By Shaina Hayutin, Coach at CrossFit Newtown  The days leading up to the 4th of July reminded us what discomfort feels like. Caught in the middle of a heat advisory, we lost power at the gym. No lights, no sound system, no AC, a water cooler that was only kind of working, and heat. How did we respond? Coach Molly initially, quite literally froze when the power went out, and then proceeded to say “welp, let’s keep working out!” Coach Jake happened to be attending the class and immediately turned on music from his phone to keep the vibes alive and well. And then, Coach Carrie instantly sprung into problem solving mode. Between the three of them, 5:30pm class continued, 6:30pm athletes were contacted to be forewarned of the circumstances, and the status of said power outage was being addressed and communicated in quite a timely fashion. What a wonderful...Read more

By Shaina Hayutin, Coach at CrossFit Newtown  On February 10th, 2001, the first CrossFit workout was posted on Main Site. Since then, the methodology has affected the entire fitness landscape for the better. What started as an underground, guerilla marketing experiment, has exploded into a global phenomenon. Like it or hate it, CrossFit has made a massive impact on the fitness world. Now that it’s become mainstream, how can we reinvigorate the next generation of CrossFitters? We start by taking a step back.  Adrian Bozman, O.G. seminar staff leader and now head of the CrossFit Games, said on a recent episode of the podcast Varied Not Random, “Anytime something becomes mainstream, it’s going to be diluted – for better or worse- it’s just the nature of the beast. You look around [the fitness space] and it [CrossFit] has infected everything. You can go to ‘insert regular gym chain here,’ and...Read more

By Shaina Hayutin, Coach at CrossFit Newtown  If you’re a CrossFitter, you might have fallen into the trap of thinking that being super sore every day is the goal. Soreness equates to how hard you work, so if you’re not crippling sore every single day, you’re not working hard enough, right? Wrong.  There is a difference between feeling a healthy dose of soreness and feeling so sore you can’t walk up and down stairs properly, or get in and out of your car without wincing. We want you to feel recovered and able to tackle your day-to-day. So, how do we manage appropriate levels of soreness?  Several factors come into play: Warming up properly Cooling down/stretching consistently  Staying hydrated Getting adequate sleep and rest  Fueling your body properly None of this is new information. These factors are not fitness trends, they are simply healthy behaviors to engage in if you...Read more

By Shaina Hayutin, Coach at CrossFit Newtown  If you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard the term “scaling” on a regular basis. Do you fully understand what it means though? Let’s pause for a second and think.   Seriously, take a moment…. Perhaps similar words pop into your brain like modification or progression? Maybe you think scaling is a safe and smart way to approach your workout? Some may find themselves responding “oh well, I just scaled,” after a coach approaches you with a well-deserved and fist bump. Before assuming, let’s make sure we have a full and comprehensive understanding of what “scaling” actually means.  Scaling is simply an appropriately challenging, intelligent way to approach your workout.  It does not mean lesser than. It does not mean easier. It does not mean you didn’t work as hard as the person next to you who Rx’d.  It means finding the right amount of...Read more

By Shaina Hayutin, Coach at CrossFit Newtown  The 2026 Open has come to a close. You probably heard your coaches talk about “standards” a lot throughout these past three weeks and may wonder: What’s the big deal about standards? Said standards may seem like we’re asking a lot of you. And that’s because we are. Because we want the best for you and your health. Standards exist in order to ensure consistency and fairness across a worldwide competition, but they also play an important role in your personal health. They show you how to live the most functional and independent life possible.  The reason we hold standards is because we want you to be able to live an independent life for as long as possible. Nobody wants to have to ask for help for mundane, day to day tasks. Nobody wants someone else to have to wipe their own ass...Read more