I was speaking with a member recently, and she ended the conversation by saying “You should make sure people know how much value they are getting out of their membership, especially compared to some other gyms I’ve been to!” I’ll be honest I loved the compliment, but it also got me thinking; Maybe some of the members know how much value we strive to put into Legacy Athletics - I certainly hope they do. But perhaps, too, we have some members who might like to hear more about it. So, if you are one of those people, today is your day! In this blog, I will cover some of the things that set Legacy Athletics apart from other gyms worldwide.
- Our programming. Here at Legacy, we are in the minority when it comes to programming. Most gyms pay a third party to do their programming for them. While this can work well, there are a lot of scenarios in which it isn’t ideal. What if your gym has an event and you want to do a specific workout for it? How will that workout fit in with the rest of the week's programming? What if you don’t have certain equipment that is programmed? What if your membership, for whatever reason, needs to focus on an area of fitness that is different from what the third party is prioritizing? Having an experienced coach write quality programming for your gym is a huge asset and art that is being lost. At Legacy Athletics, we have our own programming - a craft that I have been perfecting since 2009. I know which days are busiest, and that helps me know which equipment we can and can’t use. I know what the weather is like in our area at any given time of year. I know what we need most for GPP (general physical preparedness), and what we tend to already be good at as a community. I can program around events, hero WODs, and holidays. I can program to set us apart from the other gyms, many of which all do the same few public programs. Most importantly, I work with the community every day (and do the workouts myself), so I can get real-time feedback on how people are feeling, responding, and progressing. This is both crucial and, in my opinion, underrated.
- Our additional program options. Here at Legacy Athletics, we do not hide the fact that we are a CrossFit gym. We are proud to be a CrossFit affiliate, and we believe in the methodology. That being said, we also know that there are other sports and programs that can be beneficial. Due to this, we offer an Olympic Weightlifting program, an Endurance program, and a Kid Fit program for our younger members. We also offer an “Rx” track and a “Fitness” track for our WODs, as well as optional Body Armor work for our athletes to do each day.
- Childcare. Lots of gyms don’t offer childcare. We do (and we have a safe, reliable, and wonderful staff)!
- Our facility. This one speaks for itself if you’ve been through the doors of Legacy Athletics. We are proud to offer a state-of-the-art facility and the best equipment for our members.
- Our coaching staff. This one could be a whole separate blog, but at the very least I will make it a separate portion of this article. Read on to hear more about our excellent coaching staff (seriously guys, we have the best coaches around…).
Aside from the fact that they are just really wonderful humans, here are some of the things that set the coaching staff of Legacy Athletics apart from other gyms:
- We hire career coaches. Many CrossFit gyms have many coaches who each cover a few classes per week, but coaching is not their career. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this, it makes it difficult to ensure coaching commitment, quality, consistency, and low turnover. Legacy coaches have their entire livelihoods wrapped up in coaching, health, and wellness. This is what we do, and we are proud of that.
- We take continuing education very seriously. I firmly believe in the saying, “the more you learn the more you have to learn” and we put this belief into practice. Each coach at Legacy is expected to be in pursuit of additional education at all times. Whether this is taking a seminar, getting a certification, or doing a deep dive into something health and fitness related, each coach is always in the process of learning and perfecting his or her craft.
- We bring continuing education in-house. Every quarter the Legacy Athletics coaches get together for a continuing education course. During this time, one of the coaches who specializes in an area will take 1-2 hours to teach the other coaches what he or she knows. From gymnastics movements to rowing to weightlifting, the coaches are always learning from each other and pushing each other to be the best they can be.
- Did I mention we take continuing education seriously? Each Friday the Legacy Athletics coaching staff has a meeting. During these meetings, the first question I ask is, “what did you learn this week?” In response, each coach tells the others about something new he or she learned in the previous week. This can be anything from a new mobility technique to a research article on nutrition, to a podcast on optimal recovery, or anything else related to the profession.
- We prioritize consistency. Every night I send a message to the coaching staff and go over the next day’s WOD. In this message, I cover how movements should be scaled, what to prioritize when teaching the movements, what to expect from the WOD, and more. This not only ensures a consistent qualitative experience for the members but also opens the floor to questions or feedback from the other coaches.
If you are already a member of Legacy Athletics, I hope this has helped you learn some more about how important you and your health are to this team. If you are not yet a member, we hope this makes you feel more encouraged and comfortable dropping in and giving us a try! Either way, know that at Legacy Athletics we have your very best interests, your health, and wellness, as the top priority in everything we do.
- Caitlin Green
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