Dear Parents and Coaches,
Thank you for your interest in CrossFit Works 4Kids’ Strength and Conditioning programming. Most of you, are new to CrossFit Kids programs and have many questions. I hope this letter will give you a general idea of what we do and answer many of your questions.
Founded by Jeff and Mikki Martin at Brand X Martial Arts and CrossFit in Ramona, CA, the CrossFit Kids program is designed to bring CrossFit methodology, safely and appropriately to kids. CrossFit, in short, is a general physical preparedness and strength and conditioning program utilizing constantly varied workouts of functional movements performed at high intensity. Like CrossFit for adults, CrossFit for kids is a broad, general and inclusive program which recognizes ten general physical skills (originally enumerated by Jim Cawley of Dynamax): accuracy, coordination, agility, balance, flexibility, stamina, endurance, strength, speed and power. However, CrossFit kids programming has taken into account the needs of children who are growing and developing and who are building their foundation for lifelong health and a relationship to fitness. Healthy living requires that kids push, pull, run, throw, climb, lift and jump effectively and safely whether or not they play athletics. Athletics is a specialized pursuit. CrossFit Kids strength and conditioning programs support athletic pursuits. Many athletic coaches and exercise physiologists feel that an increasing incidence of serious injuries in youth sports could be positively addressed by building overall strength and conditioning for these young athletes.
CrossFit kids programming is designed is set up to comprehensively address each of these skills and consequently each of the metabolic pathways. Our programming template consists of: randomized, functional movements executed at high intensity after appropriate skill mastery. Workouts consist of exercises containing elements drawn from all ten areas of fitness with special attention paid to utilizing progressions for difficult or compound movements and progressive loading dictated by size, age and consistency in form.
For young athletes, it is especially important to include flexibility work. Our CrssFit kids program addresses flexibility training in each and every workout because improved flexibility addresses increasing range of motion, as well as increasing bone, ligament and joint stability. The importance of strength training itself cannot be overestimated, as it is the foundation for the development of all biomotor skills. Strength training not only increases the ability to apply force, a pivotal aspect of power, it improves endurance by prolonging the amount of time it takes for muscles to fatigue. CrossFit Kids programming is an excellent approach to optimal strength conditioning for the young athlete. Power is a combination of how strong someone is and how fast they can move. Building more power in a young person provides them with the foundation to be a more successful athlete. One high school wrestling coach describes that since using CrossFit kids programming with his team they win their matches not always because they are the best wrestlers, but because they never get tired!
Although it is difficult to capture a CrossFit Kids workout in words, here are three samples:
I. 21 of each of the following exercises: The Clean (Olympic Lifts are used under very light or no load because they incorporate more of the ten elements of fitness than any other exercise), the Goblet Squat (a balance-weighted squat to train young athletes to keep their center of balance and gravity stabilized), a Sit-Up variation, a Burpee (a push up with a vertical jump). Then 15 of each of those exercises and then 9 of each of those exercises. The workout is completed at a continuous pace without prolonged rests.
II. A series of 4 exercises performed for one minute each, as many repetitions as possible during the minute. The four minutes of work is followed by one minute of rest and then the cycle is repeated two more times. The four exercises are: the Sumo Deadlift High Pull, static plank, box jumps, and Wall Balls (a throw against a wall with a weighted ball, caught in a deep squat).
III. A version of the Bear Complex (a Clean, a Front Squat, a Push Press, a Back Squat, a Push Press) interspersed with alternating core exercises and weighted forward and backward walking lunges.
CrossFit Kids strength and conditioning makes it possible for coaches to spend their valuable time with their athletes on their sport rather than trying to keep the kids fit, strong and fast. Many youth teams have also benefitted from keeping and building strength and conditioning in their off season so that they approach the first competitions ready to go.
We can provide flexible scheduling at our central location. We have established a team rate which is lower than our regular kids programming. For eight sessions, of between 45min and 1 hr each the cost is $35 per athlete. For example, a team of eight kids would come and train eight times for a total of $280. We understand that many teams in Tucson have a player or two that cannot afford the $35 and we want those young athletes to train with their teammates. We are willing to sponsor 1-2 kids per team if needed.
Please feel free to stop by our gym and look around or meet us and ask questions. You can also call or email anytime with additional questions. We look forward to meeting you.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Higgins and Carl Wells
