Meet our Neighbor - RADD CrossFit NSLI in Glen Cove

The CrossFit philosophy is simple and sweet: You are never alone.

 “The journey of fitness is a long and difficult one,” says Diana Jimenez, Operations Director of RADD CrossFit NSLI in Glen Cove. “But CrossFit is different in that you are never alone, and when you embark on our journey, the level of support from the CrossFit community is monumental.  Dreading a workout quickly becomes a thing of the past and looking forward to pushing the limits with good company becomes your motivation.”

The way it works: “CrossFit is a strength and conditioning program that is constantly varied, uses functional movements, and operates at a high intensity,” says Jimenez, adding, “there is no routine, we like to prepare your body for the unknowable by keeping your body guessing.”

CrossFit has a leg up on the fitness biz. “One of our members has a saying, and that is ‘legs all day,’” says Jimenez. “We incorporate leg movements into our routine with the purpose of increasing overall fitness, and let’s just say that this member does more movements to strengthen legs now than he was used to. In the beginning it was a challenge, but as his overall fitness improved, it became a necessity.”

Since it was founded in 2000 by Greg Glassman, CrossFit has grown by leaps and bounds. By 2005 there were 13 gyms affiliated with CrossFit.  Today, there are over 4,400 CrossFit affiliates worldwide, primarily located in the United States, and the number of affiliates continues to grow.  “We are passionate and firmly believe that this is a new age in fitness,” says Jimenez. 

“CrossFit has been life changing for me,” says Roberto Gutierrez, certified trainer and coach at the Glen Cove facility, along with his brother Daniel Gutierrez.  “I was an ex-athlete and had gained a significant amount of weight and I had let myself go in a terrible way physically as well as emotionally,” says Roberto. “My brother introduced me to CrossFit, and after my first workout, I felt like I was back in the gym with my football buddies. Slaps of high fives and positive sayings made me fall in love with CrossFit.  From then on I began to challenge myself in every way and I started making the impossible, possible.”

Roberto’s brother and certified trainer and coach, Daniel Guterriez, also grew up playing sports and went on to become an elementary school teacher and coach. “Having a direct impact on a person’s life through guiding and teaching has always been my passion,” says Daniel, “and while working as a CrossFit coach began as a quest for something fun to do in addition to my teaching career, it is now my lifelong goal to inspire others to strive for a better quality of life through fitness, community, and support on the North Shore of Long Island.”

 

The coaches gauge a member’s fitness level and improvement with benchmark workouts. “Most of our benchmark workouts are named after girls and one of our most popular is ‘Fran.’ Fran is an intense workout that requires you to complete 21, 15 and 9 repetitions of thrusters and pull-ups. Your score is your time and if you improve on your time, we believe you have improved your level of fitness.”

RADD CrossFit had been vetting the perfect Long Island location for a year before the fitness and training company “fell in love” with the community of Glen Cove. “What attracted us most was the friendliness of the people and quaint appeal,” says Jimenez. “Our hope for the future is to move to the area.” She adds, “Other businesses here have been very helpful in our start up process by allowing us to post information and spread the word about RADD CrossFit.  Attending Chamber of Commerce meetings has also been a great way for other businesses to share what works for them and what could potentially work for us in our facility. We plan to promote their efforts and collaborate to plan and host various events that support each other’s endeavors.”

 CrossFit will hit a new benchmark in 2013, with 100,000 people registered to compete in “The CrossFit Games,” says Jimenez. The Games began in the summer of 2007 in order to find the fittest man and woman in the world.  There are three stages to the games that include the Open Sectionals, Regionals, and The Games.  “The greatest part is that anyone can compete in the Open Sectionals,” says Jimenez, adding, “the top 48 people from each region are invited to compete in regionals.  From there the top three individuals from each region are invited to compete in The Games. “Competing in the Open Sectionals is a good way to see how you rank in terms of fitness against the world.”  

RADD CrossFit also hosts nutritional seminars and events throughout the year that are offered to members. “The classes are free and help to inform our members of current nutritional habits that are recommended by the CrossFit community.”

Everyone can participate in CrossFit’s general-fitness program, “from high school students to adults of all ages,” says Jimenez. “Every movement is modifiable so anyone can benefit.” And young kids are getting into the action, too.  “We recently introduced our RADD Kids program for children ages seven-to-fourteen years-old, which meet once a week on Saturdays,” says Jimenez. 

The biggest challenge for CrossFit? “Leaving at night would be the biggest challenge for us,” says Jimenez. “We love what we do and finding time to end the day is a challenge. We want to continue to improve the quality of our service for everyone in the Glen Cove community and we continuously seek out ideas and innovative methods to do so.”

RADD CrossFit NSLI, 65 Sea Cliff Avenue, Glen Cove, NY 11542, 516-855-7348 or www.raddcrossfitnsli.com