Well 2020, what was that?! A year like no other and it’s no doubt turned our lives upside down. And how did it even get to the end of the year when it was only March 5 minutes ago? 2020 has brought worry, struggle and uncertainty, as well as lots of banana bread and an obsession with a man called ‘The Tiger King’ (remember that?)… 

Even though 2020 has been such a chaotic year, it is important to pause and reflect on the lessons we have learned, how we have grown and what goals we have reached.

It’s difficult to look back at the year without COVID being centre stage. Not just for us, but for the fitness industry as a whole, we’ve had to pivot and work around our box being shut for most of the year. As a Crossfit gym, we are a community (we know you’ve heard it all before), we support each other, motivate one another and it’s all about the atmosphere our members bring each session. We pride ourselves on being ‘stronger together’ and COVID completely changed this for us. 

What did we do?

When we closed, we lent all of our equipment out to members. Barbells, weights, kettlebells, dumbbells, etc. We tried to make sure as many members as possible had something to work with at home. Just like a typical day at Crossfit Pendle, we continued to programme a daily WOD for our members to complete which had bodyweight options for people with no kit or limited kit. We also began online classes via Zoom, which meant that we could keep each other accountable and receive coaching whilst training (if needed). 

We did as much as we could to keep our members engaged with us and to keep them fit throughout lockdown.

What happened when we re-opened?

Returning safely was our biggest priority. When it was announced that gyms could re-open it was important to consider the changes that needed to be made to our box to allow our members back in safely. Some of the measures we took (and are still in place) are: classes must booked in advance, a one way system was enforced, sanitise stations were put in, each person has their own station marked out with cleaning products to clean their equipment after they’ve used it, social distancing must be adhered to inside & outside the gym, floors are cleaned with an anti-viral liquid at the end of each day.

It was also important to think about how our members would get the best out of their workout, whilst minimising the risk of injury after months of being absent with weight training. 

What else has happened this year?

We stuck by being a Crossfit affiliate!

Back in June Greg Glassman (founder of Crossfit) tweeted an offensive comment & the consequences were disastrous. Crossfit lost key partnerships, endorsements and hundreds of affiliated gyms around the world! Unlike many others, we made the decision to keep our Crossfit affiliate. This doesn’t mean we supported the actions or words of the CEO Greg Glassman, nor do we accept any form of racism, inequality or hate at our gym.

We made this decision because Crossfit holds a powerful message within our community – one that we think cannot be tarnished by the words of one man. Crossfit as a fitness methodology is something we at Crossfit Pendle believe in.

We also started a sister company – INBODY LAB

A positive to come out of 2020 was us starting our sister company, InBody LAB. Based at Crossfit Pendle, InBodyLAB has been designed to help you get the health & fitness results you want! We have an advanced 570 InBody scanner which allows you to identify areas to work on, to improve your overall health and wellness and provide you with accurate results. 

Not only do we help you look analyse and set goals for your body composition, we offer a complete personal 1-1 programme, designed to help you achieve your nutrition and body goals.  

You can find out more about InBody LAB here… https://www.crossfitpendle.com/blog/introducing-inbodylab 

We continued to make some great partnerships

Crossfit Pendle members can show their member card key ring and get discounts, deals & offers from other businesses! Our most recent partner is premium food prep company ‘Northern Pig’ who offer 15% off for our members. If you have a business and would like to partner with us in 2021, then just get in touch! 

MR & MRS Head Coach are expecting!

A Crossfit baby is on the way – future head coach pending! Brilliant news for Mike and Jess this year who are expecting their first baby. 

Most importantly…WE SURVIVED!

In 2020 we have faced the biggest disruption the fitness industry has ever seen. It’s only because of our community & our members that we are still where we are today and we want to say a HUGE thank you to all of them. In 2020 we have grown, we have pivoted and we have managed to keep our community together and stronger than ever before. We still have a lot of challenges to face going forward into 2021 and whilst not knowing what changes the pandemic may still bring us, we know we can tackle them together.