Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are you an official CrossFit location?

A: Yes. Originally a Functional Fitness seminar started at Da Vinci Science campus in 2012, CrossFit Nerd became an officially recognized CrossFit affiliate in July 2018 under the direction of Coach Jay Besina.

Q: Are you qualified to coach CrossFit?

A: Yes. Coach Besina originally received his CrossFit Level 1 Certificate in 2011, and has since recertified and earned his CrossFit Lesson Planning Certificate, CrossFit Scaling Certificate, and CrossFit Spot-The-Flaw Certificate.

Q: Is CrossFit safe for kids?

A: The short answer is a resounding YES. But to help answer this question, it may help to define CrossFit itself. CrossFit is defined as "constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity." Let's take this one piece at a time:

• Constantly Varied. CrossFit aims to prepare athletes for life, and what life throws at you is inherently unexpected. CrossFit founder Greg Glassman famously described CrossFit as "preparing for the unknown and the unknowable." This requires a tremendously (if not infinitely) variable quality to the breadth of stimulus. For example, if an athlete was to do CrossFit for 100 days, she can expect to do 100 unique workouts. And while some elements of a workout may be repeated, they will very rarely be repeated in the same combination in the exact same way. Volume, intensity, duration, load, and movements (along with a host of other variables) can and will change, and this is good for us! Indeed, its constant varied nature is among most fun aspects of CrossFit!
• Functional Movements. As stated above, CrossFit strives to prepare athletes for life, and so the movements we train in CrossFit are homologous to movements found in natural human movement: they are essential, multi-joint, and inherently safe. In other words, we do them on a daily basis and will continue to need to do them throughout life. Picking up dropped keys is akin to performing a deadlift. Standing up from a seated position requires the same muscles as a barbell squat. So by doing CrossFit, we help athletes ingrain safe patterns for a lifetime of safe, functional movement.
• High Intensity. Perceived intensity is relative, depending on each individual's mental and physical tolerances. That said, our goal is to intimately know and understand each athlete, and then safely coach them to their appropriate intensity levels. For most athletes, this is the most uncomfortable aspect of CrossFit. But it is through knowing this intensity and increasing it over time that we see the most growth in ourselves!

In summary, yes, CrossFit is safe. What is more, we would contend that the movement functional movement patterns trained during CrossFit are essential to living freely and productively!

Q: But... why CrossFit "Nerd?"

A: We can all agree, the term "nerd" has had a bad rap. But at its core, a nerd is a person who is deeply passionate and dedicated to something, who works hard to knowing as much as they can and being the best. We at CrossFit Nerd are nerds about growth. We are nerds about being relentless in identifying our own weaknesses and turning them into our strengths. We are nerds about building and supporting a community of like-minded athletes who keep us accountable and focused on our goals.

The humble genesis of CrossFit Nerd began on the campus of Da Vinci Science in 2012, and it has grown to what it is now through a lot of hard work, passion, and dedication toward the mission of helping our student athletes grow into the best versions of themselves.