Systematic CrossFit in Monterey!
We decided to head down to Monterey for the weekend, just to chill and get away for a bit. While we we were there we decided to check out Systematic CrossFit., a new-ish gym that just opened in February of this year. Lucky for us, the gym was located in walking distance from our hotel on Cannery Row. Convenience is always an added bonus!
We came in for the 9am class on Saturday with Mike. Partner WODs are my favorite! The long chipper format is also just what we needed after a night of delicious food and heavy drinking.
- Warm-up: 3 minutes at each station: airdyne, rower, double unders; mobilize, movement review
- Partner WOD! In teams of 2, for time:
- Run around the block together
- 100 Wall Ball Shots 20#/14# to 10'/9'
- 100 Push Ups
- 100 Box Jumps 24"/20"
- 100 KBS 1.5/1pood
- 100 Sit Ups
- 100 Pull Ups
- 100 Jumping Lunges
- 400m Run, together
Some things I really liked here:
- Prime location!! The box is across the street from the ocean (beach wods!!), within walking distance of the famous Monterey Aquarium and restaurants, and is literally in a mall. In contrast to Reebok 5th Ave, Systematic CF is an excellent example of great use of popular public spaces.
- Beautiful facility. Although their in a mall, they have high ceilings and lots of light. They also a changing room and mobility area in the back.
- Variety of equipments: tires, sleds, prowlers, weighted vests, sandbags, ropes, platforms, benches, and airdynes. A lot of great stuff. Everything is also very organized and clean.
- Polished steal pull up bars... my favorite kind! I had to list this as a separate bullet point since their pull up bars couldn't be more sweet. None of this weird coating you get sometimes with other rig vendors.
- The trainers and class quality. Mike is awesome! He's very knowledgeable, encouraging and down-to-earth. Also, small classes and lots of attention. Trainers value solid movement and form. With CrossFit blowing up in popularity, it's tough to find quality coaches (instead of babysitters).
- The community. People are really friendly. Whether you are new or just visiting, people will introduce themselves to you. They also care about your progress. They are very encouraging and they'll stick around and cheer you on, even if you're the last to finish :)
- Open gym.
- Free filtered water. Gotta put this as a perk since many CF gyms nowadays charge you for water!
- Visitor friendly. Free drop in :)
Some things that could use improvement:
- A large sign, at least in front of Ocean View Blvd. If we didn't follow the people in Lululemon, we would have had a really hard time finding the box.
- Finish rubber matting the gym.
Some pictures:
3. Inside.
4. Super sweet pull up bars and structure!!
5. Barbells.
6. Rowers and airdynes.
7. Back.
8. Variety of equipment.
9. Platforms.
10. Whiteboards
Absolutely loved my visit at Systematic CrossFit!! We felt very welcomed and part of the crew. The visit overall was so pleasant. Its prime location is so key. We walked less than 1/2 a mile to the gym from our hotel on the beautiful Coastal Trail, had a bomb time with the 9am class, and then got ice cream on the walk back.
I'm looking forward to returning soon, hopefully for the joint event and beach WOD with CF Monterey later this summer. I highly recommend you check it out!