Cross Fit Xyston

I have been getting in fairly decent shape since I moved here, but I have been really looking for an opportunity to move the needle even farther. It does not take much looking around the internet to tell that there is a wide diversity of opinion as it relates to the Crossfit model of fitness, and most of it is fairly polarized along love vs. hate lines.
Still, I know of several people I work with who are in amazing physical condition and swear by crossfit, so I decided that I should roll the dice and give it a try. I have only gotten a couple of introductory classes out of the way, so this review will obviously require modification at some point in the future, but I thought I would leave some of my initial reactions.
This place is not what you are going to be expecting from your typical local gym. Here they stress an athletics model, and most of the exercises are more geared toward building power, speed, quickness, and the like. Their main focus initially is on form and scaling the routine to your overall fitness level at the onset. It does not take long and you will be upping the ante significantly.
If you have ever been involved in competitive athletics in your life, you will find many aspects of training here quite familiar. There is lots of camaraderie, people pushing you, and receiving instruction from those who are experts in the craft. The workouts are absolutely punishing without question, but having your fellows along for the ride makes it more bearable. There is no ‘quit’ in the people who train here, and it’s an attitude that is infectious almost immediately. Relationships formed under duress are sometimes the most prolific after all. The social aspect of life at this gym is huge.
Cost here is higher than you will find at any other gym, but still far less than it would cost you to hire out a personal trainer. I think how much you are able to adapt and eventually enjoy training here has as much to do with your personal characteristics as it does the specs of the program itself. It is not difficult for me to see how some people would not be able to deal with an arrangement like this. I will be sure to update this review as I progress in the program.