You can walk into any gym and find a personal trainer who will assign you a workout routine, stand by as you push yourself to the limit, and congratulate you when you get done. What you can’t find anywhere is the level of dedication, personalization, and community that CrossFit West Des Moines brings to the table. We’re here to help you get strong, fit, and confident again.
If you answered YES to any of these, we want to help you work towards your goals with a fitness and nutrition approach.
Whether you’re from just outside or around West Des Moines or here in Urbandale, our team is here to help you get the results you’ve been missing.
In short, no. The only requirements are that you have a positive attitude, a willingness to work hard, to learn new things, and have the desire and passion to let us help you reach your fitness goals. You will succeed and see great results. We want to coach anyone desiring to get into the best shape of their lives. Plus, thinking you need to ‘be in shape’ to start CrossFit is like saying you need to have your life in order before going to church.
CrossFit, as performed in our facility, is very safe due to our three basic concepts of mechanics, consistency, and intensity. You must learn to do the movements safely and consistently before we account for varying intensity. Furthermore, you are always under the watchful eye of one of our coaches every time you step foot in the box, we obsess over proper movement and gym etiquette ! With all that said, we’d be ignorant to say that you can’t ever get hurt here. We don’t train to purposely hurt ourselves, but sometimes it happens; injuries are just a part of life. Truth be told though, you’re more likely to get hurt slamming your finger in a car door than you are coming in here.
Training at CrossFit West Des Moines will challenge you with new skills, better movement, and mental toughness. Our Athletes come from various backgrounds and will welcome YOU like they have everyone else. We get super excited to have new Athletes join us and we realize how busy everyone’s lives can be and know there are other places to train, so we’re not out to waste your time. In fact, we find that this can be the most uplifting part of your day thanks to our amazing community and incredibly fun and challenging workouts.
This isn’t a “Lose 20 lbs in 6 weeks GUARANTEED” kind of gym. It is impossible to predict exact rates at which individuals may progress, and how. No two individuals will have the exact same goals, but a guarantee we can promise is that you will be exposed to a wide variety of movements and burning a fair amount of calories during our Metabolic Conditioning and Strength Sessions while learning new skills.
Progression depends first and foremost on commitment to us and consistency in the training session, but also on gender, age, health histories, genetics, nutrition, sleep habits, life stress, work and school. I know, I know, you’re just looking for a concrete answer. Honestly, we’ve found that about the 2-3 month mark is the place where most people start to really see marked results. The reason is two-fold: one, the movements we do in here are fairly high skilled and take a good amount of time to master. Two, it takes time to ingrain good workout AND nutritional habits into your daily life.
Without proper nutrition your body will not be able to withstand the workouts or activities of daily living. Regardless of your fitness goals (increased strength, weight-loss, special race/event, etc.), nutrition is the driving force behind these ambitions. Establishing proper eating patterns will not only fuel your body for the workouts, but aid in energizing it throughout your day. Failing to get your nutritional intake in check will result in slowed progress with our program. The basic concept behind eating the right things in the right portions is simple: Eat meat, vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruits, minimal amounts of starch and NO sugar. We have a nutrition coach who can help you get more detailed with your journey.
This is mostly directed at the ladies…NO. You don’t produce testosterone like the guys. And you won’t be training 24 hours a day. 7 days a week. For hours on end. For the fellas, the size you want to gain or lose will be largely determined by your nutrition – and to REALLY fill out you will want to incorporate intentional accessory work.
The beauty of CrossFit is that it develops a very broad base of fitness that will incorporate movement patterns and muscle groups you normally avoid in your sport/hobby. You will also find that we vary our time durations in workouts from short (sprinty) workouts to long (endurance) workouts. Also higher volume lighter weight sets, and relatively heavier loading with lower volume sets. We include it all.
You are welcome to park in one of the spaces right in front of the building.
Normal workout clothes (t-shirt, shorts, comfy shoes). A towel and water bottle are optional but encouraged. We can help guide you to more specific workout gear to help get the most of your workouts once your in the program!
Two Options: Schedule a Free Consultation OR a Free Trial Class. Just click below to schedule a visit to meet with a coach for a private 15-30 minute conversation about YOU and how you relate to the program.
Each class is one-hour long. We start with meeting at the “Whiteboard” to discuss the workout of the day and what the intentions are, how to scale it back, and our two cents on approach. Then we go into a 5-10 minute general warm up as a group that is designed to get the blood pumping, muscles and joints lose, and get you warm. Next, we devote anywhere between 10-20 minutes on our ‘skill sessions.’ These are times when we are working on specific skills (as a group) to improve our technique and/or get stronger. Depending on that day’s focus, you might see barbell work, gymnastic work, plyo boxes, kettlebells, jump rope, and even running mechanics. After that comes the ‘Workout of the Day’ or WOD. Before we yell “3…2…1…GO” we go over all the movements and offer guidance towards the proper scaling of each exercise. After answering all your questions, we start the workout and a coach is always watching each person to be sure they stay safe and motivated. After the WOD, we cool-down and stretch and then you’re free to go!
We’ve all been there…the ‘new kid’ in class! Everyone is always open and friendly to new-comers. We promote a family-like atmosphere of support and camaraderie amongst our members. Someone will undoubtedly take you under their wing and help you through your introductory period. Everyone remembers what it was like at their first class and we all want to see each other succeed. Most importantly, we won’t ever have you do something that you are uncomfortable with or that is too advanced for your current fitness level.
It could not be more simple, just click below to book a free consultation to meet with a coach for a private chat. No sales pressure, just a chance to see if we’re compatible.
Your second option is to jump into a Free Class. We recommend this option to anyone comfortable in a group training atmosphere. Our coaches are trained to help all the new Athletes first. It’s our promise to make you feel safe every time you step into CrossFit West Des Moines!
