Week 1
Everything's new
You won't know where anything is and you'll be a step behind in the warm-up. That's normal. Two or three sessions is plenty.
New member guide
Welcome to
Cattle Dog.
Everything you need for your first few months. Read it before your first class, and come back to it whenever you need to.
Before your first class
Get here ten minutes early
Say hello to the coach and tell them it's your first session.
Wear trainers
Flat, firm trainers are better than running shoes. Don't buy anything special yet.
Bring water and a towel
You'll need both.
Book ahead
Classes have a cap, so book on Beyond the Whiteboard.
Tell us about injuries
Old or new, big or small. We'll adapt the session around it.
Park round the back
The main car park is behind the unit. Please be considerate of our neighbours.
What happens in a class
Every class follows the same structure. The times shift a little depending on the workout.
Movement prep is the bit to pay attention to. It changes every day, and it's where your coach gets to see how you move.
- 0:00
Session brief
Your coach talks you through the workout, how it should feel and how to scale it.
- 0:02
General warm-up
Get warm and get moving. Usually in pairs.
- 0:10
Movement prep
We break today's movements down and build them back up, starting with an empty bar. This is where most of the coaching happens.
- 0:25
Build to load
Find your weight for the day, with your coach.
- 0:33
Primer round
A quick taste of the workout at workout speed, so round one isn't a shock.
- 0:35
The workout
Anything from 8 minutes flat out to a 40 minute interval session.
- 0:55
Cool-down
A few minutes of stretching for whatever the session hit.
Words you'll hear
CrossFit comes with its own language. These are the ones you'll hear most in your first month.
- WOD
- Workout of the day. The workout at the end of class.
- AMRAP
- As many rounds as possible in a set time. Don't go off too fast. Everyone does it once.
- EMOM
- Every minute on the minute. Start work at the top of each minute and rest for whatever's left.
- Rx
- As prescribed. The weights and movements exactly as written on the board. You don't have to do it.
- Scaled
- The workout adjusted to suit you. Most people scale most days.
- Metcon
- The conditioning part of the session. The bit where you're out of breath.
- Time cap
- The time limit. If you hit it, write down how far you got. That still counts.
- No-rep
- A rep that didn't meet the standard, so it doesn't count. Your coach is helping, not telling you off.
- PB
- Personal best. Write them down or you'll forget.
- Box
- What CrossFitters call a gym.
A few recent workouts from our board. Where you see two numbers, like 50/35kg, the first is for men and the second is for women.
3 rounds for time
15 Front Squats, 50/35kg
15 Chest to Bar Pull Ups
Time cap: 8 minutes
Every 4 minutes, 5 sets
7 Deadlifts
Build to a heavy 7
15 minute AMRAP
3, 6, 9, 12, 15...
Power Snatch, 50/35kg
Toes to Bar
Every 5 minutes, 8 rounds
Odd: 100 Double Unders + 400m Run
Even: 400m Run + 30/24 cal Ski
Every minute for 20 minutes
3 Power Cleans
3 Front Squats
3 Push Jerks
5 rounds for time
1000/800m Row
30 Dumbbell Snatches, 22.5/15kg
Time cap: 35 minutes
How scaling works
Every workout is written to feel a certain way and take a certain amount of time. Scaling is how we keep it that way for you. Most of the room scales most days, including people who've been here for years.
Keep the time right
If a workout should take 8 minutes and you're heading for 18, we'll change something.
Cut the reps first
Same movement, same weight, fewer reps.
Then drop the weight
Lighter barbell, dumbbell or ball.
Swap the movement last
This changes the workout the most, so it's the last thing we do.
Your first 90 days
Everyone's different, but it usually goes something like this.
Weeks 2 to 4
The soreness eases off
You'll start recognising movements. Pick a regular class time and stick to it.
Weeks 5 to 8
You'll have favourites
And movements you dread. You'll know a few names by now. This is usually when the first PB turns up.
Weeks 9 to 12
It's part of your week
You'll retest workouts and have a number to beat. Miss a class and people will ask where you were.
Gym etiquette
Nobody's written these on the wall, but everyone follows them.
Put your kit away
Strip the bar, rack the plates, put the dumbbells back.
Wipe down your equipment
Rowers, bikes, mats and the floor.
Stay until the last person finishes
Cheer them in. It's the most Cattle Dog thing on this page.
Scale without worrying about it
The people who scale well get better fastest.
Tell your coach if something hurts
During the session, not three weeks later.
Learn a name a week
By week twelve you'll know most of the room.
Got a question?
Ask a coach before or after class, or drop us a message. We've heard every question before and we're happy to answer it again.