1. Cleanliness is next to godliness
Whether it’s sweat, blood or tears you’ve shed on the equipment, wipe it down and put it away. Taking the time to maintain your box’s equipment will ensure its longevity and rather then replace mistreated equipment, good maintenance by their members will likely allow the box to invest in cool new toys for their members!
2. Be nice
It is called a COMMUNITY for a reason.
Smile, say hello and introduce yourself to new people — we’ve all been there and we all know walking into a new experience can be scary.
And who knows, venturing out of your own comfort zones by partnering up with a new member could always lead to a new friendship or even better — fresh competition!
3. Your health is our priority, not your ego
So you’re indestructible? Well done.
Just don’t let that strong mindset be the very downfall to your progression as an athlete.
Be it new or injured, talk to your coaches prior to the session and let them know of any movement or comfort limitations.
The coach’s priority is to have you workout, push your limits and improve as an athlete — safely and efficiently. It is not to stroke your ego, or encourage a member to add those 5kg weight plates and lift with poor technique!
Poor mechanisms will only allow you to get so far. Eventually that weight will get so heavy or movement so high in volume, that only good mechanics will enable you to safely get through the WOD.
4. Be humble
Being a community, and an encouraging one at that, we enjoy celebrating your PBs, whether it’s a world record Fran-time or your first strict pull-up.
We do care. Just don’t try to over-shadow other people’s successes with only your own triumphs — then we won’t care.
5. Yes, you can cheer — just don’t coach
Coaching is a job. People invest their own time and money to be considered a coach. A good coach invests years into learning, refining their skill-set for the benefit of the athlete. A great coach will commit a lifetime.
So pay some respect to this profession and let coaches do their job.
Chances are when you instruct a fellow athlete to ‘raise your elbows’ or ‘pull under the bar earlier’, your not only undoing your coach’s teaching but also be giving your workout buddy some incorrect cues that may regress their hard work.
6. Sharing is caring
A Box is a shared space — and I apologise for using the ‘community’ card again — but having some spatial awareness and consideration of your fellow members will only serve to make your box a better place. Consider it your ‘gift’ back to your box community.
Firstly, always seek to share spaces and equipment. You don’t ALWAYS have to use your favourite pull-up bar, especially if a fellow, vertically-challenged member will benefit more then your own 6ft-something self. And for the guys — please leave the female Olympic-bars to the females.
Last is ‘respecting the zone’
Do not (and I repeat DO NOT) walk in front of a fellow member as they prepare for a lift.
Olympic lifting, power lifting or just anything that requires moving an obscene type of weight, can be mentally tough. A break in concentration — from a spatially unaware or (even worse) an inconsiderate individual can literally be the difference between a successful or failed lift.
And as athletes we are all too familiar with the disappointment that accompanies a failed lift.
