is because they exclusively train one specific activity. Our goal is to make you more athletic in a general sense, therefore we train your entire body, and with a variety of exercises.

Many crossfitters do practice a specific sport, often at the competition level, and find that, by maintaining a level of General Physical Preparedness (GPP), their overall high level of strength and conditioning enhances their performance int their specific sport.

As weeks go by, our members learn to train at a higher level of intensity than the average “jogger’s” three- or four-mile run. People who consider themselves “runners” usually train at higher intensity than “joggers,” and will understand why we emphasize intensity with our intermediate and advanced members. However, even “runners” do not typically train their upper bodies with the same intensity they apply to their lower bodies. Our group workouts use the entire body, and members are encouraged to train at intensity levels approaching their maximum, while taking into account their fitness level as well as daily fluctuations of sleep, stress, work, etc. Our athletes develop all-around, whole-body strength through the use of constantly varied, functional movements, performed at vigorous intensity levels.

Competitive and recreational swimmers and wrestlers work their entire bodies in a way that can be considered “cardio.,” and probably come closest to experiencing the feeling produced by the average CrossFit workout. But “recreational” swimmers often do not train at the high-intensity levels required to elicit a maximal growth response. Our workouts give you an excellent cardio workout while working your entire body with constantly varied, functional movements that translate naturally into increased strength and energy in the movements performed during your daily activities. The movements are constantly varied so that our athletes become accustomed to responding to unpredictable challenges. Our program deliberately emphasizes the “general” approach. CrossFit’s founder, Greg Glassman, has often said that “our specialty is in not specializing.” We build overall fitness, and to a degree not often produced with specialization programs. For example, people who do CrossFit can perform activities like running, rowing, olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, bodyweight calisthenics, gymnastics or other athletic endeavors, (because we do them all in our workouts), although not usually as well as those who specialize in each of those areas, of course. But athletes who have specialized in one sport, and then attempt a typical CrossFit workout for the first time are often blown away, because they are not used to challenging their bodies with so many different kinds of functional movements in the same workout.

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To most people, doing “cardio” means doing the same activity continuously, involving the larger muscles, for at least twenty minutes. Good examples are running or jogging, cycling, rowing, swimming, or speedwalking. Our WOD’s often incorporate an “interval” approach, where we combine two or more activities, neither of which would be sustainable for extended periods. We rotate the activities so that rest is minimized (e.g. pullups being performed while “resting” from pushups, then resting pullups while performing pushups). The resultant continuous expenditure of activity, for an extended period of time, challenges the body’s energy reserves much the same way as a traditional cardio workout. It usually takes just one workout before athletes accustomed to doing “cardio” exercise are convinced they are getting “plenty of cardio” with our workouts.

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Many an experienced weightlifter, especially one who is strong, but unused to extended periods of elevated “power output” (maximal work in minimal time), has been humbled by CrossFit workouts. Commonly, an experienced athlete, who is new to CrossFit, will throw themselves at a CrossFit WOD with the vigor they are used to bringing to their other workouts. Within a few minutes, they usually realize that CrossFit is a whole different animal from what they are used to. It is not uncommon to hear them say, “Whew! And I thought I was in pretty good shape!”, after their first, 2-minute, introductory workout.

Workouts designed to merely build strength and/or muscle hypertrophy use longer rest periods between sets than workouts designed to increase Metabolic Conditioning (”MetCon” workouts). While we do borrow heavily from powerlifting training protocols (to build strength), and Olympic Weightlifting protocols (to build explosive speed), we also rely heavily on MetCon workouts to increase Work Capacity and muscle stamina. The Metcon workouts, that have come to typify CrossFit workouts, are designed to be completed in the shortest time physically possible. Most athletes will need to ramp up gradually before they are training at the high power output often seen during our Metcon workouts.

Our workouts are designed to push intermediate and advanced members to their physical limits, in order to elicit the desired hormonal response. Consequently, our trainees often find it increasingly difficult to maintain correct form on the movements as they become more fatigued. For this reason, we relentlessly train new members during the Foundations Course to consistently use correct body mechanics, while practicing all barbell and kettlebell movements. This ensures that, even at maximum effort or when greatly fatigued, any technique flaws, which result from a loss of concentration and/or control, will not be severe enough to risk injury.

Note that there will be some new members that we feel are eligible for an abbreviated Foundations Course or, in some case, may be permitted to bypass the Foundations Course entirely.

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Back Squat, 1-1-1

* Run 200 feet
* 10 Pullups
* 20 Pushups

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