Welcome to yet another extremely delayed installment of the Drop-In Diaries! This one takes you back – way back, to May in St. Petersburg, Florida. I was speaking at the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) annual conference, and working out was non-negotiable. However, keep in mind that I was also in the throes of my weird medication-induced illness, so I struggled through the workout and felt exhausted.
The Burg CrossFit Facility
Burg CrossFit actually has three locations: the facility I visited in downtown St. Petersburg, a facility in north St. Petersburg, and a place in Sunbury, Ohio. I can’t speak to the other two locations, but the downtown facility is huge. It’s a giant converted warehouse with over 10,000 square feet and a ton of equipment. There’s a mobility room, tons of rigs, tons of ropes, rowers, some Ski Ergs tucked away in the corners – I was impressed and a little intimidated. Plus, they also had a BurgFit class going on at the same time that I was working out, and there were a lot of people in the gym. Again, a little intimidating for me, and I felt a little overwhelmed. The facility does have a yoga room if you want some peace and quiet for stretching, as well as showers and a recovery room with those amazing leg compression boots and percussion massagers.
The Programming
I dropped in on a day when the programming seemed like what you’d find at any CrossFit box in the country. CrossFit Burg thoughtfully wrote their warm-up on the whiteboard, which involved two minutes on the bike, then two rounds of squats, pushups, jumping squats, and inchworms. The strength portion was front squats with a pause at the bottom, and I paired up with a Burg member to share the rig.
The WOD was three rounds for time: 600 meter run, 3 rope climbs, 20 handstand pushups. I modified as instructed to do modified rope climbs (hauling myself from an almost prone position to standing using the rope) and seated dumbbell presses. There was a 17-minute cap, and as I’ve mentioned previously, I wasn’t feeling my best, so my goal was to just move. (I finished in 16:25, then took full advantage of the recovery room). The coaching was good; I had NIcky, and she knew what she was doing.
Overall, I think I would come back – as long as I wasn’t feeling fatigued and pushing myself. I’d recommend this box if you don’t mind a lot of people – everyone in the CrossFit class was friendly, so I enjoyed that part greatly.
To read more of my firsthand drop-in experiences, visit The Drop-In Diaries!
