1 Jerk (from a rack) OT90 x 7
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12 rounds:
30 Sec Bike or Row
10 rest rest
30 Sec Hold (HS or high plank/low plank/R side/L side)
10 Sec rest
Hi Guys,
As some of you may know, the Province of Saskatchewan released a few updates to the health guidelines on Friday afternoon. We have many questions that need to be answered (is CrossFit an aerobic activity? What if we just do strength training? Is it a class if I just write the WOD on a whiteboard? Why do they consider is safer without a coach??) and have reached out to our MLAs, the Health Minister's office, and the Sask Business Support line. As of yet, we've received no response. If you're interested, I made an update video to explain our current situation. As always, our goal is to keep you guys as safe as possible! 20,834 workouts have been completed at BRIO since we re-opened on June 8 and ZERO transmissions. We're working as hard as we can to keep it that way!
Jocelyn
Below is the email we sent to our MLA and Health Minister Paul Merriman...
My name is Jocelyn Rylee. I live in the Lakeview area of Saskatoon and have owned a fitness business called CrossFit BRIO in Sutherland for the last 12 years. I was in contact with both your offices this afternoon hoping to enlist your help to make sense of the new health guidelines released today. Long story short, the new guidelines make the situation less healthy and less safe for my gym members in every possible way. I'm writing to you to advocate on their behalf for a better, safer solution.
Our business is in a 4000 sq ft warehouse and we run only group fitness classes. CrossFit-style training is a varied mix of weightlifting, gymnastics, and cardio led by a certified coach. There is a strong group component to a CrossFit gym, where the shared suffering of training together creates tight social bonds between the members. A workout at CrossFit BRIO is not just about physical health, but the mental health aspects of social belonging and stress management too.
Since re-opening in June, we've had a very intense COVID protocol in place which includes:
Distancing - we have 15 workout spaces taped out in our facility that are all at least 10' x 12' (with walking lanes between), which exceeds the 3m distancing guidelines for high intensity activities. I've attached a picture to help visualize our set up.
Pre-booking - Members sign in ahead of time via our app for an allotted time and are strictly limited to 15 in each class.
Individual Equipment - Each square has its own complete set up of equipment and members do not share or move out of their space at all during a class.
Entrance/Exit - We modified our foyer layout to accommodate seperate entrance and exit doors
Masks - Members wear masks when entering, exiting, using the change rooms, etc. and only take them off once they're situated in their square and we start the workout.
Ventilation - We have overhead doors on the front and back of our building that we keep open for airflow during the summer months and installed extra fresh air intake ventilation this fall for better airflow during the winter months.
Coach Supervision - An instructor/coach leads everyone through a proper warm up, explanation of the workout, and set up. The coach's #1 priority is the safety of our members - both in teaching and upholding good form, but also enforcing proper social distancing and cleaning/sanitizing of equipment when we're done.
Time management - Coaches adhere to a strict timeline for each class to ensure adequate time for one group to clean equipment, pack up, and clear out before the next group is scheduled to come in. This prevents congregating or crowding in the locker rooms and entrance areas.
Locker rooms - limited to 2 people at a time
If my understanding of the new guidelines is correct I can either:
1) continue to instruct classes, but cut the capacity to 8 people
OR
2) keep my capacity at 15 people, but operate under an "open gym" format without an instructor
Given the choice, I cannot pick option (1) because this not only cuts my business in half but reduces by 50% the number of people in our community that are able to maintain their healthy exercise habits. Other than advanced age, it's become quite clear that the number #1 predictor of having severe COVID complications that lead to hospitalization and ultimately stress our healthcare system is metabolic syndrome - obesity, diabetes, hypertension, etc. With so few people in the world putting in the required effort to keep themselves as healthy as possible, I cannot in good conscience choose the option that puts obstacles in the way of the very small selection of people that are actually making fitness a regular part of their life. Less people being healthy is not at all what our province needs right now.
Option (2) allows me to keep my capacity at 15 people working out in my facility at a time, but takes away the coach/instructor so it's not technically "a class". This meets the guidelines for 15 "individual aerobic activities" happening at once because we can maintain the specified distancing. But removing the instructor makes things less safe for our members in every possible way. Without someone directing the movement of individuals and enforcing proper distancing, there's a much lower chance people stay the specified 3m apart. Without the coach supervising cleaning, there's a much lower chance that equipment is properly sanitized. Without the coach adhering to a strict timeline, there's a much lower chance people clear out before the next group arrives and then we'll have a problem with crowding and congregating. And this one is not COVID related but, without the coach guiding warmups, teaching proper movement form, and supervising the workout, there's a much greater chance someone will get injured.
I realize our provincial policy makers are in the very difficult position of trying to craft blanket guidelines for a bunch of businesses that are wildly different. I know we're all trying our best to weather this pandemic crisis and keep our population as safe and healthy as possible. We are definitely on the same side about that! I feel compelled to share that from my little corner of society at least, the new guidelines have moved us further away from that goal by making things less healthy and less safe. If you need someone to provide input on behalf of our local fitness industry, I will absolutely volunteer my time to help in whatever way I can.
I would love to invite you in for a tour of our facility and to see in person what an excellent job we're doing of keeping our members safe while providing top-notch professional fitness and training. We're located at 310 Jessop Ave and I'd be happy to have you visit any time. Please reach out to me at
I hope we can reach a workable solution together.
Thanks!
Jocelyn
Thanks for the update and fully support your position and ongoing efforts to keep everyone safe.