People often ask if they can do CrossFit if they’re overweight.  The answer: Yes! Anyone can do Group Classes at Progression Fitness. Our coaches are experienced professionals. They are not cheerleaders. Our coaches use Progression principles to create the perfect workout for you. Each session will challenge you at the right level and move you closer to your goals. In a group setting, the workout for the class is modified to suit the needs of each participant. In “CrossFit language,” quickly modifying a general workout in a group session is called “scaling.”  For example, imagine a workout like this:  3 rounds of:20 barbell squatsRun 1 mile That’s tough! But what if we adjusted it for a beginner who wants to lose weight and hasn’t worked out much? It might look like this: 3 rounds of:5 body-weight squatsJog or walk 100 meters We’re experts at modifying workouts for clients. And we...Read more

Rabbits and Community The Community word is thrown around a lot at gyms. It used to be a marketing tool. “Come check out our gym; the community is great!” No one ever came to our gym because of the community. It is hard to believe, but people don’t care about the community when looking for a gym. We know the value of community: the owners, the staff, and the longtime members. We know why it is essential and that it genuinely does help with your health and fitness. Science knows too. Research shows that who you hang out with determines many aspects of your life. What you do, what you eat, who you date, and how long you live. Entire books have been written just on this concept. Most of us know it to be accurate as well. Hang out with the wrong people, and you get into trouble. Hang...Read more

Murph is coming!   Read the post and prepare for the biggest workout of the year in Rochester, MN.  As a Progressionite, you love to hate Murph.  One of the longest Hero WODs and arguably the hardest.  If you have never participated in our Murph event, You should plan on it this year.  May 29th is the date.  Save it!  It is easily our biggest group workout of the year and probably the biggest in Rochester, MN, with up to 150 people completing the Work out in 2 hours. Here is the workout: I highly encourage you to read the story of Murph here: Lieutenant Murphy You can also watch the movie “Lone Survivor,” which tells the story. Not sure what Murph is like at the gym?  Check out this video!  Here! We do program some Murph prep in the weeks leading up to the event.  But if you want to excel,...Read more

Ever wondered how to get stronger legs? We’ve got the answer. In the fitness world, the focus often used to be placed on the upper body: pecs, delts, biceps, triceps, lats. In fact, people used to make jokes about “skipping leg day to do bench press.” But that’s a mistake. Leg strength is incredibly important in daily life, at work and in sports. And, of course, many people desire toned leg muscles, including glutes, for aesthetic value. Regardless of why you want strong legs, we can help you earn them. First, to get stronger legs you need to train them properly. That means you can’t skip leg day. When left on their own, many people don’t have a precise plan. So they end up missing training days, training some parts too often and others too little, lifting with poor technique, and doing the wrong exercises, sets and reps with the...Read more

Here’s a common gym question: What’s the best time of the day to train? The short answer: It’s always a good time to work out. Most people don’t work out at all, so it’s better to train at any time than to skip a workout because the time isn’t “perfect.” These days, people are incredibly busy, and time is precious. Parents are always taking kids somewhere, shift workers are managing wild schedules, some people face long commutes before and after work, and so on. The phrase “I don’t have time” is very common. So our advice is to work out whenever you can. The time doesn’t really matter that much. But here’s a tip: it’s sometimes better to get a workout in earlier in the day so unexpected issues later on don’t throw you off track and force you to skip training. Another tip: No matter what time you plan...Read more