CrossFit Garden City: For the Serious Athlete

Though New Year's Day may have been a good time to sleep in or spend a lazy day around the house, the scene was much different at CrossFit Garden City, where eight individuals were hard at work lifting barbells, doing squats, pushups and various stretching exercises, all the while cheering one another on as if they are in competition together.

CrossFit Garden City, which opened around Thanksgiving, is a results-driven strength and conditioning program dedicated to making its "athletes" (all members here are called athletes) happier, healthier and stronger. 

They are not a health club. At CrossFit, located at 42 Nassau Boulevard in Garden City South, you will not find mirrors or fancy machines. According to a description on its website, CrossFit is "essentially cardio, gymnastics and strength training rolled into one eclectic, efficient package."

"We're all about mechanics before intensity," said Michael Volpe, a former Garden City High School baseball star who manages the Garden City CrossFit with Dennis Marshall. The two played competitive baseball together (Marshall attended Seaford High School), and for four years they were teammates at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. The infielders lived in the same dorm and became good friends who often talked about going into business together. CrossFit is the fruition of their dream. "It was Dennis' baby, but it piqued my interest," Volpe said.

Athletes here perform pull-ups, pushups, handstands and box jumps; lift weights, swing kettle bells, climb ropes and throw medicine balls. CrossFit's approach is to consider all variables and create a customized program that ensures an individual's training time is maximized to achieve optimal results.

In a nutshell, they help people get fitter than ever.

When you first walk into CrossFit Garden City, it resembles a gymnastics center with its large rubber mat and rings. Most sessions here are in small groups but there are some individual sessions as well.

Teaching the proper technique is essential at CrossFit. "It's mechanics, consistency and intensity," Volpe said. "You have to learn the moves first. When the athletes learn the mechanics, they will become consistent. And when they become consistent then they can ramp up their exercise routine."

Volpe said CrossFit guarantees outstanding results if the athletes are willing to put the work in. From the looks of things on New Year's Day, the group of eight was very determined to achieve their optimal performance, and they did so in a collaborative, team-oriented way.

"The community aspect of it is the best part, it's contagious," Volpe said.

There are three steps to the program. Step 1 is the initial assessment, which allows the CrossFit trainers to identify "structural imbalances" or "energy leaks," including movement restrictions. They analyze sport and position-specific requirements and establish training goals.

Step 2 is the program design. Each athlete's program will include the following six components, in varying degrees: mobility; structural balance and injury prevention; strength training designed to optimize strength: weight ratio for sport; Olympic lifting and plyometrics to develop power and explosiveness; strongman training to promote whole-body strength, conditioning and durability; and metabolic conditioning specific to sport demands.

Step 3 is the training program, which is an eight-week commitment. All sessions are 60 minutes. Private training for individual athletes or semi-private training for two athletes of similar abilities who would like to train together is offered.

"Here you have to be present and you're not going to be going through the motions," Volpe said. "We're teaching people here to move their bodies correctly."

CrossFit Garden City has about 1,500 square feet of workout space. There is a locker room and shower area for men and women. Prior to joining CrossFit classes, all athletes must participate in what's called Foundations, a three-week-long program designed to gradually introduce the movements, training and intensity found in CrossFit's group classes. The next Foundations class begins Jan. 10 and runs through Jan. 27.  The classes are held on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, at either 10 a.m. or 8 p.m.

For information, call 516-522-0146 or visit www.crossfitgardencity.com.