1. Teammates
Above all else, this is what we are. If you were interested in private training, you would do private training, but you don’t. You are part of a group every time you come to class. Your team may change day to day depending on who is there, but whoever shows up to class is your team. You exist because the person next to you may need a little extra encouragement that day. Or, they may need someone to compete with. Or, they may be looking for someone to ask them how their day was without accepting the conventional “fine.”
The beauty of Synapse is that you don’t get to choose your team. Your team may be (and should be) very, very different from you. But once you walk through those doors, you are contributing to another person’s life, and that gives you the power to do something very, very good. Once you lose this, it becomes just another workout. And to be honest, you can go to any gym for that.
2. We are a skills gym.
Every CrossFit gym seems to have their own niche or identity. At Synapse, we consider ourselves a “skills” gym. We specialize in teaching the components of CrossFit that require the most technical knowledge and skill: weightlifting and gymnastics. These components are ones that take years to master and perfect, and we believe that by emphasizing these skills and the learning process, we emphasize growth.
As coaches and owners, we believe in constant evolution too. Like you, we have to grow as well. As it turns out, we DON’T have all the answers! But, doggone it, we’re going to learn as much as we can. Last year I went through the coaches training program at a premiere gymnastics gym in Los Angeles, and a few months ago I joined one of the top weightlifting teams in the country. This means that our knowledge, which we pass on to you, is sometimes in flux. We are constantly growing in our knowledge of skills, and we are 100% satisfied saying that five years ago, three years ago, even 1 year ago, we had some things wrong with the way we teach. We hope that in another year we have grown so much that we can say the same thing about right now. While it may be hard to swallow that we don’t have all the answers, it should comfort you to know that we will never be stagnant in our growth, and so, neither will you.
At Synapse we believe in honing your craft. This means taking the time to work on skills without worrying about the weight, or maxing out, or how many calories are burned. We believe a technique gain may take a long time, but in the end is more important than the weight on the bar. We believe in asking questions, communication, and taking criticism with a smile, because that’s the way it’s meant. And we believe that these things are not just important, but CRITICAL to long term happiness and success.
3. Be uncomfortable
Sometimes, being present can be uncomfortable- but this is exactly where we believe Synapsters should be! Being present means patience when a coach is trying to walk you through something new or giving criticism. It can mean being present in your workout, without fearing the challenge or judging yourself as you go. It can even mean being present and available to conversations with everyone around you. This is your life, this is your community, and most importantly, this is your opportunity to actively contribute and actually have an impact.
We have always said that the Synapse experience is a holistic approach to CrossFit and weightlifting. We are interested in the whole person, not just your waist or bicep size. While our programming and knowledge can help get you to where you need to be physically, the importance of our community goes way beyond this. Keep your lifts in perspective- they are just lifts; however, the growth you can achieve while working on them is enormous. This- you- are truly what matters, because of the culture you can create when you walk through the doors.
Thank you for continuing to value, respect, and contribute to the Synapse culture. We truly love and value each of you in return.