28 August, 2014
Health & Wellness

CrossFit 852 Causeway Bay – we try out this hardcore workout!

28 August, 2014

It’s 6.30pm on a Tuesday evening and we’re trying to beat Hong Kong’s heavy after-work traffic, hoping we’ll make it in time for our CrossFit 852 class at the recently opened Causeway Bay branch. After a long day at Sassy HQ typing away as per usual (yes, we do work very hard, contrary to popular belief… it’s not all cupcakes and lipsticks!), we’re feeling kind of low and gloomy.

But all that changed upon entering the premise… we had such a warm welcome and there were so many friendly faces! The upbeat music and of course the multitude of weights in all shapes, sizes and even colours pumped us up and we were ready to go. The ambience was chilled out and the studio resembled a brightly-lit basement, with modern stony walls and a ton of fitness equipment everywhere.

Despite feeling excited for our class, I have to admit we were slightly intimidated, seeing as the majority of people warming up for the class were rather buff to say the least! Even though we’re two of the biggest fitness freaks out of all the Sassy Girls, our ‘lifting’ threshold didn’t seem quite as comparable…

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We headed straight to a cubicle so we could get our pretty pink sports gear on (in true Sassy fashion, of course!). Slightly late, we hopped into the warm up and wondered whether it was too late to run away – only kidding, we were pumped! In the spirit of CrossFit 852’s friendly community, we were asked to introduce ourselves to the class with our names and a bit about ourselves.

CrossFit base its classes on small and intimate group sessions to maintain a good level of attention for each individual. Each class is an hour long and called CrossFit WOD, which stands for ‘Workout Of the Day’. The structure of each class is pretty similar, but the actual exercises vary daily. It goes something like this: a warm up, then part A (consisting of 2 exercises repeated 4 times each), followed by part B (consisting of 4 exercises repeated 3 times each) and then lastly a cool down.

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Since the fitness levels of people in a class are so different, for part A and B everyone was asked to choose dumbbells and kettlebells that were suitable for their ability. We went super light comparatively, but hey, we were new to this! During the course of each part, individuals were increasing their weight depending on how they felt. This was all noted down on the whiteboard, so individual progress can be tracked week on week.

For part B, we had to complete three of the four exercise routines at our own pace, but this was timed and noted down on the board as well. Both of us were one of the first people to finish, and yes, we did have ‘baby’ dumbbells compared to the others – but we still felt like we had done well! The great part about this technique is that we didn’t feel pressured to go faster and use heavier weights. It was all about an individual, customised workout and doing what your body could handle. The levels of encouragement and motivation from the coach was excellent, helping us get to the end of the set with necessary guidance.

It all sounds a bit intense and scary – but trust us, it is catered to all fitness levels. You’re essentially only being compared to yourself by tracking your own personal progress, results, goals and achievements. The new Causeway Bay branch is fab and definitely worth checking out. A monthly membership for unlimited classes starts at $2,000 (depending on how many months you sign up for). We would definitely say it’s a great place to build on your fitness levels and muscle mass, but to also become part of a friendly, inspiring and motivating community. It’s a fitness centre heavily focused on exercises using weights – but who says girls can’t lift? Lifting weights are vital to getting toned, shaping up that physique and staying fit all round!

Here’s an example of a class workout to give you some insight into what it entails!

WOD

Part A
Spend 15 minutes, build up to tough 3 reps of:
Front Squats

Part B
15 minutes AMRAP of:
8 Push Jerks
10 Chest-to-Bar Pull Ups
30 Air Squats

Crossfit 852 Causeway Bay, Basement, Circle Tower, 28 Tang Lung Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, www.crossfit852.comwww.facebook.com/crossfitHK, see Central location here.

divya sig

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