Every year, it seems there is a new trend or fitness craze that touts itself as the number one weight loss, strength training or cardiovascular solution for getting into tip-top shape. While many of these methods fade away, others seem to gain more of a following as word spreads about its value in the fitness world. One of these training methods is CrossFit, and it looks like one that is here to stay as its popularity grows.
And on the North Shore, it has grown, as indicated by the expansion of local CrossFit One Life owners and head coaches Derrick Fish of Locust Valley and Tim Caputo of Oyster Bay, who recently moved their training facility from Glen Head to a larger space on Garvies Point Road in Glen Cove.
The two men, both 28 and graduates of Locust Valley High School, felt the need for larger space to accommodate their growing business and to be able to bring their skilled coaching and training to a larger community of people.
Fish says fitness has always been a big part of his life, and when Caputo, his best friend since high school, started CrossFit first and introduced Fish to it, he was hooked.
“I was bored with what I was doing, workout-wise,” says Fish, who lives in Locust Valley. “I started doing CrossFit and got more involved and more advanced.”
They both pursued certifications and then decided to start their own business, which opened in the summer of 2012 in Glen Head. They expanded their space after finding an old warehouse on Garvies Point Road, and opened the new facility in Glen Cove in early November. Both men have various levels of certification: CrossFit, Kettlebell, Olympic Weight Lifting, physical education, and nutrition sciences.
“A lot of time, when people join a gym, they go in by themselves, and it’s not always the most intense workout, or they do the same thing and don’t see the results they want; they get stuck in a routine and plateau, which is what happened with me,” says Fish.
“With CrossFit, you’re always with a group, that makes it more motivating,” Fish continues. “Working out with people makes it more fun, and you’re more likely to look forward to going to the gym—it’s not so much like a chore.”
CrossFit is a core strength and conditioning program that incorporates gymnastics, weight lifting and metabolic conditioning movements, and utilizes varied, functional movements at a high intensity level. It is aimed to optimize an individual’s physical abilities by providing a fitness program that is broad, general and inclusive. Each class is an hour long. Fish stresses that one of the great things about this method is that the workouts are always varied from day to day.
“Every day is different. You don’t really know what to expect and your body doesn’t get a chance to get used to the workouts, so you’re always seeing positive results from what we’re doing here,” Fish says.
He notes that results tend to have a positive impact physically and mentally, allowing you to have more energy outside the gym.
“A lot of times people are intimidated by CrossFit; our adult classes range from age 12 to people in their 70s, and everywhere in between. Everything we do here can be modified and varied, weights can be scaled so that every single person is getting a good and safe workout,” says Fish.
The club has a little less than 100 members, and offers 10 classes during the day.
“I love strength exercises and with CrossFit I like how they are incorporated into the cardio workouts,” says Linda Cirigliano of Glen Cove. “I’m achieving training at a maximum level while constantly paying attention to form.”
The club is open Monday through Saturday, with classes beginning as early as 5:10 a.m. on weekdays and as late as 8:30 p.m. to accommodate different schedules. They also offer nutrition classes and personal training sessions. Visit www.crossfitonelife.com for more information on class schedules and pricing.
